Eustress: Do You Stress the Good Stress

A Paper Monster

I have a paper monster. Its footprints grow in abundance, leaving small piles of paper everywhere — on a desk, a table, a nightstand…. Until, tired of the stress it causes, I gather up the mess and sort through the unopened snail mail, yet-to-be-read articles of interest, clipped coupon ads from local merchants, papers to be filed, and much more… and whittle it down to a neat up-to-date “current folder.” I never manage to eradicate my paper monster: over time, like Hydra sprouting new heads, its footprints grow again. And so does my stress. 

My paper monster comes to mind because of the premise of this article — a sort of fight fire with fire premise, to fight negative stress with positive stress — that engaging in activities that create eustress can alleviate chronic stress. 

Eustress — What It Is

Most of us likely associate stress with the negative effects; however, like virtually everything in life, there is a yin to its yang. Eustress, the positive kind, activates the sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-fight response, just as chronic stress does (which is why some experts are even reluctant to delineate one as good and the other bad): the difference is that eustress is short-term, timely appropriate and beneficial (like when escaping from a tiger); whereas chronic stress is prolonged, inappropriate and ultimately unhealthy (like daily worry about deadlines and bills). 

The activation of the sympathetic nervous system evolved to help us as a species escape threats to survival. It was meant to be of limited duration.

The body’s stress response system is usually self-limiting. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormones return to typical levels. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to typical levels. Other systems go back to their regular activities.¹ 

This short term activation happens when facing danger but also when engaging in manageable challenges that create feelings of anticipation, excitement and accomplishment. Some examples of the ways eustress can be activated and the accompanying benefits are listed here. You can find more on the referenced website.

New work projects. When you volunteer for a new project at work, you’ll likely experience eustress. It’s a chance to show off, sharpen, or develop new skills. When it’s the right fit, this can be a thrilling experience.

Personal fitness goals. Maybe you’re trying to run a faster mile, finish a half-marathon, or lift more than you’ve ever lifted. Eustress can help you push your limits to meet your goals.

Scary movies. Scary movies are a rollercoaster of stress and emotions. The jolt of fear followed by a sense of relief is a shock to your stress system, resulting in an instant reward. Plus, if you’re on edge the whole movie, you’ll feel satisfied that you made it to the end.

Public speaking. You’re probably familiar with those pre-presentation jitters. That anxiety quickly becomes eustress once you step in front of your audience when you’re properly prepared. There’s nothing left to do but perform. This will leave you feeling satisfied in the end.

Travel. Visiting a new country can be stressful. This is especially true when it’s an unfamiliar culture and language. But once you’re there, the eustress will take over, and you’ll learn something about yourself.

Attending large networking events. If you’re a shy person, attending a large professional conference can be scary. Who will you talk to? Will conversations flow easily? The eustress will help you navigate these interpersonal relationships.

Starting fresh. Major life transitions can cause eustress. If you just quit your job, ended a long-term relationship, or moved to a new city, your survival instincts will kick in to help you. This will help you build the life you want.²  

To the above, I  add my paper monster:

Being In the ring with my paper monster. Every time I do battle with that persistent imp, my anxiety initially rises. It challenges my ability to stay focused, remain organized, and make decisions.  When I am done; however, left only with my one miniscule stack, I feel as if the sun has come out. I am at peace and infinitely happy with myself.  

The benefits of engaging in activities that activate eustress 

Positive stress can:

Be a powerful motivator, pushing one to achieve goals and strive for improvement. It can help overcome procrastination (I smiled when I read this) and increase focus when applied to tasks that are hard.

Promote mental sharpness and clarity and boost creativity. It can also increase one’s ability to adapt to life situations. 

Develop resilience to better handle life’s changing circumstances. By successfully handling the challenge, one is better prepared for future stressors.  

Lead to personal growth and emotional balance and build self-confidence. Eustress can sharpen skills and promote a desire to use them creatively in other areas of life.

Improve physical health. Unlike chronic stress, eustress, triggered in response to challenges or exciting opportunities, can enhance one’s immune system. ³,⁴

Embracing stress

The perception of stress as being “bad” can be harmful to health. Avoiding stress may lead to coping in ways that are less helpful, such as drinking, procrastinating, or dwelling on worst case scenarios, Positive stress helps us survive and can make us stronger and healthier. A 2015 Stanford University article goes so far as to say that embracing stress is more important than avoiding it. Of course it refers to the positive kind..^{5, 6}  

One study found that simply having the goal to avoid stress increased the long-term risk of outcomes like depression, divorce and getting fired, by increasing people’s reliance on harmful coping strategies.

Stress is in the eye of the beholder  

Eustress and chronic stress both evoke the same fight-or-flight response — so it might seem that the results would be the same but they are not. The heightened awareness of the stress response, as it rises to meet a challenge and then subsides, is what also enhances skills such as focus, flexibility, and resourcefulness.  

The kind of stress a situation elicits depends upon the individual. Your perspective — uncomfortable and overwhelmed or excited and confident —  will determine your response. Engaging in activities that promote the good kind also means facing a challenge that is doable. I came across the following, which succinctly sums up the difference:

“As a life-long athlete, I can best explain the difference between distress and eustress in the context of running,” said Braxton. “When I began training for longer distance running, that first 5-mile run was a source of extreme distress. Physiologically, my heart felt like it was pounding into my throat, tightness rose quickly in my chest, and every fiber in my muscles burned. My brain swirled around thoughts like, ‘you can’t do this, you will never make it.’ That is physical distress. I was ill-prepared to face the challenge. Eustress is feeling that pounding, that tightness, and that burning as a sign of strength. Eustress is allowing that fear to escape with positive self-talk and motivation.” .⁷

It seems to me unclear from this brief narrative whether the author had the endurance to complete the run; however, her response, as she documents, revealed she was not psychologically prepared for the challenge.

Picking your challenges

What challenges might you put on that list of examples? The success in a doable one — mentally, emotionally, physically — might be helped by a concept I learned in yoga called “the edge.” 

When practicing hatha yoga’s poses, working within your physical capabilities in a pose to increase your strength, flexibility and balance, you search for “the edge”. The edge is where less effort would not be enough and more effort would be too much. It is a guidepost for when to go forward or retreat in the moment, to stay safe and reap the benefits of your effort.

A friend who is a psychologist commented that the edge reminds him of a term in psychology called “the flow.”  

Flow is a state of complete immersion & focus in an activity, leading to enhanced performance & satisfaction.

Achieving flow requires a balance between skill level & challenge, which fosters full engagement & motivation.

Encouraging environments that support concentration & clear goals can help individuals experience flow more often ⁸

The edge, the flow – they are both in the zone of transformation.

Return to the paper monster

I have watched both my son and husband with envy as they sort through their snail mail – sometimes right by the trash – and send most of it into that receptacle: as a result, they are unlikely to later come across saved coupons that are two years past expiration. One person’s stress is another’s ho-hum. However, I am happy to report progress. The bigger challenge is my habit of procrastination. And this article has inspired me to focus even more on a habit that creates needless chronic stress in my life.

While I work to transform my habit so that I will be more organized and proactive, I help alleviate the stress it causes with my IonCleanse footbath. For years we at AMD have had testimonials from customers who bear witness to its calming effect and its ability to elicit the relaxation response: another way to ameliorate the effects of life’s stressors.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and send any thoughts and comments to [email protected].