Less stress is usually a good thing. Who wants to feel stressed out all the time? Not me. But our bodies do need stress to function, and exposing yourself to “positive stress” experiences can help you get better at handling stress when it comes your way.
I read a book called
The Stress Prescription over break and learned how
we can train ourselves for stress resilience. Giving your body short bursts of acute stress -
the kind you quickly recover from - can improve your cells and ability to deal with stress.
One of the best ways to “stress yourself” is through exercise.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a quick and effective option to try. Pick a few exercises (like jumping jacks, squats, burpees) and then cycle through for seven minutes, doing each exercise for 30 seconds and resting for ten seconds. The idea is to push yourself during each 30-second interval. If you haven't been active, try brisk walking for each interval.
There are a ton of HIIT options on YouTube. Here's
one.
Your body is built to handle stress; your sympathetic nervous system will jump into gear, followed by a parasympathetic response. You want to “practice” having your body do this on a regular basis so that your body remembers how to switch your stress response ON/OFF effectively. Problems arise when our bodies get stuck in a low-level stress response over long periods, without proper rest and rejuvenation.
Dr. Elisa Epel says, “The more you train for resilience BEFORE stress occurs, the more prepared you’ll be to meet it and process it in a healthy, effective way.”
If exercise isn't an option, you can do the same thing with exposure to cold. Try standing in a cold shower (!!) and managing your stress response as best you can. Even a few seconds will create the same effect. You'll naturally tighten up, clench, resist and gasp for air (sounds fun!). Relax into these challenging sensations as much as possible.
You want to be able to handle all of the challenges that come your way this semester. Investing in some “positive stress” might do the trick! Besides increasing resiliency, you're going to feel more energized. Experiment for a week and see what you discover.
Now is the perfect time to build your foundation of strength + well-being that will carry you through the semester with grace and ease.
