What is Eustress? And How it Differs From Normal Stress

Stress is often called the “silent killer.” And if you’ve been through a high-stress period, you know that when life is too stressful, sleep suffers, joy disappears, and everything feels heavy and tense.

But did you know that not all stress is bad? Eustress is a type of stress that’s good for you. I know, it’s hard to believe. But it’s true!

In this article, we’ll explore what eustress is, how it’s different than negative stress, and how to bring about more of it in your life.

What is Eustress?

Eustress is a positive form of stress that arises from exciting, challenging, or enjoyable experiences. It can motivate and energize people and boost their performance and overall well-being.

The term was coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye^{1 https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/lessons/activities/critical-thinking-exercise-distress-eustress.pdf} in the 1970s. The distinction between good stress and bad stress was a significant contribution to the field of stress research.

How much stress do you have in your life?

• I have too much stress in my life and feel overwhelmed.
• I have just the right amount of stress and feel appropriately challenged.
• I don’t have enough stress in my life and feel too comfortable.

To better understand eustress, let’s look at some examples.

Real-life examples of eustress

• Starting a new dream job. Remember how exciting the first day of school was? Similarly, when you start a new job or get a promotion, there is often excitement and challenge of learning new skills and meeting new colleagues. This positive stress can make you feel alert and motivated.  
• Hosting an event. If you’ve ever hosted an event or thrown a party, then you know how much excitement goes into the moments prior. You have to make sure everything is in order, and all the boxes are checked.
• Traveling to a new city. There can be notable anticipation and eustress of discovering a new culture, finding your way around, and navigating an unfamiliar culture and language.
• Giving a toast. For some, public speaking jolts them straight into the panic zone. But for others, it can be just the right amount of pressure, challenge, and stakes to create some energizing eustress.
• A first date (or a job interview). When you meet someone for the first time, and there’s just a little bit of stakes, it can create a buzz of excitement that has you think a little faster and feel a bit more present.

What causes eustress?

You might find yourself experiencing eustress amidst a life transition, in a new social setting, or while embarking on a creative project. But what do those situations all have in common? What are the factors that give rise to eustress?

Most of the time, if you experience eustress, it’s because some or all of these conditions are present:

• Perception of control. If there is stress, but you still feel in control, then this can lead to eustress. The sense that you can impact your outcomes can turn challenges into positive experiences and give rise to resilience. But when things feel out of control, eeps, that’s not the kind of stress most of us want.
• Your abilities match the level of challenge. Circumstances that are challenging but within your skill level are likely to give rise to eustress. It can be rewarding to meet a challenge right at your level.
• The outcome matters. If there are some stakes in this situation, it can give it more intensity. That’s why a job interview for a position you want can create eustress, whereas if you don’t even like the position, it might feel lower stakes and more apathetic.  
• Newness New and varied experiences often lead to eustress. The excitement of exploring the unknown or engaging in diverse activities can create a stimulating environment.
• Meaningful engagement. Activities that align with your personal values or passions are more likely to induce eustress. If you care about the task at hand, it can create an intrinsic motivation to succeed.
• Positive expectations. Anticipating a positive outcome or reward from an endeavor can induce eustress. The optimism about potential success or gain adds to the positive nature of the stress. Compare that to a stressful event where you expect failure.
• Personal growth opportunity. Situations that offer opportunities for personal or professional growth often lead to eustress. The prospect of developing new skills or advancing in your career can add an extra layer of motivation and meaning.
• Time-Limited Challenges. Short-term, time-bound challenges can induce eustress. Think of preparing a meal for a guest coming in an hour. The clear endpoint provides a manageable framework for the stress.

It’s also worth noting that studies^{2 https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjhp.12501} suggest that people with more resources can cope better with distress. This makes sense because if you are in financial scarcity, it can be harder to feel safe and in control when stress arises.

One terrific way to cultivate eustress is by taking on a new learning experience. If that appeals to you, you might enjoy one of our courses where you can boost your interpersonal skillset.

How eustress makes you feel

Eustress typically feels energizing and motivating rather than overwhelming or draining. Here’s a breakdown of what eustress might feel like:

• Excitement. Unlike distress, which can cause anxiety or fear, eustress often brings excitement about the task or situation at hand.
• Energy and focus. People experiencing eustress often feel a boost in energy and concentration. You might lose track of time because you are so absorbed in the activity.
• Motivation for action. The feeling of eustress often pulls people to take action and face the challenge rather than avoid it.

There is a model called the Yerkes-Dodson law^{3 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01615/full} , which suggests that eustress leads to better performance. But there is a Goldilocks zone to hit. Too little stress and arousal don’t help performance, and neither do too much. 

How eustress affects the brain

Small doses of stress are good for your brain. Here are a few positive effects of stress:

• Memory and learning. Short-term stress can generate new cells in your hippocampus^{4 https://elifesciences.org/articles/00362} , leading to increased memory and learning.
• Overcoming fear. Studies^{5 https://elifesciences.org/articles/00362} suggest that short-term stress can help with “fear extinction,” meaning you feel less afraid of things that are no longer threatening. For example, if a dog bites you, you might feel afraid of dogs. Experiencing eustress can help you overcome that fear.
• Adaptability. Eustress can also help the brain adapt better to new situations and circumstances.

Eustress vs Distress

So we know that eustress is good for you, but when does stress become bad? Because there is definitely such a thing as too much stress. This is when stress becomes distress.

What is distress?

Distress is a form of negative stress that occurs when an individual perceives a situation as threatening or overwhelming, exceeding their ability to cope. It often leads to anxiety, discomfort, and decreased performance. Distress negatively impacts a person’s mental and physical well-being.

There is also sustress, which is when a situation lacks stakes altogether and is understimulating.

Research indicates^{6 https://www.cell-stress.com/researcharticles/2021a-lu-cell-stress/} that having zero stress is bad for your body and brain; some amount of stress keeps you sharp and challenged. However, having too much stress floods you with cortisol and is also bad for your body and brain; it can cause overwhelm and even illness. Eustress is the sweet spot. 

Difference between distress and eustress

Earlier, we outlined some of the causes that can give rise to eustress. Here is a breakdown of the different types of stress and what factors give rise to sustress versus eustress versus distress.

Sustress	Eustress	Distress
You feel in control of the situation	You feel in control of the situation	The situation feels out of your control
Your abilities exceed the level of challenge	Your abilities match the level of challenge	The situation is way more challenging than your skills
There are no stakes	The stakes are high	The stakes are high (maybe too high)
The situation is likely not new	The situation is often new	Could be a new or familiar situation
The task does not feel meaningful to you	The task feels meaningful to you	The task may or may not feel meaningful
You know things will go well	You expect things will go well	You expect things will go badly
The situation isn’t a cause of any personal growth	The situation is a cause of personal growth	The situation is too much to give you personal growth
There is no time limit	There is a time-limit that isn’t too tight	There is a stressful deadline
You are in the comfort zone	You are in the growth zone	You are in the panic zone

What happens when you have too much distress

It could be worth seeking changes if your life feels swamped with stressors.

An excess of stress is linked with all kinds of health and cognitive challenges. To name a few:

• Mental health problems. Too much stress is linked with depression,^{7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4790405/} anxiety, mood swings, irritability, and even schizophrenia.
• Poor sleep. Too much stress can also impact the quality and quantity of sleep. ^{8https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/sleep} Much research^{9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281147/} shows that sleep is paramount for your health and wellness, so insomnia or consistently undersleeping can cause fatigue and other deeper issues.
• Illness. Chronic stress is linked^{10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/} with an increase in viral infections, asthma, diabetes, gastrointestinal/stomach issues, and possibly cancer.
• Cognitive impairment. Excess stress^{11 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00326/full} can also hurt your memory and learning, decision-making ability, and motivation. 
• It makes you age faster. Research^{12 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453013000425?via%3Dihub} also indicates that experiencing too much stress makes your body age faster.

It is pretty clear that too much stress is bad for the human body in about every way imaginable!

Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate your distress and bring in more eustress.

Balancing Eustress and Distress

Let’s go over some tips to cultivate eustress and manage distress.

Tips to create eustress

Remember, eustress is good^{13 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gael-Brule/publication/324531212_Editorial_Working_with_stress_can_we_turn_distress_into_eustress/links/5ad37752458515c60f53a699/Editorial-Working-with-stress-can-we-turn-distress-into-eustress.pdf} when it gives you some challenge, but you still feel in control. Try one of these tips to bring about eustress in your life.

Try a new activity

What’s a new hobby or activity you’ve never done before that sparks your curiosity? New experiences can be exciting and invigorating, providing the right amount of positive stress.

Set a stretch goal

Is there an area of your life you’d like to focus on and create some growth? Create a goal that stretches you just out of your comfort zone but is still attainable. These could be related to personal hobbies, career advancement, fitness, or learning a new skill. 

Travel to a new place

The process of discovering a new city or country, with its unique culture, sights, and cuisine, can offer a stimulating challenge that can invigorate your mind and spirit. 

Whether it’s a weekend getaway to a nearby town or a longer trip to a foreign country with a different language, travel pushes you out of your everyday routine and into new experiences. 

Share your art

If you are a writer, musician, or artist, one form of eustress is sharing your work with the world. This might mean posting your creation to your social media or even sending your newest work to a few friends.

Putting yourself in the limelight (even in a minor way) can evoke eustress.

And even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, you could still create a thoughtful post on your Instagram.

Go to a meetup

Another good option for eustress is to go to a new social event or activity you’ve never attended. Putting yourself in a position where you need to meet new people can be a great source of eustress. This could be an improv class, a discussion group, or a workout class. Anything type of new group experience will help you create eustress.

Volunteer

Stepping out of your comfort zone to volunteer for a cause you care about can be a rewarding source of eustress. Whether serving meals at a local shelter, participating in community clean-ups, or mentoring youth, giving back can provide a sense of purpose and challenge.

Tips to transform distress into eustress 

More than half of Americans feel stressed each day. That’s a lot! But there are techniques you can use to turn your distress into eustress.

Reframe your situation

Instead of viewing stressful situations as threats, try to see them as challenges that provide an opportunity for growth and learning. 

For example, if you just got fired, it might be easy to feel stressed and scared. But if you reframe your situation as one where you have an open opportunity to explore new career paths, learn new skills, or even start a venture you’ve always dreamed about, you can transform this initially distressing event into a catalyst for positive change.

See anxiety as excitement

Fritz Perls^{14 https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6271795.Frederick_Salomon_Perls#:~:text=Fear%20is%20excitement%20without%20the%20breath.} , the creator of Gestalt therapy, famously wrote, “Fear is excitement without the breath.” The idea here is that anxiety and excitement are not so different. 

If you are in line for a roller coaster, you might feel anxious, afraid, and stressed. But if you can pause, slow down, and take some deep breaths, you can re-interpret your anticipatory energy as excitement and eustress. 

Break down your challenge into manageable chunks

This approach helps make your challenge feel less overwhelming and more in your control. It also provides a sense of accomplishment as you complete each step. Make sure to celebrate each small victory; it can help boost your confidence and transform a stressful situation into a series of attainable, motivating challenges.

Tips to lessen your distress

Sometimes, turning your distress into eustress isn’t an option, and the best you can do is reduce your stress levels. If this is the case, try one of these stress management techniques.

Deep breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing^{15 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513238/} (aka deep breathing) can calm your anxiety, reduce your cortisol, and help you think more clearly. 

Try the technique of box breathing, where you inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, then hold for four counts. Then repeat!

Exercise

Exercise^{16 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013452/} releases endorphins and helps reduce stress. Studies suggest that exercising just once a week can help with your physical health and heart rate.

Do any of these appeal to you? Walking, running, climbing, lifting weights, swimming, dance, or sports.

Guided relaxation visualization

Try this guided visualization that researchers^{15 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513238/} found helps reduce anxiety.

1. Sit or lie down in a place without distractions
2. Imagine a peaceful setting, either from a past experience or crafted in your mind (like spending time on a serene beach).
3. Visualize: What do you see? (For example, the vibrant hue of the ocean)
4. Listen: What sounds surround you? (Such as the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shoreline)
5. Smell: What scents are in the air? (Maybe the sweet scent of sunscreen)
6. Taste: What flavors are present? (Like the tangy taste of the ocean breeze)
7. Touch: What sensations do you feel? (Perhaps the gentle warmth of the sun on your skin)
8. Maintain this mental image for as long as you can or need to, concentrating on breathing slowly and feeling calm.

Takeaways On Eustress

Eustress is positive stress that is good for you and feels good. Remember, eustress tends to have some or all of these factors present:

• You feel in control
• The activity is at the right level of challenge
• There are some stakes
• It’s a new experience
• You care about the activity
• You expect to do well
• The experience is causing growth
• There are some time limits.

Anxiety and stress often go hand in hand. If anxiety is something you struggle with and you’d like some guidance, check out these 24 powerful tips for dealing with anxiety.