Moving From Distress to Eustress
88% of leaders report that work is a primary source of stress. What if stress is good for you?
These are stressful times. We’d love to avoid or prevent crisis and tragedy. But there’s nothing like stress to bring you to life.
Meaningful stress makes life worthwhile.
Eustress:
The English Oxford Dictionary defines “Eustress” as moderate or normal psychological stress interpreted as being beneficial for the experiencer.
The alertness you feel during an important meeting or conversation is eustress.
“Eustress helps us stay motivated, work toward goals, and feel good about life.” Dr. Michael Genovese
Why we get stessed:
- Incompetence.
- Lack of preparation.
- Lack of control. A forced retirement is stressful, for example.
- Exhaustion.
- Sickness
- Death.
- Tragedy or trauma.
- Lack of sleep.
- Lack of support.
- Feeling judged; over-concern about the opinion of others.
- Long commutes.
- Workload.
Good stress:
#1. Challenge.
Challenge that focuses your attention, talent, and energy, but doesn’t overwhelm, is useful stress.
Actions and situations that aren’t stressful aren’t challenges.
#2. Novelty.
Trying new things increases learning and expands potential. Being a rookie is good stress as long as you don’t mind screwing up or looking foolish.
Ego – over-concern for image – magnifies stress. Humility makes stress useful.
#3. Change
All growth requires change.
Experiences that force you to adapt instigate growth. Actively avoiding stress is self-defeating.
Stress precedes growth.
The American Institute of Stress says good stress helps you grow. Anyone who goes to the gym understands that stress expands capacity.
Organizational change is often resisted. When resistance is successful, organizations stagnate and die. The problem occurs when change is forced on you.
Humility transforms distress to growth.
When you hear someone complain, “I’m stressed out,” ask, “Is it good stress or bad stress?”
Stress tip: Attitude is a tipping point between good stress and bad stress.
What stresses leaders?
How might leaders turn distress into good stress?
Bonus material:
The Stress of Leadership (CCL)
How Attitude can Reduce Your Stress (Duke)
Eustress: The Good Stress (Healthline)
Will be printing and learning this post – very helpful – thank you Dan
Thanks Scott. Here’s to a great Friday.
What stresses leaders?
People who make mistakes and don’t tell someone, you can’t fix it if you don’t know about. (We all make them, some won’t admit them, until pressured). Uncontrolled pressure coming from outside sources we can’t control. “We need this now”, yet we knew about last week. Poor planning on your part does not become “My monkey”!
How might leaders turn distress into good stress?
Gaining the knowledge and learning more so when elements develop you can handle them, which life’s lessons often develop “just because”, ex. you take all the precautions and still get sick, sometimes “it just happens”! Understanding what we control and how to maneuver the path of least resistance, has work for me most often, learning the ebbs and flows of lives challenges takes time and lots of mistakes or lessons if you prefer to address them as such.
You can’t “take the first step” until you stand up!
Happy Friday Dan, we are fortunate to go green today! Hopefully the other areas will be there soon!
Thanks Tim. Ooooo… you hit a good one with people who cover up their mistakes. Reminds me of people who say they’re going to do something and don’t do it. … By the time you find out, it’s too late to replace them.
I’ve been thinking about finding the easy path forward. I don’t mean the sloppy path. I mean the most efficient.
Eustress is a word which reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien’s eucatastrophe, which he defined as “the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears.”
Thanks Pete. Cool word. I don’t see myself habitually using either word, but it seems the prefix “eu” turns negative words to positive.
Managing stress is a very important topic.
My simple formula—when the demands you face exceed your capacity to cope, you suffer a stress reaction. Her’s the formula.
D > CS = SR (Demands > Coping Skills = Stress Reaction)
Demands are all those things big and small that we must get done day-to-day.
Coping skills–self management skills (ability to organize, set goals, make decisions, resolve conflicts, delegate, exercise, relaxation techniques etc.
So if you are having repeated stress reactions–your need to reduce your demands and/or increase your coping skills.
I agree –the right level of demands and challenges can motivate us to find new and better ways of working and collaborating.
I produced a 4-minute YouTube video on this topic — “Managing Stress.”
Thanks Paul. Nothing like a formula to illustrate and clarify. 🙂
Thank you Dan emotions and stress clearly come out of my personality sometimes I forget to regulate the ques. Appriecate the read have a blessed weekend and thank you.
I have heard a spiritual guru say: Growth is moving from lower comfort to higher comfort through uncomfortable(stress) transitions…
preparations is important, also sometimes expect the unexpected it happens too.