We tend to think of stress as the enemy. Something to be eliminated, managed, or avoided. But the truth is, stress is a core ingredient of growth.
Think about your muscles: they only grow stronger under resistance. Remove all stress, and they weaken. Pile on too much, and they tear beyond repair. The key isn’t avoiding stress — it’s finding the sweet spot where challenge stretches you without breaking you.
Psychologists call this the “Yerkes-Dodson law.” Performance rises with stress up to a point — then collapses when stress overwhelms us. This is the paradox: we need stress to thrive, but only in doses we can adapt to.
In life, this balance looks different for everyone. Some seasons demand pushing harder, others require rest and recalibration. What matters is not eliminating stress, but developing the awareness to notice where you are on the curve.
Peak performers don’t avoid stress. They work with it. They discipline themselves to push through resistance, but they’re wise enough to pull back before the tipping point. They treat stress like training weight — load, recover, adapt, repeat.
Action: Today, check in with yourself. Is your current stress pushing you forward or pulling you under? Adjust by either leaning in or intentionally stepping back. Recovery is even more important than managing in the moment.