What Is Eustress, And How Is It Different From Distress?
When you hear the word “stress,” your mind might immediately jump to negative situations, like work challenges or arguments with your partner. But did you know that not all stress is necessarily “bad”? Eustress, a type of positive stress, may have benefits like increased creativity, productivity, and hope. For help adjusting your perceptions of stressful situations so that you can experience eustress rather than distress, consider reaching out to a licensed therapist.
A closer look at the stress response
When you face a stressor, several processes usually occur, starting in the amygdala. The amygdala is an area of the brain that normally plays a role in processing information from your five senses. When you’re exposed to a challenging situation, your amygdala typically sends out a distress signal to other areas of your brain and body. As a result, you might experience physical and mental symptoms, such as the following:
- A racing heartbeat
- A spike in blood pressure
- Sharper vision, hearing, and other senses
- A rush of adrenaline
- Muscle tension
- Shakiness
- Rapid breathing
These symptoms are generally designed to protect you in dangerous situations by making it easier to defend yourself or escape. This is often referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response.
What is eustress?
When you think about triggers of the stress response, your mind might jump to situations like tight work deadlines or a family conflict. However, stress doesn’t necessarily have to be distressing.
Think about the excitement you might experience before riding on a rollercoaster or competing in a sports event. You might experience some of the same sensations, like a racing heartbeat or a burst of adrenaline, as you would in a more negative situation. The stress response may still be there, even if you’re experiencing positive emotions—or know you’ll experience them later. This can serve as an example of eustress.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines eustress as “a type of stress that results from challenging but attainable and enjoyable or worthwhile tasks.” In other words, eustress can be considered a type of positive stress.
What is the difference between eustress and distress?
You may have noticed that the term “eustress” sounds similar to the term “distress.” Because these terms both describe forms of stress, it may be worth exploring the differences between them.
As we’ve discussed, eustress is generally a type of stress that can be positive or have positive effects. Common triggers of eustress may include the following:
- Getting married
- Traveling to a new place
- Performing or competing in front of a crowd
- Tackling a meaningful challenge
- Moving to a new home
On the other hand, distress can be thought of as stress that negatively affects you, either immediately or long-term. According to the APA, distress is “a type of stress that results from being overwhelmed by demands, losses, or perceived threats.”
While eustress tends to occur for shorter periods, distress may have a greater risk of lasting weeks or months. You may be more likely to experience distress in situations where you sense a lack of control over the outcome, like during a major illness or an economic recession. Some examples of other situations that might trigger distress include those listed below:
- Going through financial hardship
- Going through a divorce
- Losing a job
- Legal troubles
- Societal trauma (like terrorist acts, natural disasters, or wars)
Generally speaking, everyone experiences negative stress once in a while. That said, if the distress continues over a long period, it may risk turning into chronic stress. Often, chronic stress impacts both physical and mental health. This can contribute to negative health outcomes like anxiety, depression, heart disease, trouble sleeping, and more.
Getting help with stress management
If you’re facing a major source of distress, it can be challenging to know what to do. Still, it may be possible to turn a stressful event into a source of eustress by changing the way you look at it. In a 2021 study, researchers taught a group of college students to view their stress response as a tool, rather than a problem. The students who adopted a more positive mindset toward their stress usually experienced lower anxiety levels, better test scores, and reduced procrastination.
This act of reframing negative thoughts to be more helpful is often part of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. CBT can be an effective treatment for anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and other mental health concerns, including stress.
To get the most out of CBT, whether for stress or another mental illness, you may want to work with a licensed professional. Having ongoing support from a therapist may help you measure your progress, practice positive self-talk, and get a more objective view of your thoughts and feelings.
It can sometimes take a few tries to find a therapist with whom you connect. Online therapy platforms typically let you change therapists whenever you want, for no extra cost. This may make it easier to find the right fit and remain consistent with the therapy process.
Research shows that online therapy may benefit people experiencing heightened levels of stress. In a study from 2019, 27 professionals experiencing occupational stress received a 10-week online treatment that adapted techniques from CBT. The majority saw positive changes in their mental health and well-being.
Takeaway
On the other hand, “eustress” is a form of stress that you may experience during positive or exciting situations. Eustress can have positive effects on your motivation and performance. Research shows that by reframing stress as a tool, it may be possible to turn distress into eustress, which may be useful for managing stress levels. A licensed therapist can help you reframe your thought processes around stress during in-person or online therapy sessions.
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