Types of stress: eustress and distress Essay

What is stress
Modern life is full of frustrations, deadlines, and demands. For many people, stress is so common that it has become a way of life. Stress is not always bad, some stress are good and positive. Positive stress can help us to perform under pressure, motivate us to do our best, and keep us safe when in danger. When stress becomes overwhelming, it can damage our mood, health and life.
Stress is our body's way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When we feel threatened, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, include adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action ("Renew - stress", 2004). There will be physical changes in our body to increase our strength and stamina, speed up reaction time, and enhance focus (Lovallo, 1997). For example, people are usually put their things in last minute because they think it helps them focus. This may be helpful for them if their stress is not too intense.
Moreover, physiological changes that occur in our body during the "fight or flight" response will have negative impacts on our health ("The Different types", 2006). The "fight or flight" stress response is our body's way of protecting us. When working properly, stress helps to stay focused. In emergency situations, stress can save our life and giving us extra strength to defend ourselves. For instance, slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. Many people automatically respond to stress with this flight or fight reaction in everyday situation, like in the office or at home.
Besides, stress can also help us meet challenges. For instance, stress is what keeps us attention and energy during a presentation at work, sharpens our concentration when we're getting important information from lecturer about final exam, or drives us to study for an exam when we'd rather be playing games. But beyond our comfort zone, stress stops being helpful and can start causing damage to mind and body.
Type of stress
There is a difference between what we perceive as eustress, which refers to positive stress, and distress, which refers to negative stress (H. Selye, 1974). We often use the term "stress" to describe negative situations which leads many people to believe that all stress is bad. It is hard to categorize stressors that cause positive stress and negative stress, because different people will have different perceptions and reactions to particular situations (Le Fevre, 1976).
There are two types of stressor which is eustress and distress. Eustress is the positive or good stress that happens during pleasant situations. Certain stressors can lead to positive outcomes. Eustress is short-term stressful situations that will soon be resolved. Receiving promotion at work, retiring, starting a new job, taking educational classes or learning a new hobby is an example of eustress. Other examples include the excitement of getting married, having a child, buying a new home, and taking or planning a vacation. In addition, eustress can boost confidence, increase motivation and improves performance.