Positive and Negative Stressors

[Primetjay]

rahilshajahan wrote:
> The book talks about stressors (reasons for one to stress) being of two
> types- positive and negative. I always believed stress was not good
> emotionally and physically, basically negative.
> But now that I think about it, an assignment which you can solve with some
> hours of studying should be positive stress. Am I thinking right? Do you
> have any better examples?

When I went to school (for psychology), positive and negative weren't necessarily how we thought of them. It was more of the addition or removal of something. For example, losing a job (something taken away) could be seen as negative. Positive could be getting a new job (adding something).

But positive and negative stress can be explained in the general way we think of it. Getting married is wonderful and exciting, but still stressful. So, positive stress. Losing a job sucks and would be considered negative.

Like I've never seen stress from the lens of being of any positive in our lives.. Thanks to the authors and your contribution made it more simple for me.. negative stressors take something away while positive stressors add..lol! I think one better be stressed preparing for a job promotion interview

[pablo10]

I honestly didn't know that stress could be divided into positive and negative ones. I guess the kind of stress which forces us to learn something new can be termed as positive stress? I'm not sure. Now, I'm curious.

[Claude Hang]

The book talks about stressors (reasons for one to stress) being of two types- positive and negative. I always believed stress was not good emotionally and physically, basically negative.
But now that I think about it, an assignment which you can solve with some hours of studying should be positive stress. Am I thinking right? Do you have any better examples?

Yes. Basically, positive stress is the type that causes you to achieve something positive. While negative is the type that is not beneficial and merely causes unnecessary anxiety

[DBNJ]

Positive stress example= Working an additional hour to earn extra pay to provide your family with a proper livelihood.

Negative stress example= Worrying about a new pair of clothes you need to buy while you necessarily don't need them.

You have addressed the stress factor in a different perspective . Yes, It will not do much harm,even if you are stressed for a good cause which will not danger your mental and physical health.

[Kristin Ransome]

I find that what makes a stress positive or negative depends on the outcome of you being stressed. A positive stress prompts me to work harder and do better for whatever is may be (assignment, interview, etc.), while if a stress is negative I am emotionally discouraged from completing the task and put it off or not do anything to alleviate the stress.

[honesty_pays]

I agree with you, and I have also, always, thought that stress was a negative thing--probably because it is portrayed that way in our society. I think a great example of stress being a positive thing is if a person knows they are in danger, the stress causes a flight or fight response, which can, as a result save your life. But if a person is always in a state of panic, the flight or fight response is always active, even if there is no threat, and that's when anxiety and stress can be detrimental.

Exactly my point. It has its positive and negative effects because it could help as a third sense or it could make you overly cautious which could be bad.

[Wyzdomania_Gskillz]

Stress (which can also be referred to as pressure) can be positive and negative indeed. Many great things are born out of stress/pressure.

[SweetSourSalty AndSpicy]

I think positive and negative stressors are a matter of perspective. We decide how an event in our life affects us. For example, losing a job could be viewed both as positive and negative. Losing a job means no income, which could be difficult, especially if you have a family to support. On the other hand, it could be a great opportunity to explore other options, learn a new skill, or more time with family. We cannot go back in time and change what already has happened. But we can choose how it will make a difference in our life.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

Positive stress would be stress that helps you grow or improve in some way, like starting a new job or getting married. It heightens the tension you feel, but the end result is almost always positive. I don't believe it is as damaging to the system as negative stress, the outcome of which is completely unpredictable and very often detrimental. On a less technical note, they both contribute to the rich tapestry of life, and neither should be left to get out of control.

[Undertaker5squad]

Probably everyone can undergo both types of stress, but maybe stress tends to be more positive or more negative depending on your personality type. A really phlegmatic person, say, might have positive stress where a really melancholic person has only negative stress. For the phlegmatic, it helps them get stuff done, but it tends more to "paralyze" the melancholic, making it negative stress.

[MariaLivaniou]

Stress by definition isn't something bad. It can be rather constructive and can even help you improve yourself in many aspects of your life. However just like everything in exess, when the stress levels exceed a certain level in our lives then it stops being something posistive and it startes being destructive and a rather difficult obstacle to overcome.

[Mys_Trea]

I used to believe that stress can only be a negative thing however, I came to realize that it can actually be quite good and end up working in our favor. If you're stressed about getting good grades, for example, that could propel you to work harder or smarter, to ensure that your fears of failure do not materialize. I believe that it is only when we are under a constant bombardment of stress in our lives, that this takes on a negative turn and even ends up leading to our physical detriment.

[Menace Crypto]

I also agree with you, before now I'd have totally disagreed, but after thinking hard I can now see things from a different perspective. There has been several times I struggled to prepare a thesis or a project, but after all the stress, I end up happy and proud upon completion, so there could be numerous examples of positive stress.

[SarahShebl]

Having to learn something new, either a language or skill, in a short amount of time for a specific job or promotion is a good example of positive stress. For me, we need this to push ourselves forward.

[Fliesie01]

I agree there are positive stressors. Some stressors motivate you to work harder to get to your goal. Some people thrive on stress, while others can't cope under pressure.