Stress At Work Can Be Good For You

We hear it over and over again – stress is bad for you. And it’s true, especially when it causes you to feel anxious, lose sleep at night, alienate friends, and generally feel down about everything.

But hold up – what if we told you that stress can be a good thing? Don’t take it from us only though, recent studies have shown that a little stress can be good for you. Your body interprets it as a “survival strategy” and in the long run, it can improve your health both physically and mentally.

Here’s how stress can play a positive role in your life, even at work.

It improves your productivity
Think of a superstar athlete. He’s not getting gold by relaxing and chilling. He’s getting gold by continually pushing himself to move faster and be better. The same can apply for you. Stressful situations at work like deadlines can be a great motivation tool for you to focus and get in the zone. A University of California-Berkeley research backs this up where it revealed that stress may keep the brain alert, which equals to better performance, keeping you resilient and conditioning you to perform under pressure.

It keeps you on your toes
Imagine never having anything to worry about – that’s one easy way to slack at work! Small doses of stress at work can help keep you on your toes, spurring you to perform tasks more efficiently. You are also more inclined to want to do better so you don’t lose out on opportunities. In fact, from a scientific point of view, when stress hits, you get a short buzz of energy that makes you think faster – much like an adrenaline rush at work to get things done.

It is healthy!
We kid you not. Many medical studies have shown that our immune system can benefit from short spurts of stress. The chemicals released strengthen the immune system and protect it against diseases.

It makes you more resilient – and confident
Whew, talk about a stressful period. It may not have been a fun thing to experience, but you know what – that stressful situation just armed you with a bunch of learning experience so that future ones can be easier to manage. It helps you develop a sense of control so when you’re in another stressful situation, you know exactly what to expect and how to deal with it better.

It will motivate you to succeed
Sometimes stress is exactly what you need to complete tasks at work. Think of how you’re more motivated, more inclined to meet that deadline when it’s getting close. It’s staring you in the face and instead of viewing it as stressful, you can turn it around and think of it as a challenge you want to overcome.

It encourages growth
Sure stress can be overwhelming but it forces you to problem solve and ultimately, pick up new knowledge and skills that are important for future experiences. This way, you feel less threatened in similar situations and voila – that’s growth right there!

How has stress been a positive impact in your life? Tell us about it @Graduan!

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash.