The Difference Between Bad Stress and Good Stress
The last few weeks have been stretching, to say the least. Ever so often, these seasons arrive when I’m in back to back work with little time to rest. My eyes normally go red and I start getting messages from friends and family to slow down. It’s always helpful to get those reminders as someone is prone to overheating. This time, I went from a missionary trip in Tenerife to negotiating some contacts in London, interviewing prospective employees, acquiring a new property, setting it up in a week and also teaching at a retreat, all in the space of 2 weeks. It’s been busy, and stressful but also rewarding.
I have a lot of exciting things to share so brace for that.
Back to this stress thing. I want to share a short message today. It’s about the difference between good stress and bad stress and working out the difference. How understanding the difference can change your approach to stressful periods
We rarely hear people say, "I'm really feeling stressed. Isn't that great?" But if we didn't have some stress in our lives—the "good stress" variety—we'd feel rudderless and unhappy. If we define stress as anything that alters our homeostasis, then good stress, in its many forms, is vital for a healthy life. Bad stress can even turn into good stress, and vice versa.
Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
"Good stress," or what psychologists refer to as "eustress," is the type of stress we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens and our hormones surge, but there is no threat or fear. We feel this type of stress when we ride a roller coaster, compete for a promotion, or go on a first date. There are many triggers for this good stress, and it keeps us feeling alive and excited about life. It can help us feel like we are doing things that are worthwhile and will ultimately be rewarding.
Another type of stress is acute stress. It comes from quick surprises that need a response. Acute stress triggers the body's stress response as well, but the triggers aren't always happy and exciting. This is what we normally think of as "stress" (or "bad stress"). Acute stress in itself doesn't take a heavy toll if we find ways to relax quickly. Once the stressor has been dealt with, we need to return our body to homeostasis, or its pre-stress state, to be healthy and happy.
Chronic stress is another form of bad stress. It occurs when we repeatedly face stressors that take a heavy toll and feel inescapable. A stressful job or an unhappy home life can bring chronic stress. This is what we normally think of as serious stress. Because our bodies aren't designed for chronic stress, we can face negative health effects (both physical and emotional) if we experience chronic stress for an extended period of time
As you can quickly see, these are not all the same and treating them all as the same can greatly alter how you engage with these stressful periods I was talking about.
Sources of Good Stress
Yes, you can add good stress to your life! Ideally, you choose activities and set goals that make you feel good, happy, and excited. To gauge whether or not an activity is worth your time, pay attention to how the thought of it makes you feel. Do you feel excited? Is it a "want to," or a "have to"? Be sure your "want to" activities are all things you really do want to do, and your "have to" activities are all absolutely necessary. Large goals and great purpose can unlock this in your life. These positive stresses are a good sign that you are expending yourself on something that matters.
Yes, these last very weeks have been difficult, however, on the other side of the stress is so much opportunity. So many of the projects I’m involved in will have grown and changed immeasurably.
So ask yourself some questions…
Do you feel any stress?
What is that stress trying to tell you?
Is it productive stress or stress that leads you towards anxiety?
1. We have a winner
We have a winner from my first giveaway with Slater Menswear. Check it out on my Instagram and Twitter. He wins a FREE tailored suit from Slaters, a sponsor of mine. I will show you how that goes later when we document the winner getting his suit.
Even if you didn’t win this one, don’t worry. I’m currently in talks with Slaters about something else we can do. I will be announcing that in a week so make sure you are following me (@mikeomoniyics) and (@Slatermenswear) to find out the next steps for winning some things yourself.
2. We have acquired a new space
We (@tcsnetwork) have acquired a new space right in the heart of Beckenham (South London) and we will be turning the space into our new Common Sense Studios!
The space will be the home of all things Common Sense but will also double as a community centre where we will invite locals and young people to develop their voices as budding journalists, commentators and content creators!
Our immediate plans are to
✅ Move our remote team into this physical office
✅ Launch a 3 set affordable podcast studio which creatives can book to create new and amazing shows
✅ Launch a photography studio which locals and others can book to complete work and projects
✅ Launch a co-working space for creatives, budding journalists and digital creators
✅ Open up our space for meeting room bookings and also for small live events!
I want to thank every single person that helped us to get to this place. Our community, people who have said a good word about us, people who backed out Kickstarter campaign years ago and our clients and partner!
We are going to make a global impact, right from the heart of South London!
Have any amazing week
M.T. Omoniyi