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The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier―An Essential Stress Management Companion with a Mind-Body-Soul Approach
A paradigm-shifting approach to wellness that reveals how the right levels of stress are actually good for you and how stress can help you unlock the body’s natural ability to stave off aging, prevent disease, and improve metabolic health.
What if we’ve gotten stress wrong?
There’s a breakthrough happening in the study of wellness and longevity. We know that excessive stress can be toxic, but emerging new research reveals that too little stress is just as bad for you as too much.
Dr. Sharon Bergquist, a pioneering physician and leading stress researcher, is at the forefront of this movement. In The Stress Paradox, she explains that our bodies are designed to heal and repair themselves, but we need the right amount and type of stress to rejuvenate at a cellular level.
Many modern comforts have inadvertently increased our risk of mental and physical illness by causing us to underutilize our inherited response to challenges. Our need for stress is so deeply embedded in our genes that you can’t achieve good health without it! Dr. Bergquist reveals how to optimize five key stressors to maximize mental, emotional, and physical resilience and reap a host of health benefits, from staving off dementia to increasing the years of your life. These simple lifestyle changes can keep your mind sharp, improve your mood, increase energy and metabolism, support a healthy gut, maintain a healthy weight, and decrease your risk of serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
What if we’ve gotten stress wrong?
There’s a breakthrough happening in the study of wellness and longevity. We know that excessive stress can be toxic, but emerging new research reveals that too little stress is just as bad for you as too much.
Dr. Sharon Bergquist, a pioneering physician and leading stress researcher, is at the forefront of this movement. In The Stress Paradox, she explains that our bodies are designed to heal and repair themselves, but we need the right amount and type of stress to rejuvenate at a cellular level.
Many modern comforts have inadvertently increased our risk of mental and physical illness by causing us to underutilize our inherited response to challenges. Our need for stress is so deeply embedded in our genes that you can’t achieve good health without it! Dr. Bergquist reveals how to optimize five key stressors to maximize mental, emotional, and physical resilience and reap a host of health benefits, from staving off dementia to increasing the years of your life. These simple lifestyle changes can keep your mind sharp, improve your mood, increase energy and metabolism, support a healthy gut, maintain a healthy weight, and decrease your risk of serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 25, 2025
57 people are currently reading
2892 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 11, 2025
The amount of repetition is staggering. Otherwise, a great book.
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May 27, 2025In "The Stress Paradox", Sharon Horesh Bergquist redefines our understanding of stress by turning conventional wisdom on its head. Rather than treating all stress as a harmful force, the book explores the surprising idea that certain kinds of stress can actually enhance our physical health, emotional well-being, and mental performance. This concept is rooted in the biological principle of hormesis—a phenomenon in which small, manageable doses of stress stimulate the body’s repair mechanisms, resulting in increased resilience and strength. Instead of avoiding discomfort at all costs, Bergquist argues that embracing targeted, short-term challenges can transform how we age, feel, and function.
Much of what we associate with stress today—tight deadlines, overwhelming responsibilities, and constant stimulation—falls into the category of chronic stress, which does damage over time. However, Bergquist encourages us to distinguish this toxic variety from the kind that prompts growth and regeneration. Just as a muscle becomes stronger after being pushed during a workout, the cells in our body can also become more robust when they are exposed to specific stressors in moderation. This cellular-level stress—whether caused by certain foods, temperature shifts, or physical exertion—promotes healing, bolsters defenses, and helps prepare us for future hardships. The aim of the book is not to glorify suffering, but rather to advocate for intentional stress that leaves us better off.
This beneficial stress response is not a new discovery, but its deeper significance took time to be recognized. Back in the 1800s, German scientist Hugo Schulz observed that yeast cells exposed to low levels of disinfectants actually thrived rather than perished. Although this discovery seemed odd at the time, it laid the groundwork for what we now understand about hormesis. The idea that small stressors can promote health applies broadly—from immune function and metabolism to cognition and emotional resilience. Exposing the body to controlled challenges sets off an internal housekeeping process that rejuvenates cells, protects DNA, and enhances overall vitality. Bergquist emphasizes that our modern lifestyles, filled with ease and convenience, have stripped away these essential stressors, leaving us more vulnerable to chronic diseases.
One of the key ways to reintroduce good stress into our lives is through nutrition—specifically, by eating a wide range of plant-based foods rich in natural defense chemicals known as phytochemicals. Plants under environmental stress produce compounds that act like mild irritants when consumed, prompting our bodies to turn on internal defenses. These include antioxidant activity, DNA repair, and improved cellular metabolism. For example, resveratrol—found in grapes, berries, and red wine—stimulates protective proteins and genes that promote cellular cleanup and regeneration. Other compounds like sulforaphane from broccoli, allicin from garlic, and quercetin from fruits and tea each trigger specific repair and detoxification pathways in the body. Interestingly, plants that grow in more natural or organic conditions tend to develop higher levels of these protective chemicals, as they are exposed to more environmental stress. By simply broadening the variety of plant foods we eat, we can tap into this powerful system of stress-induced renewal.
The second strategy centers around fasting, a nutritional challenge that activates deep metabolic repair processes. When we go without food for extended periods, our insulin levels drop, and the body switches into fat-burning mode, using stored energy more efficiently. This state not only supports weight management but also reduces the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Bergquist highlights time-restricted eating—specifically a 14-hour fasting window—as a practical and effective way to bring these benefits into daily life. This approach helps synchronize eating with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, encouraging better digestion, energy use, and hormonal balance. Even imperfect adherence can produce meaningful results, as the body is well-equipped to respond positively to periods of rest and repair.
Physical activity is another cornerstone of the hormesis model. Exercise is perhaps the most familiar example of beneficial stress—when we challenge our muscles and cardiovascular system, we set off a cascade of responses that strengthen the entire body. But the advantages of exercise extend far beyond physical strength. On a cellular level, movement enhances energy production by improving mitochondrial function, reduces inflammation, and supports brain health by increasing levels of growth factors like BDNF. These changes can help stave off mental fog, fatigue, and mood disorders. Bergquist advises a balanced fitness routine that includes steady-state activities along with short bursts of high-intensity training. The key is to push the body just enough to trigger adaptation without tipping into exhaustion. As always, recovery is essential; it’s during rest that the real rebuilding occurs.
Another source of healthy stress comes from exposure to natural temperature variations, which challenge the body’s ability to regulate itself. In our climate-controlled lives, we rarely experience the extremes that would have once been common. Yet short-term exposure to heat and cold can boost circulation, improve mood, and enhance insulin sensitivity. Cold exposure, for instance, activates stress hormones like noradrenaline, leading to sharper alertness and better focus, while also causing a surge in dopamine that lifts mood. Heat exposure, such as in saunas, mimics the effects of cardiovascular exercise and reduces inflammation. Research suggests that around an hour of heat and just over ten minutes of cold exposure per week—spread out across several days—can produce meaningful benefits. These practices are not about seeking discomfort for its own sake, but about leveraging the body’s built-in adaptation systems to improve health and resilience.
The final component in Bergquist’s protocol involves psychological stress—specifically, using manageable cognitive challenges to keep the brain engaged and adaptable. Not all mental stress is harmful. In fact, low to moderate levels of stress that we can control and that align with our goals can sharpen focus, boost motivation, and increase mental stamina. Facing unfamiliar situations, solving problems, or stepping into leadership roles can be mentally demanding in a way that promotes growth. These stressors activate neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin that improve mood and strengthen social connections. As with physical stress, the benefits of mental stress come with boundaries. It’s critical to balance challenge with recovery through rest, sleep, and relaxation, allowing the mind to integrate gains and restore energy.
The overarching message of "The Stress Paradox" is that discomfort, when chosen wisely and applied in moderation, can be a potent tool for building lasting health and happiness. Each form of stress described in the book—nutritional, metabolic, physical, thermal, and cognitive—activates specific systems in the body that are designed to keep us resilient and thriving. In today’s environment of constant convenience, these beneficial stressors have become rare, and as a result, we may be losing the very strengths that once protected us. By deliberately reintroducing small, strategic challenges into our lives and honoring the body’s need to recover afterward, we can harness the power of stress as a force for healing and transformation.
In the end, Bergquist’s message is not about making life harder, but about making it more vital. The book presents a vision of health that is both modern and rooted in our evolutionary past—one that sees stress not as a threat to be avoided, but as a tool to be wielded. By embracing this new relationship with stress, we can cultivate a deeper form of well-being that leaves us not only longer-lived but also more energized, focused, and resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
Much of what we associate with stress today—tight deadlines, overwhelming responsibilities, and constant stimulation—falls into the category of chronic stress, which does damage over time. However, Bergquist encourages us to distinguish this toxic variety from the kind that prompts growth and regeneration. Just as a muscle becomes stronger after being pushed during a workout, the cells in our body can also become more robust when they are exposed to specific stressors in moderation. This cellular-level stress—whether caused by certain foods, temperature shifts, or physical exertion—promotes healing, bolsters defenses, and helps prepare us for future hardships. The aim of the book is not to glorify suffering, but rather to advocate for intentional stress that leaves us better off.
This beneficial stress response is not a new discovery, but its deeper significance took time to be recognized. Back in the 1800s, German scientist Hugo Schulz observed that yeast cells exposed to low levels of disinfectants actually thrived rather than perished. Although this discovery seemed odd at the time, it laid the groundwork for what we now understand about hormesis. The idea that small stressors can promote health applies broadly—from immune function and metabolism to cognition and emotional resilience. Exposing the body to controlled challenges sets off an internal housekeeping process that rejuvenates cells, protects DNA, and enhances overall vitality. Bergquist emphasizes that our modern lifestyles, filled with ease and convenience, have stripped away these essential stressors, leaving us more vulnerable to chronic diseases.
One of the key ways to reintroduce good stress into our lives is through nutrition—specifically, by eating a wide range of plant-based foods rich in natural defense chemicals known as phytochemicals. Plants under environmental stress produce compounds that act like mild irritants when consumed, prompting our bodies to turn on internal defenses. These include antioxidant activity, DNA repair, and improved cellular metabolism. For example, resveratrol—found in grapes, berries, and red wine—stimulates protective proteins and genes that promote cellular cleanup and regeneration. Other compounds like sulforaphane from broccoli, allicin from garlic, and quercetin from fruits and tea each trigger specific repair and detoxification pathways in the body. Interestingly, plants that grow in more natural or organic conditions tend to develop higher levels of these protective chemicals, as they are exposed to more environmental stress. By simply broadening the variety of plant foods we eat, we can tap into this powerful system of stress-induced renewal.
The second strategy centers around fasting, a nutritional challenge that activates deep metabolic repair processes. When we go without food for extended periods, our insulin levels drop, and the body switches into fat-burning mode, using stored energy more efficiently. This state not only supports weight management but also reduces the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Bergquist highlights time-restricted eating—specifically a 14-hour fasting window—as a practical and effective way to bring these benefits into daily life. This approach helps synchronize eating with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, encouraging better digestion, energy use, and hormonal balance. Even imperfect adherence can produce meaningful results, as the body is well-equipped to respond positively to periods of rest and repair.
Physical activity is another cornerstone of the hormesis model. Exercise is perhaps the most familiar example of beneficial stress—when we challenge our muscles and cardiovascular system, we set off a cascade of responses that strengthen the entire body. But the advantages of exercise extend far beyond physical strength. On a cellular level, movement enhances energy production by improving mitochondrial function, reduces inflammation, and supports brain health by increasing levels of growth factors like BDNF. These changes can help stave off mental fog, fatigue, and mood disorders. Bergquist advises a balanced fitness routine that includes steady-state activities along with short bursts of high-intensity training. The key is to push the body just enough to trigger adaptation without tipping into exhaustion. As always, recovery is essential; it’s during rest that the real rebuilding occurs.
Another source of healthy stress comes from exposure to natural temperature variations, which challenge the body’s ability to regulate itself. In our climate-controlled lives, we rarely experience the extremes that would have once been common. Yet short-term exposure to heat and cold can boost circulation, improve mood, and enhance insulin sensitivity. Cold exposure, for instance, activates stress hormones like noradrenaline, leading to sharper alertness and better focus, while also causing a surge in dopamine that lifts mood. Heat exposure, such as in saunas, mimics the effects of cardiovascular exercise and reduces inflammation. Research suggests that around an hour of heat and just over ten minutes of cold exposure per week—spread out across several days—can produce meaningful benefits. These practices are not about seeking discomfort for its own sake, but about leveraging the body’s built-in adaptation systems to improve health and resilience.
The final component in Bergquist’s protocol involves psychological stress—specifically, using manageable cognitive challenges to keep the brain engaged and adaptable. Not all mental stress is harmful. In fact, low to moderate levels of stress that we can control and that align with our goals can sharpen focus, boost motivation, and increase mental stamina. Facing unfamiliar situations, solving problems, or stepping into leadership roles can be mentally demanding in a way that promotes growth. These stressors activate neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin that improve mood and strengthen social connections. As with physical stress, the benefits of mental stress come with boundaries. It’s critical to balance challenge with recovery through rest, sleep, and relaxation, allowing the mind to integrate gains and restore energy.
The overarching message of "The Stress Paradox" is that discomfort, when chosen wisely and applied in moderation, can be a potent tool for building lasting health and happiness. Each form of stress described in the book—nutritional, metabolic, physical, thermal, and cognitive—activates specific systems in the body that are designed to keep us resilient and thriving. In today’s environment of constant convenience, these beneficial stressors have become rare, and as a result, we may be losing the very strengths that once protected us. By deliberately reintroducing small, strategic challenges into our lives and honoring the body’s need to recover afterward, we can harness the power of stress as a force for healing and transformation.
In the end, Bergquist’s message is not about making life harder, but about making it more vital. The book presents a vision of health that is both modern and rooted in our evolutionary past—one that sees stress not as a threat to be avoided, but as a tool to be wielded. By embracing this new relationship with stress, we can cultivate a deeper form of well-being that leaves us not only longer-lived but also more energized, focused, and resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
May 27, 2025
word for good stress is hormesis
really hoped this book was going to be a lot better than it was (insert cry emoji)
notes:
- there is bad stress and good stress. Think of how exercising stresses your muscles, your lungs, and your heart, but in a way that ends up making everything stronger. What if we were to tell you that this same kind of growth happens on the cellular level when your body is stressed by food, temperatures, and other kinds of healthy stressors?
- scientists understood that small exposures to certain stressors is what makes human beings stronger as well
- controlled doses of stress – like exercise and fasting – can spark our body’s internal repair systems
- By leaning into good stress we can activate our body’s natural defenses against chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia
- eh - Two of them have to do with your diet. The third is exercise. The fourth is exposure to hot and cold temperatures.
- One of the more commonly known phytochemicals is resveratrol, a powerful compound found in red wine, grapes and berries, dark chocolate, peanuts, and pistachios. Plants produce resveratrol as a defense against fungi and bacteria, and when we consume it, it kicks our cellular defenses into gear. Resveratrol activates proteins called sirtuins that go on to stimulate other protective genes. These genes help counteract oxidative stress, promote autophagy, which is like cellular cleanup, repair DNA, and even build new mitochondria
- even if you can’t always find organic or wild produce, just increasing your variety of plant foods will go a long way.
- Exercise is perhaps the best understood example of hormesis
- when you challenge your body just enough, not to the point of injury, but enough to make your muscles and cells work harder, you trigger a rebuilding process that makes you stronger and more resilient over time
- A lot of modern health issues, from fatigue and brain fog to a buildup of stubborn belly fat, can be boiled down to a mitochondria dysfunction
- a sweet spot for these health benefits: about 11 minutes of cold and 57 minutes of heat exposure per week, split over a few days
really hoped this book was going to be a lot better than it was (insert cry emoji)
notes:
- there is bad stress and good stress. Think of how exercising stresses your muscles, your lungs, and your heart, but in a way that ends up making everything stronger. What if we were to tell you that this same kind of growth happens on the cellular level when your body is stressed by food, temperatures, and other kinds of healthy stressors?
- scientists understood that small exposures to certain stressors is what makes human beings stronger as well
- controlled doses of stress – like exercise and fasting – can spark our body’s internal repair systems
- By leaning into good stress we can activate our body’s natural defenses against chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia
- eh - Two of them have to do with your diet. The third is exercise. The fourth is exposure to hot and cold temperatures.
- One of the more commonly known phytochemicals is resveratrol, a powerful compound found in red wine, grapes and berries, dark chocolate, peanuts, and pistachios. Plants produce resveratrol as a defense against fungi and bacteria, and when we consume it, it kicks our cellular defenses into gear. Resveratrol activates proteins called sirtuins that go on to stimulate other protective genes. These genes help counteract oxidative stress, promote autophagy, which is like cellular cleanup, repair DNA, and even build new mitochondria
- even if you can’t always find organic or wild produce, just increasing your variety of plant foods will go a long way.
- Exercise is perhaps the best understood example of hormesis
- when you challenge your body just enough, not to the point of injury, but enough to make your muscles and cells work harder, you trigger a rebuilding process that makes you stronger and more resilient over time
- A lot of modern health issues, from fatigue and brain fog to a buildup of stubborn belly fat, can be boiled down to a mitochondria dysfunction
- a sweet spot for these health benefits: about 11 minutes of cold and 57 minutes of heat exposure per week, split over a few days
April 9, 2025
The Stress Paradox by Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist, has motivated me to start making the positive changes she outlines that will help me to live longer, healthier and happier. While sometimes it was hard for me to understand the science, her enthusiasm and passion shone throughout the entire book, and I was able to understand the basic concepts. Dr. Bergquist's writing style is warm and encouraging, and no matter where you're at, she meets you where you are. Dr. Bergquist outlines many things you can start doing today to improve your life and prevent disease. She assures us that just by reading the book it changes the way you think about stress, which in itself is beneficial to your overall health. I also love the recipe templates she has included. Dr. Bergquist makes the journey to better health an adventure that you'll be excited to start.
December 22, 2024
As someone who has quite a bit of "stress" in their life, this seemed like a very intriguing read - and it went beyond my expectations.
I've been loving books that make me want to be a better person and strive to improve my mental and physical wellbeing. I wanted to savor each chapter of this book and each idea given, because I felt more resilient to my day-to-day stress by shifting my mindset into looking at the categories of positive and negative stress.
In a world where everyone seems to strive to be "zen" and "stress-free" this was really refreshing to see how "good stress" can help our resilience, and how we as humans are built to handle it if we can train our bodies and minds to see it differently and seek out a balance.
I feel more balanced, and I look forward to a re-read.
I am definitely going to gift this book to some family and friends upon release. I will also post more thoughts on Instagram/YouTube/Amazon on release day!
I've been loving books that make me want to be a better person and strive to improve my mental and physical wellbeing. I wanted to savor each chapter of this book and each idea given, because I felt more resilient to my day-to-day stress by shifting my mindset into looking at the categories of positive and negative stress.
In a world where everyone seems to strive to be "zen" and "stress-free" this was really refreshing to see how "good stress" can help our resilience, and how we as humans are built to handle it if we can train our bodies and minds to see it differently and seek out a balance.
I feel more balanced, and I look forward to a re-read.
I am definitely going to gift this book to some family and friends upon release. I will also post more thoughts on Instagram/YouTube/Amazon on release day!
May 28, 2025
there are five ways in which you can change your lifestyle to benefit from hormesis, or “good stress”.
The first involves increasing your intake of plant-based foods and giving your body recovery time. The second is to align your eating habits with your body's natural rhythm by gradually extending your fasting period to 14 hours.
The third way to benefit from hormesis is to use exercise as a stressor to boost the energy production in your cells, starting with moderate exercise and gradually increasing intensity. Fourth, cold and heat exposure triggers your body's natural responses and improves resilience. And fifth, stepping out of your comfort zone will strengthen your mental resolve. In all of these areas, it’s important to incorporate time where you recover from stress.
By following these guidelines, you’ll reshape how your body and mind respond to stress, building long-term health and resilience
The first involves increasing your intake of plant-based foods and giving your body recovery time. The second is to align your eating habits with your body's natural rhythm by gradually extending your fasting period to 14 hours.
The third way to benefit from hormesis is to use exercise as a stressor to boost the energy production in your cells, starting with moderate exercise and gradually increasing intensity. Fourth, cold and heat exposure triggers your body's natural responses and improves resilience. And fifth, stepping out of your comfort zone will strengthen your mental resolve. In all of these areas, it’s important to incorporate time where you recover from stress.
By following these guidelines, you’ll reshape how your body and mind respond to stress, building long-term health and resilience
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2025
I absolutely loved this book by Dr. Bergquist! We've heard about the impacts of stress and how it harms us but this book helps us understand that there is also a need for our bodies to experience "good" forms of stress to promote better health and longevity. The author explains how 80% of disease is preventable. This book outlines many things you can implement today to prevent disease. It's a must read!
February 27, 2025
Loved this book and this author! So excited to hear Dr. Horesh Bergquist on the Healio Community Book Club next month!
Community Book Club Meet Up with Sharon Horesh Bergquist, MD: The Stress Paradox
March 26, 1pm EST
Register: https://community.healio.com/networks...
Unfortunately, the event is limited to health care professionals. But if you're an HCP, you can join!!
Community Book Club Meet Up with Sharon Horesh Bergquist, MD: The Stress Paradox
March 26, 1pm EST
Register: https://community.healio.com/networks...
Unfortunately, the event is limited to health care professionals. But if you're an HCP, you can join!!
February 14, 2025
I thought it was an interesting concept. It certainly rings true. Got some great ideas and some interesting views and was fairly well written. It could be a bit repetitive at times, and in places it seemed too scientific, but without any info on where the info came from. Definitely worth reading.
June 6, 2025
Loved The Stress Paradox! It's take on stress as both friend and foe is brilliant. The concept of hormesis—stress as a growth catalyst—really resonated with me. Engaging, practical, and eye-opening. This is a must read.
July 27, 2025
I enjoyed the beginning. It was a good way to describe the different types of stress and their place in our lives. But I felt the author trying to beat me over the head with it by repeating unnecessarily.
July 2, 2025
I liked to learn about the concept of Hormesis because it was new to me and very nicely introduced. Once that was clear, I stopped reading because the book just kept repeating the same points.
September 28, 2025
A must read, even if the last third became repetitive.
October 14, 2025
I've read a lot of health books over the years and there wasn't much new information for me in this book. I think it is better suited for the person just starting out on their wellness journey.
February 13, 2025
This was an eye opening book, for someone like me who stresses nonstop over my kids, and everything else overwhelming. It's definitely shown me some tips on my lifestyle, and some of the bad habits I didn't know I had. Great book!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews