When Stress Can Help (and When It Can Hurt)

While we often think of stress as something negative to be avoided, it is a natural and expected part of everyday life. You might be surprised to hear that some stress is actually considered “good stress.” Also known as stress, this is the type of tension you may feel before a first date or an important competition.

When we feel good stress, our heart rate increases, our breathing rate increases, and we feel a sense of excitement. It’s a short-term change in our bodies that helps us feel ready, energized, and ready to perform at our best.

Rarely do we hear people say, “I feel really stressed. Isn’t that great?” But if we don’t have some stress—the kind of “good stress”—in our lives, we will feel dull and unhappy. If we define stress as anything that alters our homeostasis, then good stress, in its many forms, is essential to a healthy life. Bad stress, or anxiety, can even change to good stress and vice versa depending on the situation.

What is good stress?

“Good stress,” or what psychologists call “estrus,” occurs when we feel excited. Our heart beats faster, and our hormones surge, but there is no danger or fear.

We feel this kind of stress when we ride a roller coaster, compete for a promotion, or go on a first date. This good tension has many triggers, and it makes us feel alive and excited about life.

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, stress can increase performance but only up to a certain point. Also, it can negatively affect your ability to perform well.

Good stress vs bad stress

Acute stress is another type of stress that requires an immediate response as a result of unexpected events. It also triggers the body’s stress response, but these events are not always positive or exciting. This is often what we think of as “stress” or “bad stress.”

Chronic stress is another form of chronic stress. This happens when we are repeatedly exposed to stressors that take a heavy toll and feel unavoidable. A stressful job or an unhappy home life can bring chronic stress. This is what we usually think of. Serious stress.

Because our bodies are not designed for chronic stress, we can experience negative health effects (both physical and emotional) if we experience chronic stress for long periods of time.

How can good stress be beneficial?

How can stress help? When you feel excited, you’re more likely to be alert and motivated. It can boost your mood and help you perform better. These are some of the benefits of good stress.

• Cognitive benefits: Research shows that short-term stress has a positive effect on memory. This can be useful in some situations, such as when taking an exam.
• better flexibility: When you are faced with a stressful situation, it can help you learn more about yourself, your abilities and your limitations. As you learn more about what you are capable of, you will be more likely to feel able to handle similar situations in the future.
• Strong immunity: Although bad stress damages your immune system, some research suggests that short-term stress can help improve your body’s ability to fight illness and injury. In one study, for example, researchers found that short-term stress improved immunity in people with infections or injuries.

Examples of good tense.

Yes, you can add good stress to your life! Ideally, you choose activities and set goals that make you feel good, happy, and excited. To determine whether an activity is worth your time, pay attention to how the thought of it makes you feel.

Examples of ways you can create more positive stress in your life include:

• Take on work projects that you are passionate about.: These projects allow you to use your strengths but also challenge you to learn new things.
• Learning more about something you’re passionate about.: Hobbies and personal interests can be a major source of stress. You can try new skills or try new things that interest you and challenge your existing abilities.
• Engaging in physical exercise: Moving your body can be a form of good stress. As you continue to work out, you can add challenges that help increase your physical strength, flexibility, and endurance.
• Travel to new places: Travel brings new experiences and challenges and allows you to meet new people and learn more about different cultures. It can be stressful, but as long as you’re excited and having fun, it’s a good kind of stress.

However, sometimes these changes don’t start well. Losing your job or ending a relationship can cause bad stress. Changing how you view the situation, such as viewing it as an opportunity for growth, can help turn negative stress into positive stress.

Whether something counts as good stress or bad stress can also vary from person to person. Something that one person experiences positively may cause distress in another.

How good stress can become bad stress.

Good stress can be bad for you if you experience too much of it. (Thrill-seekers know this firsthand.) That’s because your stress response is triggered either way, and if you’re adding it to chronic stress, or several other stressors, it has a cumulative effect.

Be in tune with yourself and recognize when you have too much. You may not be able to eliminate all stress, but there are often ways to reduce or avoid stress in your life, which can make the rest easier to manage.

How bad stress can become good stress.

Not all forms of bad stress can become good stress, but it is possible to change your perception of certain stressors in your life. This change can change your experience of stress.

If you treat something as a challenge instead, the dread you normally feel can turn into excitement, anticipation, or at least resolution. You can often change your perception of:

• Focusing on the resources you have to tackle the challenge
• Looking at the potential benefits of a situation
• Reminding yourself of your strengths
• Having a positive mindset (getting into the habit of thinking like an optimist)

As you practice seeing threats as challenges, it becomes more automatic, and you experience more good stress and less bad stress.