| Everyday in the news, we hear about the negative | | | | everything we do and it enables us to feel content |
| effects of stress, including everything from heart | | | | with life and the choices we've made. Therefore, |
| disease to divorce to loss of sleep. Given all the bad | | | | getting rid of stress entirely is not only impossible - it |
| press, it's easy to believe that stress is an evil that | | | | wouldn't be healthy to do anyways! |
| must be purged from our lives with the latest in stress | | | | We also need small amounts of stress in our lives to |
| management techniques. To some degree, this is | | | | respond to the threats and dangers we occasionally |
| correct - constant, negative stress should be reduced | | | | encounter. In this case, stress is part of the |
| whenever possible. However, there's another side to | | | | fight-or-flight response - a holdover from our primitive |
| stress - a positive side that's frequently overlooked. | | | | ancestors. When we detect the presence of danger, |
| Mental health professionals and doctors refer to | | | | our bodies kick into high gear - the hormone cortisol is |
| positive stress as "eustress". Eustress refers to the | | | | released which increases the level of sugar in the |
| constructive stress that helps keep you motivated and | | | | blood, our breathing rate increases and oxygen fills our |
| driven in all aspects of your life. For example, an | | | | muscles in preparation to either fight the threat or flee |
| athlete may find a big game stressful, but the nerves | | | | from it. Without this physiological response, the human |
| and excitement of this eustress encourages him or her | | | | body would be much more susceptible to danger and |
| to push harder and play better. In this case, stress is a | | | | attack. |
| temporary response that brings about positive | | | | While it's clear that too much stress can wreak havoc |
| changes - such as the drive to play better. This is a | | | | on your overall health, doctors and mental health |
| very different phenomena than a long-term type of | | | | specialists have also found that too little stress can |
| stress that eats away at the athlete's health and | | | | also be harmful. Negative stress causes a wide range |
| well-being. | | | | of emotional and physical problems that can inhibit your |
| So maybe you're not a world-class athlete - that | | | | energy and drive. On the other hand, as long as it's |
| doesn't mean you don't experience eustress in your | | | | reasonable and not excessive, a certain amount of |
| own life. Maybe you get the same rush from | | | | stress plays a positive role in helping us to fulfill our |
| performing in a community theater presentation or use | | | | dreams and by enabling us to protect ourselves in |
| the boost of stress to help inject energy into an | | | | times of danger. This eustress can give you the |
| important presentation at work. Perhaps you're | | | | determination that's needed to work long and hard to |
| someone who turns the stress of gaining weight into | | | | accomplish your goals and will better equip you to |
| an impetus to spend more time at the gym. Having a | | | | handle the negative stress in your life. |
| small amount of stress in our lives drives us to excel in | | | | |