Too little stress can be as problematic for our health as too much stress, because mild or moderate stress—followed by recovery—helps make us resilient.

Stress evolved as a survival mechanism to keep humans alive

Stress activates the “fight-or-flight” response when we face threats. It’s triggered by the hypothalamus, which signals the release of adrenaline and cortisol, heightening awareness and energy. While acute stress helps in short bursts, chronic stress—persistent over time—can harm both physical and mental health, leading to conditions like hypertension, anxiety, or depression.

Chronic stress affects nearly all parts of the body

Stress is our body’s internal mechanism to deal with changes in our internal balance. As such, the stress response affects nearly every organ system through a cascade of both fast and slow hormonal changes. While short-term stress can be adaptive, long-term stress may cause serious health issues.

How we frame stress—as good or bad—seems to alter how it affects us

This podcast discusses research that indicates stress perception may drastically affect how we respond to it. In research exploring if our stress is presented as diminishing our health versus if we're told it enhances our performance, it will lead to differences in how successful participants are at performing tasks—with the enhancers doing better.

The biology of stress in your body

Stress is a normal human response that has evolved over millions of years to handle changes or threats in our environment. This article is a helpful overview of the biological basics of this response. While it is not harmful to our physiology in the acute setting, chronic stress can lead to damaging changes in the human body over many years.

Some types of stress (eustress) have positive benefits

While many perceive stress as solely negative, stress can in fact be divided into two categories: distress (negative stress) and eustress (positive stress). Moderate levels of stress are positive in that they can boost motivation and promote resilience, which have positive mental health benefits.

The positives of feeling stressed

Worrying about past events and upcoming challenges is not a pleasant experience, but a reasonable amount of stress can bring a lot of good into our lives. In this episode of "The Happiness Lab" with Dr. Laurie Santos, two psychology experts offer tips for resetting one's relationship with stress. Listen and learn how to make stress a positive tool rather than a debilitating emotion.

Stress can be contagious—and scientists want to learn more about it

Researchers have shown that being around someone who is stressed can trigger a stress response in your body, such as elevated cortisol levels and elevated heart rate. One way this was recently studied was by having people watch stressful activities, like a recorded job interview or solving challenging math problems, and then sampling hormones in observers' spit.

Stress and the brain

While an acute stress response is a normal bodily function, the effects of chronic stress can be extremely damaging to the human body. This is particularly true with regard to the brain. This article explores the effects of stress on the human brain, including how chronic stress may lead to psychological conditions such as depression and memory loss.

Easy resets for stress reduction

Individual solutions for burnout, often called “self-care,” can be helpful for managing stress. Harvard researcher Aditi Nerurkar’s 2024 book The Five Resets details a road map for burnout recovery. In this interview she suggests, among other tactics, gaining focus on what matters the most in one’s life, taking breaks from both work and the internet, and making time for practices that strengthen the mind-body connection.

Just a 10-minute mental health break can yield benefits

The US CDC offers recommendations for alleviating stress in daily life. Short 10-minute breaks can significantly improve mental health, especially when used for activities like deep breathing, dancing, or writing down things you are grateful for. Building meaningful relationships, termed "social connectedness," can also alleviate stress and promote resilience.

The two phases of stress: fast and slow

The physiological response to acute stress generally involves two phases—the "fast" response in which adrenaline is released, and a second "slow" response in which cortisol is released. This technical resource reviews what happens in the body during each phase.

Stress is a response to external triggers, while anxiety is persistent and internal

When distinguishing the two, stress is a reaction to identifiable situations like deadlines or conflicts, and its symptoms fade when the stressor is gone. However, anxiety may jump from one worry to another over time without any apparent cause.

How burnout alters your brain

Stress is a normal part of everyday life, and it’s not necessarily all bad. But chronic stress—the kind that leads to burnout—can change the size and functioning of parts of your brain. It can alter the ability to make new brain cells and memories and even potentially modify your DNA.

Stress affects different animals in different, but useful, ways

Animals feel stress when they experience actual dangers—such as a zebra chased by a lion. Humans often feel stress from worries, memories, or even thoughts about problems that may occur in the future. For this reason, animals tend to experience stress in short, intense bursts. Conversely, people can feel stressed for long periods, which can eventually be harmful to their health.

Short-term cortisol spikes can boost the immune system

Elevated acute levels can enhance the immune system's ability to fight off infection or respond to injury. Chronic heightened cortisol levels, however, can lead to inflammation that harms cells and tissues over time.

Mental health is much more than the absence of mental illness

It's a state of well-being that allows individuals to cope with daily stressors, realize their abilities, learn and work effectively, and contribute to their overall community. Inextricably linked to physical health, modern science indicates that mental health is a central component of our overarching ability to function and enjoy life.

Cold water swimming can induce positive stress

The tradition of cold water swimming (or taking a cold plunge, or even a cold shower) has been shown to release the same hormones triggered during a stress response. This can have the effect of increasing blood flow, improved mental acuity, and more.

Stress-induced hormones contribute to gray hair

When the body experiences stress, the sympathetic nervous system releases the hormone norepinephrine. This hormone prematurely activates pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in hair follicles, which depletes the hair's ability to retain color over the long run.

What employers can do about parental stress

The US Surgeon General recently released a formal warning deeming parental stress a public health issue. The advisory also included recommendations for how employers can mitigate the issue. Employers can help their employees access child care, for instance, or provide flexible working hours. To find out more about what the Surgeon General prescribes, read more here.

Even brief physical activity can trigger the release of neurotransmitters that provide mental health boosts

A couple of minutes of light walking or stretching can increase feelings of energy and reduce fatigue, not just through the release of endorphins. Exercise can also provide self-regulation and improve task engagement and focus in those with certain mental health disorders, like ADHD.

Fearology, or the study of fear, explores the difference between stress and fear

Our brains involuntarily respond to our environment and signal alarm when that isn’t always needed, triggering responses that include goose bumps. But understanding fear and how to talk our brains into calming down can improve daily life.

Links between long-term caregiving and chronic stress

This Cleveland Clinic overview suggests that around 60% of people caring for family or loved ones with health conditions will experience burnout. Caregivers prepare meals, help with transportation, administer medications, and perform daily tasks for others, all while managing their own lives. This guide may help readers overcome the guilt or frustration of long-term caregiving to seek alternative options.

How to build curiosity

Change and uncertainty induce stress, but reframing the unknown into an opportunity for discovery has tangible benefits. Approaching change with curiosity enhances activity in the hippocampus and promotes neuroplasticity, promoting learning and serving as a barrier against anxiety. A neuroscientist explains how embracing the unknown, trying small experiments, and other techniques build curiosity.

Consuming true crime media can increase stress and anxiety

Consuming true crime media can activate one's sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response. Staying in this heightened state of vigilance can lead to stress-related illnesses, including hypertension, and mental conditions, including depression and anxiety. Additionally, people who actively consume crime news, whether they consider it to be entertainment or educational in nature, report being more fearful of crime, regardless of actual crime rates.

Developing adaptable brain-body systems lets athletes thrive beyond 30

Success in high-level sports after age 30 relies on physical fitness and building brain resilience through deliberate training, recovery, and stress regulation. This creates a feedback loop where body and mind reinforce each other.

Touch helps newborns regulate stress, gain weight, and feel less pain

Conclusions from this 2024 analysis from a team of Danish researchers included that touch interventions were particularly useful for newborns in regulating cortisol levels, helping newborns gain weight, and reducing pain. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

The traits that make a strong and resilient leader

Developing psychological flexibility, or an ability to adapt during change and stressful situations, can help leaders manage pressure while maintaining their wellbeing. A leader who can embrace discomfort and navigate hard times can earn greater respect, increase team satisfaction, manage distress effectively, and stay focused on priorities. Read this article for a further understanding on how to develop and sharpen this skill.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get

"Molecular clocks" made of timekeeping proteins and genes help regulate the body and its processes, meaning the disruption of one cog will impact another. Those who live in sync with their circadian rhythms report less fatigue, clearer thoughts, greater medication benefits, and better long-term health outcomes.

Optimal human functioning requires movement

There is now ample evidence to back the centuries-old hypothesis that exercise is critical to human health. This review article explores the latest discoveries in exercise science, including how exercise is intrinsic to maintaining our organ systems throughout life.

The science of spring fever

Researchers have confirmed what people have sensed for ages: Our emotions during the springtime can go a little wild. This piece breaks down the impact of the seasonal transition on our bodies and prescribes a few ways to mitigate the effects.

Modern workplaces were engineered for efficiency, not work-life balance

Modern work organization traces back to 19th-century scientific management, an approach that optimized output by viewing workers as machine components. That logic still persists today and contributes to burnout, stress, and disengagement. Researchers propose a "circular work" model that combines effort with recovery, learning, and renewal, suggesting productivity and well-being should align rather than compete.

How trauma gets ‘under the skin’

A study examining the muscle function of older adults who have at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) suggests that trauma digs itself into muscle cells. Participants who reported childhood trauma were found to have lower maximum levels of cellular energy than people who reported fewer or no ACEs. Such compromised mitochondrial function "doesn't bode well," as it relates to a variety of health and age-related outcomes.

A framework for the various potential causes of insomnia

Insomnia typically occurs in people dealing with life stressors and physical or mental health conditions, though the exact cause continues to elude researchers. Generally, the factors can be broken down into external (such as stress, medication, etc.) or internal (neurological) factors.

Heatstroke can reprogram your DNA, putting survivors at risk of future health problems

Severe illness from extreme heat exposure can alter DNA through epigenetics—turning genes "on" or "off" to shape disease risk. These changes can place an organism at greater risk of future health complications—unlike the epigenetic changes produced by moderate, repeated heat exposures.

How to think yourself into health

Can the right thoughts lead to a stronger immune system? Neuroimmunologists like Hai Qi study how drugs targeting the brain, as well as thought exercises, can prompt stronger immune responses to infection. This six-minute video investigates the radical claims.

Overwork contributes to thousands of worker deaths

Can work really kill you? The World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization have estimated that long work hours contribute to thousands of death from strokes and heart attacks each year. This BBC article argues that the culture of overwork and burnout is leading to a public health crisis in desperate need of solutions.

Estrogen is a really important hormone for men, too

Many people may be familiar with the idea that too much estrogen can cause infertility and other complications, including erectile dysfunction, but too little estrogen is also a significant medical concern because it can result in a reduced sex drive and limit overall growth.

Can microdosing improve mental health?

Animal studies involving microdoses of psilocybin, the psychoactive component in magic mushrooms and ketamine, found it helped to alleviate anxiety and inflammation, an immune response that can cause damage when chronically active. Human studies are ongoing. In at least one double-blind study, where researchers and patients don't know who got a placebo versus the real thing, about half of the participants incorrectly guessed they had been given placebos.

There's no definitive test for inflammation, or a baseline for what's considered normal

Existing tests can pick up proteins that indicate an immune response—in particular C-reactive protein, which the liver produces when the body's stressed—but that won't tell you why there's inflammation nor if it's chronic or acute inflammation. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Eating competitions can ruin a stomach's elasticity

Competitive eaters make room for all that food by toying with the stomach's ability to expand and contract. Still, doctors warn that repeated stress can destroy that ability, leading to further issues.

People who feel connected to nature also report a higher well-being

Based on data collected from over 38,000 participants across 75 countries, spending time appreciating Earth's beauty appears to increase one's satisfaction with life. Whether it's a hike in the woods, a dip in the ocean, or time spent watching the sunset, the findings held true across a wide range of economic, cultural, and environmental contexts. The findings also indicate that connection to nature fosters experiences of being present and attentive, which are strongly linked to mental health.

Age, stress, and neurological disorders can prevent memory formation and recall

Neurons transmit signals between one another at sites called synapses. Repeated interactions at these sites improve the efficiency of signal transmissions, making memories involving sensory data associated with those neurons easier to recall. Biochemical factors impacting these synaptic interactions affect memory quality.

MS Drugs reduce inflammation, helping reduce relapses and slow disease progression

Disease-Modifying Drugs calm the body's inflammatory response to help stave off relapses—when new or existing MS symptoms show up for a day or longer. Avoiding smoking, exercising, reducing stress via mindfulness, checking for vitamin D deficiencies, drinking more water and eating well, all can slow disease progression. [The jury's still out on if HRT around the time of menopause may reduce dementia risk](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(25)00122-9/fulltext) Estrogen can reduce inflammation and support neural growth in the brain, and some research has suggested that beginning hormone replacement therapy around menopause—versus later in life—reduces Alzheimer's disease risk. Still, a recent systematic review concluded that taking HRT didn't affect dementia risk, regardless of when women started taking it, so the science remains unsettled.

Unlike milder fears, phobias may get in the way of proceeding with your life

Clinicians may recommend exposure therapy—exposing oneself to the thing triggering fears in some doses—as one way to help overcome a fear.

Myokines are molecules that facilitate some of the benefits of exercise

When muscles contract, they release ‘hope molecules’ (myokines) such as IL-6 and irisin. These proteins then travel through the bloodstream to reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and even support brain repair. This piece illustrates how movement triggers a systemic healing cascade throughout the human body.

Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered safe

Small, frequent doses can be more effective than large amounts, though caffeine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, especially in people with hypertension. While low doses of caffeine may help with depression by stimulating dopamine, excessive caffeine, particularly from energy drinks, can lead to anxiety and heart issues.

How to cope with postvacation blues

While it might seem counterintuitive, new research shows that experiencing exhaustion or a lack of motivation postvacation is fairly common. While travel itself can, of course, be tiring, the contrast between vacation freedom and endless Slack messages can be even more so. This article explores why the return-to-work existential crisis happens, and offers advice for beating the post-vaycay blues. Read it here.

The body produces its own opioids that act on several receptor types throughout the body, triggering the release of dopamine and suppression of noradrenaline, neurotransmitters associated with reward and alertness, respectively.

Trauma is a primary risk factor for substance use disorder later in life

Studies indicate 75% of people with substance use disorder have experienced at least one traumatic experience in their life. These experiences alter brain function, leading to heightened stress and emotional pain. Substances offer temporary relief, but this often results in dependency.

The depression paradox refers to a lack of energy to take action to help alleviate it

Activities like exercise, even at low levels, have been shown to alleviate some of depression's symptoms for some people. However, depression saps energy levels, making it particularly difficult to motivate oneself to take helpful action.