The Paradox of Stress ~ the benefits of making stress an ally

The Paradox of Stress; the benefits of making stress an ally

• When we engage in stressful situations we are cultivating courage.
• Stress motivates us and gives us energy to focus on challenges that support us to learn and grow.
• Stress can increase our confidence when we face stressful situations head on.
• We only feel a stress response with the things we care about. If we examine our stress triggers we will see the underlying value at stake when we are experiencing symptoms of stress.
• If we transform the belief that stress is harmful for us and see that stress is part of living our meaning and purpose, we gain resiliency to manage the stress and minimize harm.
• Science has shown that if we believe that stress is harmful then stress becomes harmful and when we have a mindset that stress is not harmful, it is not harmful. This is the Paradox that explains why stress resiliency works.
• Oxytocin, the bonding hormone, is a stress hormone, that when released, supports us to seek social connection and to care for others during times of stress. This hormone motivates us to seek support from others.
• When we face difficulties head-on, instead of trying to avoid or deny them, we build resources for dealing with stressful experiences. This is stress resilience.
• If we avoid stress then we are missing the opportunities to expand into new things that fuel our meaning and purpose. Avoiding stress increases our risk for depression, isolation and stress related disease.
• The paradox about stress is that it is a normal part of living a fulfilling life. How we think about stress is the key to whether it has the impact to help or to harm. It’s all in our attitude.
• “Embracing stress is an act of bravery, one that requires choosing meaning over avoiding discomfort.” Kelly McGonigal The Upside of Stress

As a Stress Reduction Specialist I am constantly exploring pathways to support my clients to manage their stress by decreasing the impact of stress in a busy life. I came across an interesting perspective about stress in a recent book written by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. Her book is called The Upside of Stress and in this book she presents the research on the truth about how stress can be harmful or helpful depending on one’s mindset about stress. I plan to incorporate some of the principles from her book into my stress programs because she has presented the research and is writing about what I have personally witnessed about stress in myself and in those I serve through my programs.

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