Why Random Stress is Healthy for You

If headlines are to be believed, stress reduction is one of the most important tools for living happier and healthier lives. For most people, chronic stress is a massive problem, but acute stress might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

One of the downfalls of biohacking is the constant neat ordering of different habits and practices. An interest and consciousness of our body can create a path where adaptation is limited and growth stagnant. For example, a couch potato who does no exercise will physically deteriorate not because of stress, but due to lack of stress.

I consistently track my diet, exercise, and other lifestyle practices. When analyzing diet, the combination of goals and restrictions makes my food rather similar on a day-to-day basis. My food becomes routine as I try to incorporate enough protein, fat, total calories, and certain foods into my diet. Not only can this lead to food allergies, but my body has a very insular view of what defines nourishment.

Acute vs. Chronic Stress and Randomness

For anyone who reads “Anti-Fragile” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the “acute vs. chronic” stress argument is already familiar. The human body is extremely adept at overcoming acute stressors when given ample time to recover. In fact, without this acute stress, the human body quickly deteriorates and loses value.

Conversely, chronic stress is problematic for the body as there is no recovery time for the adaptation to occur. This is one of the reasons why steady-state running at a moderate pace every day might not be as healthy as lifting enormous weights a couple times per week.

The key of this stress comparison is the ample time for recovery aspect. You can push the acute stress too far, but the body will handle this much better in the long-run.

Starting Your Randomness Regimen

There are a few important things to consider before you try to cause acute stress to your body no matter what aspect of life you are talking about. Even though Taleb discusses exercise, randomness works with almost any aspect of your life.

One concern for health conscious individuals is adding randomness for the right reasons. Going 100% is far better than 99% (and easier) unless you make a conscious decision to do so. Make sure it is a conscious choice to be random about your actions rather than a compulsion.

Ways to Get Started

Grocery shopping – diet is a great place to start adding randomness for better health. Last night I visited the grocery store, but made a rule that I could only buy foods I have not purchased in the past 4 months. Most food was still within my guidelines for dietary restrictions, so I would not even consider this “stress”. Buying random foods at the grocery store just helped me get a wider variety of nutrients my body is not used to. It also helps to prevent the body growing accustomed / sensitive to any single food. This is an easy way to start because you can still eat healthy and follow your goals, but you get a different variety of nutrients.

Cheating on your diet – as I wrote in an article about cheating on your diet, there are many scientific reasons it could help you be healthier. It sounds counter-intuitive to cheat and still gain muscle mass and lose fat, but it is definitely possible. Also, it is an acute stress for your body to work through. You don’t want to overdo a cheat meal / day as it can make you feel terrible, but it will help you to adapt.

Meal timing – I’m a proponent of any intermittent fasting regimen that is tailored to your goals, but even steady IF can be too ordered. On a recent podcast with Keith Norris, we discussed random fasting for an entire day. Every once in a while, I try to add a 22 – 24 hour fast to go with my usual 16 / 8 regimen. It is a little more stress on the body, but I give myself ample time to recover before doing it again.

Exercise type – when trying to biohack your strength and physiology, weight training can seem like the easiest tool to measure progress. It is easier to throw an extra weight plate on a barbell, but your body will adapt to the exercises. As you practice a certain movement pattern, the central nervous system will recognize and adapt efficiently. Increases in weight may correlate as much with strength as with the central nervous system getting used to the movement. Try to incorporate random exercise (preferably high intensity infrequently) into your routine. I love a random sprint workout or a calisthenic strength session with push-up variants and different bars.

Caffeine consumption – there are plenty of benefits of caffeine, but a random caffeine-fast can be helpful for your adrenal glands to reset. Once in a while I will take 2 weeks to a month off from caffeine and the next time I go to the gym it is far more effective.

Embrace the Random

Self-trackers like myself are so conscious of their actions that random elements rarely play a part. In trying to understand the “perfect health” for yourself, make sure you get too tied to a particular practice or habit. With a few exceptions, it is best to add some randomness to your life. Even if the random element is stress, if you ensure acute stress has plenty of rest, it is actually quite healthy.

What are some elements of randomness you like to embrace? A shot of tequila? McDonalds Bic Mac? Cigar?