How much stress have you experienced over the last year? Some stress? A moderate amount of stress? A lot of stress?  How have you handled that stress?

Perhaps most importantly, how do you feel about that stress?

There was a previously held belief in the medical profession that “stress is bad”. Stress makes you sick and is overall harmful to your health. We should try to avoid stress at all costs. Publically, this is what most people believe, however like most things, it’s not that cut and dry.

Some studies have actually found that stress isn’t bad. What’s fascinating, like the placebo effect, stress was proven harmful only when the person believed that stress was bad. Health Psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, shares a great TED Talk on: How To Make Stress Your Friend. She shares some of the compelling research which in fact reveals some of the upsides of stress. It’s a great time to rethink your relationship with stress. With an open and growth mindset, you give yourself a chance to reframe your understanding. How you think about stress and how you act on it will have a major impact on your health and happiness.

Stress can be a good thing once we better understand it. Most people know it when they feel it. It releases hormones in the brain, and you feel it in your body. This physical reaction is normal. It is at this point that we can interpret and manage it instead of stressing over it. You have the opportunity to take that stress you’re feeling and put that energy to work in your favor.

Have you ever had to give a presentation, perform on stage, or compete in a tournament? Maybe you interviewed for a job you wanted, invested in a new project, or went on a first date? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you’ve probably experienced “butterflies in your stomach”.

Although it may feel a little uncomfortable at first, after a few deep breaths and a sip of water, you’re ready to go. That stress keeps you focused and sharp. You’re present and in the moment. When meeting a deadline, the pressure we feel propels us to complete the project. The same thing happens when we’re faced with danger, the stress actually helps us to survive.

Chronic untreated and mismanaged stress is still bad. That’s the stress that we know so well, which frequently leads to cardiovascular disease. Major life crises that go unresolved can in fact increase your chances of dying. However, even with this kind of stress, there are things that are within your control to navigate it.

We’ve talked about some of the methods above such as reframing how we think and act upon our stress. Research also shows that connecting with other people is very helpful for managing it. This is true whether you are caring for them, or they are comforting you. There are also all the self-care things you likely know by now like exercise, meditation, journaling, etc.

We are all going to face stress in our lives in one way or another. Nobody is going to live a life without some degree of loss and heartache. This comes with the territory of being human and having emotions. In some ways, that idea is actually freeing. Don’t live in constant fear avoiding everything that’s scary. Live in a way that gives your life meaning, and be prepared to build your stress resilience along the way. 

What is something you’ve been putting off because of fear? 

How do you reposition your stress to empower yourself? 

Are there negative stresses that you have not addressed?