Stress is a necessary biological function of the human body that helps you perform at your best. Although it has also been shown to cause health problems. There is now an apparent contradiction. What is the balance between beneficial and harmful stress? One of the positive effects of stress is that in people's lives it can help them work optimally. The increase in bodily functions such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and blood sugar intensifies the body's alertness and strength. These functions are part of your body's incredible emergency response system. These features prepare you to deal with the stressors in your life, allowing you to function optimally. Another positive effect of stress is the body's "fight or flight" response. Emergencies cause your body to need increased amounts of blood, oxygen, and food to help your muscles fight or escape danger. “Stress facilitates survival, especially in cases where extraordinary efforts can overcome real physical danger. Stress prepares the body to fight against or escape danger. This so-called fight-or-flight response was particularly useful for prehistoric people faced with potentially deadly predators. (Ronald, 2014). The experiment of Steve Kux and Warren Everal shows how amazing our emergency response system in our body is. When Steve Kux's helicopter crashed and Kux was trapped underneath, his colleague Warren Everal lifted the 3,000-pound helicopter off his friend's body. The extreme stress experienced by Everal's body caused his adrenal glands to mass-produce epinephrine at this time, allowing him to demonstrate "superhuman" strength. His emergency response system activated due to stress allowed him to save the lives of his friends. The other side of the paper......I pay the price with our bodies, for our own sake we need to find a healthy balance. Works Cited Kuslikis, T (January 5, 2012). Superhuman Strength During a Crisis – Extraordinary feats of the human body. Ashotofadrenaline.net. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://ashotofadrenaline.net/superhuman-strength-during-a-crisis-extraordinary-feats-of-the-human-body/ Gutierrez, C. (2012). Emphasize an insidious danger to the body and mind. For the record, 24(18), 22James – Enger, K. (2013). Stress management for all ages. Vibrant Life, 29(5), 6-8Benson, H & Casey, A. (2011) Stress management: approaches to preventing and reducing stress. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Health PublicationsSmith, A, D & Miller, L, H & Rothstein, L (1994) The Stress Solution: An Action Plan for Managing Stress in Your Life: Paperbacks. Stress – the keys to managing it, (2014). Awake! 95(5), 4-7