Eustress, My Stress, We All Scream For Types Of Stress

If I were paid to procrastinate, I'd be a billionaire. I'd have four houses and a car collection in my garage. I'd regularly rent out a natural waterfall preserver because splish splash is too crowded and then I'd end world hunger and donate a butt load of equipment to cure all types of diseases.

This would take a while, of course... because I'd procrastinate depositing the checks, or I'd just not call the realtor for the house for a few months, or blatantly not order the high-end equipment. It would just sit in my Amazon cart or wherever the heck you get cutting-edge technology from.

Basically, if I don't feel immense pressure to get something done, I won't do it. Not because I don't think it's worthwhile or because I'm boycotting deadlines and the social construct of meeting the expectations of my peers. I'm just not stressed enough to get it done.

Which brings me to an actual point: There is such a thing as good stress, which can motivate us to do things we otherwise wouldn't do.

Bear with me here. According to an article on the Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield website called 'Understanding Good and Bad Stress,' there are three different types of stress:

Acute stress, which occurs after a traumatizing experience, physical violation, death, or injury and can lead to substance abuse and emotional detachment.

Chronic stress occurs when a person is exposed to a prolonged experience or a recurring stressor, like an intense job or relationship. This can lead to high blood pressure among other health issues.

Eustress, which is considered 'good stress' and is within our sphere of coping mechanisms. It gives a burst of energy, motivation, and encouragement in the face of adversity. It enhances awareness and relates to the 'fight or flight' response, where the body shifts to confronting the threat instead of fleeing.

For obvious reasons, the first two kinds of stress have no positive qualities. But eustress... It's a main motivator. Think about it. How many times have you tried to sit down and write that paper, or buy that product people are saying to get, or call that plumber to check out the toilet, and simply didn't because the due date wasn't kicking you in the back yet, and procrastination is second nature?

But, all of a sudden you have an hour to submit that paper, or you need to buy that product right away before its too late, or your toilet broke and now you need a plumber or else you can't use the only bathroom in your house and will have to resort to a porta-potty.

All of a sudden, you acquire laser focus and magnified motivation. Your heart is pounding a little harder, and your hands are sweating because you feel the deadline creep along your spine, and you knew you shouldn't have procrastinated, but did anyway.

As your inner voice screams stressfully (visually pictured below)

BOOM. Submitted. Acquired. Fixed. With three minutes to spare.

Yep.

Thank eustress for that burst of energy and motivation.

Sometimes we just need the fight or flight sense of urgency to accomplish said task. And as long as you can keep a balance between the three causes of stress (or, really, in a perfect world, not have the first two kinds of stress), and accept the short burst of stress that arises every once in a while, it seems you'll benefit from it.

I'm writing this blog post under the influence of eustress, as my submission is due in four hours (sshhhh, don't tell Ramos), and my efficiency in research, planning, and writing of this blog post took half the time it would have had I given myself a week to write.

So next time you're feeling stressed from deadlines and due dates and general life things, and suddenly find yourself motivated and energized enough to get things done, thank eustress.