Keynote Advanced
Reading text Unit 9: Can stress be good for you?
Google ‘stress’ and the search results paint a very negative picture: stress is a problem with
symptoms, causes and treatments – something that needs to be defeated, like an illness. And
indeed, chronic stress is a proven cause of many major health problems such as heart disease
and cancer. But did you know that a degree of stress can be good for you? Recent research by
Dr Staci Bilbo, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in
the USA, and others, indicates that the effects of stress are more complicated than we think.
Keeping us on our toes?
Our bodies and minds naturally respond to our environment, to the things going on in the
world around us. What’s interesting is that whether our experience is negative or positive, the
body’s reaction is the same. It doesn’t distinguish between the feelings we experience when
we’re under pressure at work – the boss asks us as the last minute to give a complex
presentation – or the ones associated with a thrill such as parachuting out of an aeroplane; it
just releases a chemical called adrenaline. This is called the ‘fight or flight’ response;
adrenaline gives us a burst of energy either to face a challenge (fight) or run away from it
(flight). In moderate amounts, adrenaline makes us feel alert and alive, though a big burst of
adrenalin can be unpleasantly overwhelming. Dr. Pamela Peeke, an internationally
recognized expert, physician, scientist and author says, ‘What stress does is it keeps us on our
toes, it keeps us energetic, it keeps us engaged’, adding that of course, too much stress can
lead to real problems.
Stimulating the brain?
Adrenaline and the ‘fight or flight’ response are only the beginning, though. Clinical research
shows that short periods of stress may help the brain work better. When we’re stressed, the
brain releases cortisol, a chemical that calms the mind. According to brain researcher
Elizabeth Kirby, the moderate amount of cortisol produced during a brief burst of stress –
what she compares to being chased by a bear – provides an energizing shot in the arm and
motivates a quick response. In these amounts, cortisol improves the brain’s ability to learn
and remember. The key difference between good stress and bad stress is how long it lasts,
according to Kirby. ‘If a bear chases you all day, every day’, she says, then the system will be
activated constantly, giving us a high and steady dose of the body’s stress chemicals, which
in the long run is harmful rather than helpful. So constantly feeling that you’re in over your
head at work may make you ill. And that can lead to serious health issues.
Helping us learn to deal with anxiety?
The mind isn’t the only part of us that responds when the going gets tough. Our bodies also
react in a variety of ways: a stiff neck, a tight stomach, tense shoulders. These symptoms are
unpleasant because they cause discomfort, but they can also be helpful, as we can use them to
increase our awareness of the sources of anxiety – and therefore become more able to identify
and deal with them. If we’re mindful of how it affects us, we can practise improving our
response and thereby slowly reduce the negative effects stress can have on us. But there’s
more. Research has also shown that if, as children, we experience moderate stress – for
example separation from our parents as part of the weekly routine – we grow into healthier,
more relaxed adults. Practice dealing with low-level childhood anxiety can make it much
easier to deal with more intense grown-up pressures.
Boosting the immune system?
There’s one more clear physical benefit of stress. We know that strong exercise ‘stresses’ the
body and causes the release of adrenaline in much the same way that a sudden shock or thrill
does. Researchers have discovered that strong physical activity before certain medical
procedures can improve their effectiveness. For example, when cancer patients have a fast
workout just before receiving a dose of cancer treatment, it improves the effectiveness of the
drugs. Similarly, recipients of a vaccination can increase the body’s ability to fight disease by
doing a short but intense run just beforehand. Stress can unarguably cause serious problems,
but if we understand how it works, we can learn to use it advantageously. So next time your
boss gives you two hours to come up with the best presentation of your life and you’re
feeling seriously stressed, remember: it may be good for you!
