DAY 229 - DO YOU SUFFER FROM EUSTRESS OR DISTRESS?

DAY 229

When people hear the word stress, they automatically think about all the negative connotations.  It is true that stress is said to have numerous damageable effects on mental and physical health.  But did you know that there is such a thing called positive stress?  

Hans Selye, a Canadian endocrinologist of Austro-Hungarian origin, spent his professional career studying stressors.  He is said to have been the first one to use the word stress in a biological context. He developed the theory that stress is a major cause of disease because chronic stress causes long-term chemical changes.

In 1975, Selye came up with a theory that divided stress in two: good stress, which he called eustress and bad stress, which he called distress.  He believed that distress could lead to anxiety or withdrawal (depression) behaviour. And that, in contrast, eustress could actually have positive effects on health by giving people a sense of fulfillment or other positive feelings.

Most of us are able to unconsciously distinguish eustress from distress.  When you are confronted with a situation and you feel you are not equipped to deal with it, that you are overwhelmed, the negative effect of stress on your mental and physical health becomes noticeable. You may feel you have lost control of the situation and your body reacts.

On the other hand, positive stress can act as a driving force in achieving your goals.  It could give you a sense of fulfilment, the zest that you need in order to go forward with your projects.  It could even increase your productivity.

I remember when I was in university, I needed to feel a little bit of pressure to start working on my papers.  Without it, I didn't feel very motivated.  Some people need that extra boost to start being in motion.  It creates a sense of excitement! With that kind of stress (eustress), you are in complete control of the situation.

So next time you feel stressed, think about turning that feeling into a positive experience by mentally taking control of the situation.  Because in the end, eustress or distress are both created by events but are found in an interpretation of reality, and that is something you can control!

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