The benefits of stress
Moderate amounts may boost brain
With Susan T. Charles, PhD
A little stress might not be such a bad thing. A study that my colleagues and I recently published in Emotion shows that moderate amounts of daily stress may signal an active, engaged lifestyle that helps maintain cognitive function long-term.1
We randomly selected 2711 respondents who had taken part in other surveys—the second wave of the Midlife in the United States study and a companion project, The National Study of Daily Experiences. For 8 consecutive evenings, we conducted short telephone interviews regarding respondents’ daily stressors, use of time, and feelings. Before these interviews, participants completed the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone, which takes around 20 minutes.
The bottom line? Respondents who reported stress (90%) were more likely to have chronic health issues, and their mood during the day was not as positive. But the 9.74% of respondents who reported no stress showed lower cognitive capacity—as if they were 8.21 years older, by our calculations. The stress-free group had a narrower range of activities and social partners and was less likely to report giving or receiving emotional support. Demographically, these subjects were older, more likely male, and less likely to be married or working. The no-stress group also reported fewer physical symptoms, fewer positive events, a higher level of positive affect, and a lower level of negative affect.
It was important for us to examine stressors—such as arguments and deadlines—that most people encounter in their daily lives. In previous studies, we found that such events predict physical and mental health 10 years later.2,3 More specifically, how people respond to everyday stress matters. When we followed people over 10 years, the ones who reacted most strongly to daily stressors were more likely to develop chronic physical or affective illness.2,3
Some of the most common stressors reported in the current study were social stressors. People can be messy; we often argue. In fact, the most commonly reported stressor was avoiding an argument. One can imagine in this time of political upheaval in this country, a good friend may say something you disagree with, but you think to yourself, “I’m not going to convince this person of any other viewpoint. I’m not going to say anything.” These are the kinds of stressors we addressed.
A key study strength is that we limited the definition of stressors to objectifiable external events that most people would experience as stressful. That is different than simply feeling down or sad all day. There had to be something that happened that caused someone to consider it a stressful situation. Additional study strengths include its large sample size, with subjects across America from their 20s to their 80s.
Our study also had weaknesses, including its self-reported nature. Moreover, it is impossible to tell from our research if the people who experienced stress are truly putting themselves out there in a more complex world, leading to improved cognitive functioning, or if people simply report and recall stress differently. Two people could experience the same stressor, for example, and one of them may forget about it 5 minutes later.
Nevertheless, for doctors, our results support engaging in challenges, some of which bring stress. Clearly, massive, chronic stress is detrimental to health and well-being. But being challenged daily with mild stressors can be highly beneficial for one’s cognitive function. This conflicts with what we are often told, which is to avoid stress at all costs. It might be annoying to talk to a certain person. Or you might become a volunteer, and it might put you out a little bit. But it also might come with some cognitive gains in later life.
By John Jesitus
REFERENCES:
1. Charles ST, Mogle J, Chai HW, Almeida DM. The mixed benefits of a stressor-free life [published online ahead of print, 2021 Feb 25]. Emotion. 2021;10.1037/emo0000958. doi:10.1037/emo0000958.
2. Charles ST, Piazza JR, Mogle J, Sliwinski MJ, Almeida DM. The wear and tear of daily stressors on mental health. Psychol Sci. 2013;24(5):733-741.
3. Piazza JR, Charles ST, Sliwinski MJ, Mogle J, Almeida DM. Affective reactivity to daily stressors and long-term risk of reporting a chronic physical health condition. Ann Behav Med. 2013;45(1):110-120.
DISCLOSURES:
Dr. Charles reports no relevant financial interests.
