Moderate stress is actually good for you适度的压力实际上有好处

石光莹

一项研究发现，如果你的压力水平超过中等水平并持续下去，那么这种压力是有害的。但是，适度的压力实际上对人是有好处的。

A study found that low to moderatelevels of stress improves working memory，which is the cognitive function that allowspeople to use to complete everyday taskslike remembering someones phone num?ber or recalling directions on how to get toa specific location.

However， the researchers say thatthere is one thing to note. First， the find?ings are specific to low to moderate stress.Once your stress goes above moderate lev?els and becomes constant， that stress be?comes harmful.

“The bad outcomes of stress arepretty clear and not new，” said AssafOshri， lead author of the study and an asso?ciate professor in the College of Familyand Consumer Sciences.

Constant high levels of stress can ac?tually change the structure of the brain. Itleads to increases in white matter at the ex?pense of gray matter， which is involvedin muscle control， decision?making， self?control， emotional regulation and more.Chronic stress （长期不断的压力） can alsomake people more susceptible to a varietyof illnesses ranging from nausea and mi?graine headaches （恶心和偏头痛） to highblood pressure and heart disease.

“But theres less information about theeffects of more limited stress，”Oshri said.

In previous research， Oshri and hiscolleagues demonstrated the low to mode?rate stress levels could help individualsbuild resilience（适应力）and reduce theirrisk of developing mental health disorders，such as depression and antisocial beha?viors. That study also showed that moder?ate stress can help people learn how tocope in future stressful situations.

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