Is there such a thing as healthy stress?

Today, stress is seen as something toxic and negative that should be avoided at all cost! When in reality, it is a normal part of life and can’t be avoided. I like this definition from Dr Kelly McGonigal “Stress is a response to something we care about being at stake.”

When most of us think of stress we think of the fight or flight response and it turns out there are several responses our body can have to stress:

• Fight or flight response

• Tend and befriend response

• Challenge response

The Fight or Flight response causes a release of adrenaline, cortisol and dopamine. The body becomes inflamed in preparation for repairing injuries because it feels it could be harmed. In addition, immune function, heart rate variability (HRV) are reduced and the body becomes more aware of and reactive to similar situations in the future.  

The tend and befriend and challenge response cause similar elevations in adrenaline and dopamine but the key difference is they DO NOT cause inflammation because the body doesn’t perceive a physical threat. So, we get the energy to perform without the downside of inflammation!

The tend and befriend is the stress response we experience when someone we care about needs help including ourselves.  One of the key differences in this response is the release of oxytocin and serotonin which protects the body from negative stress effects and makes us more aware of important details that can help us respond more effectively.

The challenge response is where we see the stress as challenge but we don’t feel our life is at risk. We see the stress as an opportunity. IE an athlete before an event or giving a speech etc Another bonus of the challenge response is increased ratio of DHEA over cortisol which helps us learn from stressful events, recover more quickly, and improves our heart and brain health.

In addition to  healthy emotional stress ,did you know there are  healthy physical stressors as well?

Meet your friend hormesis. Hormesis It’s the body’s response to short lived healthy stress such as exercise, fasting, and cold exposure. Hormesis slows aging by cleaning up old cells, reducing inflammation and building resilience.

•  *Exercise

Any type of exercise is helpful brisk walking, strength training or HIIT workouts are examples. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 75 minutes of HIIT or 150 of moderate intensity exercise plus 2 full body strength training workouts/week.

• *Fasting

Intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation, improve metabolism and insulin sensitivity. 12-16 hours gives the gut time to rest and heal and the body time to rid itself of damaged proteins.

• *Heat and cold exposure

Cold and heat exposure such as a 2-3 minute cold shower can actually improve your mood, metabolism, sleep, immune response, and reduce inflammation.  A hot bath or sauna several times a week has similar effects and also improves cardiovascular health. 

Isn’t it interesting that some stressors actually make us healthier and more resilient? After living on the planet for over 5 decades and walking through my share of stress I can say without a doubt every difficult season I have walked through has made me stronger, more resilient and less fearful.

This bible verse comes to mind as I think on the subject of good stress:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

If you have interest in reading more about the positive aspects of stress check out Dr Kelly McGonigal’s book called the Upside of Stress

*** It’s important to note that these things are not right for all women please consult your healthcare provider before beginning any of these activities