As we grow up, our responsibilities increase with us. With these responsibilities, our stress seems to augment as well. From attending middle school to college to working a full-time job, stress is always present. Whether it is attending meetings on time or managing your extremely busy day, stress can be present in various forms. However, could it be possible that stress is not always bad? Is there such a thing as positive stress? Well, yes, there is. Even though stress is primarily seen as a negative aspect of our lives, there are forms of positive stress.
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On a daily basis, I am sure you have heard people claiming that they are “so stressed”. But what is stress exactly? Stress is the way your brain reacts to demands or any kind of pressure. Such feelings can arise due to life events or how we react to changes. The aspects that cause stress in our life are known as stressors. This term can be used for people, events, and things that make us worry. Stress can be categorized into two types — distress and eustress.
Distress is the negative stress that most people think of when they hear “stress”. Distress causes negative reactions and can overall hurt a person. These high levels of stress can inhibit one’s ability to perform the tasks they need to. Instead of focusing on their work, they might be constantly thinking about the stressor. For example: if a colleague criticizes your presentation skills and says that you were using “too many hand motions,” you might feel bad about yourself. The stressor is your colleague and their comment might make you anxious and give you anxiety the next time you present-which are signs that you are stressed out.
Eustress, on the other hand, is also known as “good” stress. This is the type of stress that motivates you to complete your homework, study for a test, or complete a task on time. Giving in to eustress produces positive results that benefit you in the long run. Eustress can also be seen being exemplified by living things, such as plants. Plants depend on eustress to survive as it is an adaptive measure for them. For example, if plants are living in a hot, dry environment, they must preserve the water they have. The stress of dying through dehydration, causes the plates to close their stomata, which helps them to survive in that climate.
Humans display eustress in multiple ways, too. Highschoolers, for example, often have work piled and piled on top of each other, from projects to homework to extracurricular activities. However, project and homework deadlines push students to complete their work by a certain time, which allows them to finish their assignments. Without these deadlines, they would probably not attempt to complete their work. Evidently, this stress allows us to and pushes us to complete our tasks in an orderly fashion, and help us in the long run. Going back to the example of criticism from a colleague, you can also choose to improve yourself and practice before the next presentation. This helps to enhance your presentation skills, and therefore that stress helped you achieve something beneficial.
Since expectations will always be present in your life, it is extremely important to know how to cope with these situations. There are many ways you can go about managing stress. These include but are not limited to:
- Getting exercise
- Communicating problems with others
- Making a schedule
- Social support
Remember stress is normal and everyone has dealt with stress in their lifetime. However, it is important to keep your stress in check, otherwise, it has the capability to do great harm in the future. Great stress can lead to a lack of sleep, depression, and even serious heart conditions.
References
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Stress Management Stress Basics.” Mayo Clinic, 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/basics/stress-basics/hlv-20049495.
“NIMH » 5 Things You Should Know About Stress.” Nih.Gov, 22 Mar. 2019, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Stress | Psychology and Biology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 Nov. 2017, www.britannica.com/science/stress-psychology-and-biology.
