How Stress and a Burst of Anxiety Can Make You More Productive

Stress has gained a negative reputation in the medical and health industry. The chronic stress most people experience due to work demands, hectic schedules, and personal problems not only affects our physical well-being but also our mental health too.

That’s why health experts advise their patients to avoid stress as much as possible. Or if not, at least know how to manage stress accordingly. However, some medical professionals argue that not all kinds of stress are dangerous to your health. Stress motivates you to push through your limits and achieve what you want! Let us uncover how this type of stress can actually be good and helpful for you especially when you’re dealing with these situations!

Stress Helps You When You’re Nervous

vchal/Shutterstock
Undertaking a large number of activities without being mindful of what one is doing is a recipe for disaster. Not only does this increase anxiety levels, but could lead to depression in the long run.

But according to the scientist, the symptoms we feel are identical to when we’re excited. Moreover, they noted a specific activity that occurs in our brain when we’re nervous. According to them, our brain switches into “approach mode” when a person is nervous which increases the dopamine activity. It also boosts our mental sharpness that enables a person to focus on the task at hand. Essentially, it helps the person to boost his/her confidence and deliver a good performance afterward.

When You Want to Achieve the Flow State

Everyone wants to become the best version of themselves, either in achieving our dreams, accomplishing a work task, sports, or pursuing our passion. The heightened state where we can increase our productivity is called the “flow state”, according to the famous psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. However, one needs to apply the right amount of stress in our body to activate the flow state.

The reason is that the activity must capture your full attention and focus while your skills are perfectly in-tune with the task at hand. Once your stress motivates you to succeed, then that’s the time you can enter the flow state and according to the experts, you’ll be unstoppable at whatever you do.

When Increasing Your Immunity

eldar nurkovic/Shutterstock
The Stanford researchers claim the stress hormones released in the adrenal glands are responsible for boosting our immune cells when we’re experiencing mild stress.

We’ve all heard how chronic stress can destroy our physical health and may even contribute to our weight gain according to the experts. However,  Stanford University researchers claim that short-term stress can help stimulate your immune system.

Thus, boosting your immunity against chronic diseases and illnesses in the process. The Stanford researchers found this out after experimenting with rats, which demonstrated promising results of massive immune cells mobilization. The spike in the immune cells’ movements helps in healing your wounds and fighting infections, which can help improve your immunity.

When Boosting Your Mental Alertness

Another study conducted on rats found that mild stress can help the brain chemicals on our body called neurotrophins. This brain chemical is responsible for the development, function, and survival of our brain cells. The study suggests that mild stress pushes our brain to reach its peak or optimum potential. They claim the rats’ memory and focus was boosted when they got exposed to low to medium-levels of stress.

When Building Your Resiliency

kurhan/Shutterstock

According to the health experts, chronic stress helps promote the oxidative damage to your DNA and RNA. This phenomenon leads to the progression of deadly diseases and chronic illnesses. However, new studies show that the moderate amount of stress we receive on a daily basis help protect against oxidative damage.

The researchers call this phenomenon as psychobiological resilience. A separate longitudinal study conducted by UCLA followed the same pattern. They assessed how much adversity and stress their subjects had experienced throughout their lives. The results they gathered stunned them. According to the study, the people who experienced stressful events and even life adversity yield better mental health and resiliency. They are stronger than people with no history of stressful events or have never faced adversity.