Is stress good for a human mind and body?

Stress is a phenomenon that any human being can experience at any point in their life and it usually takes a toll on their mental and physical health. 

It can get hard for a person, making it hard for them to perform simple tasks with focus. 

But it does not mean that stress always leaves a negative impact on a human brain and body, it can actually be beneficial in some situations. 

Host of the podcast, “10% Happier”, Dan Harris recalled a case of jittering before a TV appearance.

“In the seconds before I went on I was pacing around,” he said as quoted by NPR.

The host continues to reveal that his appearance “went great” and he has come to understand that some of the aspects of stress are sometimes good.

A psychologist at the University of Rochester, Jeremy Jamieson, explains that the way your body responds to a stressful situation is a way your body’s preparing itself for a challenge.

“We’re not passive receivers of stress,” Jamieson explains. “We’re active agents in actually making our own stress response.”

Stress during challenges can give the human body fuel to address demands it faces, Jamieson explains when our heart beat rises, it can aid in delivering more oxygen to brain and muscles.

Furthermore, researcher Wendy Berry Mendes explains that context of a stressful situation or a stress trigger is important.

Mendes, a professor of psychology at Yale University, added that a human body responds differently to different types of stress and linked studies from Scandinavia that found stress hormones in students appearing for vital tests results in better performances.

NPR adds that not every human brain responds to stressing situations in the same way.