Your Guide to the Quirky, Slightly Terrifying, and Fascinating Sides of Stress

What Is Stress?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural response; however, the way we choose to respond to stress makes a big difference to our overall well-being. Though stress is largely viewed negatively there are some positive effects of stress. It is important to understand both the positive and negative effects of stress to be able to make informed decisions and cope better.

10 Lesser-Known Facts about Stress

1. Stress Gives You Superpowers

Ever notice how you can suddenly remember every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done at 2 AM, but forget where you put your keys? You can thank acute stress for that! It’s like your brain’s personal highlight reel. Acute stress is the stress that you experience often due to minor, common experiences like traffic jams, work deadlines, and running late. Acute stress has been proven to enhance memory consolidation, particularly for emotionally charged events. The fight or flight response to these events in the body improves recall.

2. Stress Can Give You Heart Disease

While acute stress is manageable, chronic stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed, pressured, and on high alert over a long period. Chronic stress is that dramatic partner who whispers, “I’ll never leave you”— while slowly raising your blood pressure and cholesterol. Over time, it can lead to health issues. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact heart health by increasing blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, leading to plaque buildup in arteries and even heart disease.

3. Stress Can Both Help and Harm Your Immunity

Short-term stress activates your immune system and can help boost your immunity against disease and infection. However, chronic stress can weaken and suppress your immune system. So, make sure your stress levels stay in the “Go, team, fight those germs!” phase!

4. Stress Can Alter Our DNA

Stress can shorten our DNA. Telomeres, which are the protective caps on our DNA that keep cells youthful, can be shortened as a result of chronic stress. So not only does stress affect us mentally and physically, it also affects us biologically!

5. Not All Stress Is Bad (Meet Eustress)

Eustress is stress’s golden child — the kind that pumps you up before a big game, presentation, or first date. It’s the “I got this!” feeling that makes you sharper, not shakier. Eustress motivates and enhances focus. You can channel eustress by reframing challenges as “exciting” instead of “terrifying" (easier said than done, but worth a try).

6. Social Support is Kryptonite to Stress

Supportive relationships can cushion against the detrimental effects of stress. A hug, a vent session, or even a meme exchange with friends can lower cortisol levels. Social support also contributes to mental well-being by diminishing perceived stress. Next time you’re stressed, text your group chat: “Emergency hug request. Bring snacks.”

7. Your Job Stress Might Be a Secret Villain

Work stress, left unchecked, can be detrimental, leading to burnout, characterized by exhaustion, disengagement, and diminished personal accomplishment. Burnout isn’t just “I need a day off”, it’s “I’m dreading coming into work, and it takes all my willpower to get out of bed”. Chronic work stress leads to exhaustion, cynicism, and a desperate urge to move to a farm. A way to combat this is to reset your boundaries, take time off, and, if needed, talk to a therapist about it! You are more than your productivity, and you should always prioritize your mental health.

8. Stress Is a Sneaky Diet Saboteur

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, induces appetite and hunger for calorie-dense food. Cortisol doesn’t just stress you out — it stress-eats. It craves carbs, sugar, and anything fatty and flavourful. This can lead to overconsumption and weight gain. So, when you’re stress-craving, try and eat in moderation.

9. Stress Affects Your Brain Functions

Chronic stimulation of the body's stress system harms the brain areas involved in mood regulation. Chronic stress can lead to hyperactivity in the amygdala, the brain region involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and anxiety. This hyperactivity can result in increased sensitivity to stressors, and heightened emotional responses, and potentially contribute to conditions like PTSD or anxiety.

10. Exercise Helps Combat Stress

Exercise lowers cortisol levels, boosts mood, and promotes well-being by releasing endorphins. Regular physical activity helps lower stress baseline levels over time. This reduces the body's overall reactivity to stress, making it better equipped to handle stressful situations. The release of endorphins and the reduction of stress hormones lead to improved mood and a greater sense of happiness and well-being.

So, what have we learned?

If you take anything away from this article, it should be that stress is good in moderation, but harmful in excess. Therefore, if you have acute stress now and then, you’re good, but ensure you keep it in check because chronic stress has long-term repercussions, both physical and mental. Manage it with friends, therapy, movement, and the occasional ugly cry. And remember: You’re not failing at life; you’re just human.

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