%20(1500%20x%20550%20px)%20(1500%20x%20650%20px)%20(3).png)
We all experience stress—but not all stress is created equal. If you've been feeling drained, unfocused, or disconnected from what matters to you, the issue may not be how much stress you have in your life, but the type of stress you're dealing with.
Understanding the difference between distress and eustress is the first step toward taking control of your energy, health and long-term fulfilment.
Watch the full video here:
Now, let’s break it down.
Negative stress—known as distress—occurs when you’re engaging in activities that lack meaning for you. These are often tasks you feel forced to do, that offer no sense of purpose or fulfilment. Over time, distress can lead to burnout, overwhelm and even illness.
This isn’t just a mindset issue. As explained in How the Mind-Body Connection Works, chronic negative stress impacts every system in your body. When your nervous system stays stuck in a reactive state, your ability to return to balance becomes impaired.
On the flip side, eustress—also called positive stress—is the kind of activation that energises you. It arises when you're doing something aligned with your values, passions and purpose. You still feel challenged, but in a way that feels meaningful. This is the kind of stress that promotes growth, not illness.
You might think a stress-free life—lounging on the beach, avoiding all responsibility—sounds ideal. But your body and brain are built for stimulation. Without challenge, bone density drops, metabolic function slows, and long-term wellness declines.
The key is not to avoid stress altogether, but to create a balance of challenge and support, as described in The Key to Personal Growth. Maximum growth happens at the edge of comfort, not in the absence of pressure.
So how do you shift out of draining distress and into energising eustress?
To build more eustress into your life, you first need to get clear on your values. What truly matters to you? What are your intrinsic motivations?
If you’re not sure, this article on Voids and Values is a great place to start. Once you identify what you’re deeply inspired by, you can start designing your life around it.
This may involve shifting your career, your daily habits or your long-term goals to align with your values. But even before big life changes, you can make meaningful shifts by reframing how you see your current tasks.
Until your external reality aligns with your values, there’s a second path to eustress: connecting what you're already doing to what matters most.
Start by asking:
For example, if you spend hours creating presentations for work, you might realise it’s helping you become more confident, creative or organised—skills you can later use to build your own dream project. As explored in How We Make Decisions, short-term obligations can support long-term fulfilment when connected with meaning.
This reframe helps transform the emotional weight of obligation into inspiration.
Distress doesn’t just affect your mind—it often shows up physically. You may feel it in your neck, shoulders or back.
In fact, stress-related tension is often tied to muscle imbalances, which is something we explore more in 3 Efficient Exercises to Relieve Neck Pain and Breathing Exercises to Decompress Your Rib Cage.
As you shift toward eustress, you may find not only more energy and focus—but also less physical discomfort.
This is the long game.
When you design a lifestyle that naturally incorporates eustress, you set yourself up for better health, stronger resilience and greater life satisfaction. You’re no longer just reacting to life—you’re building it consciously.
To help support that journey, consider the practices outlined in Free Yourself From Motivation or explore Mind and Body Synergy to build deeper integration between your values and your daily routine.
If this topic resonated with you, check out more resources on the blog or explore specific articles like Why You Keep Failing to Achieve Your Goals for guidance on sustainable change.
You’re not meant to eliminate stress. You’re meant to choose the kind that helps you grow.