Today I wanna talk about stress, something every person has experienced at least once. First things first, stress is often seen as harmful — at least that’s what we used to think.

Stress and Health Studies

Let me start with a study. This research tracked 30,000 adults in the US for eight years.

They asked people: “How much stress have you experienced in the last year?”
And also: “Do you believe that stress is harmful for your health?”

People who experienced a lot of stress in the previous year had 43% increased risk of dying.

Interestingly, Oxytocin, the so-called “hormone of stress,” affects your brain and body, protecting your cardiovascular system from damage that stress might cause.

So generally, stress is your friend — until you believe it’s harmful.

Helping Others Reduces Stress Risk

Another study tracked about 1,000 adults in the U.S., aged 34 to 93.

They asked how much stress participants had and how much time they spent helping friends or others.

Stress Event	Risk of Dying	If Helping Others
Major stress	+30%	0%

For each major stressful event, the risk of dying increased by 30% — but not for those who helped others.

Helping others can actually protect us from the harmful effects of stress. Being together is a key way to manage stress. Stress gives us access to our hearts, both literally and metaphorically.

Mindset Matters

When you change your mind, you can change your body’s response to stress.
Stress isn’t inherently bad — it’s our perception of it that determines its effect.

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Understanding stress this way can transform how you deal with it daily.
Next time you feel stressed, think of it as your friend giving you access to your heart and helping you grow.