Stress can be beneficial in certain environments and circumstances. Stress can be used as a boost of energy, concentration, or even memory. It can also be life-saving, since it can ignite a flight or fight response which kicks the body into high gear, tensing the muscles and producing high levels of chemicals such as cortisol and norepinephrine. Stress can be beneficial in certain environments where food is scarce and there is competition for survival. For example, rats that are stressed respond quickly and scour for food. This attribute actually saves their lives.

There is a flip side to this, however, and that is when people experience long periods of stress or chronic stress. When we are stressed, we release cortisol which is the fight or flight hormone. Chronic stress means that the body releases cortisol over long periods of time. This has many negative impacts such as the deterioration of the hippocampus that controls vital processes like learning and memory. High levels of cortisol can also reduce the number of synaptic connections in the brain, leading to depression or Alzheimer's.

There are a whole host of methods to manage stress, many of which have to do with learning how to breathe and meditation techniques. Over the years, I have dealt with a lot of stress myself. The most effective way of dealing with it for me is through exercise. Exercise produces endorphins which are proven to reduce stress. When stressed by my work, I find that exercise also helps me reset. Even in 20 or 30 minutes, I can feel myself calm down and regain focus.