Building Resilience to Stress

Stress can sometimes push us to be better, but all too often it wears us down.

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Like it or not, stress is part of life. But not all stress is bad. Stress can sometimes push us to be better. For example, short bursts of stress have been shown to boost our immune system. Other research shows that a little dose of stress can improve our ability to sustain our attention.

Of course, stress can also be destructive and distracting—particularly chronic stress in high doses—a major risk factor for serious disease.

Balancing the Scales of Stress

While a little stress can improve our concentration, too much can hurt our ability to navigate our lives. Studies have found that chronic stress can negatively impact creativity, and just thinking unrelenting stressful thoughts can impair our cognitive function.