I jumped out of a plane to learn the benefts of stress

It turns out that within moderation, stress can even be good for you

I'm sitting in the back of the plane when the pilot announces we've reached maximum altitude. One of the crew gets up and - somewhat theatrically - slides open the side of the plane. In ones and twos, we shuffle towards the open door. When it comes to my turn, standing on the edge of a two-mile vertical drop, I'm more terrified than I've ever been.

Thankfully, as a first-time jumper, I'm strapped to an experienced parachutist who will guide us down. I don't even have to take the next step. But my brain is screaming at me not to go through with it. Behind me, my instructor gently pulls my head back so I can hear his reassuring words over the roaring wind. I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and we tumble forward into the fresh rushing air.