Embrace the Stress: Why Discomfort is the Key to a Better Retirement

For most of our lives, we’ve been taught to view stress as a four-letter word—something to be avoided, managed, or eliminated entirely. We’ve been told it’s the enemy of health, a silent threat to our well-being. But what if we’ve been wrong? What if a specific kind of stress is not only good for you but absolutely essential for a longer, healthier, and happier life?

This is the paradigm-shifting argument at the heart of Dr. Sharon Bergquist’s book, The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier. Rather than advising us to run from all stress, Dr. Bergquist provides scientific evidence that our modern pursuit of comfort has deprived our bodies of what they are genetically programmed to need. The right kind of stress, known as hormetic stress, can actually unlock your body’s innate ability to repair, rejuvenate, and build resilience.

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The Five Pillars of Good Stress

Dr. Bergquist outlines five key hormetic stressors that, when optimized in small, manageable doses, can boost your mental, emotional, and physical resilience. This isn’t about embracing chronic, debilitating stress, but about using controlled challenges to make your body stronger.

1. Nutritional Stress (Phyto-Toxins)

You probably think of plant toxins as a bad thing, but Dr. Bergquist argues the opposite. The small doses of “phyto-toxins” found in a wide variety of unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and nuts actually trigger a beneficial adaptive response in your cells. This controlled stress helps protect DNA and enhances overall vitality. The key is to consume a variety of colorful plants to expose your body to a diverse range of these beneficial compounds. This also means being mindful of the highly processed foods that have become a staple of modern life.

2. Metabolic Stress (Circadian Fasting)

Metabolic stress is the idea that brief, intermittent periods of fasting can stimulate your body’s cellular repair mechanisms. By adopting practices like time-restricted eating (e.g., a 10-hour eating window and a 14-hour fasting window), you can optimize your metabolic flexibility and promote cellular cleanup. This isn’t about extreme fasting, but about small, consistent habits. Even a 10-hour fast, which can be accomplished by simply not eating two hours before bed and sleeping for eight hours, can be a powerful tool for your health.

3. Physical Stress (Exercise)

This is perhaps the most familiar form of good stress. Dr. Bergquist emphasizes the importance of intermediate bursts of intense movement—think short, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions—to induce beneficial oxidative stress. This challenges your muscles and systems, causing them to grow back stronger. The focus here is on consistency and moderation over extreme endurance events, which can sometimes do more harm than good by placing too much stress on the body.

4. Thermal Stress (Heat & Cold)

Exposing your body to varying temperatures is another form of hormetic stress. Strategic use of saunas, hot tubs, or even cold plunges and cold showers can activate “heat shock proteins” and improve metabolic health. This book has made Mark much braver using the cold plunge at LifeTime Fitness! The benefits come from brief, controlled exposure to these temperature extremes, not from long, uncomfortable sessions that could lead to hypothermia or other dangers. This kind of stress helps the body build resilience to its environment.

5. Cognitive and Emotional Stress

Our minds also need to be challenged. Engaging in new and challenging psychological tasks can enhance neuroplasticity and emotional resilience. This includes things like learning a new skill, solving puzzles, or even engaging in acts of kindness. This is a very different kind of stress than chronic, harmful emotional stress caused by contentious relationships or severe financial hardship. The goal is to seek out manageable challenges that stimulate your mind and spirit.

Retirement: The Danger of Too Much Comfort

For many, the idea of retirement is a life of no stress, no schedule, and pure comfort. But this book reminds us of the dangers of that path. Just like the sedentary humans in the movie WALL-E, a life completely devoid of challenge can lead to a decline in physical and mental health. The healthiest retirees are often those who remain engaged, whether through part-time work, volunteerism, or a passionate hobby that provides a healthy amount of “good stress.”

Instead of demonizing stress, it’s time to be intentional about embracing the right kind of discomfort. As the old saying goes, “comfort is a Trojan horse.” It may look appealing, but it can ultimately undermine your well-being. By being purposeful about seeking out these small, daily challenges, you can build a resiliency fund for your body and mind, ensuring a retirement that is not just longer, but also healthier, wealthier, and happier.

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Mark Struthers, CFA, CFP®, CRC®, RMA®

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This commentary is provided for general information purposes only, should not be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice, and does not constitute an attorney/client relationship. Past performance of any market results is no assurance of future performance. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.