Stress is a part of our everyday lives, but not all stress is bad. While many people believe stress is always negative, the fact is, we need stress in our lives.
We usually don’t brag about being stressed. In fact, many of us dream of living lives that are as “stress-free” as possible. But is that really a good goal?
Stressful, unexpected, challenging events are more than just a break from boredom. These potential stressors provide us with opportunities to stretch and grow. At its root, stress is exactly that — an opportunity to grow.
It is worth examining the difference between good stress vs. bad stress, how to deal with both, how to transform stress into something productive, and why we need stress in our lives.
What is stress?
Stress refers to the physiological response that our body, emotions, and nervous system trigger in order to prepare us for situations that demand heightened awareness. There are three primary kinds of stress: acute, chronic, and eustress.
3 types of stress
- Acute stress is short-lived and triggers a protective response, such as the immediate panic felt when stepping into a busy street. This stress quickly fades, allowing for recovery.
- Chronic stress is long-lasting and stems from factors beyond our control, like relationship issues or long-term health conditions, leading to negative health effects due to a lack of recovery.
- Eustress is positive stress that enhances performance, often experienced as excitement or anticipation, helping individuals perform better under the right circumstances.
Is all stress bad?
Not all stress is bad. While chronic stress or distress can harm health, eustress, or positive stress, can enhance performance and motivation, helping individuals achieve their goals and grow.
Can stress actually be good sometimes?
Positive stressors give us something to look forward to. They help us grow and become more capable individuals. Certain stressors give the seasons in our lives meaning, like going to college, raising small children, or building a business.
A little bit of stress is useful in the following ways:
- It provides you with a burst of energy
- It can help meet daily challenges and motivate you to reach your goals
- It sharpens your attention and focus
- It can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently
- It can alert you when something isn’t right (the fight-or-flight response)
- It can help you build resilience to setbacks
What is good stress?
Good stress, also known as eustress, is a type of stress that can be beneficial for your mental and physical well-being. Here are the key characteristics and examples of good stress:
- Short-term duration: Good stress typically doesn't last long and allows time for recovery between stressful events.
- Motivational: It drives you to accomplish goals and overcome obstacles.
- Sense of control: During good stress, you feel like you have control over the outcome of tasks.
- Performance enhancement: It can help you perform better and focus your energy.
- Excitement and invigoration: Good stress causes feelings of excitement, like when watching a thriller or riding a roller coaster.
- Physiological response: It triggers a short-term fight-or-flight response, quickening heart rate and breathing.
- Builds resilience: Overcoming good stress can lead to personal growth and increased ability to handle future challenges.
Good stress vs. bad stress: what’s the difference?
Good stress, also known as eustress, motivates and energizes us, enhancing performance and personal growth. It's typically short-term and associated with positive life events or challenges that we feel equipped to handle.
Bad stress, or distress, is harmful and can lead to physical and mental health problems if prolonged. It often stems from situations we feel are beyond our control or overwhelming. This type of stress can cause anxiety, depression, and various physical ailments.
The key difference lies in our perception and ability to cope with the stressor, as well as its duration and intensity.
The effects of good stress
Here are 4 benefits of good stress:
- You perform better and achieve more
- You connect with others in more meaningful ways
- You learn more about yourself
- You challenge yourself in new ways and build your self-efficacy
The effects of bad stress
You can identify bad stress when:
- It's chronic. Even if it was once something you looked forward to, you now feel as if there’s no end in sight.
- You can't control it. You become unable to set effective boundaries or manage them efficiently.
- It prevents you from doing anything else. If the stressor takes up all of your time or prevents you from doing other things you want to do, you may become resentful.
- It feels out of line with your goals. You don’t see the long-term benefit, so it no longer feels as if the stress is worth it.
- It comes into direct conflict with another priority or value. Having to choose between conflicting values can make a mildly stressful situation emotionally taxing.
Examples of good stress and bad stress
Examples of situations that can produce good stress include:
- Going on a first date: The nervous excitement can heighten your senses and make you more alert and engaged in the moment.
- Approaching a deadline: This pressure can boost productivity and focus, helping you complete tasks more efficiently.
- Starting a new job: The challenge of adapting to a new environment can stimulate personal growth and skill development.
- Preparing for an important speech or exam: This stress can motivate you to study harder and perform better, potentially leading to improved results.
- Getting married: The anticipation and planning can bring couples closer together and create lasting memories.
- Buying a new house: The process can teach valuable lessons about finances and decision-making while providing a sense of accomplishment.
Here are five examples of bad stress:
- Toxic work environment: constant pressure, unrealistic deadlines, and hostile coworkers can lead to burnout and negatively impact mental health.
- Financial instability: ongoing money worries, debt, or inability to meet basic needs can cause severe anxiety and affect overall quality of life.
- Trauma: experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event can result in long-lasting stress, potentially leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Social isolation: prolonged loneliness or lack of social support can increase stress levels and contribute to depression.
- Major life changes: significant transitions like divorce, relocation, or loss of a loved one can create intense stress, affecting emotional and physical well-being.
6 ways to turn bad stress into good stress
The good news is that just as good stress can turn into bad stress, bad stress can turn into good stress — even when the circumstances are less than ideal. With practice, you can reframe nearly any stressful situation into a useful learning experience.
1. See the potential benefits of a situation.
Look at the situation from all angles, and reach out to a coach or therapist if you're having trouble finding the positives. Although it may not be in line with what you expected or wanted, many situations that seem challenging at first can often help us grow in unexpected ways.
2. Remind yourself of your strengths.
When we stay in our comfort zone, we don't get to utilize our strengths to their full potential. Stressful situations allow you to step into a leadership role. They also encourage you to utilize your resourcefulness and hone your ability to grow — and thrive — under pressure.
3. Focus on the resources you have.
Once we are ingrained in comfortable habits, we tend to take for granted the means that we have at our disposal. Working through stress can help us look at our assets in a new way. We often underestimate what we can do with what's already at hand.
4. Connect with others.
Leaning on others to meet a challenge often bonds a group like nothing else. When working towards a common goal, people often do their best and most creative work. Collaboration allows colleagues to lean on the strength of others to maximize their own abilities. You may find that you're able to thrive in new ways when working with a supportive team.
5. Learn something new.
There's nothing like surprising yourself. Stress allows you to grow and learn new ways to get things done. You may uncover creative approaches to long-standing challenges and develop your capacity to learn. As an added bonus, learning keeps your mind young, your mood high, and opens the door for new relationships as you grow.
6. Expect positive growth.
What do all challenges have in common? They require growth to overcome them. Leaders often cite the most unexpected or difficult experiences as the ones that prepared them the most to excel. Taking every stressful circumstance as an opportunity for growth can help transform the way you perceive and experience stress.
Start balancing your good stress and bad stress
Stress is inevitable, but it’s not uncontrollable. Encountering stressful challenges is an opportunity to grow and develop your skills for continued success. While you can’t necessarily control everything that happens to you, you can control whether you see it as good stress vs. bad stress. Your perspective will make all the difference.
If you're having trouble finding the balance, a BetterUp Coach can help. Connect with your personal coach to manage healthy stress.
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