Stress is unavoidable. But how you think about stress may matter more than the stressor itself. Your stress mindset can dramatically affect your physical experience of stress.
Two Ways to Interpret Stress
1. “Stress is harmful.”
This interpretation causes:
vasoconstriction
inflammation
avoidance behavior
worse performance
isolation tendencies
2. “Stress prepares me for action.”
This interpretation leads to:
improved blood flow
increased resilience
emotional regulation
performance enhancement
release of oxytocin (connection hormone)
Real Example
Before public speaking, your heart races, your hands shake, you breathe faster.
Interpreting this as danger intensifies fear.
Interpreting it as your body helping you rise to the challenge improves performance.
Functional Pharmacy Perspective
Stress does not have to be toxic.
When people shift their mindset, they shift their biology. Stress becomes:
motivating
manageable
less physically damaging
Reframing stress is not denial — it is harnessing physiology intentionally.
