What is Eustress & How Does It Impact Self Care?

Most of us think of “stress” as harmful and something to be avoided. That negative, one-dimensional view of stress plays an essential role in forming physiological responses.

Let’s take a look at the definition of “stress.” Stress is simply the body’s response to changing stimuli or stressors. If stress is not overwhelming, it can help us step outside our comfort zones to solve problems or get things done. Furthermore, the way we perceive stress can make a big difference in how we process stress.

Did you know that there are two types of stress?

1. Eustress (“good stress” Greek prefix EU- meaning good)

2. 2. Distress (“bad stress.”).

3. Eustress is the feeling we get when we see something we want on the other side of a stream that will take some effort and creativity to cross. We see the goal as something we can probably reach with some work. It’s what gives us the energy to take on the manageable challenges that give us a sense of achievement.

4. Distress can have a negative effect on our ability to function. When we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, we can feel a loss of motivation to take any steps at all. When we are distressed, emotions like fear, anger, and sadness can overwhelm us and affect how we see ourselves and the world around us.

5. Some characteristics of Eustress:

6. Provides motivation

7. Increases energy

8. It increases performance

9. It is short term

10. We feel that it is within our coping abilities

11. Feels exciting

12. Increased self-efficacy

Some characteristics of Distress:

Causes anxiety and concern

Fatigue

Feeling overwhelmed

Generating unpleasant feelings

Decreasing performance and focus

Contributing to mental and physical problems

It can be short term or long term

Mental perception influences whether we experience Eustress or Distress when we face a stressor. Each situation is unique, but it’s helpful to look at some general examples. These stressors are typically experienced as negative or positive to most people, most of the time.

Examples of negative stressors:

Deadlines

Filing for divorce

Losing a job

Filing a bankruptcy

Hospitalization

Examples of positive stressors:

Exercise

Getting a new job

Having a child

Starting a new job

Marriage

Buying a home

Planning a vacation

How we respond to a stressor depends on a range of factors, and our mindset often has the most significant impact on it.

That’s why it is also vital to understand that “stress is essentially the outcome of the primal reaction known as fight-or-flight. Evolution has endowed humans with this reaction to fight against or flee from potential danger (McGonigal, 2008).”

When we encounter a stressful situation, our bodies release hormones, and our fight-or-flight brain chemistry becomes triggered. This very primal psychological process works the same way regardless of the severity of the perceived threat. When we’re aware that a rush of adrenaline could energize us to tackle a problem rather than simply run, we may be able to use it to reach a goal.

Since the intensity of the stressor is often determined by how we perceive it, shifting the way we relate to the stressor can influence the power of the experience. Therefore, the first step can be to list Eustress and Distress type of events, and then think about how we usually process them.

It is important to mention that prolonged Distress can cause BURNOUT, and even not realizing it can become chronic; we may begin to think it is normal for us to feel that way. That’s why it is also essential to identify what kind of BURNOUT symptoms you can have. Some of the common BURNOUT symptoms are:

Xx

Development of an escapist mentality

Feeling empty inside

Obsession over problems at work or in life

A pessimistic outlook on work and life

Physical symptoms intensify and/or increase

Self-doubt

Social isolation

Behavioral changes

Chronic headaches

Chronic stomach or bowel problems

Complete neglect of personal needs

Continuation or increase in escapist activities

Desire to “drop out” of society

Willingness to move away from work or friends/family

forgetfulness

diminished pride in your work

losing sight of yourself and your goals

difficulty maintaining relationships and being present with loved ones

frustration and irritability with co-workers

fatigue

Now let’s talk about how we can cope with BURNOUT. Making a practice of experiencing happiness can help. So can taking mental breaks from stressful situations.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) suggests using distracting activities when overwhelmed by emotions or in a crisis. Taking a break from what is distressing us can help lower the intensity of our feelings. This technique can help us tolerate distressing situations that we cannot change. However, it is vital that distracting activities do not become an ongoing avoidance behavior to escape reality.

Engaging in pleasurable activities is recommended, so we take care of our well-being in advance and do not burn out, and we feel fulfilled in life. Spending time doing things we enjoy can decrease our emotional vulnerability and build resilience.

In the same way, we perceive stressors differently; we perceive distracting and pleasurable activities differently. Sometimes these two types of activities can even overlap.

Here is a generalized list to help you identify distracting and pleasurable activities that interest you. This list may inspire you to come up with more ideas.

Distracting Activities:

Washing dishes

Cleaning

Working on your car

Watching a movie

Talking to a friend

Eating

Collecting things

Organize your closet, drawers, desk, and so on

Get a haircut

Getting a manicure/pedicure

Getting a massage

Take care of your plants

Doing homework

Paying bills

cooking

Paying attention to someone else

Helping someone else

Running/walking

Pleasurable Activities:

Reading

Decorating your home

Breathing clean air

Playing music

Camping

Doing crafts/Designing

Fixing your hair differently

Learning new things

Gardening

Dancing

Sitting in the sun

Going to a fair, zoo, amusement park

Having friends over

Introducing friends to each other

Going to meetings

Getting a massage

Hiking

Going to a museum

Please choose pleasurable activities that won’t negatively affect you or trigger addictions.

Self-compassion

If you reach a point of burnout, you’ve most likely pushed your limits. Consider what you would suggest to a friend in your situation. Probably you’d show compassion and kindness rather than judgment. Remind yourself that it is okay to take a break, use some of the pleasurable activities mentioned above. Reject perfectionism.

Discovering your needs.

Recognizing and understanding your needs is one of the most important parts of self-care and recovering from burnout.

Often the reason for burnout is that we ignore our needs and continue repressing our emotions around them even when we already feel burned out, making it even harder to recharge our resources.

Besides identifying pleasurable activities to take care of your needs, there is another exercise that you can use for exploring your needs. To start, you can put your hand on your chest and close your eyes, then ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” then, you stay with the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that may arise. After a couple of minutes, open your eyes and write down any needs that have come up for you.

Having a good self-care routine will also make it easier to take care of others, leading us to understand our boundaries. Saying “yes” to many responsibilities, requests, and invitations to different projects can be overwhelming and lead to burnout as well.

Before you agree to say “yes” to any commitment, take your time to be present to the signals your body sends you. Ask yourself, “Do I genuinely want to do this?”.

About the Author

Stella Badalyan LMHC

With degrees in both Psychology and Mental Health Counseling, Stella Badalyan has also empowered people and communities as a Certified Life, Personal Development, and Transformational Coach for more the a decade. She incorporates tools and techniques from both fields of traditional psychotherapy and life coaching, constantly discovering and unfolding different methods.