Excessive stress can have negative impacts on our health, but appropriate stress levels can foster growth and enhance resilience. – Liubomyr Vorona/iStockphoto/Getty Images
Editor’s note: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta delves into the medical science behind life’s mysteries, both big and small. Listen to episodes here.
(CNN) — The common message that “stress is detrimental to your health” holds true. Chronic stress can lead to various health issues. However, it is important to recognize that certain types of stress can present opportunities for personal growth. In fact, according to Dr. Sharon Bergquist, author of the new book “The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier,” an appropriate amount of stress is essential for our overall well-being.
“While excessive stress can be harmful, insufficient stress can also be detrimental,” explained Dr. Bergquist in a recent discussion with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his podcast Chasing Life. Dr. Sharon Bergquist, an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine and the founder of Emory Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness, draws from her personal experiences to understand the effects of stress.
Growing up during the Iranian Revolution and later fleeing to England and then the United States, Dr. Bergquist encountered significant stressors throughout her life. Despite the challenges, she excelled academically and professionally. These experiences sparked her interest in stress and its effects on individuals.
Through her research, Dr. Bergquist discovered that the impact of stress depends on its type and intensity. She noted that individuals who lead passionate and driven lives may experience what she terms “good stress,” which can have positive effects on the body. This type of stress triggers the release of beneficial biochemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, promoting health and well-being.
In contrast, “bad” stress, characterized by unpredictability, chronicity, and negative impacts on health, triggers the release of cortisol, leading to harmful downstream effects. Dr. Bergquist’s work emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing stress levels to optimize health and longevity.
In our bodies, such as high blood pressure. The trio of chemicals released when we experience positive stress “helps reduce our cortisol levels. It enhances our ability to cope with stress,” she explained. Resilience is comparable to a muscle: it is dynamic and needs to be tested to become stronger. “Fundamentally, our stress responses are meant to aid us. They help us adapt to our environment,” she noted, emphasizing that throughout history, humans have relied on these responses to survive and thrive. However, she pointed out that the factors that trigger these stress responses have been eliminated from our daily lives. We no longer encounter environmental stressors like food scarcity or extreme temperatures. “The prevalence of modern comforts has disconnected us from the natural world around us,” she expressed. “As a result, we are essentially limiting our potential by not allowing our bodies to function as effectively as they can.”
To incorporate positive stress into your life, Bergquist recommends the following five tips:
1. Find the optimal challenge level: Push yourself beyond your comfort zone without feeling overwhelmed. “Positive stress acts as medicine. Like any medication, the dosage influences the outcome,” she stated. “Growth from stress occurs when it falls within a hormetic, or ‘Goldilocks,’ zone – an ideal amount that is neither excessive nor insufficient.” In essence, challenge yourself to swim but avoid drowning.
2. Align with your beliefs: Ensure that the challenges you undertake are in harmony with your values. “Your intuition and intellect will recognize the distinction,” she stated. “Persisting in situations where you feel stagnant or disconnected from your principles can trigger harmful stress.” “Positive stress isn’t just about reshaping the way we perceive stress,” she clarified. “Instead, it involves purposefully engaging in meaningful challenges as a counterbalance to the unavoidable chronic stressors.”
3. Prioritize recovery: Allocate time for relaxation and rejuvenation to grow from stress. “Under stress, your body conserves energy and undergoes internal maintenance,” she explained. “Recovery allows your brain and body to adapt and form new connections to better tackle future obstacles.” Bergquist emphasized that recovery is equally crucial as positive stress to reap its benefits. “Even positive stress can turn detrimental without adequate recovery.”
4. Harness the mind-body connection: Engaging in physical challenges can help bolster mental resilience and vice versa. Bergquist highlighted the concept of cross-adaptation, where subjecting yourself to physical or psychological stress aids in cell repair and regeneration, enhancing overall well-being. To build mental resilience, she suggested activities such as consuming stress-resistant plant-based foods, engaging in vigorous exercise, brief exposure to temperature variations, and practicing intermittent fasting.
By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your resilience to stress and improve your overall well-being.
Just as you were designed to handle stress, experiencing stress is not a flaw but a built-in feature. According to Bergquist, our history as humans is one of facing and conquering stress, ultimately emerging stronger. By undergoing cycles of stress and recovery, we tap into our innate potential, a valuable inheritance encoded in our DNA. Building resilience is akin to developing a muscle that anyone can strengthen, regardless of their circumstances. It’s natural to have fears and a desire to avoid challenges, but taking a leap of faith can lead to transformative outcomes. These five tips aim to help you harness stress for your benefit. For more insights, listen to the complete episode and stay tuned to the Chasing Life podcast where we will delve into the crucial yet often overlooked aspect of mobility in aging. This report includes contributions from Grace Walker and Kyra Dahring of CNN Audio. To access additional CNN news and newsletters, sign up at CNN.com.
