By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

Last month was especially stressful for me. In addition to my regular teaching and writing commitments, I had to complete two other major writing projects and present at a conference. As if that weren’t enough, I unexpectedly experienced significant pain in one of my legs, which required several medical appointments. Juggling all of this work and managing my physical discomfort made last month particularly stressful. I found myself faced with two choices regarding how to view stress: I could see it as either helpful or harmful.

While many people tend to view stress as harmful, Kelly McGonigal encourages us to see it as helpful. In her book The Upside of Stress, she points out three key ways in which stress can benefit us:

1. Rise to the challenge: Stress can focus your attention, heighten your senses, increase your motivation, and mobilize your energy. This happens because “stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol help your muscles and brain take in and use that energy more efficiently” (McGonigal, 2016, p. 50). Additionally, the surge of chemicals, such as endorphins, adrenaline, testosterone, and dopamine, boosts your confidence and willingness to reach your goals.

2. Connect with others: Stress fosters social connection, reduces fear, and increases courage. That’s because “During stress, your pituitary gland releases oxytocin,” which encourages you to seek support from others, calms the fear response in your brain, and helps you feel more courageous (McGonigal, 2016, p. 51). This compels you to reach out to other people, ask for assistance, and take advantage of the support you receive.

3. Learn and grow: After returning to a non-stressed state, your body relies on stress hormones, such as cortisol and oxytocin, to help you recover. During this recovery process, “stress hormones increase activity in brain regions that support learning and memory” (McGonigal, 2016, p. 54). You process and integrate your stressful experience; you replay it in your mind, trying to understand what happened and reflecting on what you could have done differently. This reflection often brings out various emotions, including anger, frustration, relief, or gratitude. These feelings help the brain make sense of your experience and contribute to making it more memorable, allowing you to learn from stressful situations and to prepare for future challenges.

Recognizing these positive effects of stress, I chose to view it as helpful. By the end of last month, I realized that this perspective was crucial in helping me complete my usual commitments and the major writing projects I had been assigned.

The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation during your writing practice, remember that you can use stress as a tool to help you navigate the challenges successfully. All it takes is a shift in perspective to view stress as an enhancement rather than a hindrance.

Reference

McGonigal, K. (2016). The upside of stress: Why stress is good for you, and how to get good at it. Avery.

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Angelica Ribeiro is a writer, researcher, and professor. She is the author of How to Create Happiness at Work, Running into Happiness, and My Happiness Habit Journal. She holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a focus on English as a second language from Texas A&M University. She has taught English learners and preservice teachers in the United States and Brazil for over 25 years. Angelica has several publications on second language acquisition. She works as a professor in higher education and helps others benefit from her happiness research. When she was a Ph.D. student, Angelica struggled with balancing her academic commitments and personal life, which motivated her to embark on a journey to increase happiness. Her journey was so successful that now she encourages others to create happiness in their busy lives by sharing science-based strategies. Visit https://www.creatinghappiness.today