By now it’s clear that stress can harm our health in a multitude of ways, and new scientific research reinforcing its negative effects seems to debut weekly. But something we often fail to discuss is the positive side of stress, the conscious role we play in creating it, and how it can actually help us be more productive, creative and successful every day.
Eustress, the scientific term for “good stress,” encompasses the various healthy responses a person can have to any given form of stress. Distress, its natural counterpoint and the one we often think of when we hear the “S” word, is responsible for the physical, mental and emotional problems we, as a society, are now working so hard to avoid. However, these two categorizations are, at their roots, the same, with only two key factors distinguishing them.
From a biological perspective, all stress stems from the body’s natural “fight-or-flight” response. Once the body senses a given threat, the heart begins to pump blood more quickly, the brain sends cortisol and adrenaline throughout the body, and the digestive and immune systems shut down temporarily to focus all attention on dealing with the stressor. This response happens with all stress — it’s automatic.
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Ask for help.
Changing your perception of stress (even before it happens) is often easier said than done, which is all the more reason to not go it alone. Research has shown that the utilization of coaching, training and peer support groups can be quite effective in transforming typically negative stressors into positive ones. For example, Columbia Business School research scholar Alia Crum gave a group of employees at a struggling financial services company a video-based training program intended to lighten their perspectives of their work environment. After watching motivational clips of athletes and professionals both facing challenges and overcoming them, the workers experienced a substantial improvement in their own attitudes. Instead of interpreting stress as an energy drainer, they viewed it as a potential performance aid — a change that may or may not have occurred without this external assistance.
