Stress isn’t always negative; good stress, or eustress, can have positive effects on the body. Hans Seyle coined the term in 1936 and found that both positive and negative stressors cause hormonal changes, but chronic negative stress can have long-lasting negative effects. Good stress can create feelings of accomplishment and well-being.
The word stress is often only associated with negative stressors such as overwork and health complications. Yet there is also such a thing as good stress. It’s called eustress and that term was coined by the scientist Hans Seyle who gave rise to the theory of stress. Eu is Greek for good or well.
According to Seyle, when the body reacts to feelings of fear, anger, and pain, it also reacts similarly to more pleasurable feelings such as excitement, anticipation, and contentment. Both types of stressors cause the secretion of hormones that can produce a change in blood pressure and other effects in the body. The only real difference between good stress and bad stress is that the positive kind is said not to be as detrimental to the overall well-being of the body. Chronic negative stressors such as overwork and anxiety are believed to create long-lasting negative effects on the body.
Hans Seyle began researching the concept of stress in 1936 in Montreal at McGill University in Quebec. He noted that stress was the body’s response to trying to adjust to stressors. Seyle concluded that if stress was continued or chronic, a pathological or unhealthy condition could result. Since stress not only affects the body physically, but also mentally and emotionally, good stress can boost one’s health and well-being in a positive way.
Good stress can create emotional feelings of well-being. For example, the stress a law student experiences while studying can translate into a strong sense of accomplishment when she passes the bar exam and is able to begin a career as an attorney. The fulfillment brought by good stress can also be experienced on your wedding day or when completing something challenging but rewarding. For example, an actor may experience stage fright and have accompanying feelings of stress such as butterflies in his stomach, sweaty palms and a racing heart, but after the performance he may feel wonderful that he got over his fear enough to finish.
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