rewrite this title Some Stress Is Good for You, Actually

If there’s one thing you can say about Americans at this point in time, it’s that we’re stressed—and we’re constantly told by health experts to reduce or manage our stress because it’s killing us. But what if I told you that stress can actually be good for you—and that, sometimes, more stress is actually helpful.

 As a doctor and researcher in stress and healthy aging, I know that sounds nonsensical or, at best, counterintuitive, but that’s exactly what the fascinating new science of hormesis, or “good stress,” shows. Certain kinds of stress are not only beneficial; they are essential. They build resilience, support brain and metabolic health, and even promote longevity. This new approach to stress is one of the most exciting and upcoming areas of longevity and wellness research.

While it is unquestionable that chronic stress from situations like caregiving, unmanageable workloads, chronic illness, difficult relationships, and financial hardship can harm your health, so-called hormetic stressors are different. They are intermittent, acute bursts of stress, such as periods of fasting, vigorous exercise, or learning a new skill. From the Greek “to excite,” hormetic stressors activate your body’s innate ability to grow stronger and more mentally and physically resilient.

Leveraging good stress—and learning the difference between “stress” and being “stressed out”—may be the most transformative and accessible self-help tool we have today. And perhaps also the most fun.

The science of good stress

So, what exactly is stress? Stress is any challenge that disrupts our body’s natural balance, or homeostasis. An intriguing discovery in stress biology is that recovery from stress doesn’t simply restore us to our previous state. In the process of re-establishing balance, we either net harm—which is the case with chronic stress—or we overcompensate and gain resilience, which underlies the health-enhancing benefits of hormetic stress. All stress leaves long-lasting effects that shape-shift our biology. But while chronic stress leaves us less resilient, good stress makes us stronger.

Stress ripples down to the level of our cells. Hormetic stressors—such as eating plant-based phytochemicals, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), cold and heat exposure, intermittent fasting that optimizes circadian rhythms, and intentional mental and emotional challenges—activate a highly conserved set of genes crucial for our survival called vitagenes (short for vitality genes). These genes carry the code that heals, repairs, and regenerates our body. They ramp up our antioxidant capacity, regulate inflammation, repair damaged DNA and proteins, recycle old and dysfunctional cells, and increase the energy-making mitochondria that make up our life force.

You may be wondering why all this matters. The most common symptoms I encounter in my medical practice, including fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, mood imbalances, and pain, are manifestations of cellular damage. They stem from damaged DNA, impaired mitochondria, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and improperly folded or clumped proteins. Over time, cellular damage leads to chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, dementia, depression, and cancer. Even the alarming decline in life expectancy can be traced to how our modern environments and lifestyles are harming our cells.

Good stress, on the other hand, is the gateway to making our cells more stress-resilient and efficient. Since cells are our body’s most fundamental building block, self-engineering healthier cells is a systems biology way of reaching our fullest potential for health, longevity, and limitless possibility.

Read More: Why Zero Stress Shouldn’t Be Your Goal

A good stress prescription

While most of our current stress management advice is about drawing boundaries, hormesis is about pushing beyond them. Stepping outside your comfort zone might sound daunting, but challenging yourself doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective. In fact, it shouldn’t be.

Eating more plants is a simple (and delicious) example. When plants face stress in their environment, they produce phytochemicals that, when we in turn consume them, activate our good stress defenses. For example, resveratrol in grapes, pistachios, and dark chocolate turns on sirtuins, master regulators of new mitochondria creation. Sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts, cabbage, and kale activates phase II detoxification enzymes and antioxidants that rapidly break down toxins and fight oxidative stress. A rule of thumb: the more vibrant the color and flavor of the plant, the richer it is in stress-enhancing phytochemicals.

Extending an overnight fast beyond twelve hours is another hormetic habit. Perceived stress from nutrient deprivation turns off mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), a cellular switch that initiates autophagy, our body’s method of cleaning up damaged cells and recycling their components.

Incorporating a HIIT workout, which alternates between intense bursts of near all-out effort and rest, is particularly beneficial. It rapidly depletes energy stores, sending a strong stress signal that powers up the production of energy-producing mitochondria, effectively upgrading our cellular engines.

Then there’s cold and heat exposure. Yes, cold plunges are trendy (and pricey), but you don’t need high-end equipment to get the benefits. A 30-second blast of cold at the end of your shower or even turning the thermostat down to 60°F taps into the same ancient stress-response pathways that increase motivation, mood, and metabolism.

Heat exposure may be a more relaxing and enjoyable alternative. Saunas or hot baths trigger heat shock proteins (HSPs), which help repair damaged proteins, reduce inflammation, and enhance cellular resilience. Just 20 minutes in a sauna mimics the effects of exercise, raising heart rate and activating stress-response pathways that improve cardiovascular health, brain function, and longevity.

Even cognitive and emotional challenges—in a Goldilocks “just right” hormetic amount—stimulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor that builds new connections between brain cells and strengthens existing ones through neuroplasticity. Upgrading our brain’s hardware makes it more resilient and capable of greater creativity, big-picture thinking, and mood regulation.

And here’s the coolest part: phytochemicals, fasting, HIIT, and sauna also raise BDNF, meaning that training your body to handle stress makes your brain more adaptable, too. This phenomenon of cross-adaptation—where stress from any hormetic stressor builds resilience against others—is the quintessential mind-body medicine. We can challenge our bodies to strengthen our emotional resilience, and vice versa.