Stress is part of life and something we all wish we had more control over. We believe that eliminating stress altogether is an impossible task, and therefore must be accepted, but that you can form a better relationship with stress. In this pursuit, we’d like to offer a proactive approach that we call Strategic Stress. Instead of passively awaiting for the next wave of stress to hit you on life’s terms, what if you intentionally exposed yourself to stress, a healthy and beneficial form of stress that is on your terms, where you choose the timing, dose, and method.
We are talking about hormetic stress, wherein small, controlled doses of a stressor activate the body’s natural adaptive response. Exercise is the most classic example. While your body experiences stress in the form of microscopic muscle tearing or intensive cardiovascular demand, the stress is the first step in making you stronger. While you experience stress in the form of pain and strain during your workout or run, that aversive experience is what leads to the endorphins you feel afterwards.
Saunas and cold plunges are another means of hormetic stress. In the sauna or cold plunge, the temperature shock leads your brain to release dynorphin, a chemical that is essentially the opposite of the feel-good endorphins you may be aware of. This leads to a dysphoric feeling that is certainly a challenge to experience, but this surge of dynorphin leads to the sensitization and upregulation of your endorphins. As such, you will experience more of the feel-good feelings that endorphins offer during the remainder of the day. For those that make sauna and cold plunge sessions a habit, they will experience more endorphin-driven positive mood and resilience throughout daily life. Not to mention the extensive health benefits that the hormetic stress of saunas and cold plunges will reward you!
In other words, you actively choose to take on a form of stress, a form that is on your terms, a form that is enjoyable in its own way to experience, and in doing so, you feel less stress and more resilience in the other areas of life. All the while, you can take pride in knowing that the boost in resilience and stress-reduction was earned. Next time you are in one of our saunas or plunges, remind yourself that the unpleasant feelings should be welcomed. In a sense, they are taking on stress now in exchange for less stress later.
