We think that stress is a bad thing. So everyone goes all in these days on “avoiding stress” and “relaxing.”
Which makes sense in our culture because everyone is so stressed all the time. BUT stress can be good, as long as its in the right doses.
Exercisers know this. You have to challenge and stress the body in order to produce a healthy adaptation. BUT if you take it to far, you end up doing more harm that good.
In other words:
- Whereas stress is beneficial at low doses,
- it becomes harmful or toxic at higher doses.
As the dose-response graph above shows, there is a maximum response, occurring at the optimal dose of stress, which, theoretically, yields the most benefit to the organism.
That reminds me of Going outside and putting yourself in a bit of stress. Because we live in such controlled and comfortable environments, it’s easy for the body’s “safe zone” to get really small. And every little thing starts to freak it out.
I think of allergies I think of getting triggered I think of injuries and sickness
Our resilience is so, so low these days!
It’s important to put the body in the right challenging conditions that are unpredictable, yet ultimately safe (i.e. non-fatal, and not risk-free).
Read more at: Hormesis: Using Stress to Enhance Health and Longevity
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