At some point, an expert in a position of authority has probably told you to avoid “stress” as it’s “bad” for you. This is terrible advice.
Leaving aside the fact that most of us can’t control our chaotic minds and stress responses (e.g., “Don’t think of a pink elephant”), stress is essential to life and completely unavoidable.
Reframing stress is a critical life hack many of us have yet to master. You need to understand cortisol, acute vs chronic stress, the growth equation and the seven types of rest.
Here goes.
Cortisol is your hero
Cortisol is often misunderstood. It’s your body’s natural stress response hero, working hard behind the scenes to keep you alive in high-pressure situations.
Combined with adrenaline, cortisol upregulates our entire response system so that we can perform better and be more resilient. This is what we call acute stress, and it is a vital skill for us to survive in dangerous situations and perform in short bursts when needed.
This is normal and desirable. You must be able to upregulate in the right conditions and give performance a turbo boost. Acute stress enhances cognitive function, stimulates nerve cell production, boosts immune response and builds resilience. It has no adverse effect on health.
Furthermore, cortisol is essential to life and always present, not just when we are stressed. We need cortisol to function, so it has a natural rhythm of peaking as we wake up and heading lower as we sleep. Too little cortisol, often caused by chronic infections, can result in fatigue, weakness, and digestive issues.
And this is where we encounter the “too much of a good thing” paradox.
Acute vs Chronic stress
When we are constantly under stress, we have chronically high cortisol. In today’s world of constant stimuli, our cortisol levels are often out of sync, with higher lows and higher highs.
This is wreaking havoc on our health and performance. A chronically elevated stress response can cause problems such as weight gain, poor glucose control, suppressed immunity, and even heart disease.
How do we manage chronic stress? There is a simple equation:
Stress + Rest = Growth
You should seek to limit your acute stress to short bursts, often dictated by factors beyond your control. You should manage chronic stress through targeted rest. And rest means more than you think. In fact, it means seven times more:
- Physical Rest: Recovery from physical exertion can be passive (like sleeping or napping) or active (stretching, yoga, or massages). This rest restores your body’s energy and helps it repair and rebuild.
- Mental Rest: Mental rest alleviates cognitive fatigue by taking breaks from constant thinking and decision-making—techniques like mindfulness, meditation, or stepping away for short intervals clear the mind and improve focus.
- Emotional Rest: This type of rest involves processing emotions and recharging through activities like journaling, solitude, or sharing with a trusted friend. It prevents emotional burnout and helps maintain balance.
- Sensory Rest: Reducing environmental overstimulation, like noise and bright lights, provides sensory rest. Turning off screens, closing your eyes, or enjoying quiet moments can help promote relaxation.
- Creative Rest: Engaging with beauty through nature, art, or music rejuvenates the mind’s ability to innovate. It provides a mental reset and helps you think outside the box.
- Social Rest: Taking breaks from social interactions or focusing on time with supportive people restores emotional energy. Setting boundaries with draining relationships enhances well-being.
- Spiritual Rest: Connecting to a sense of purpose through meditation, prayer, or community service fosters inner peace. It helps create a deeper connection to oneself and others.
Understanding and incorporating these seven types of rest into daily life is your toolkit for ensuring stress results in growth, not ruin.
Stress is information. Use it wisely.
