Types of stress

Everyone has felt stress at some time in their lives. Did you know that some stress can be positive? It can help you to react quickly to dangerous situations. There are four major types of stress.

Short-term stress which provides an immediate shot of adrenaline is called eustress. You experience this during increast physical activity or creativity. This is the stress a person may feel before a job interview or a competition. This is sometimes called the “fight or flight response.” The heart rate increases and extra blood and oxygen flow to the brain and muscles so you can be ready to react quickly. Generally this fades as the danger passes and everything returns to normal.

When there are constant changes to routines, this can result in distress. Acute distress comes and goes quickly but chronic stress can last for months or even years. This negative type of stress can be harmful. Acute distress, like eustress, gives the body a chance to quickly evaluate the change in environment and react. People who are constantly dealing with changes in routine, such as people who are out of work, may experience distress.

When the stress of work or life is so bad that you feel pushed beyond what you can handle, you are experiencing hyperstress. When someone is experiencing this form of stress they may have strong emotional responses to minor things. People who have high-stress jobs like emergency room doctors are candidates for this type of stress. Prolonged hyperstress can cause serious emotional and physical damage. It is important for people who are hyperstressed to find a way to relax.

A complete lack of stress can also be harmful. Hypostress occurs when an individual has no challenges at all. They may work in a factory and perform a repetitive task all day. People like this are often restless and uninspired. They lack any motivation to improve.
Stress can be good and bad. It is important to find the right level of stress in your life and find a way to release it when it becomes too intense.

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