Positive and Negative Stressors

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:08

mondegreen wrote:
> I think positive stressors keep us acting in a way that is
> "normal" or acceptable to society's standards. If we didn't have
> certain anxieties about the way we acted, like knowing we would be thought
> of as weird if we randomly shouted in the middle of a meeting, then we
> would not follow those boundaries that are folkways in our society.

That is not necessarily true. Many people behave in a way which makes them acceptable to society but many suffer lots of stress due to it. It is perceptible in many situations. An example is "peer pressure" and if long term it can cause a lot of stress and can be termed as negative stress.

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:11

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote:
> X-XXXX-X wrote:
> > Yes you're thinking right. I mean, if we didn't had some level of stress we
> > would never do things. We usually call this "working under
> > pressure", but what is good stress or bad stress will really depend on
> > the person, situation, the level of stress and the outcome that this could
> > bring.
> >
> > Everything is really relative when it comes to human mind, so I can't
> > really tell what would be a good stress for everybody.
>
> True, what may be termed as negative stress to one person may be positive to another.
> For this reason I would recommend sharing a number off remedies with someone then ask
> them to choose one than giving them what I think would work.

yeah, true. But there are many times when negative stress is common for all. In case of when you lose something you cherish a lot. Regaurdless of the situation and positive effects it may bring, it is bound to cause deprssion and effect your health negatively.

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:13

Misael wrote:
> Yes there are positive stressors. One is when you are given a new
> challenging task in your job. It creates a positive stress because it
> makes you strive to be at your best and creative. It is called Eustress.

Yes but if it continues over a long period of time, and you continuously strive to do your best and when the point comes when it affects your attitude towards the job or starts affecting the people around you, it is distress.

Cynthia_Oluchi · Post by **Cynthia_Oluchi** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:15

Yes, I wore the same thinking cap before now. Think about when I need to study for a few more hours to make up for a quiz I missed. That's positive stress! Once there is value coming forth from stress, I'd like to say it's positive.

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:18

David_Kariuki wrote:
> Joseph_ngaruiya wrote:
> > Astrolorraine wrote:
> > > I think of positive stress as the kind of stress you feel when trying to
> > > succeed at something you actually look forward to, like when taking an exam
> > > or planning an event. Negative stress on the other hand doesn't come with
> > > anything you look forward to, like the stress of commuting or dealing with
> > > toxic people. At least that's what I took from the book.
> >
> > This is okay. From a reward comes satisfaction, which in most cases is a feeling
> > that's attached to positivity. Nevertheless, negative stress doesn't always have
> to
> > be lacking a reward. I'd generally put it as stress whose eventuality is a
> negative
> > force that affects you or those around you, regardless of it having a reward or
> not.
> I guess certain kinds of stress can never be turned to positive stress due to the
> overall negative effects that they bring.

yeah, for negative stress you may not be aware that it is negative when you are the beginning stage, but in the long term, it eventually catches up to you and you start feeling the negative effects of what you once thought was relatively normal.

Patrick Maina1 · Post by **Patrick Maina1** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:19

Some stressors are positive and that's why they say necessity is the mother of invention.The positive stressors push us out of our comfort zones.

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 10 Aug 2020, 02:23

Banette wrote:
> I think you're totally right about being pushed to study because you're
> worried about an assignment being an example of positive stress. Based on
> the definitions given, I think the distinction between positive and
> negative stress comes down to whether or not the effects of the stress are
> proportional to the situation. If being stressed about grades makes you
> study more often then it's positive stress, but if it makes you lose sleep
> or stress eat, then it's negative stress. Then to take it to a more extreme
> example, if you're trying to escape from a dangerous situation stress
> keeping you awake would be positive, but if that stress paralyzes so you
> can't escape you then it's negative.

Yeah, I agree. The source of positive and negative stress is blurry, we are only able to distinguish positive from negative from the effects they bring to ourselves or our surroundings. Classing stress also depends on your mindset and mindset of people close to you. It can change negative stress into a positive one or positive stress into a negative one.

Zainabreadsnow · Post by **Zainabreadsnow** » 10 Aug 2020, 08:38

Agree with your interpretation of this. An example that came to mind was as following:
positive stress: participating in a competition that makes you want to do your best.
negative stress: taking on a lot of extra work that effects your performance.

rahilshajahan · Post by **rahilshajahan** » 10 Aug 2020, 08:52

Patrick Maina1 wrote:
> Some stressors are positive and that's why they say necessity is the mother
> of invention.The positive stressors push us out of our comfort zones.

Wow! That's a great observation. Positive stress can be associated to invention and overcoming new challenges.

djr6090 · Post by **djr6090** » 10 Aug 2020, 13:46

I think that the author's advice to substitute the word fear is appropriate here. Positive fear of something that is immediately harmful to you is a good thing. Negative fear of something that MIGHT harm you is not.

Kaitlyn Canedy · Post by **Kaitlyn Canedy** » 10 Aug 2020, 16:59

I would say that positive stressors would be getting married, starting or interviewing for a new job, buying a house, and going to college.

Regarding negative stress, I believe that it is things that we cannot control are negative stressors. For example, natural disasters, a mass company layoff, or a spouse cheating on you.

Maríe Wamakima · Post by **Maríe Wamakima** » 10 Aug 2020, 18:11

Yes back in school, while studying a psychology unit, I remember learning about the two types of stress. Stress that motivates you to perform tasks, and stress that reduces your motivation. The author clearly has background information on these and is quite accurate.

keiyoshi · Post by **keiyoshi** » 10 Aug 2020, 20:37

For me, negative stressors are pretty much anything that won't contribute much to my personal improvement; whereas positive stressors are the additional workload that I accept to better myself. Sometimes, I use the latter to get me started on the former. It's just like going beyond what you want or what you're comfortable doing just because it's necessary. And I think that's also why the book stresses taking responsibility, too.

Tangerinehippie1 · Post by **Tangerinehippie1** » 10 Aug 2020, 20:57

Stress can be positive only if you learn from it.

Post by **Eunice Geres** » 10 Aug 2020, 23:31

Yes, you're correct in your example. Eustress, also known as the positive stress, is something neither too hard not too easy. It takes up a lot in our minds but it rewards us with something positive. Unlike Distress, also known as the negative stress, it takes up a lot of space in our minds, and it usually results in unhealthy thinking which makes us hopeless and exhausted.