Eustress and distress: distinguishing positive and negative stress
Stressful stress can trigger various physical and mental illnesses. Positive stress often has an enriching and invigorating effect. But where is the line? And can more negative be transformed into positive stress?
Stress symptoms: How differently people react to stress
Negative stress can be stressful and have health consequences. The World Health Organization (WHO) even calls stress the “health epidemic of the 21st century”: Many people react to chronic stress,
Is it therefore best to avoid stress at all costs? No, the inner state of tension can also have a positive effect — depending on how we perceive it and what personal resources we have.
This is how stress researchers currently distinguish between eustress and distress:
- Eustress is “positive stress”. Those affected perceive their stressful situation as a challenge that they can cope with and even find exciting. This increases their motivation and commitment.
- Distress is “negative stress”. Those affected see the stressful situation as an obstacle and feel overwhelmed. Their motivation and commitment decrease.
A Spanish study from 2015 examined eustress and distress in the context of work. One of the results: If the perceived working atmosphere in a team changed from distress to one with more eustress, the exhaustion of the employees in this team decreased over time.
An important factor is to feel optimally challenged: Is there a permanent lack of challenges in the professional context? This can lead to boredom and dissatisfaction and has a similar effect to overload in the sense of distress. If, on the other hand, there is a balance in which the workers feel challenged according to their abilities, psychologists speak of the flow state. These people can easily immerse themselves in their activity and become completely absorbed in it.
Eustress and Distress: Is the Distinction Still Up-to-Date?
What sounds unambiguous in theory is often difficult to separate in practice: People not only perceive stressful situations differently. The perception of stress also varies depending on current resources and additional demands. For example, a new work task can be exciting and strengthen self-esteem (eustress). However, if it comes at a moment when those affected feel overloaded with tasks, the perception turns negative (distress).
This also applies in the private sector: If you cook a three-course meal for guests, you can completely immerse yourself in the positive tension of this task. But if a toddler pulls on the leg at the same time, the back hurts and the apartment still needs to be cleaned, cooking quickly seems annoying and — in a negative sense — stressful.
Because the transitions are fluid, researchers often no longer distinguish between eustress and distress. However, the distinction can help us achieve good stress management.
How to find a good stress balance
Negative stress is part of life and cannot simply be switched off. Even in a professional context, the scales sometimes tip in the direction of excessive demands or under demands. You don’t get into a flow state for hours every day. Don’t stress yourself out with elaborate stress management. But if you find that there is too much distress and too little eustress in your everyday life, these tips can help:
- Pay attention to your thoughts: Feeling negative stress is a matter of personal evaluation. This means that if you perceive a stressor not as a problem, but as a challenge, you can deal with it better. It is helpful to be open and curious about new requirements instead of rejecting them from the outset.
- Take care of your resources: How confidently you cope with a stressful situation also depends on your resources. This means not only your professional knowledge and material resources but also your experience and creativity. Family or team members can help you with your daily tasks — you don’t have to do everything on your own.
- Pay attention to your basic needs and recovery periods: Those who Permanently sleep too little or don’t take breaks, feel overloaded more quickly. The following applies: Intense or long-lasting stress is best followed by longer periods of recovery. However, there is no rule of thumb for duration, because the perception of stress and recovery are individual. It is important to be able to switch off well during the recovery phase.
- Pay attention to your strategies: Some people tend to withdraw in stressful situations, and others become loud or reach for sweets more often. Check whether your unconscious strategies are helping you — and if in doubt, practice alternatives. Relaxation methods such as Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation,
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Important: If you feel comfortable in your everyday life, permanently stressed, overwhelmed, or burnt out it is best to seek professional help.
