Eustress
Stress is categorized with calories, refined sugar, and touching a hot stove.
You have been told to stay away from cortisol like WONDER Bread.
The problem is, it does not work that way.
Cortisol is a hormone correlated with stress function, amongst other roles.
Stress enables higher levels of performance.
The Yerkes-Dodson Law explains the relationship between stress level and performance.
The correlation between stress and performance is called the inverted U.
Performance is low with low levels of stress and increases as stress rises.
Optimal performance is reached as stress increases, but as stress continues to increase, performance decreases, creating an inverted U-shape curve for performance.
You do not want to be stress free.
It takes stress (and coffee) to get to work in the morning; this type of stress is eustress.
Eustress is positive stress which improves attention and correlates with increased performance.
Considering stress in a general "cut back on this thing" manner is not productive.
Cultivate eustress, manage chronic stress.
Stress, like coffee, is beneficial in a dose.
Pick coffee up off the waiver wire in week 3,
-Morning Cup