Eustress

#216

Friend,

Eustress.

That looks like the name of an aunt in an old British movie, but that word is loaded with meaning.

We all know what stress is. You are likely feeling it right now. You might be stressed about your finances, your future, or your feelings.

We all know what distress is. You’ve felt that throughout your life as well. You’ve lost someone, experienced life-altering news, or lost enough that panic set in.

Eustress is good stress. It’s getting married, taking that dream job, or moving into a new house. Those are all stressful circumstances, but they are motivating and energizing.

However, humans can only experience so much stress, whether it is distress or eustress. The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory can tell you how much stress you’ve experienced and how likely your stress will induce other health factors. (You’d love to stay under 150 pts.)

On the list of stressful events that are eustress include:

• Vacation (13 points)

• Change in residence (20 points)

• Gaining a new family member (39 points)

• Retirement (45 points)

• Marriage (50 points)

And my personal favorite:

• Outstanding Personal Achievement (28 points)

Here’s the truth. We will experience stress (dis- and eu-); the best thing to do is to be aware of what is going on and learn how we best neutralize our stress. So take the inventory and think about how you best manage your stress (read, enjoy nature, exercise, meditate, pray, etc.)

Love,
Aaron