#stress So if the “bad” stress is the kind that we allow to get “out of control” or “chronic” how can we harness our stress in a more positive way? “We don’t usually think of the stress response as helpful,” says McGonigal. “But in many ways it’s your best ally during difficult challenges.” What? YES. “Within 15 minutes of a stressful event, the body mobilizes pathogen-fighting cells in the bloodstream, which then fan out through the body to help it mount a more robust immune response.” Our bodies use the short term stress response to assist us in recovery. For the next few days let’s look at ways to harness stress to our advantage.