He starts the business he has always dreamed of, and goes to sleep every night imagining the challenges he will need to overcome, but also the rewards that will come with tackling these challenges. He invests his money wisely, and hires someone to help him manage his funds. People still ask him for money, but he knows exactly who he would like to help and how he would like to help them. He becomes motivated by the idea of managing millions of dollars, and creating a life he has always dreamed of. Now, consider someone else who has won the lottery. This would be classified as or ‘distress.’ You are completely stressed out by the changes in your life and the strains being put on you. Worrying about this keeps you up at night, you cannot sleep or eat without worrying about your situation. Now, you have to worry about friends, family, and charities wanting your money, and you feel completely torn about who you should help. Some of these relatives are so distant, that you have never even spoken to them before! Before you know it, charities begin calling for donations. Then, relatives begin to call you and tell you how desperately they need your help, how desperately they need your money. You are absolutely thrilled and cannot remember ever being this happy. The first thing you do is quit your job, buy a new car, and a new house. You have millions of dollars to do with what you will. ![]() Imagine that tomorrow, you win the lottery. ![]() The differences between eustress and distress will be further highlighted using the following example. It can also lead to other mental health problems including depression and anxiety related disorders. Distress is an unpleasant feeling, which demotivates us and drains us of the energy we require to overcome a challenge or complete a task. Contrastingly, distress can be either short or long-term, and is perceived as something that is out of our control. Eustress motivates us and results in the focus of energy to the task at hand, thus improving our performance on said task. Firstly, eustress is often a short-term sensation, and is perceived as something that we as individuals can control. How do they Differ?Įustress and Distress differ in many ways. That is, eustress is not a different type of stressor, it is a positive reaction to stress, which results in a desire to achieve and overcome an obstacle. The human body cannot physically differentiate between different types of stress it is in fact how the individual perceives a certain stressor, that results in the feeling of eustress or distress. Furthermore, eustress often provides a sense of fulfillment when a task is completed. Eustress is an important component of everyday life, as good amounts of stress motivate us, encourage us to challenge ourselves, and encourage productiveness. Eustress can be psychological or physical (i.e., physical activity). Eustress: Causes and SymptomsĬontrastingly, eustress is perceived as a ‘beneficial stress’ or ‘adaptive stress,’ which motivates you to continue working through the task at hand. Behavioral symptoms include over or under eating, negative coping skills (i.e., avoiding the task at hand), and maladaptive behaviors such as smoking or drinking. Physiological symptoms commonly associated with distress include high blood pressure, rapid, shallow breathing, muscle aches, and headaches. Furthermore, it may seem as though distress is never ending and often results in poor decision making skills. Distress causes tension to build within the body and mind, and the task at hand suddenly seems daunting. Common causes of distress include excessive job demands, conflict with coworkers/family members, financial problems, fears (i.e., fear of pubic speaking/fear of heights), unrealistic expectations, and repetitive thought patterns. In extreme cases, distress can result in anxiety and/or depression. ![]() Distress: Causes and Symptomsĭistress, otherwise known as ‘bad stress,’ occurs when something becomes difficult for an individual to cope with. However, many people are unaware that there are two separate categories of stress: eustress and distress. Everyone will experience some form of stress during their lifetime. Stress is our body’s way of responding to challenging situations.
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