Myth or fact: stress is always bad for you
StressKey points
- Short-term stress mobilizes resources.
- High stress plus believing stress is harmful: 43% higher risk of death.
- High stress without that belief was not linked to higher mortality.
- Chronic stress without recovery is still harmful; mindset does not cancel that.
Myth: all stress is harmful
We often hear that stress kills. But the stress response evolved to help us act, and in the short term it sharpens focus and gives energy.
What the research shows
Beliefs about stress. Using U.S. National Health Interview Survey data linked to death records, researchers found that people who reported a lot of stress and believed stress affected their health had a 43% higher risk of death over 8 years. People with high stress who did not hold that belief did not have higher mortality (Keller et al., 2012).
Mindset experiments. In experiments by Alia Crum and colleagues, people who watched videos framing stress as enhancing reported better health and work performance, and had more adaptive hormone responses, than those shown stress-is-harmful videos (Crum et al., 2013).
An honest conclusion
These findings are interesting but preliminary. Chronic stress without recovery still creates allostatic load and wear and tear on the body (McEwen, 1998). Mindset may soften the impact but does not replace rest, support and dealing with the sources of stress.
In practice
- Treat stress as a signal to act, not a catastrophe.
- Build recovery into your days: sleep, movement, connection.
- Address chronic stressors you can change.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stop worrying that stress is bad for me?
Seeing stress as a sign that your body is gearing up to meet a challenge may help. But it is still important to reduce chronic stressors and recover.
What is "good stress"?
Short-term stress tied to a meaningful challenge, followed by recovery, such as a performance, a deadline or exercise.
Sources
- Keller et al. (2012). Does the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality.. Health Psychology 31(5):677-684. doi:10.1037/a0026743
- Crum et al. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104(4):716-733. doi:10.1037/a0031201
- McEwen (1998). Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators. New England Journal of Medicine 338(3):171-179. doi:10.1056/NEJM199801153380307
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Stress tools
PHQ-9: depression screening questionnaire
9 questions about your mood over the past 2 weeks, one of the most widely used screening tools in the world.
QuizGAD-7: anxiety screening questionnaire
7 questions about anxiety over the past 2 weeks.
QuizWHO-5 Well-Being Index
5 statements about how you have been feeling over the past 2 weeks.
PDF · TrackerMonthly mood, energy and sleep tracker
Rate your mood, energy, anxiety and sleep daily on a 1–5 scale.
PDF · CardBreathing techniques card
Step-by-step instructions for cyclic sighing, slow breathing and box breathing.
PDF · CardProgressive muscle relaxation: step by step
A guide to 9 muscle groups to practice before bed.