Stress Awareness

The general consensus when it comes to stress is that stress is bad. However, some stress is needed in life for us to grow and be more resilient. We need to identify which stresses are good stresses and which are bad. Good stress, which is known as Eustress, is “a positive form of stress that happens when you’re engaged in an activity that is both exciting and motivating.” Eustress is the kind of stress that keeps you motivated. You will still feel overwhelmed and pressured but the difference is you like what you’re doing and are motivated to work towards a goal. Eustress will propel you to make positive changes in your life. Essentially, eustress is good stress because you are motivated to explore a new area in your life and also to embrace opportunities.

Some examples of eustress are listed below.

• Getting a job promotion
• Having a child
• Planning a big event
• Starting a business
• Retiring
• Learning a new skill

However, some stress is bad for us. If we’re constantly worrying and are anxious that we are not even able to act or make positive changes, that is called distress. It affects both our mental and physical wellbeing. Distress can be very debilitating and prevent us to move forward in life. When you believe that you are doomed to be this way your entire life and that nothing is going to change, you’re experiencing distress. You feel stuck and defeated.

Some examples of distress are listed below.

• Dealing with death of a loved one
• Hating your job
• Conflicts in relationship
• Diagnosed with illness (either you or someone close to you)
• Facing financial difficulties
• Not being able to sleep

It is possible to move from distress to eustress. When you experience distress, you tend not to take any action. The important and positive aspects of eustress is that it brings you out of your comfort zone. It pushes you to make changes that can sometimes be uncomfortable but necessary for you to grow as a person. For example, you can be pressured about the unknown that comes with finding a job and it can be very stressful and demoralizing that some people would not be able to put in the effort to find a job. This is distress. But you can move from this distress to eustress when you actively plan and send in resumes, practice for interviews and be proactive in looking for a job instead of letting the stress of it hamper you from doing anything about it. Also understand that you must only concern yourself with what you can control when finding a job to avoid stressing unnecessarily.

Source: https://www.developgoodhabits.com/eustress-distress/

For RWS session 4, we would be discussing about our stress level. You can list your stressors from cold to hot in this handout.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ob3expb4sks7uxe/4. 220914 Stress Thermometer.pdf?dl=0

Resources (post event)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/67f5oalardu0l00/RWS SESSION 4.pdf?dl=0

Video shared during session

How to make stress your friend, Kelly McGonigal

https://www.youtube.com/embed/RcGyVTAoXEU

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