Whether you’re dealing with the threat of layoffs at work, financial or family troubles, a hellish commute or something else that's aggravating, stress is an inevitable part of modern life.
But stress isn’t entirely bad. In the right amounts and in the right places, stress can actually motivate or energize you.
“Stress can be helpful," says Michele Patterson Ford, a licensed psychologist and chair of the psychology department at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. "It can help us be productive or perform well, so it’s important to keep it in the zone where it’s helpful and doesn’t take a toll on your physical or mental health.”
Indeed, experiencing stress overload on a regular basis essentially leaves you in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode, with elevated levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Over the long term, chronic stress not only puts you at higher risk of depression and anxiety, but it can take a physical toll on your body by increasing the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and certain forms of cancer.
