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Positive Stress
What Is Positive Stress?
Positive stress is a belief in a good outcome and your ability to cope
and manage the stressor and the outcome - put to good use it can help you stay
motivated to accomplish a challenge and leave you feeling hopeful and
exhilarated when the stress is done
By Dr. Vilma Ruddock, M.D.
Positive
stress or eustress (also called good stress) is when you perceive a stressful
situation as an opportunity that will lead to a good outcome.
This
positive expectation is in contrast to negative stress or distress when you
perceive a stressor as a threat that will have a poor outcome.
Understanding
Different Types of Stress
As
reviewed in a 2012 article in the journal Stress, in 1974 McGill University
physician and scientist Hans Selye used the concept of eustress and distress to
distinguish a positive versus a negative response to stress.
In
an article, The Nature of Stress, published after his death in 1982, Selye
explained that not all stress is bad for you, that in fact some stress is good
for you; it just depends on how you "take it" and respond to it.
Positive
Stress
A
eustress or positive response to a stressor motivates you to deal with a
challenge or accomplish a task.
It
helps you face what you have to face or fix what you have to fix. In the end,
eustress can lead you to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment,
well-being and wholeness.
Negative
Stress
With
a negative stress or distress perception of a stressor, your response may be
one of increased anxiety and fear and despair. This can result in chronic
stress, anxiety, depression and physical illnesses.
The
Elements of Positive Stress
According
to an article on the concept of eustress in the World Journal of Medical
Sciences, eustress and distress may occur at the same time when you first
encounter a stressor.
Eustress
is more likely to prevail, however, if you had positive experiences and outcomes
with stress in the past.
Other
important factors that help you view and respond positively to a stressful
situation include:
· A belief system and mindset of hope, great
expectations and a positive outlook on life
· Belief in yourself and your ability to manage the
task/stressor
· Your perception that you have power and control over
the situation
· You expect the best of yourself and others expect the
same
· Expectation of a reward
These
factors give you positive feelings and affect while dealing with a challenge.
In
a study on stress in nurses reported in Health Care Management Review, other
signs of positive stress included hopefulness and a sense of meaning and
purpose.
Once
the Stressor Is Gone
Once
the stressor is gone, eustress leaves you upbeat or exhilarated rather than
dejected.
When
the stress is over, your stress system is turned down and you return to your
former state of balance.
If,
however, you stay on high alert and remain revved up instead, your good stress
can evolve into the symptoms of negative stress.
Examples
of Eustress
Examples
of eustress where you are likely to meet a situation with a positive outlook
and hope includes:
.
· A desired physical activity such as weight training
.
· A desired physical activity such as weight training
· Winning in sports competition
· Taking an examination
· The excitement of falling in love
· Planning for a wedding
· Planning a vacation
· Labor and delivery
· Meeting a work deadline
· Managing the daily, repetitive stress of a job
Increasing
eustress in the workplace is of current interest because stress in the
workplace is a major source of distress and poor work performance and
productivity.
According
to experts in an article in the Harvard Business Review, there are specific
steps you can take to build positive stress and make stress work for you.
How
to Make Positive Stress Work for You
Positive
stress can help you accomplish an important task and can also assist you in
working through rewarding challenges.
To
continue to keep your stress positive, it's important to actively check in with
yourself and monitor your stress levels.
Come
up With a Mantra
Creating
a mantra for yourself during busy times can help you stay positive and enforce
your belief in yourself. Mantras can be simple such as, "I can do
this", or "I've got this covered".
Once
you have your mantra:
Continue
to enforce it by setting a reminder on your phone so your mantra pops up once a
day.
Take
a few moments to do a breathing exercise while holding your mantra in your
mind.
Repeat
your mantra to yourself before going to bed.
Strengthening
your belief in yourself can energize you to complete a task and work through
more complicated projects or errands without becoming overwhelmed.
Get
Organized
Staying
organized can prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and from making mistakes
that would otherwise cause more work. This can help keep your positive stress
from becoming negative.
· Make a list of tasks and number them by level of
importance or urgency.
· If you have a complex project, make sure you create
labelled folders or categories to prevent anything from becoming lost.
· Back up your work, or make copies.
· If you are dealing with emotional stress, come up with
a plan for self-care and write it down. Make sure your self-care plan includes
a schedule so you can stay on track and follow through.
Stay
Refreshed
Know
when to take breaks and give yourself a moment to relax. Having a balanced
perspective can help keep your stress from becoming overwhelming.
· Make sure you are prioritizing sleep.
· Give yourself time to unwind after working through
bits of your project or task.
· Practice mindfulness and take walks outside to ease
your mind.
· Eat healthy snacks and drink plenty of water. Often
times, when an individual feels stressed, even positive stress, it can
interfere with hunger cues.
Motivation
and Hope
Positive
stress is a belief in a good outcome and your ability to cope and manage the
stressor and the outcome.
Put
to good use it can help you stay motivated to accomplish a challenge and leave
you feeling hopeful and exhilarated when the stress is done.
Vilma Ruddock, M.D. is Harvard-trained in Obstetrics, Gynecology,
Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, and has a passion for writing and
teaching. She is an expert on women's health and diseases, including:
Pregnancy, Infertility, Contraception, Hormonal disorders,
Menopause.
In her practice of comprehensive women's health, she also
has expertise on disease prevention, wellness and fitness, nutrition, weight
and stress management, and hair and skin care.
Pregnancy and Women's Health Expert
Dr. Ruddock has spent over 20 years in the practice of
comprehensive adult and adolescent women's health care and gynecologic surgery.
Her practice includes areas specific to the health of women of all ages as well
as general health and prevention issues. She is trained in managing:
Pregnancy, Pre-pregnancy health, Infertility,Family
planning.
Dr. Ruddock spent many years teaching and training medical
students, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and other allied health
professionals in taking care of the health of pregnant and non-pregnant women.
She also wrote an unpublished pregnancy manual to guide women through the weeks
of pregnancy and preparation for labor and delivery.
Nutrition, Wellness, and Fitness Expertise
Dr. Ruddock has written several patient education materials
on maintaining a healthier lifestyle through healthy eating, weight management,
exercise and avoiding risky behaviors. She has a lifelong love of health
promotion, wellness and fitness of mind and body, as well as public health.
As a gymnast throughout her teens, healthy food
choices, food preparation, and regular exercise became second nature. Dr.
Ruddock does a lot of reading and research in these areas to supplement her
courses at the Harvard School of Public Health during
medical school.
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