石光瑩

一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果你的壓力水平超過(guò)中等水平并持續(xù)下去，那么這種壓力是有害的。但是，適度的壓力實(shí)際上對(duì)人是有好處的。

A study found that low to moderatelevels of stress improves working memory，which is the cognitive function that allowspeople to use to complete everyday taskslike remembering someones phone num?ber or recalling directions on how to get toa specific location.

However， the researchers say thatthere is one thing to note. First， the find?ings are specific to low to moderate stress.Once your stress goes above moderate lev?els and becomes constant， that stress be?comes harmful.

“The bad outcomes of stress arepretty clear and not new，” said AssafOshri， lead author of the study and an asso?ciate professor in the College of Familyand Consumer Sciences.

Constant high levels of stress can ac?tually change the structure of the brain. Itleads to increases in white matter at the ex?pense of gray matter， which is involvedin muscle control， decision?making， self?control， emotional regulation and more.Chronic stress （長(zhǎng)期不斷的壓力） can alsomake people more susceptible to a varietyof illnesses ranging from nausea and mi?graine headaches （惡心和偏頭痛） to highblood pressure and heart disease.

“But theres less information about theeffects of more limited stress，”O(jiān)shri said.

In previous research， Oshri and hiscolleagues demonstrated the low to mode?rate stress levels could help individualsbuild resilience（適應(yīng)力）and reduce theirrisk of developing mental health disorders，such as depression and antisocial beha?viors. That study also showed that moder?ate stress can help people learn how tocope in future stressful situations.

Reading Check

What are the benefits of moderate stress according to the text？