Good Stress vs. Bad Stress?
As much as I hate to admit it, stressed is a word that you miiight use to describe me. My name is Dr. Katie and I am a Toronto chiropractor, acupuncture provider, and personal trainer at Lawrence Park Health Clinic at Yonge and Eglinton in busy midtown Toronto. I am blessed and grateful not only to have a busy practice with the very BEST patients and clients, but also for the opportunity to run a small business with many great people. To me, stress is a motivator. It keeps me energized, inspired and motivated to achieve my daily, weekly, monthly and annual goals, and to be the best possible version of myself.
But when does good stress turn into bad stress?
Is it true that too much of a good thing can really be a bad thing?
The exact same stressors – job pressure, family, finances, intense exercise and strict eating regimens – can energize and inspire you or can they can do the exact opposite – they can make you feel unmotivated and unenergized. Achieving your best potential is about finding your personal sweet spot when it comes to stress, and learning how to use it to meet and exceed your goals!
Fact: Being stressed out can make it very difficult to reach your health and fitness goals.
Fact: Stress increases a hormone called cortisol in your body. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels can put you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Heart disease
- Sleep problems
- Delayed healing in the body
- Weight gain and fat retention
- Memory and cognitive impairment
But did you know: Not having enough stress also also slow your progress?
Finding your sweet spot when it comes to stress means: having just enough stress, but not too much – so you can reach your potential without crashing and burning. Some individuals call this balancing your allostatic load – we simply refer to this as finding your “stress sweet spot.”
Dr. John Berardi, of Precision Nutrition, is a Toronto fitness and nutrition expert, summarizes good stress vs. bad stress exceptionally well in the following infographic:
Author: Dr. Katie Au
B.Sc. Kin (Hons), D.C., D.Ac, CSCS, FCCRS©, ART®, GT®
Toronto Chiropractor | Acupuncture Practitioner | Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
References: precisionnutrition.com, mayoclinic.org