Why Stress & Anxiety Aren’t Always Bad

Most have been told that stress will kill us, that it’s not good for our health and that we need as little stress as possible to be healthy and productive. And while that is by-and-large true, there are definitely positives that can come from stressful situations.

This isn’t another one of those ‘tough times make tough people’ posts, simply an illustration that when stressful and anxiety-producing situations occur, they can be beneficial to one’s overall health.

Good Stress, or Not?

Before we dive into the benefits, it’s important for us to discuss the good stress and the not-so-good stress. Chronic stress is the worst kind of stress, as it’s a stress that seemingly will never have an end.

Stress Management

It can be brought about by extremely difficult life circumstances and can cause high blood pressure, anxiety, exhaustion and depression. The ‘good’ stress is that which your body can and does handle on a day-to-day basis.

Cognitive Function Improvement

it can feel like you’re drowning in it sometimes, stress and anxiety can improve your cognitive function. Some people find that they work better under stress. If you’ve got a deadline coming up and you know you have to meet it, your stress levels will increase naturally and you’ll probably find that you’ll be stressed but over-performing to get the work done. Stress can produce new nerve cells in the brain, which can increase brain function.

Anxiety as a Motivator

We often find ourselves becoming anxious at times when things that are really important to us are under threat. For example, a job interview is coming up for a job that you really want. You feel your anxiety building inside you and you decide to utilize that anxiety as a motivator for good and decide that you’re going to ace that job interview. Your anxiety can be transformed into positivity more often than not – this is not necessarily the case for crippling anxiety sufferers.

Relieving Stress & Anxiety Is Healthy for You

If you have certain coping mechanisms that you use to relieve your stress and anxiety, then utilizing these during periods of intense stress and anxiety will produce a healthier you. Perhaps you meditate when you’re feeling anxious to help clear your mind, or perhaps you go for a run. If you live a stressful life, then one of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn what coping mechanisms work for you and then do them regularly. This will help train your body in what signals to send to your brain when you are feeling stressed or anxious. These signals will hopefully allow you to help head-off stress and anxiety before it becomes overwhelming.

Learn the differences between good stress and bad stress. Know what to do when you feel stressed, or you feel the pang of an anxiety attack coming on. Utilizing your stress and anxiety in positive ways will help you deal with it better in the future. Stress and anxiety don’t always have to be bad things in your life, you can learn how to make them forces of good.