Stress is only good for you in the right format or in small quantities. Ongoing amounts of stress is not. For example... Overworking, being a carer, worrying about where your next penny is coming from, being in a futile home, suffering from a debilitating illness, being afraid, I could go on.
Small amounts of stress like learning something new and stressing about getting it right in small doses has its benefits.

I also have to mention that a lot of people take too much on or set their goals too high with great expectations.
Although some people have had no choice and are left in stressful situations to no fault of their own.

The difference between then and now in my opinion, is families seemed to be more close knit and stick together, where as today its very much do your own thing and keep yourself to yourself.

I've just moved in to a new area, well its been a year now and my surrounding neighbours haven't or won't even give me a good morning or a wave.
That wasn't the case years ago in my experience. We knew and spoke to a good 20+ neighbours and helped each other. Families visited more and shopkeepers were more personal.

And yes, I could imagine a hunter for food many, many years ago becoming stressed on whether he could provide food for his family and not much to entertain you in the times between.