By Zane Sheeran
There’s no doubt that work can be very stressful, but is stress always bad? Could stress actually make us happier and more productive?
In his 1973 book titled ‘The evolution of the stress concept’, endocrinologist, Hans Selye distinguished between positive stress - also known as eustress - and distress. But what are they?
Eustress is positive stress that is beneficial to us. In the short term, the chemical changes that occur in our bodies as a response to stress can help to provide us with an energy boost and heightened concentration - think of meeting new clients or presenting a seminar. In the long term, eustress can help us to stay motivated, work towards goals and it even contributes to the upkeep of our well-being.
Distress is on the opposite end of the spectrum, in simple terms it is stress that hurts us. If we do not have the adequate physical, mental or emotional resources available when faced with stressful situations we can feel overwhelmed, rundown and experience lower levels of life and job satisfaction.
It’s pretty natural to want to live a stress-free life and to always take the easy path but maybe you should consider embracing eustress! Next time you find your heart rate rising stop for a minute and consider how that stress may benefit you. As Leonard Bernstein once said, “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time”.