The truth about stress

The truth is, stress is an inevitable part of life. Although that may sound rather grim initially, in actuality, it can actually be a good thing if you allow it to be.  Let me elaborate a bit.

Usually, when someone thinks of stress, there is a negative connotation.  People often associate stress with anxiety. Because of this, most assume that there are no positive aspects of stress at all. Surprisingly, however, this is not the case.

Stress can if put to use effectively actually BENEFIT you.  Obviously, that sounds contrary to its very definition. How can something that detracts from your life satisfaction possibly be any good to you? It’s simple, really. 

Stress helps you make better decisions

Although we all might not like to admit it, a lot of the stress that we face is because of our own poor decisions. Fortunately, we can use stress to help reinforce better decision-making in the future.

For instance, if you are stressed because you are in an awkward situation because you made a bad decision (vague I know)  you are subconsciously teaching yourself to no longer make such a mistake.

The stress that you feel can be a tool to remind yourself to make sure to think things through thoroughly and make better decisions so that you don’t get yourself in a bad situation again.

Let’s say that you did not study for a test, and are cramming 4 chapters worth of material into your brain 20 minutes before the exam. You are probably (hopefully at least)  more likely to study for the next exam.

The stress you feel about your exam can serve as a way of reminding you to study more.

Obviously, this is subjective, but generally speaking, if a person faces some level of discomfort, they will seek to alleviate any possibilities of future discomfort by making better decisions in the future.

It can help you grow as a person

People are more likely to achieve self-improvement under the face of pressure than if they were never challenged to begin with.

It is how we handle the stress that can determine if it will benefit us in any way. How we all handle the most challenging times in life will determine who we become and how we will respond to stressful events in the future. 

Are you going to be resilient in the face of trials? Or are you going to lie down and just give up?  One of the most important things that stressful situations can do for you is serve as a reminder that despite having gone through difficulties you have always come out on top.

What makes this time any different? Sure things may be hard initially, but eventually, it will get better.

Stress can be a motivator

When people go through big events in life, it can be unsettling at times. Luckily for us, stress can actually be a very good motivator.

For instance, if a couple is expecting a child in the near future, they likely have a bevy of different emotions. Although they are likely happy to be parents, it is understandable if they are a bit stressed out. This is normal.

As stated previously, a person’s reaction to stress will be a sign of how they will react in future stressful scenarios. You decide who you can be. By using their stressful situation to their advantage, the couple can learn how to better equip themselves for parenthood.

This can be the case in a variety of different scenarios. Stress can help drive people to give their all, and ultimately unleash their full potential.

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see why stress is a bit more complicated than just good or bad. It can be both. Let’s not let stress overtake us completely, but instead use it to our advantage. Who knows, maybe we will learn something along the way.