Stress might have earned its bad reputation but it’s very much part of being alive. We’ve come to view stress as a toxic presence that needs to be purged from our lives, like an unwelcome houseguest overstaying its welcome. Entire industries have built themselves on this premise, selling meditation apps, stress-relief teas, and retreats promising serenity. But stress, in its purest form, is not always the villain of well-being or productivity. In fact, researchers suggest some stress is good for you and that eliminating it entirely may rob us of growth, resilience, and meaning. In her book: The Upside of Stress, Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University.

McGonigal explains why stress is not just something to get rid of but something to work with, her theories are also grounded in studies done at Harvard University. 

What Happens to Your Body When You’re Stressed?

At its core, stress is your body’s way of mobilizing energy and focus in response to a challenge. Study shows people, at some point, feel some stress on up to 15-32% in a day. In evolutionary terms, it’s what kept our ancestors alive when they faced danger—a lion on the savanna, a rival tribe encroaching on their territory. Today, the threats are less immediate but no less potent: looming deadlines, financial insecurities, fractured relationships. 

Yet stress operates on a spectrum. The chronic, grinding stress of unrelenting pressure can erode mental and physical health. 

When your heart races before a big presentation or your palms sweat during a tense family dinner? That’s your body’s stress response kicking into gear—In a high-pressure moment, your brain signals your adrenal glands to release a series of hormones, including adrenaline. These chemicals trigger a surge of physiological changes: your breath quickens, your pulse speeds up, and your muscles tense, all priming you to either confront the challenge head-on or escape it entirely.

Surprisingly, your body also releases oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone.” While typically associated with warm, fuzzy feelings of connection, oxytocin is part of the stress response, too. 

But acute, short-term is essential for survival. This duality is what psychologists refer to as the “stress paradox” —the idea that stress can both harm and help, depending on how it’s experienced and managed.

Acute stress, while uncomfortable, can actually be a good thing. It sharpens focus, heightens awareness, and gives you the energy to push through difficult situations. But when stress lingers unchecked, for example, highly traumatic experiences, family issues remain unresolved, or life becomes one long series of emergencies, the toll on your body stores up overtime. Chronic stress is linked to a host of mental and physical health problems, from depression to an increased risk of heart disease.

The Concept of Eustress and Hormesis, Which Has Been Studied in Fields Like Toxicology and Medicine Shows

Eustress

Eustress, a term coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1970s. This type of stress is the good kind of stress—the type that comes with taking on meaningful challenges, boosting emotional well-being, motivation, and improving health.

Hormesis

A dose-response relationship where a low dose of a stressor can have a beneficial effect, enhances an organism’s resilience and well-being, but a higher dose is harmful. Hormesis is referred to as the “sweet spot” between distress and eustress. 

A musician perfecting a piece before a big concert or an entrepreneur launching a business after years of planning, for example, the stress in these situations isn’t destructive, it’s galvanizing. It’s what propels people to rise to the occasion.

On the flip side, the pursuit of a stress-free existence can lead to stagnation, and what’s recognized today as the “comfort zone trap”—the tendency to avoid anything that feels difficult or uncomfortable. It may feel safe in the moment, this avoidance can result in boredom, complacency, and a lower sense of self-worth.

Stress as a Tool

What if, instead of avoiding stress, we learned to wield it? Some of the most resilient people don’t necessarily experience less stress than others—they simply interpret it differently. This is known as the stress-is-enhancing mindset, a perspective shift that can transform how stress affects the body and mind.

Psychologists suggests the weight of your stress, as well as the way you carry it can shape your well-being. Study shows that people who see stress as opportunities for growth tend to fare better than those who see stress as purely harmful or unrelenting threat. Perspective, it seems, is everything.

But don’t mistake this for a call to stay unshaken in the face of hardship. It’s perfectly natural—and even beneficial—to feel unsettled when faced with the unexpected. In fact, according to research, there’s a Goldilocks zone for emotional reactions to stress. People who either underreact or overreact to challenges are more likely to experience poor health outcomes. Those who fall somewhere in the middle—acknowledging their stress without being overwhelmed by it—tend to fare best.

Just like physical health, too, thrives on a certain amount of stress. Take exercise, for example—it’s essentially a deliberate act of stressing the body to build strength and resilience. Research even suggests that brief bursts of stress can enhance immune function, sharpening the body’s defenses in ways prolonged calm never could.

Why You Shouldn’t Aim for Zero

Can you imagine a life devoid of stress? No challenges. No setbacks. No high stakes. It sounds like paradise. But you don’t have to imagine long before you see that the absence of stress translates to the absence of purpose. 

Finding the Sweet Spot

Of course, the goal isn’t to drown in stress—it’s to find the right balance. Managing stress is an ongoing process of calibration. Practices like mindfulness, exercise, and time in nature can help regulate the body’s stress response, ensuring that it serves rather than causes harm. And instead of seeing it as something to banish, ask yourself what it’s telling you. Is it pointing to a challenge worth pursuing, a value worth protecting, a risk worth taking?