Stress Can Sometimes Be Good for Brain Functioning, Researchers Say

Researchers from the Youth Development Institute at the University of Georgia brainstormed on the data collected from the Human Connectome Project, a national project funded by the National Institutes of Health that aims to provide insight into how the human brain functions.

Low to moderate levels of stress can help individuals develop resilience and reduce the risk of them developing mental health disorders, like depression and antisocial behaviors, a study published in Psychiatry Research revealed.

Assaf Oshri, the lead author of the study and an associate professor at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, shares that some levels of stress may help develop coping mechanisms.

"It will allow you to become a more efficient and effective worker and organize yourself in a way that will help you perform," Oshri said to the Indian news agency ANI.

Be it preparing for a big meeting at work, cramming for an exam, or pulling longer hours to close a deal, a low to moderate stress level during such situations may actually be good for your brain even though it feels like an anvil is hovering over your head.

It can all potentially lead to personal growth and help individuals cope with future stressful encounters.

Oshri explains that being rejected by a publisher, for example, may lead a writer to rethink their style. Being fired from a job could prompt someone to reconsider their strengths and whether they should enter a new field of work.

However, Oshri too much stress can be harmful to human health.

"At a certain point, stress becomes toxic. Chronic stress, like the stress that comes from living in abject poverty or being abused, can have very bad health and psychological consequences. It affects everything from your immune system, to emotional regulation, to brain functioning. Not all stress is good stress," Oshri explained.