By Rachel Nuwer
Did you ever embark on a frenzied all-nighter to cram for a test, then enjoy a rush of accomplishment after acing it the next day? At the end of the day, all of that overnight stress seemed to be worth it, and it may have even helped spur you on to get the work done.
On the other hand, stress over a longer period of time, say, if a loved one falls ill or if financial hardship sets in, is an entirely different beast. Long-term stress can cause you to suffer from insomnia, have trouble focusing, or become depressed or even seriously ill.
The more researchers learn about stress, the more it seems there are two distinct ways we experience it: acute, or short-lived stress, and chronic, or long-term stress.
Most recently, new research published in the journaleLifefound that acute stress may actually cause new cells to develop in our brains, improving our future mental performance. This would mean that periods of short-lived stress help us adapt to, and better negotiate, our environments.
