Human beings are constantly adapting; it is undeniable.  How do you harness your adaptive superpowers? If you do not actively participate in the process, your environment will dictate how your body adapts to stress.

Today, the word stress has a negative connotation; however, stressors are the very thing that induces adaptation. Unfortunately, we typically view stress in one way—as something bad that happens to us. For example, “I was stuck in traffic after work and did not get home for two hours, I’m so stressed out.”  Stress is without question something that can happen to us, but it is also something we can intentionally generate to yield a desired adaptation. 

We choose to stress our cardiovascular system during a run, forcing our hearts to adapt to more demanding workouts.  Alternatively, a smoker puts unintentional stress on their cardiovascular system by building up tar and plaque in their arteries, making for more minor passageways forcing the heart to adapt and beat more frequently, which causes increased blood pressure and cortisol levels; a combination sure to increase anxiety and unease. Similarly, most human beings are shallow breathers, this inefficient style of breathing demands more respirations per minute, which sparks an unhealthy adaptation of chronically increased heart rate to oxygenate. Endocrinologist and founder of “The Stress Theory”, Hans Selye studied stress in-depth and theorized that, “it’s not stress that kills us; it is our reaction to it.” Dr. Selye recognized that stress is a part of everyday life for each of us but that we all respond to or experience it differently.  If we can better understand the different kinds of stress, we can better manufacture situations that produce the desired adaptation. 

There is a theory that stress falls into two categories: eustress and distress. In Zaen Villines’ medically reviewed article, Eustress vs Distress: What is the difference?, Villines explains:

Eustress and distress are terms that categorize different types of stress. At one end of the spectrum is distress, which involves negative feelings and is often a difficult experience. At the other end is eustress, which is challenging but rewarding.

People can experience eustress when they feel confident in their ability to solve a problem or cope with a situation. For example, they may feel stressed about an exam but know that they have prepared enough to be able to take it.

Afterward, they might feel a sense of accomplishment or pride, knowing that their hard work paid off. Another example of eustress is taking a cold shower; the cold activates our sympathetic nervous system, releasing norepinephrine, which in turn drastically raises our dopamine level, the feel-good hormone. By opting to take a cold shower or cold plunge, we are capitalizing on our adaptive powers to harness the values of eustress.

In contrast, distress can occur when a person feels unable to cope or feels unprepared. For example, if someone has not studied for a forthcoming exam, they may feel anxious or panicked.

The comforts of modern society have shielded us from the environment and reduced the need to adapt, and like most attributes in nature, when something isn’t used, it atrophies. Our need to breathe properly has disappeared and as a result we have adapted to breathing improperly. We need to go back to the habits and breathing styles utilized by homo sapiens. An article published in Nature Communications study that discussed A 3D virtual reconstruction of ancient man’s skeletal system depicted our ancestors appeared to have a more efficient respiratory function than we do today.  The article states, “We hypothesize that Neanderthals may have had a subtle, but somewhat different breathing mechanism compared to modern humans,” the researchers write, later adding that it’s possible that the larger surface of the diaphragm may have made Neanderthals more efficient breathers, emptying and filling their lungs faster than modern humans can.”  If we get back in touch with nature, we can adapt to breathe efficiently, like our ancestors.

You will experience stress in your life that comes in the form of distress and the negative adaptations that come with it, such as chronic cortisol, inflammation, and anxiety; that is not in your control.  To manufacture your desired adaptations, it is in your control to experience eustress in your life.  Through working out, breathing exercises, cold exposure, and/or any positive venture in which we step out of our comfort zone, we elicit a desired stress response. We are better adapted to endure and thrive through distress.