No question, we have all been under a lot of stress for quite some time. And we know it is vital to find ways to reduce high levels of stress if we want to live a long and happy life. Our belief that all stress is bad and needs to be avoided is reflected in most things we read and is also the underlying assumption in most studies of stress. However, when we focus only on the negative impacts of stress, we are not seeing the whole picture. That's because stress is both good (eustress) and bad (distress).
Good stress is known as eustress. It is a healthy response to a stressor and is associated with positive feelings. It is also described as an optimal amount of stress (LeFevre et al., 2003). Good stress is when we feel excited such as when we win a competition or ride a rollercoaster. It makes us feel excited about life. It can help us meet daily challenges, motivate us to reach our goals, and is associated with many health benefits (Rudland et al., 2020). The other side of stress, more commonly known is called distress, is associated with excessive or harmful stress and can have a devastating impact on our health.
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Recent research shows that people who experience fewer daily stressors report better emotional stability and better overall health (Charles et al., 2021). However, this same study also showed that people who report feeling no stress were also likely to have scored lower on cognitive tests equaling more than eight years of aging. Furthermore, no stress participants also reported that they were less likely to give or receive emotional support and were less likely to recognize positive things happening during the day. The researchers concluded from these findings that small, daily stressors could benefit the brain even if these stressors are annoying or inconvenient. For example, these daily stressors might include trouble-shooting your computer or working through a conflict or being stuck in traffic. Experiencing daily stressors is a consequence of actively engaging in life.
New research indicates that it is not enough to consider how much stress or what type of stress we experience (Rudland et al., 2020). This research suggests that it is more about how we perceive and respond to it. Whether we interpret stress as a good or bad is influenced by many factors such as:
Evaluation of the stressor. When we encounter a stressor, we evaluate the stressor in terms of these criteria.
Importance. First, we assess its significance. This can be either conscious or unconscious and isn't always a rational assessment. For example, if we are tired, anxious, or already at a high-stress level, we may attach higher importance to the stressor than we ordinarily would.
Ability to cope. As soon as a stressor enters our awareness, we evaluate whether we can deal or cope with it. We may draw from our previous experience or from the circumstances associated with the stressor. For example, if we encounter a problem with Zoom that we have seen before, we immediately downgrade our stress level.
Complexity of the situation. Our response may be influenced by whether the environment is quiet or chaotic or involves other people.
Mindset. A mindset or self-belief that being under stress is helpful may have beneficial effects. A large study found that the belief that stress was bad served as a self-fulfilling prophecy and was associated with poor health (Keller et al., 2012). A recent study of students showed that instruction on the adaptive benefits of stress led students to perceive that they can cope with typical learning stressors such as testing (Jamieson et al., 2013).
Aiming for a stress-free life is not only impractical but may not lead to living an engaged, purposeful life. Having daily hurdles to overcome or problems to solve helps us build the confidence and belief that we can handle whatever life throws our way and keep us in the optimum range of stress for a happy and healthy life.
References
Charles, S. T. Mogle, J. Chai, H. W., & Almeida, D. M. (2021). The mixed benefits of a stressor-free life. Emotion, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10/1037/emo0000958
Jamieson, J.P., Mendes, W.B., Nock, M.K. (2013). Improving acute stress responses: the power of reappraisal. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2013;22 (1):51-56.
Keller, A., Litzelman, K., Wisk, L.E., Maddox, T., Cheng, E.R., Creswell, P.D., Witt, W.P. (2012). Does the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality. Health Psychol. 2012;31 (5):677-684.
Le Fevre, M., Matheny, J., Kolt, G. (2003). Eustress, distress, and interpretation in occupational stress. J Manag Psychol. 18 (7):726-744.
Rudland, J. R., Golding, C., & Wilkinson, T. J. (2020). The stress paradox: how stress can be good for learning. Medical education, 54(1), 40-45.