In order to get to a place where you are comfortable and happy with your life, you are more than likely have to go through uncomfortable times.
You are going to have to go through stress and hard situations.
This goes for pretty much everything in life – Mental health. Physical health. Relationships. Work. Finance. Everything.
Anything that is worth having and fighting for and this means that you’re going to have to subject yourself to some discomfort and stress.
Hormetic stress is that “sweet spot” where stress could be beneficial.
Hormetic stress is the ideal level of exposure to stressors. Underexposure to stress could leave your body and mind unchallenged, while overexposure could lead to health problems.
The term “hormesis” comes from the Greek word “hormaein,” which means “to excite.”
The hormetic effect refers to a phenomenon where exposure to a low or moderate dose of a potentially harmful agent, such as a toxin, stressor, or radiation, can stimulate a beneficial response in any organism, leading to improved health, resistance to disease, and increased lifespan.
The hormetic effect is a well-established concept in toxicology and medicine and has been observed in many different biological systems, including humans, animals, and plants.
The mechanisms underlying the hormetic effect are complex and may involve the activation of stress response pathways, DNA repair mechanisms, and antioxidant defenses, among others.
Examples of hormetic effects include the benefits of exercise and caloric restriction on health and longevity, the protective effects of low-dose radiation exposure on cancer risk, and the benefits of exposure to certain types of stressors, such as heat and cold exposures, on immune function and stress tolerance.
It is however important to note that the hormetic effect is dose-dependent, and exposure to high doses of a harmful agent or stressor can be toxic and cause damage to the organism.
While hormetic stress may offer health benefits, the same isn’t true for chronic stress.
The harms of chronic stress — the type of stress you feel from ongoing financial hardships, unsustainable working conditions or mental health challenges like anxiety, depression or addiction — are well established.
When your body encounters a source of stress, it releases a flood of hormones that help you react to the threat.
With short-term sources of stress such as cold water immersion, these hormones can boost your energy supplies and help your body repair it’s tissues.
But chronic and long-term stressors that expose you to excess hormones could disrupt your body’s processes and put you at risk of many health problems, from anxiety and depression to heart disease and digestive problems
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Muscle tension and pain
- Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain
- Memory and concentration impairment
The principles is sound.
Hormetic stress is the ideal level of exposure to stressors. Underexposure to stress could leave your body unchallenged, while overexposure could lead to health problems.
If you want to build resilience and aim to be happy and comfortable you have no choice but to put yourself through certain stressors and challenging situations which could include things like cold plunges, therapy, coaching, journaling and meditation, hard conversations, disciplined eating and regular exercise.
Every one of those those things will take discipline and intent to implement and will get hard down the road.
Every one of those things will add value to your life but will also have negative effects if you overdo it.
Your goal should be, keeping the hormetic effect in mind, to figure out what you need to do and then lean into the ‘stress’ of it in order to get stronger, more resilient and to be better.
If you need help, let me know, but I think deep down you know what you need to do. If not, let’s have a conversation!
So now go and do the work.
G.
✌🏼
