Is stress always bad?

Stress is generally one of those feelings that we tend to try to avoid. Many of the clients that I see are trying to reduce their stress or deal with it in a better way.  At the end of the day we often say "ugh what a stressful day". But is stress always bad? Think about the night before a test or a big presentation. You might feel frazzled and rushed to get every detail finished.  You might be hunkered down going over that last formula to make sure your understand it.  The day before leaving on a big trip, you are washing clothes like a maniac and making list upon list to get everything together. While stress is not a comfortable feeling, it can help us get things done.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help  tell the difference between good stress and bad stress.

"Is this feeling helpful?" Is this heightened sense of urgency helping me to get something done or meet a deadline?  If we are able to utilize this feeling of stress to encourage our self to finish or complete a task then maybe it is really helping us.  Sometimes stress pushes us to perform. It can encourage us to finish our work or complete an assignment on time. Recognizing whether we are actually doing better because of the stress is important. If it seems to be limiting our abilities or holding us back then maybe it is not working in our favor.

"Should I be in a state of stress over this situation?"  If you notice that your stress levels are rising as a result of situations that are minor or silly then maybe it is an overreaction. It is important to be able to differentiate when stress makes sense. Getting stressed because the Thanksgiving turkey just exploded in the oven 30 minutes before 20 people are scheduled to arrive at your house makes sense. Getting stressed because the vending machine ran out of your favorite potato chips might not make sense.

"Does my stress have a beginning and an end or am I always stressed?"   Stress is most helpful when it encourages one to reach a deadline of some sort. So if you noticing that you are constantly in a state of stress then maybe it is not the beneficial kind. Feeling stressed at work all of the time is probably a sign of the "bad" kind of stress. Our bodies do not generally operate well when it is under constant pressure. Having a beginning and an end to the stress encourages us to meet our obligations because we understand that there is a conclusion to the stress.

Most of the time we know when our stress levels have reached a tipping point. Stress becomes a negative thing when it interferes with our ability to function well. Stress can cause us to struggle with things like sleeping well or with our appetite. It can cause us to have difficulty getting things done. This is ironic as we have just discussed how stress can help us get things done. But if we are overloaded and in a constant state of stress then it reaches a point where it is no longer a help but a hindrance.

So keeping our stress at a helpful level can potentially improve our functioning. Just watch out that it does not start creeping into every detail of home and work. Recognizing when it is time to take a breather or work on some relaxation skills is important.