Is there a way to use stress to our advantage?

Alongside the pandemic, an already known epidemic has surfaced, with slightly more intense manifestations: the anxiety.

“Life seems like a mountain to me” is an expression that we hear more often than before around us. We have less patience for everyday, under other circumstances, simple difficulties. We have more tension, fear, insecurity and worry. Feelings that translate into anxiety, generalized restlessness, and an anxiety to be in control of our lives.

According to a recent article in Harper’s Bazaar magazine, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University, argues that these emotions are not necessarily useless or harmful to our well-being. In fact, if we can redefine them, they could maintain balance with as little emotional loss as possible.

“We perceive stress as a dysfunction when in fact it is part of our evolution. This specific mechanism of our body is programmed to respond to anything it perceives as a threat. Instead of thinking of it as something that happens to you, see it as a built-in strength, something that will protect you from a danger,” explains the expert. Hence the title of her latest book, Anxiety is Your Superpower.

“It’s a survival mechanism,” agrees psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber in the same article. “We seem to be using this power in the wrong way. We need to invest in more fruitful goals to be more productive.” says. “It’s the mechanism that keeps us focused. But the key is the dose. We want to be motivated to succeed, not to panic.”

Stress in the right doses can be beneficial

“That churning in your stomach when you’re nervous in a meeting or before giving a presentation,” Suzuki explains, “it shows you care, it means you’ll be more diligent and alert. It is that primordial instinct that activates and sharpens your memory.” You just have to look at it differently.

In her book, Suzuki lists the various superpowers that “good” stress can unlock, from enhanced creativity and increased performance to increased resilience. “Worry could make us procrastinate, or it could help us refine our plans, adjust our expectations of ourselves, become more realistic or goal-oriented.” It’s what he calls “harnessing the plasticity of the brain.”

“The brain is one of the most adaptive organs of the body. You can consciously intervene and change the way you respond to stress. You might think: it’s not something I’m drowning in, it’s just a challenge. Let’s see how it can go.”

According to the expert, this is all about education, “tolerance to stress”. It is important to somehow cause small doses of stress and manage them so that when needed you are ready for something bigger. It is also very important to be able to answer the right questions to yourself, why you want to persist in an effort, when you want to try it, how willing you are to persist and your alternatives. This, if you think about it, applies to all aspects of our lives, from professional to personal matters, whatever concerns everyone.

Can stress finally become a tool for self-improvement?

Many of the hacks Suzuki recommends for dealing with “bad” stress bring wellness anyway. From exercise and correct breathing to taking care of moments of joy or calm in your day. Try meditation, yoga, or even remembering something very pleasant every time something worries you. Something different may work for everyone. These mini-moments that seem like an “antidote” – they’re meant to remind you that you’re still in control. Suzuki calls it “the art of worrying right.”

The goal is not to eliminate stress, that would be utopian. We would lose the valuable opportunity to learn things important to ourselves and our organization, and of course to others. We can make stress part of a daily learning process, rather than trying to block it out completely. Think of how you take a “flaw” and turn it into an advantage. In the case of stress it can become overpowering.

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