In my opinion, good stress is as bad for you as bad stress, but I still rather have good stress over bad one. What's your experience with good stress? I find it hard to deal with either one. At this age, almost all of us must have dealt with it pretty well, or else we wouldn't be here. Still think music helps in relaxing and getting some mental relief from stress, staying busy seems to get my mind off of the things, that are causing it to bother me. I still haven't tried the meditating thing yet, but do intend to try it soon.
I absolutely believe bad stress is a killer. Way back when I was a kid my mother always said being upset and nervous all the time causes cancer. I thought she was being silly at the time. But I've changed my mind since, because stress weakens your immune system. One example of constant stress today is the tendency people have to want to share every little bizarre story that may, or may not, have happened somewhere in the world. Implying these are widespread occurrences and the world is going to hell in a handbasket. The fact that we are exposed to them day after day upsets me much more than the stories themselves. I'm not sure what good stress is. Is that like getting a "fire in your belly," so to speak, when you are doing something you really enjoy? Or riding your favorite a roller coaster? Or bungee jumping? I'm guessing those don't produce the same hormones as bad stress, but who knows. At least they don't last over an extended period of time.
That's a phrasing issue. It means that stress can be caused by positive events as well as negative ones. The process of getting married can cause stress. Planning and executing a vacation can cause stress. Moving on to a better job can cause stress. None of that is "good stress." It's stress caused by "good events."
The link Ken put up explains it pretty well, Nancy. Here's a little of it. Americans are more stressed than ever — but if you’re a glass-half-full kind of person, that statistic might not be so terrifying. There are two types of stress: the awful, normal stress that leads to late-night hair-tearing sessions, and eustress, or good stress.Good stress? It’s not as wild as you think. If you’re a scary movie fan, you know the feeling: The killer is right around the corner, the last protagonist alive is hiding behind the tree, and your heart is pounding. Yes, you’re stressed. You’re also excited, intrigued, and eager to keep watching.You’ll experience bouts of eustress throughout your life, and it’s easy to mistake them for regular distress. Perhaps you’re about to start your first year at college. Sure, you’re petrified; You’ll be living alone in a new place where you know no one. This is pretty good.
As we age and become seniors, decisions we have to make, are very stressful. It's like we get more sensitive about things, after getting older or maybe it's just me. When I was younger I could do all kinds of things, without it bothering me at all. Not now, it really affects me, even burying my dogs, or trying to make the right decision financially. Stress comes on, no matter what happens to me, in this day and time. I often wondered if it's just me, or if that happens to others too.
For me, anything that creates a sense of accomplishment will alleviate stress. Whether it is fixing something, building something or a good hard workout, it brings about a feeling of well being and accomplishment. The quickest method for me is a workout. One could say that all I’m doing is getting my mind off of things that bother me which might be true but during a training session, the release of Serotonin and Dopamine is automatic and one can’t exclude the Endorphin rush one gets during a good set.
I could never think of the death of a companion animal as anything other than one of the very most stressful events, regardless of age. Been there, done that too many times and it just rips me apart every time.
True Thomas, I know the last one I buried really got to me, had her for thirteen years, and Becky was with me all the time, like my sidekick. Stressed the heck out of me, when she passed.
That's exactly what I do too, Bobby always seems to help me. Hows are your eyes doing now? Did you get the other done?
Yup, I got the other one done but I still have to wear glasses and I’m hoping to get those sometime late this week. It will indeed be a most glorious day when I can see without squinting.
Hi Jake, When I moved to Corpus Christi in 1999 to live, I had a lot of stress in the preceding 12 months including a divorce, death of my close brother, moving, and so on. Which is why I researched the web and discovered the Holmes-Rahe stress test. This stress test gives a list of stressors and a point score for each. I checked the stressors that applied and added them up to get my total score. The total score then revealed my stress level and what to expect health-wise in the next two years. For instance, some of items listed on the Holmes-Rahe test are Death of a spouse (100), Divorce (73), Retirement from work (45), and so on. After marking my stressors, I had a total score of 363. The meaning of the total scores was given as less than 150 points meant low stress; 150 to 300 meant a 50% chance of health issue in the next two years; 300 or more raised the odds of a health issue to about 80%. With a score of 363, I was warned of a possible health issue. However, my health was fine for the next two years and beyond. So I lucked out. After leaving my first wife (the wicked witch of the West), I had found the love of my life in Corpus Christi, who was probably the reason I had no subsequent health issues. Bottom line: The stress test does include both good and bad stressors. I think the test is a tool worth knowing about in case anyone is having stress issues. Here is a link to the stress test: https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory Caio, John
Thank you, John, it sounds like you were married to my first wife, she ended up a wicked witch too, only lasted three years and I divorced her. I will go take that stress test after I get a little more caught up on my chores. I have to see if I am above your 363, and sure glad it wasn't any health issues for you, hope I am that lucky.