What is the Difference Between Distress and Eustress?

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The main difference between distress and eustress lies in their effects on an individual's well-being. Distress is a negative stress that can cause anxiety, fear, and worry, while eustress is a positive stress that promotes feelings of energy, focus, excitement, and fulfillment.

Distress:

  • Causes negative feelings and experiences.
  • Can lead to physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches, digestive issues, or insomnia.
  • Can worsen or cause serious health conditions, such as heart disease.
  • Often results from negative experiences and situations, like losing a job or a family member's illness.

Eustress:

  • Promotes positive feelings and experiences.
  • Can build mental resilience and even physical strength.
  • Helps with motivation and working toward goals.
  • Often results from positive experiences, like starting a new job or getting married.

To create more positive stress (eustress) in your life, consider trying new activities, participating in physical activity, learning new skills, setting challenging yet realistic goals, or taking on new responsibilities at work.

Comparative Table: Distress vs Eustress

Here is a table comparing the differences between distress and eustress:

Category Distress Eustress
Definition Negative, overwhelming stress that impairs functioning Positive, motivating, adaptive, and helpful stress
Energy Provides restless energy Provides productive energy
Focus Decreases focus Helps increase focus
Motivation Increases procrastination/avoidance Increases motivation
Emotional Experience Often experienced as fear/concern Often experienced as excitement
Manageability Feels overwhelming Feels manageable
Performance Impairs performance Improves performance
Examples Work problems, illness, or injury Achieving a goal, exercising, practicing mindfulness, or listening to music

Distress is negative, overwhelming stress that impairs functioning, while eustress is positive, motivating, adaptive, and helpful stress. Distress often leads to restless energy, decreased focus, procrastination, and feelings of fear or concern. In contrast, eustress provides productive energy, increased focus, motivation, excitement, and improved performance.