It’s important that we understand what type of stress we are experiencing. Good and bad stresses occur in our lives everyday.  The more “good stress” we experience, the better off our health and wellness will be.  After reading this post, you’ll be able to recognize the types of stress you are experiencing, empowering you to reach the level of balance you need to live well.

Chronic
▸ being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering

Acute
▸ having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; extremely sharp or intense 


Eustress (Good Stress)
▸ stress that is deemed healthful or giving one the feeling of fulfillment


Distress (Bad Stress)
▸ great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble; a state of extreme necessity or misfortune. 


Chronic Eustress, or long lasting, recurrent good stress is the very best of the types of stress.  Chronic Eustress is where quality of life exists, in which we achieve total and permanent health and wellness.


When we are in a state of chronic eustress, our bodies have very high levels of the feel good hormones, Dopamine and Oxytocin. These hormones make it possible for us to have high levels of self-esteem and to have really strong relationships in all areas of your life.


If things happen, in life, that temporarily take you away from this type of stress, it’s OK, but every effort should be made to deal with the problem and get back to chronic eustress.


Acute Eustress, or rapid onset, short, intense good stress.

When you receive fantastic news, are engaged in a great workout, or when something really wonderful happens to you, you experience this kind of stress. The body is temporarily, intensely and quickly flooded with feel good hormones like Dopamine and Oxytocin.

This type of stress is desirable and it does the body good to experience this type of stress often.


Acute Distress, or rapid onset, short, intense bad stress.  This type of stress is no fun, but it’s not terribly dangerous and can save your life.

This type of stress happens when we feel shocked or threatened and our fight or flight stress response system kicks in. Our bodies are flooded with emergency response hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones allow us to be alert and have increased strength, endurance and energy, allowing us to respond to imminent danger.

This type of stress comes from things like a car accident or if you are attacked or if you feel extreme fear. This type of stress is classified as a bad stress, but is not dangerous because it does not last a long time and the body will wash away these extra hormones when the danger or threat has passed. This stress helps us to survive.

Chronic Distress, or long lasting, recurrent bad stress, is the worst type of stress we can have in our lives.

Chronic distress is the cause of most peoples’ problems. This kind of stress constantly floods the body with emergency response hormones like Cortisol and Adrenaline. When your Endocrine System is over-used to this extent, things begin to malfunction and we overproduce the emergency response hormones and significantly, under-produce the feel good hormones.

This type of stress steals your quality of life and every effort should be made to stay away from it.


This Holistic Life provides complementary therapeutic options to combat distress and promote eustress.  Never hesitate to indulge in activities and therapies that you enjoy- your life & health depends upon it!