Being frazzled can be good for you but you've got to find the right balance

[NicNak]

Being frazzled can be good for you, but you've got to find the right balance
By Melinda Wenner
Schizophrenia Magazine


Here?s a statement you never hear: ?I?m so stressed out?it?s awesome!? But the fact is, certain pressure-filled situations, like the occasional public-speaking gig or cramming for an exam, can be good for your health.

?There are good and bad types of stress. The bad kind is chronic and uncontrollable, like the tension caused by an unhappy marriage or a sick relative,? says Edward Calabrese, PhD, a toxicologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. ?But there are a lot of positives associated with short bursts of stress that ease up quickly,? such as being stuck in a snarl of traffic or sweating through a presentation at work.

In a recent Ohio State University study, mice that experienced brief but intense stress were better able to fight the flu. And a smattering of research has linked acute short-term stress to a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer?s.

The reason? Stress jolts you into repair mode. It works like this: When you injure yourself, your body snaps to attention and starts to fix itself?healing your injury and revving up your immune system to protect against infection. Short-term stress works the same way. Initially, it produces free radicals and hormones such as cortisol that wreak havoc on your tissues. But then, when your body senses the damage, it calls in the cleanup crew. If the stress is short-lived, you can heal quickly and still have enough energy left over to repair everyday wear and tear, like a scratch or a bruise. (It?s like when you decide to tidy up a room for 10 minutes and end up in the midst of a full-on spring cleaning; your body goes into a kind of self-repair overdrive.)

Some researchers who study aging even go so far as to conclude that low-intensity stress could actually help extend your life. The concept makes sense: As you age, your body can?t mend as easily, says Edward Masoro, PhD, professor emeritus in the department of physiology at the University of Texas. If mild stress ramps up the recovery process, ?it stands to reason that it would slow down aging,? he says.

There is research to back up the theory. When scientists periodically stress out flies and worms by exposing them to heat, they live longer. Human cells grown in the lab survive longer after being exposed to taxing conditions. Other studies suggest that mild mental tension in the form of intellectual and social challenges, such as doing a crossword puzzle or attending a party where you don?t know anyone, can help people fare better well into their senior years. But stress on its own won?t help you; you?ve got to relax afterward. Your body can?t begin repairing itself until the tension has stopped, so ?if stress is too severe or too prolonged, you?ll have no chance to recover,? says Mark Mattson, PhD, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging. Not all rest and relaxation is created equal, though. Experts say you should avoid activities that, though they seem relaxing, actually tax you further: Knocking back three margaritas after work or inhaling a pile of nachos would fall into this category. It might be better just to rest on the couch with a good book or play fetch with your pup. The key to reaping the benefits of tension is finding just the right balance between too much and too little.

 

[Daniel E.]

Threat Vs. Challenge
About.com blog: Stress Management
by Elizabeth Scott, M.S.
August 7, 2008

It's long been known that the way you look at a potentially stressful situation can alter whether or not it ends up being stressful. In other words, a significant part of your stress is created by how you look at things! This is a common thread that I've written about in optimism, maintaining a sense of humor, and even using the Law of Attraction. New research out of Dartmouth College reinforces this principle in relation to job stress. In two different experiments, researchers studied how people respond when they go against the grain at work, and are thus more noticed and scrutinized. For many, being the focus of attention at work can be a stressful experience, but this isn't universally true. What factors affect whether being a standout is stressful or affirming?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the level of resources people had to do a good job had a major impact on whether or not they were stressed when finding themselves the center of attention at work.

Researchers deduced that the key ingredient here is whether subjects felt threatened, or challenged.

This is a key distinction, because it's perceived threat that triggers the stress response--not necessarily actual danger. Once the fight-or-flight response is triggered, a cascade of changes occur in the body, and if this happens often enough to constitute chronic stress, your health can be affected in ways both minor and major.

In contrast, a challenge can create eustress--the type of stress that makes you feel vital and alive. Challenges at work can stir creative juices and give you a reason to look forward to going to work in the morning.

While you can't always control what type of experiences you encounter, you can make a conscious decision to try to view situations as challenges instead of threats as much as possible. Viewing something as a challenge automatically gets you looking for solutions, rather than getting buried in feelings of stress.

How do you get into the "challenge, not threat" point of view? Here are a few resources to get you started:

How To Be More Emotionally Resilient
Tips On Maintaining a Sense of Humor
Develop Positive Self Talk

Oh, yeah; and it never hurts to be prepared!

Source: White JB. Fail or flourish? Cognitive appraisal moderates the effect of solo status on performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. September, 2008.