“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it” -Hans Selye

What Distress Is

Distress is overwhelming. It creates negative feedback loops of powerlessness. When you are distressed you are prone to mental and physical health problems.

Common examples of distressing events:

• Relational problems

• Illness or injury

• Job loss

• Moving

• Death

What Eustress Is

Eustress is energizing. It creates positive feedback loops of empowerment. It benefits your mental and physical health as it is triggered with excitement, inspiration, and growth.

Common examples of eustress events:

• Learning

• Working towards goals

• Connecting with others

• Maintaining positive habits

• Overcoming life challenges

Managing Distress

The self-improvement tools to manage distress are the same ones that create eustress: meditation, breath work, exercise, self-reflection, and mindfulness. Building habits of these beneficial practices improve your stress response before and after distressing events.

Channeling Eustress

Eustress is triggered by changes and challenges. This can feel like being in a flow state where you are problem-solving effortlessly. To channel it more often, do more things that are positively challenging (like the list of distress management tools above).

You Can Turn Distress Into Eustress

You choose how you react to events that occur. With every distressing event, there is an opportunity to learn and overcome - which changes the distress to eustress. It is about understanding, and then acting on, what you can control in distressing situations.

Let's start managing distress and channeling eustress for a happier, healthier, and more successful life.