Have you ever thought about how stress can actually be a good thing? let's learn What is eustress? If I were to describe it as "positive stress," you might consider it an oxymoron, but that's actually the case – not me being an oxymoron, but stress being potentially positive. In our emotional and psychological life trajectory, stress is often viewed as the villain, an immortal foe that drains our mental and physical energy.
No one enjoys a stressful day, but there's another side to our villain, and its name is Eustress. Eustress possesses the power to uplift you rather than bring you down. It's a lesser-known aspect of stress, a term coined by Hans Selye. He considered eustress as the positive aspect of stress, which usually arises in those exhilarating and challenging moments that can actually be beneficial for you, increasing your emotional resilience.
Just imagine you're about to give a presentation in your class; that mild uneasiness you feel isn't necessarily distress but eustress. When you have your first day at a new college or workplace, that heart-pounding, palm-sweaty state is typically due to eustress. These are just a couple of examples where eustress plays a role, and even in retrospect, you can identify the instances in your life where it was present. In this article, I'm going to explore the nature of eustress, why it's beneficial for you, and how you can harness its power to lead a more fulfilling life. So, let's dive into the world of positive stress.
How Eustress is different from Distress ?
When we discuss eustress, it's crucial to understand how distress became infamous and eustress the famous one, both in terms of physiological and psychological responses. By being aware of these responses, we can better appreciate eustress and perceive it as a positive force in our lives.
Physiological Responses:
Eustress:
Eustress and distress elicit different psychological responses. Eustress generates a sense of excitement and anticipation that triggers the body's fight-or-flight response but in a positive way. How does it work? The surge of adrenaline and other stress hormones actually enhances our physical abilities, sharpens our focus, and boosts our immune system. Think of your mental state before something exciting, like a roller coaster ride or a performance – these are "eustressful" situations that empower you to perform at your peak.
Distress:
The feeling of distress usually comes with anxiety, fear, and a sense of being overwhelmed, which can lead to various physical effects. Prolonged distress can weaken your immune system, and increase the risk of chronic health conditions. In fact, there is research suggesting that prolonged stress can be passed on to the next generation, with their baseline mental state being higher than normal. Distress is often associated with impending deadlines, and heavy workloads, and when left unmanaged or consistently experienced, it can harm your physical and mental well-being.
Psychological Responses:
Eustress:
Eustress evokes a sense of excitement, motivation, and challenge. It might be discouraging at times, but when you look beyond the bodily responses, you'll see that eustress encourages you to approach situations with a belief that you can overcome challenges. This very optimistic outlook can lead to feelings of accomplishment and personal growth. Now, bear with me, that I'm not suggesting you practice unrealistic optimism. You should be discerning about both the bodily sensations and the situation; they are different in eustress as compared to distress, so think accordingly.
Distress:
Distress, as I mentioned, comes with feelings of anxiety, frustration, and helplessness. It can result in a negative outlook on situations, where you feel helpless to find any solution, and there's no sense of achievement involved. Chronic distress can lead to mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, which ultimately impact our overall quality of life.
Coping Mechanism and Managing Eustress
To make eustress as effective as it's meant to be, it becomes necessary to have effective coping strategies. Otherwise, you might end up turning your eustress into distress. These coping strategies may include time management, setting clear goals, ensuring adequate sleep, and seeking professional help if needed.
Find the right balance
Never be too hard on yourself. Initially, it may seem to yield productive results, but in the long run, it can actually deteriorate your mental and physical health. Therefore, it's important to recognize your limits and set realistic goals, along with regular self-assessment.
Avoid Burnouts
Exhausting yourself continuously and exposing yourself to stress, or not effectively coping with existing stressors while lacking adequate recovery, can lead to burnout. To prevent burnout, consider taking the following measures:
1. Set boundaries with both people and work to avoid draining yourself.
2. Allocate time for relaxation and rejuvenation; consider practicing breathing techniques for a small part of your day.
3. Be aware of signs of burnout, which you shouldn't ignore. Here are some important signs to watch for: - Chronic fatigue and low energy levels
- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
- Frequent headaches or muscle pain
- Increased irritability or mood swings
- Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
- Reduced sense of accomplishment and self-worth
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Heightened sense of cynicism and negativity
- Memory problems and forgetfulness
- Decreased productivity and effectiveness
- Inability to focus and maintain attention
If you find these signs relatable, it's high time to take care of yourself and reconsider your choices.
Conclusion
After this exploration into the types of stress and the psychological and physiological differences between eustress and distress, it's evident that embracing eustress and employing it with appropriate strategies can be immensely helpful. By practicing self-care, you can maintain equilibrium and harness the benefits of eustress without succumbing to its downsides.
Drop your comments and opinions about it in the comment section below and share it with your loved ones.
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