Stress Isn’t the Enemy: The Surprising Link Between Purpose and Biological Aging

by Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, CSCS

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Stress is killing us.” It’s become such a part of our collective health vocabulary that it feels almost unquestionable. Stress, we’re told, accelerates aging, worsens health, and shortens our lives.

But what if that’s only half the story?

A groundbreaking new study published in Health Psychology in June 2025 challenges this widely held belief. The research, led by Seung Eun Cha, Jieun Song, Steve Cole, and Carol Ryff, dives deep into how cumulative life stress interacts with something far more personal and protective: our sense of psychological well-being—especially purpose in life.
Their findings are both empowering and urgent: stress alone doesn’t age us biologically. But when it’s coupled with a lack of purpose, it does. In contrast, people with high psychological well-being—those with a clear sense of meaning, autonomy, and strong social connections—show no signs of stress-related biological aging at all.

​In other words: it’s not the stress. It’s what we carry inside that makes all the difference. This is a concept we have been applying with elite athletes for decades. The purpose behind the struggle is what keeps you focused and enjoying the journey. Now a new study may help everyone better understand the concept that athletes have been using to succeed for many years… The concept of PURPOSE.

What the Science Actually Says: The Study at a Glance
This new research used data from the MIDUS (Midlife in the U.S.) study, which includes more than 1,000 adults across the country. The researchers looked at:

• Cumulative stress across 11 domains (including childhood adversity, financial strain, neighborhood safety, and family stress).
• Psychological well-being measured across six dimensions, including purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance, personal growth, and positive relationships.
• Biological aging, assessed using the GrimAge2 epigenetic clock—a cutting-edge method for determining someone’s biological age based on patterns of DNA methylation.

The researchers asked a fundamental question: does stress accelerate biological aging, and if so, under what conditions?

The Findings Were Striking:

• For the general population, cumulative stress alone did not directly correlate with faster biological aging.
• But when stress intersected with low psychological well-being, particularly a lack of purpose, the result was clear: biological age outpaced chronological age.
• In contrast, individuals with high purpose and overall psychological health showed no significant acceleration in their biological aging, even under high stress.

This means that your mindset, relationships, and inner sense of meaning are not just psychological buffers—they’re biological shields.

Epigenetic Aging: Why Biological Age Matters More Than Your Birthday
Before diving deeper, it’s worth understanding what “epigenetic aging” actually means.
While your chronological age counts the number of years you’ve been alive, your biological age reflects how well your cells, tissues, and systems are functioning. Think of it as your body’s real-time report card on aging.

​The GrimAge2 clock, used in this study, is one of the most advanced tools to date for measuring this. It works by analyzing DNA methylation—a biological process that helps regulate gene expression—and estimating your biological age based on predictive patterns linked to morbidity and mortality.

Here’s the catch: you can be 45 years old chronologically but 60 years old biologically—or vice versa. That 15-year difference can mean a radically different trajectory in terms of disease risk, vitality, and longevity.

So, when researchers say stress accelerates epigenetic aging, they mean that stress can actually push your body to age faster, increasing your risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular issues, diabetes, dementia, and cancer.
But the new study adds a crucial caveat: only if you lack psychological armor. One of the most utilized saying in sports is the concept of “Pressure is A Privilege”. This was first told to me by a mentor Billie Jean King. It is a simple concept, but so powerful. It just means that you are in a position to accept this “so-called” pressure is earned by doing something meaningful. Being in the arena. The opportunity to be in the arena and striving for success is the privilege you have.

Why Purpose Protects Your Cells
This isn’t the first time purpose has shown up in longevity research.
A study published in JAMA Network Open in 2019 found that individuals with a strong sense of life purpose were significantly less likely to die over a follow-up period—independent of other health behaviors. Other research has shown that purpose is associated with reduced inflammation, lower cortisol levels, improved sleep, and better cardiovascular health.
But the new Cha et al. study goes further. It suggests that purpose doesn’t just help you cope with stress—it biologically neutralizes its impact.

Here’s why that’s so powerful: In our modern world, eliminating stress entirely is a fantasy. Even the healthiest, wealthiest, and most mindful among us face adversity, deadlines, loss, and pressure. But what this study shows is that you don’t need to eliminate stress to thrive—you just need purpose.
Purpose gives stress context. It transforms hardship from a burden into a challenge. It frames obstacles as part of a mission rather than random suffering. And biologically, this meaning-making process appears to activate resilience pathways—possibly modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reducing inflammatory markers, and maintaining genomic stability.
In short: stress paired with meaning becomes manageable. Stress without meaning becomes toxic.
 
Stress Mindset Matters Too
These findings align with earlier research, notably by Crum, Salovey, and Achor (2013), on stress mindsets. Their work showed that people who believed stress could be enhancing—not just debilitating—experienced better outcomes across multiple domains: improved performance, greater productivity, and even better health indicators.
When we view stress as an opportunity to grow or contribute to a purpose bigger than ourselves, our bodies respond differently.
In that sense, purpose functions like a biological reinterpretation tool. It shifts your body out of a threat state and into a challenge state—where energy is mobilized for action, not panic.
 
High Neuroticism, Low Resilience
Interestingly, the study also explored the role of neuroticism—a personality trait characterized by anxiety, moodiness, and emotional volatility.
The findings? Stress accelerated biological aging for people high in neuroticism, too. But when psychological well-being was added to the analysis, well-being mattered more than neuroticism.
This suggests that even if someone tends to be emotionally reactive, cultivating purpose, self-acceptance, and supportive relationships can buffer the effects of stress on the body. Traits aren’t destiny—habits and meaning-making matter more.

Dr. Kovacs’s Practical Takeaways: What You Can Do Today
This research provides some of the most actionable science in the field of aging and healthspan. Here are five ways to apply it starting today:
1. Define Your “Why”
Ask yourself: What gives your life meaning? What roles, relationships, or goals bring you the most energy? Reflect on moments where you felt fully alive or deeply fulfilled. Write them down. These are the clues to your purpose.
2. Make Purpose a Daily Practice
Purpose doesn’t have to be a grand mission. It can be expressed through parenting, mentorship, creativity, or community service. The key is to do at least one small thing each day that aligns with your values.
3. Strengthen Relationships
Positive relationships are one of the most consistent predictors of psychological well-being. Invest in the people who energize you. Express appreciation. Practice active listening. Schedule regular connection.
4. Reframe Stress
Next time you feel overwhelmed, pause and ask: How is this connected to something I care about? That small shift can reorient your nervous system from distress to meaning.
5. Focus on Eudaimonic, Not Just Hedonic, Health
Pleasure is important, but durable well-being comes from meaning, growth, and connection. Build habits that foster long-term satisfaction, not just quick relief.
 
What This Means for Health, Longevity, and the Durability Mindset
At the Kovacs Institute, we talk a lot about “durability”—the ability to thrive across decades of performance, health, and challenge. This study underscores why psychological well-being is a core pillar of that concept.
Durability isn’t just about fitness metrics, blood labs, or cognitive scores. It’s about resilience across systems—including the mind. And as this research shows, epigenetic durability—the ability of your cells to resist stress-related aging—is directly tied to your inner life.
We now have biological proof that purpose, self-growth, and deep relationships aren’t soft ideas. They are cellular necessities.
This gives us a clearer map for building lasting performance and healthspan. We don’t need to fear stress. We need to equip ourselves to handle it—and that begins with cultivating meaning.
 
Strengths, Limitations, and the Path Ahead
As with any study, it’s important to understand both its strengths and limitations.
Strengths:

• Large national dataset (MIDUS) with over 1,000 participants
• Use of multiple validated measures of both stress and well-being
• GrimAge2 clock: a validated, mortality-predictive epigenetic biomarker

Limitations:

• Cross-sectional design: we can’t infer causation
• Results may not generalize to more diverse or younger populations
• Only one biological clock used—results may vary with other aging markers

What’s Next:
Future studies should explore interventions that boost psychological well-being and track biological age changes over time. Could purpose-driven coaching or resilience training measurably slow the epigenetic clock? The potential is enormous—and urgent.
 
Final Word: Don’t Fear the Storm—Find Your Anchor
We all experience stress. That part is universal. But how it shapes our aging, vitality, and longevity depends on what we hold on to in the storm.
Purpose isn’t just philosophical—it’s physiological. It regulates stress responses, protects your DNA, and preserves your vitality at the deepest cellular level.
As the study’s authors eloquently conclude: “Cumulative stress doesn’t necessarily age you—unless you're running low on purpose.”

So the next time life feels heavy or chaotic, remember: your defense isn’t found in eliminating stress. It’s in anchoring to your purpose—and letting that guide you through.
Want to Build Your Purpose-Driven Durability?

If you're interested in learning how to develop your durability to improve health, performance, and biological resilience, reach out to the Kovacs Institute for individualized coaching, executive assessments, and elite-level performance consultations.