Stress is your body’s response to change. Yet the term “stress” conjures us all kinds of negative images of danger, calamity, conflicts, and difficult situations – hence the term, “distress.”
But stress can also be positive: a wedding, a new job, a thrill of discovery, a vacation trip – even Christmas. Positive stress, also called “eustress,” provides motivation, hope, and satisfaction.
It is as if the human body has an inner button labeled “change” that when pressed initiates a fight-or-flight response … whether or not the stress is positive or negative.
Stress is Non-Discriminatory
What’s tricky is that your body’s physical reaction to change is non-discriminatory. Heart rate, blood pressure, hormones, immunity, and senses go into overdrive in order to handle the perceived threat. Your body responds to change, whether it is large or small, positive or negative.
Consider two responses to the same event. When Stephanie saw the pregnancy test results, her heart sped up and her hands become damp. She hadn’t planned on this. What would she tell her family and friends? What choices would she make? Stephanie was in distress (negative stress.)
Erica’s test result revealed the same results. Finally, a baby was on the way! She and her husband had been trying to become pregnant for five years. Erica felt her heart pound in her chest and then used a handkerchief to wipe her brow. She was experiencing eustress (positive stress.)
For both women, the test results represented change. Their bodies responded – one in distress and the other in eustress – in similar ways. The human body cannot tell the difference between the two kinds of stress.
What defined stress as positive or negative for Stephanie and Erica was their point of view.
In the Boat with Both Kinds of Stress
Peter experienced both positive stress and negative stress within a short time frame.
He and the disciples were in a boat when a life-threatening storm arose (negative stress: a battle with nature’s elements.) Minutes later, Peter saw Jesus walking on the water towards the boat (negative stress: he mistook Jesus for a ghost; positive stress: when he recognized it was Jesus). Jesus invited Peter to walk on water (positive stress: the adventure of experiencing a supernatural feat). Peter began to sink (negative stress: fear of drowning). Jesus caught him (positive stress: rescue and relief).
Peter’s stress was negative when he focused on the what – the factors creating his anxiety (the ghost and the waves.)
His stress was positive when he focused on the Who – the Person helping him deal with and overcome danger.
The kind of stress he experienced depended upon his point of view.
The Choice You Face With Stress
Every day, you’re in a boat with positive stress and negative stress as your companions. Your body reacts involuntarily to stress. Your hands may shake. Your knees may knock.
But when it comes to your mind and heart, you have a choice.
What matters most is where you look. You can focus on what is causing your anxiety. Or you can focus on Who gets you through it.
Your viewpoint makes the difference.
The choice is up to you.
More about Managing Change
Change: Is It a Pain or a Gain?
