Stay Healthy by Learning to Relax

It often seems that there are not enough hours in a day to get everything done. Projects at work or in school, or keeping home and hearth in order can take an unnecessary toll and cause stress.

Experts at Berkley have found that some stress can be beneficial. According to Daniela Kaufer, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California in Berkeley, some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance. In a study she conducted with UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellow Elizabeth Kirby she found that acute stress – short-lived and not chronic – primes the brain for improved performance. “Intermittent stressful events are probably what keeps the brain more alert, and you perform better when you are alert,” she explains.