Why not all stress is bad

In today’s world, we are continuously reminded about the toll stress takes on our physical and emotional wellbeing. However, not all stress is bad for us.

Positive stress, or eustress, is a form of stress that is short-term and beneficial to us. It serves to motivate and stimulate us to enhance our focus, increase our productivity and enable us to achieve our goals. It makes us feel energized and excited, and pushes us to step outside of our comfort zones.

When a potential threat is perceived by our bodies, it causes the release of stress hormones (such as adrenaline and cortisol) to ready us to fight or flee. Stress therefore serves an essential survival function. However, what distinguishes positive stress from negative stress, is our reaction to and interpretation of the experience. When we view challenging situations as opportunities rather than threats, it can contribute to personal growth and development. In addition, the duration and intensity of the stress, as well as our coping abilities, determine whether the stress is “good” or “bad” for us.

Positive stress can result from temporary situations that excite us, such as vacations or traveling to new destinations. It can also be due to the anticipation of imminent change and transitional phases, like starting a new job, moving to a new city, getting married, buying a new home, having a baby or retiring. In addition, it can result from leaving our comfort zone and risking something new, for example starting a new business or a new job or project. Further examples of positive stress are getting a promotion at work, setting and working towards a challenging goal, learning a new skill, going on a first date, making new friends, and learning a new hobby.

If you are unsure whether the stress you are experiencing is positive or negative, consider the following:

➢ Positive stress energizes you and makes you feel productive. Negative stress is draining and leaves you feeling exhausted.

➢ Positive stress leads to a clear focus on what you want to achieve. Negative stress clouds your vision and leaves you unsure of what to do next.

➢ Positive stress causes excitement about the experience or change. Negative stress causes worry, anxiety and dread.

➢ Positive stress results in hard work to achieve a potentially challenging, but attainable goal. Negative stress lets you believe that the goal is unattainable, leaving you feeling defeated.

➢ Positive stress enhances feelings of self-confidence, especially once your goal has been accomplished. Negative stress causes you to doubt yourself and your abilities.

➢ Positive stress entails the expectation of a positive outcome. Negative stress leads you to expect that everything will go wrong and the result will be unfavourable.

It is therefore clear that positive stress acts as a motivator. It helps us to channel our energy towards what we value in life and take the necessary action. As we manage challenging obstacles and achieve our goals, we experience feelings of fulfilment, success and accomplishment. Moreover, we develop a growth mindset and resilience, which means that we are better equipped to face the next challenge.

So, instead of trying to avoid all stress, we should learn to differentiate between positive and negative stress and use positive stress to our advantage.