A racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, or headache are all signs that our bodies are dealing with stress. Stress is a natural response to any threat or sign of danger. It is one of the many ways that our body protects us. When working properly, stress can help us remain focused, attentive, and ready to meet any challenge. However, when stress becomes too much to handle, it can lead to mood swings, anxiety, and sickness. Stanford Professor, Kelly McGonigal, believes that stress is something that people should embrace. McGonigal said, “once you appreciate that going through stress makes you better at it, it can be easier to face each new challenge.” We spoke to Dr. Shannon Croft from Stamps Health Services psychiatry and Dr. Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman Health Initiatives director of health behavior in order to gain their perspective on the power of positive stress.

 “Many people believe that all of life’s discomforts basically equate to toxic, negative, stress, but that’s not true,” said Dr. Hughes-Troutman. The first step in embracing stress is to promote a healthy mindset surrounding this emotion. “The secret is to remember that stress is not out in the world but lives in our mind. It is our own subjective response to our experiences,” remarked Dr. Croft. Because stress affects each person differently, there is no exact way to change your mindset. Dr. Hughes-Troutman suggested that it is important “to recognize that your body’s stress response is helpful, see that you are resilient and can handle it, and acknowledge that everyone deals with it.”

Changing the stigma around stress is the first step to embracing the power of our body’s natural response to danger. “We can see from Professor McGonigal’s research, individuals who viewed stress as a positive were more productive in their relationships, schoolwork and had better overall health,” stated Hughes-Troutman. Using stress as something to encourage you can help you rise to the challenge, focus more, and maintain better mental and physical health. Dr. Croft said that, “if we keep stress at a low-moderate level, we can use this manageable level of stress to hone our focus and improve our memory.”

Even with a healthy mindset, there can be a point when stress turns into a negative stressor. “Stress that occurs without relief is distress, which is a negative stress reaction,” said Dr. Hughes-Troutman. It is important to maintain a handle on our stress.  “If we let ourselves become overwhelmed, usually by focusing on catastrophic thinking, our subjective sense of stress can be overwhelming,” said Dr. Croft. Remembering that everyone deals with stress and that stress lives within our brains, can help us put the emotion into perspective. Stress also takes on a negative connotation “when we are hungry, intoxicated, isolated or exhausted,” stated Dr. Croft.

When we let stress build to a high level, it no longer becomes beneficial. In order to manage stress, it is important that you “don’t view your stress as a sign that you’re a failure or that you can’t handle situations,” remarked Dr. Hughes-Troutman. She suggested, “when you find yourself under stress, reach out to others and find healthy ways to cope, adapt and transform your stress.”

There are many resources on campus that help students manage and cope with stress. Dr. Hughes-Troutman recommended attending a pet therapy session, signing up for Fit to Thrive classes or connecting with Health Initiatives through wellness coaching if you are struggling with viewing stress in a positive light.  If things ever get to be too much, remember that “you are here at Tech because you are capable and bright,” concluded Dr. Hughes-Troutman. For more information on stress management resources go to healthinitiatives.gatech.edu.