Harnessing the power of stress for good

Leveraging the hormesis principle

It's time to re-think our relationship with stress.

Stress isn't always a bad thing. In fact, stress can make our lives better.

Introducing the concept of hormesis, a biological phenomenon where a low dose of a potentially harmful stressor can have a beneficial effect by triggering the body's adaptive response.

This powerful principle shows that the right dose of stress can actually make our lives better, building resilience and improving our overall health.

But here's the catch: there's a difference between acute and chronic stress. Acute stress is short-term and can train us to learn and adapt.

However, if we can't learn to properly manage acute stressors, we can develop chronic stress. This can lead to an overly active sympathetic nervous system, staying in fight-or-flight mode, leading to negative health outcomes and decreased cognitive function.

So, how do we harness the power of stress for good? I've gradually been inviting hormetic stressors into my daily routine, such as cold exposure (like this dip in a 30-something degree lake), sauna, Wim Hof Method breathwork, intermittent fasting, and HIIT.

The result? Better mood, energy, focus, sleep, and stress resilience.

Embracing the hormesis principle can transform the way you approach stress. What hormetic stressors do you invite into your life?