Stress is divided into negative and positive stress: distress and eustress. We explain how you can differentiate between the two types of stress.
Stress is everywhere
Stress makes you tense, makes you hide your surroundings and may make you sweat. In everyday life there are always situations that lead to stress. Different stress factors, also called stressors, promote stress.
- Mental stress factors: They depend on the individual situation and affect private and professional life. This includes situations in which you feel pressed for time and are overwhelmed – such as in Exam fear.
- Social stress factors: This means all conflicts on an interpersonal level. This can be a separation, but also unsolved problems that concern you or the feeling of being alone.
Two forms of stress: distress and eustress
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Stressors can trigger negative stress in you. However, this is not necessarily the case. Because stress is perceived very subjectively and differs individually. Not every requirement that you experience immediately results in a negative stress response.
- There are certainly tasks in your everyday life that you have to make an effort for, but that you can master well. They trigger positive reactions in you. The stress you feel is making you even more more powerful. One speaks of Eustress.
- Other tasks that you find difficult can make you unsure. They trigger negative stress. One speaks of Distress.
We explain how you can differentiate between eustress and distress.
Eustress: meaning and how you recognize it
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The Greek prefix “eu” stands for “good”. So eustress is good stress. You do not experience this stress as stressful, because they are activities that you enjoy doing and with a lot of dedication. They can too Feelings of happiness that you feel before a nice event such as birth, marriage or before a sports competition. This stress makes you more powerful and has an invigorating effect.
You can recognize Eustress by the following criteria:
- Eustress and Relaxation take turns. That means you are not permanently tense.
- Eustress makes you happy, strong and optimistic.
- Eustress challenges you, but you can be sure that you will face the situation deal with will.
- Eustress can do more inner Powers activate.
Distress: meaning and how you recognize it
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The Latin prefix “di” stands for “bad”. Distress is bad, negative stress. He is drawing on your strength and making you dissatisfied. Typical Factorsthat favor the distress are:
- Because of work and family double burdened to feel.
- anxiety to have before the professional future.
- Because of digitization always reachable to be.
If distress lasts for a long time, it is very bad due to its negative mental, mental and physical consequences stressful. That can be burnout to lead.
You can use the following to unmask distress features:
- You feel at distress permanent overloaded.
- Distress overwhelms you, makes you unable to act and helpless.
- Distress blocked you internally so that you can no longer look at problems objectively and solve them.
- While you are in distress, you experience none time more to really relax.
- Distress makes you permanent irritated and exhausted.
Eustress and distress in balance
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It is very difficultto draw a clear line between eustress and distress. Depending on your individual feeling, eustress can quickly become distress. Various factors can help you minimize the potential for distress and maximize the potential for eustress:
1. Reduce your negative stressors to minimize distress.
Keep your stressors that cause distress in mind from time to time. Think about which stressors you can reduce, avoid or even eliminate. For example, try to dose social media, toxic relationships or tasks that are unpleasant for you. This is how you feel your distress Not defenselessly exposed.
2. Use stress management methods to reduce distress.
Relaxation methods like autogenic training or Progressive Muscle Relaxation help to release internal tensions and thus distress. Daily relaxation helps you to be more stress-resistant in the long run.
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3. Increase your positive stressors to maximize eustress.
Eustress can make us more efficient. Make a list of tasks that you can accomplish with joy, motivation, and little extra strength. These are tasks that you enjoy so much that you can completely forget space and time. Try to consciously integrate and maximize these things in your everyday life or life.
4. In an emergency: keep a clear head.
If you find yourself in a distressed situation, try to regulate your feelings. You can do this by relaxing or abreacting while doing sports. You can also share your situation with someone. Then you can reduce your distress with a cool head and distance.
Read more on Techzle.com:
- Time management: tips and methods for less stress
- Relieve stress: 7 tips to slow down your life
- Take a break: ideas for relaxing short and long breaks