The Good Side Of Stress

What is “stressed out”? Is there a “good side” of stress?

Consider your body:

When you stress your muscles, then relax, they grow. Physically, here we’re doing a full, solid workout. Mentally, this is where we might feel a little overwhelmed, or as though we’ve committed to something bold. And then we relax.

When your muscles don’t experience any stress, they don’t grow. Physically, here we’re being a couch-potato. We skipped the workout. Again. Mentally, this is where we played it safe, did things the way we did them last time, and avoided doing hard things.

When your muscles experience stress for prolonged periods, they get damaged. Physically, this is where you push too hard and pull something (that you still feel two days later). Mentally, this is when you do hard things… well into the night, every night, until you become a grumpy wreck.

I suspect you’ve tried all three of these scenarios. And that until now, you’ve considered “stress” to be a bad thing.

What if a little “stress” – without “stressing out” – is just what the doctor ordered?