Summary: Stress can help or hinder. Today we talk about the good stress, eustress that enables you to succeed. Learn how to practice “safe stress” and be in charge rather than at the effect of your emotions.
There is either too much stress coupled with too much aggravation. Or there is too much isolation along with too much quiet.
Lots of complaining about stress these days. Not about eustress!
Therefore, I have been researching everything I can find about stress. In the book I just finished writing, there are four levels of it. The first level that I want to talk about now is called EUSTRESS. E-U-S-T-R-E-S-S, EUSTRESS, and it’s good stress. It’s the kind that you can learn from.
For example, think about when you were learning to drive. Did you You practice in the parking lot? You were probably very proud of yourself. If you were like me, you felt confident, and your stress level was way down.
Subsequently, your parent or driving teacher said, “Okay, get out on the street. That sounded good until you heard, and then you are going to drive on the highway.”
Think about the positives of eustress so your stress level stays healthy.
Most importantly, were you calm and peaceful? I certainly was a knot of nerves. I remember sitting there, gripping the steering wheel, thinking, 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. My hands clenched around that wheel like it was my angel of mercy. I was holding on for dear life!
Above all, I kept breathing those deep, deep breaths and held my hands positioned adequately.
Moreover, what got me through this “initiation” on the road was good stress. It will get you through tough times too. In addition, it is because you’ve got adrenalin charging through your system. It makes you pay attention to the details. You stay very vigilant. I wish we all had that kind of vigilance every time we get in a car.
Befreind eustress and you develop a pattern for success.
In the same vein, most of us forget that eustress is a friend. That is the kind of stress to fuel you, to keep you going.
As a result, whenever you have to stand in front of a group and do a presentation, think that this eustress can help me.
Similarly, think about when you have to speak in front of a group. For example, do you feel those butterflies creating a significant parade in your stomach?
Most importantly, consider the tightness that develops as a good thing. It keeps you alert and ready to shine in whatever you say.
That is to say; you need to celebrate the eustress, to learn from it.
After that, you have to practice. Yes, practice eustress.
Stress less when you see it as a friend rather than an enemy.
To clarify, stress will show up in health, wealth, relationships, everywhere. It causes you to tighten up. As a result, you say to yourself, “What am I going to do about this? Firstly, you need to ask yourself, “Is this a challenge, or is it a threat?”
In other words, some things are genuine threats. Therefore you go into that survival mode. That is the whole fight, flight, or freeze moment.
Many people in that moment freeze. You know, the dear in the headlights moment. However, some of you will stay and fight. That can be not pleasant. As a result, there will be blood. Yes, it cannot be perfect.
Another way is to run. You have to decide which route to take, fight, flight, or freeze in the blink of an eye. That’s when it’s a threat. But when it’s a challenge, you learn from it; you take it in you, absorb it.
Ask yourself the question: is this stress from a threat or an opportunity?
In other words, if it’s a threat, be glad you are now safe. In other words, pat yourself on the back. Let the relief that the danger has passed help you to calm down.
Now, back to eustress. Good stress leads us to become more resilient. In other words, learning to be more resilient is what you need more than ever before.
Eustress teaches you to be more resilient and that’s a good thing.
To clarify, being resilient means you can take whatever the problematic situation is and make it work for you. You now have it as the foundation. This emotion gives you the solid ground to grow. Then you can say to yourself, “And this too shall pass.”
In conclusion, you now know you can handle something scary and awful. Guess what, you survived.
To sum up, embrace the idea of stress. Yes, embrace your stress. Embrace eustress. YIn short, remember to ask yourself the BIG question: “Is this a threat or a challenge?'” And you will know which direction to go.
Changing the way you think about stress will give you basic patterns for success in your life. I promise!
Here’s to your success,
Sylvia
PS. My new book “Invisible STRESS (It’s NOT What YOU Think!), is now on Amazon. Enjoy and learn more there.
PSS If you prefer to learn about stress via video, you can watch it here.
