Why You Must Understand the 2 Types of Stress

Stress causes so many problems with people: headaches, lowered morale, hormonal imbalances, cramped posture, shorter attention span, emotional reactions, the list goes on and on.

When I talk with people about managing or minimizing their stress levels, I often hear the same thing over and over again: "I need stress! It helps me perform better in less time. I won't get anything done if I'm not stressed out."

And they're right! To a certain extent, anyway.

In one of my favorite books, The 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss makes a distinction between 2 types of stress (on page 37):

“There are two separate types of stress… Distress refers to harmful stimuli that make you weaker, less confident, and less able. Destructive criticism, abusive bosses, and smashing your face on a curb are examples of this. These are things we want to avoid. Eustress, on the other hand, is a word most of you have probably never heard. Eu-, a Greek prefix for “healthy,” is used in the same sense as euphoria. Role models who push us to exceed our limits, physical training that removes our spare tires, and risks that expand our sphere of comfortable action are all examples of eustress – stress that is healthful and the stimulus for growth.”

Exactly!! Certain types of stress decrease our ability, confidence and strength; certain types of stress increase our ability to perform.

The problem is, ambitious professionals often confuse the two, lumping them into one package. They think their work-related stress is making them step up to a higher level of performance when really it's tearing down their ability to perform.

How can you tell the difference between these two types of stress? Here are a few hints:

Distress triggers tension in the body. The breath gets shorter, muscles tighten up, headaches develop, and there's a sense of being threatened. Time seems scarce. At the end of the day, you feel drained.

Eustress triggers a sense of excitement, eagerness to take on a challenge, even a little adrenaline. Time flies by. At the end of the day, you feel energized and excited.

There are many more indicators of distress and eustress, and many strategies to manage them both. If you'd like to talk about them, please feel free to give me a call.

Remember, here's the main idea:
More success, less stress!