Stress is a natural part of our lives. Oftentimes we think of stress as a negative thing, but that isn’t always the case. Stress helps you meet your daily challenges and motivates you to reach your goals, ultimately making you a smarter, happier and healthier person. That’s right. Good stress is vital for a healthy life.
Good stress, also called eustress, pushes you out of your comfort zone (in a good way), and helps you learn, grow and get stronger. Some examples of this are riding a rollercoaster or exercising. This type of good stress is short-term, fun, exciting and leaves you feeling exhilarated afterwards (if you like riding rollercoasters or working out).
Not all stress is good though. Imagine riding a rollercoaster over and over again, or exercising for hours every single day. This type of bad stress is chronic, ongoing and leaves you feeling demotivated and paralyzed.
So, how do we balance our good and bad stress? Overall, it’s important to have good stress in your life. Make an effort to cut out as much chronic stress as possible. Change your perception of stress where you can and add positive activities to promote eustress. Together, these strategies can help you create a healthy balance in your life.