Distress vs Eustress
When we use the word stress,
we are usually implying that stress is a purely negative thing.
But not all stress is the same.
To generalize, there are two different types of stress:
Distress & Eustress.
Distress is stress that is not wanted.
It causes anxiety,
painful tension or pressure,
strain and suffering.
It is negative and detrimental to you.
Eustress on the other hand,
is stress that is perceived as positive or beneficial
by the person experiencing it.
It is stress that is experienced as wanted, fulfilling,
meaningful, exciting,
and a pleasurable tension or pressure.
Eustress most commonly occurs
when we are facing a new challenge.
But it's a challenge that is wanted.
Eustress tends to occur
when we feel we are adequate for the task
and therefore confident
and positively stimulated by that challenge.
Whereas distress tends to occur when we feel overwhelmed
because we feel that we're not adequate to the task.
We lack the necessary resources to meet the demand
and therefore not confident.
Eustress is necessary for personal growth.
It is necessary for a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
Distress on the other hand,
is detrimental to health and well-being.
Being so unique,
all people have a different experience
when it comes to what causes them eustress versus distress.
And this is especially the case, when it comes to your purpose.
We could consider you to be made for your purpose, right?
Otherwise, what else are you doing on this earth?
So if you are made for a specific purpose,
that also means you're made for specific types of stress.
Now if you're experiencing a stress
in the category of something that you were made for,
or in other words,
experiencing a type of stress you were made for,
then it's going to tend towards the category of eustress
instead of distress.
So you can understand what I mean by this concept,
I'll give you a few examples.
One person might find the experience
of having somebody else's life in their hands, literally,
of having to focus with so much perfection and precision
in terms of every movement you make
so that that other person whose life is in your hands, lives...
because one slip-up can mean they die,
that kind of pressure,
that kind of experience
could be complete distress for one person.
I mean to one person it could be hell on earth,
even the idea of it could make a person totally shut down.
Another person could feel stimulated,
fueled and fulfilled by that very experience.
A surgeon is one such example.
One person might find the pressure of planning and organizing overwhelming
and uptight and restricting and painful,
like it sucks all the energy out of life.
Another person could find it a rewarding challenge,
a way of gaining a sense of control and influence over their experience,
a way of creating purity as opposed to chaos,
a way of sensing accomplishment
as well as grounding and satiating.
One person might find the idea of taking a test
so stressful that they can't sleep at night
before they do it,
and they're throwing up right before they take the test.
Another person, might love taking tests.
It might make them feel like they love being focused,
like they love the competition for a high score,
like they love that pressure of having to get things perfectly right.
One person might find the idea
of being on stage in front of people terrifying, and begin to hyperventilate.
Another, might enjoy the pressure to perform and entertain
and revel in the confidence
when they feel like they're able to capture everyone's attention
and make them laugh or cry.
One person might hate travel
and find it unpredictable and threatening,
another might love the excitement of the adventure and the challenge
of having to figure things out in a whole new place.
Eustress is not always comfortable.
It doesn't always feel "good",
but it doesn't cause distress.
Instead, it feels as if the pressure that you're under
or that positive stress that you're under
is productive in some way.
It is a form of pressure that is wanted
and therefore chosen.
An even more advanced form of this is pain that is chosen.
To learn about that you can watch my video titled:
Want To Succeed? What Pain Will You Say Yes To?
When it comes to developing your self-awareness
and arriving at authenticity,
and figuring out your purpose,
and knowing whether you're on the right path of growth in your life
it's important to understand what naturally causes you Eustress.
It is also important to know
that certain factors can determine
whether you perceive something as eustress versus distress.
For example, if you grew up in a family
where there were huge consequences for speaking your mind,
that association you have with voicing your opinion
may cause you to feel distressed during a debate
instead of the eustress of the mental chess game
that you might otherwise feel.
Also, certain factors can turn something
that we would normally fit into the category of eustress,
instead, into the category of distress.
Here's a simple example:
Let's say that an athlete usually feels
the sensation of eustress
pushing their body towards some athletic achievement.
However, let's say that they get sick...
Now, suddenly, pushing their body
towards that same academic achievement
which would normally cause them to feel eustress,
now causes them to feel distress.
Perhaps the biggest determiner
of whether we experience something as eustress or as distress
is about whether or not we want to do it.
When we are being forced to,
or feel like we're being forced to do something
or have to do something that we don't want to do,
we naturally fit that into the distress category.
We can change our perceptions
about whatever it is that we are doing.
We can decrease our level of distress.
we can even think in a way
or change our thoughts or perceptions
in a way that we can turn things that are distressing,
into seeing them in a eustressful way.
~ Laughter ~
We feel distressed instead of eustress
when we perceive something to be a threat, rather than a challenge.
And we can change our perception that something is a threat.
We can turn things into a welcome and positive challenge instead.
But being attuned to what causes you eustress naturally
as opposed to taking something that currently causes you distress
and trying to turn it into something that causes you eustress,
is a really important element of your life,
of finding your purpose,
of going in the right direction.
It's critical when it comes to understanding your intrinsic interests
and intrinsic motivations.
And so, I will leave you with these two questions;
The first is:
What stress do you naturally find pleasurable?
The second is:
Have you noticed anything that causes other people distress,
that instead,
you consider to be a pleasurable and welcome challenge?
have a good week.
If you liked this video,
be sure to share it, like it and also subscribe to my channel
so you can see more content like this.
But I want to personally thank you for taking the initiative
and having the bravery to step into the space of awareness
not only for yourself,
but for the benefit of those around you.
Subtitles by: Tanya Duarte