How To Go From Distress to Eustress

Stress…what exactly is it, how does it affect the human body, and what can you do about it?

What Is Stress?

Stress, in and of itself, is necessary. Without stress, you wouldn’t get up for work in the morning. You wouldn’t hand in school work on time. You wouldn’t train for that marathon. We need stress. This type of stress is referred to as eustress. The type of stress most people are referring to when they say, “I’m so stressed right now” or “This (insert event) is stressing me out” is distress.

Eustress, as describe above, can be beneficial, but what happens when eustress turns into distress, and how can you reverse, or at least lessen this effect? First, stress (distress) causes not only a physical response but also a psychological and an emotional response. Distress stimulates/activates the autonomic nervous system, which involves the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Most people have heard of the fight or flight response.

How Does It Affect the Human Body?

While at rest and feeling fantastic and relaxed, the body’s parasympathetic nervous system is doing it’s thing. When stress (distress) becomes dominant, the body’s sympathetic nervous system gets all feisty and responsive. The body can’t stay in this state for too long or it starts to break down (restless sleep, depression, fatigue, anger). Your body wants/needs balance. Both systems are necessary, but need moderation and balance for the body and mind to be healthy.

What Can You Do About It?

This is why healthy behaviors (i.e., exercise, meditation) are so important. Exercise (i.e., yoga, strength training, walking, running) and meditation affect neurotransmitters. You know, those things that make us feel less anxious, more relaxed, increased sense of self worth, happy. The beautiful thing is that it doesn’t take that much time in the day to have a big impact. Start with 5 minutes and work your way up to a reasonable time frame that fits your life. When we feel good about ourselves, we are better equipped to handle life’s curveballs. The key is finding that balance. Now go find it. You deserve to be healthy.