Simpleology Blog

Life can't be stress free--but that's not exactly such a bad thing.

In her article "Can Stress Actually Be Good for You?," MSNBC health editor Jane Weaver writes: "When the brain perceives physical or psychological stress, it starts pumping the chemicals cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine into the body. Instantly, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, senses sharpen, a rise in blood glucose invigorates us and we're ready to rock."

As such, here are five instances when you should welcome being stressed:

1. When you face something with enough excitement to override any fears. Instead of being petrified with fear, you should feel challenged to tackle the tasks at hand. This is exactly how I felt when, a few years ago, I had to teach my son Danny to walk. Sure, I was afraid that he'd fall and get hurt but I was more excited about seeing him take his first steps.

2. When you have a full schedule that still allows you to enjoy enough leisure time. Though you work hard, you should still have time to kick back and enjoy a long lunch with a friend or do some gardening.

3. When you have commitments that you truly care about. You value being a parent, spouse, friend, employee, and member of the community. It's a constant challenge to try to be good at playing all the roles that you've taken on. For me, juggling my deadlines with caring for my six-year-old and running the household is nothing short of a logistics nightmare. But I wouldn't want it any other way. (Besides, my husband takes on his share of the chores.) Yes, we all do our best to deliver because these are things that matter to us.

4. When you have long-term goals. Having a list of, say, ten things that you want to do in your lifetime keeps you motivated to get up everyday and work towards achieving them. In my case, I'm slowly working to convert our house's cluttered basement into a cozy workspace. It may not happen for years, but it's a project that proven therapeutic for me.

5. When you're tired enough to get a restful, undisturbed sleep. We all get "tired in a good way" after we've worked on tedious tasks like clearing out the garage or doing some volunteer work at the local animal shelter. Your muscles may ache, but the sense of achievement that you feel will make up for it. Either way, you'll snooze soundly.

So, I guess we should all aim to be stressed so good. From hereon, it won't be too far fetched to hear somebody say, "I love being stressed."

Credits: Photo by Peter Griffin, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Suggested Resource: Sign up for Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What Your Want and use the Daily Time Praxis to make sure that most of the stress you get is the good kind.