Yes, we all know about DISTRESS, but are you familiar with EUSTRESS???
Eustress is defined as moderate or normal stress that comes from happy events, not sad ones.
Here are some examples of eustress and distress. However… Each person might experience the same event differently. An event that can be EUSTRESS to one, might be DISTRESS to another. Therefore, it’s important not to judge… (Caution: The following examples might not be true for everyone.)
Eustress
- Preparing for yomtov
- Having a baby
- Making a wedding for your child
- Having the married kids and grandkids visiting from Israel or abroad and moving into your home for two weeks.
- Shopping for a holiday or a simcha
- Having your entire family and both in-laws for the seder
- Going skydiving or parasailing
Distress
- Having a flood in the basement Erev Pesach
- The kids spilling a 64oz bottle of sticky apple juice all over the just-washed dining room floor and it’s 15 minutes to Shabbos
- Too much to do and too little time to do it
- A family member being very ill
- A flight being cancelled at the last second
- A child having learning and behavioral challenges
What to do? First, recognize that even eustress is stressful. Yeah, it is caused by a happy event, but our body still reacts to the stress. Second, acknowledge the stress, feel compassion for yourself, and do kind things to take good care of yourself.
By acknowledging our stress and doing self-care, we shrink the big feelings in the seltzer bottle, thus reducing the likelihood of doing and saying things we might later regret.