Not All Stress Is Bad – Here’s How to Use It

Most of us think of stress as the enemy. Sleepless nights, racing thoughts, that feeling of being “on edge.” But here’s the thing: stress isn’t always harmful. In fact, the right kind of stress can be good for you, pushing you to grow, sharpening your focus, and even helping you perform at your best.

The secret is knowing the difference between the stress that fuels you and the stress that drains you.

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Two Faces of Stress

• Eustress — the “good” stress: This is the kind that gives you butterflies before a big presentation, a surge of energy when trying a new workout, or excitement when learning a new skill. It challenges you just enough to rise to the occasion and build resilience.
• Distress — the “harmful” stress: This happens when stress is prolonged or overwhelming—like chronic email overload, financial pressure, or caregiving responsibilities. It disrupts sleep, drains mental clarity, and over time, can impact long-term health.

The goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely — that’s impossible. Rather, it’s about using eustress to your advantage while preventing distress from becoming chronic burnout.

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How Stress Shows Up in Your Body

We all respond to stress differently, and the only way to really understand how it’s affecting you is to look under the hood, so to speak. A few key markers that reveal what’s happening inside:

• Cortisol: Your primary stress hormone. Short bursts help you focus and respond quickly, but chronic elevation can weaken immunity, impair sleep, and accelerate aging (Miller et al., 2007)
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Measures how adaptable your nervous system is. Higher HRV means your body can handle stress more effectively (Kim et al., 2018).
• High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP): An inflammation marker that often rises with chronic stress, increasing long-term disease risk (Black & Garbutt, 2002).

By testing these biomarkers, you can replace guesswork with clear data, and build a personalized plan to recover, perform, and thrive.

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Practical Ways to Work With Stress

Managing stress doesn’t mean ignoring it, but learning how to work with it. Here’s how:

• Lean into eustress: Pick challenges that excite you — whether that’s a new fitness milestone, a stretch project at work, or even learning a new skill.
• Prioritize recovery: Match periods of high intensity with real rest. Sleep, mindfulness practices, and downtime aren’t indulgences, they’re part of the formula for resilience.
• Shift your mindset: Viewing stress as a challenge rather than a threat can reduce harmful cortisol spikes and help you perform better under pressure (Crum et al., 2013).
• Track your patterns: Wearables or biomarker testing can help you see how your body is actually responding to stress and catch signs of overload before it becomes burnout.
• Micro-recovery strategies: Even small actions like a 5-minute deep breathing exercise, a short walk, or stepping away from screens can reset your nervous system and reduce acute stress.
• Stay socially connected: Seemingly simple, genuine interactions—like sharing a laugh, talking with a friend, or offering or receiving empathy—can help reduce perceived stress and lift mood. Studies show that those with strong social ties tend to live longer and enjoy better health. (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).

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Supporting Stress Recovery

When stress is running high, recovery is essential. Supporting your body and nervous system during stressful times helps you restore energy, improve sleep, and maintain mental clarity. Here are some strategies that can make a tangible difference:

• Sleep/Stress IV Therapy: Helps calm your nervous system and improve sleep quality. By delivering targeted nutrients directly into your bloodstream, it supports overnight repair so you wake up feeling more refreshed and resilient.
• NAD+ IV Therapy: Supports cellular energy and cognitive function, helping your body bounce back from prolonged stress. This therapy can enhance mental clarity, focus, and overall vitality.
• Glutathione: Acts as a powerful antioxidant to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, helping your body recover from the wear and tear of chronic stress. For optimal absorption, receive as a Vitamin Shot or add to any IV drip for an extra boost.
• Hormone Optimization: Balancing stress-related hormones like cortisol and thyroid hormones can stabilize energy levels, improve mood, and support long-term resilience.
• Cryotherapy & Recovery Treatments: Short bursts of cold exposure can reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and elevate mood—helping your nervous system reset after periods of high stress.
• Infrared Sauna Therapy: Promotes deep relaxation, detoxification, and circulation, supporting both physical recovery and mental calm.

By incorporating these strategies, along with daily habits like mindfulness, sleep hygiene, and movement, you give your body the tools it needs to manage stress effectively, recover faster, and maintain energy, focus, and well-being.

If you’re ready to take a more proactive approach, Next Health Memberships provide personalized guidance to help balance stress, optimize recovery, and strengthen resilience — so you’re not just surviving pressure, but thriving under it. Become a member today.

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References

• Black, P. H., & Garbutt, L. D. (2002). Stress, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 52(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(01)00302-6
• Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 716–733. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031201
• Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
• Kim, H. G., Cheon, E. J., Bai, D. S., Lee, Y. H., & Koo, B. H. (2018). Stress and heart rate variability: A meta-analysis and review of the literature. Psychiatry Investigation, 15(3), 235–245. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30441531/
• Miller, G. E., Chen, E., & Zhou, E. S. (2007). If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in humans. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 25–45. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.25

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