SMART LIVING: The upside of stress

ORLANDO, Fla. (IVANHOE NEWSWIRE) - There is such a thing as healthy stress. It’s the type of stress that can actually help and not harm your brain.

“Your cortisol goes up, which means your fuel consumption goes up,” said David Hanscom, a chronic pain expert. “What happens is, you’ve actually fired up your body. If you keep it that way, it’s like driving a car on the freeway in second gear.”

A study from UCSF and Stanford University found that manageable daily stress may help protect against oxidative damage, which is linked to disease and aging.

Some other upsides of stress include increasing motivation to finish projects on time, promoting social connections with others, boosting immunity, building resilience, and encouraging growth. That’s especially the case for those who learn techniques to cope with stress like meditation or checking in with yourself.

Some experts say it’s not a stressful situation that impacts our health, but rather how we let the stressful situation impact us long after it has occurred. For instance, within 90 seconds of a stress inducing experience, such as someone cutting you off in traffic, the stress chemicals your brain releases have completely dissipated from your blood. If you are still angry after 90 seconds, the stress will continue.

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