Self-induced “positive” stress can be a good thing – tech execs in Silicon Valley say it improves their performance

While most people try to reduce the stress they feel each day, tech executives in Silicon Valley are trying to get themselves more worked up. These researchers are self-inducing “positive” stress because they believe it improves their work performance, according to a report by CNBC.

Positive stress practitioners, who are mainly tech workers, practice a routine of combining extreme temperatures, restrictive diets, vigorous exercise routines, and general discomfort. They were inspired by influencers in entertainment, business, and science. They believe that practicing these habits will help them live better and longer, or work better for longer.

Zachary Rapp, a positive stress practitioner, runs three various health and biotech start-up businesses. He has a routine of fasting, taking cold showers, practicing hot yoga, and following restrictive dieting. He sleeps five to seven hours each night and drinks a glass of wine or scotch as a rare treat. Rapp wakes up early in the morning, goes for a run, drink black coffee while reading e-mails, and then taking a freezing cold shower. He said this routine helps him reduce the stress of running three different start-ups for 18 hours a day. He also said that he only gets sick once a year.

“Right now I’m trying to push through an inhuman amount of work,” Rapp told CNBC.

Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete, is a thought leader in the positive stress movement. He even earned the name “ice man” because he can withstand extreme cold using deep breathing exercises. He conducted a speaking tour in 2017 and a series of workshops talking about his ideas and strategies for better work ethic. As a result, cold showers have became a thing in Silicon Valley and some even consider it as a