Stress=Life
Stress is part of life. We all feel it most of the time. On the highways, at work, at home, at play, it seems there is always stress of one degree or another. We all sometimes wish we could have a stress-free life, or, at least, less stress in our lives. But recent studies indicate that not only is stress a part of life it's beneficial. While the studies are so far mostly limited to insects and rodents, they indicate that moderate stress creates more resistance to disease and longer life. Such moderate stress as intermittent starvation, moderate exercise and even x-rays apparently release a helpful protein. Interestingly, the effects of moderate stress are not long-lasting: If you cease stress, the beneficial effects of previous stress end and if you experience stress after periods of no stress the beneficial effects recur.
If eventually validated, these studies may change the way we look at our lives. We may begin to redefine the very notion of stress. We don't always think of diet and fasting and exercise as in the same category as x-rays but, apparently, they are the same in that they produce defensive reactions in our bodies which help us. We who seek to reduce stress may find ourselves seeking increased stress to improve our lives. We who lead sedentary lives may begin to understand that the comfortable path is not the best path. But, on the other hand, those whose lives are exceedingly stressful may find that while moderate stress is healthy, great stress is not. For example, we may find that while moderate exercise is beneficial, excess is counterproductive.
Maybe the lesson of these studies will turn out to be the old notion that everything is good in moderation, few things are good in excess. We need to test our bodies in safe but moderately stressful ways, not sit around on the couch, but perhaps we shouldn't carry the search for stress too far. Most importantly, we may find another old notion confirmed. We may find that it really is true, physically and mentally and otherwise, that it's never too late. Never too late to begin exercise, to improve one's social skills, to learn new information, to form new habits.
In fact, we don't need any studies to teach us that these old notions are correct: If we try to do better, if we work at self-improvement, and never give up, no matter how old we are, and if we can avoid obsession, we will help ourselves and we will be better equipped to help others. Not a bad result.
12-15-03
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