Estres bueno

Today, I'm on my way to the fair with my children. We're meeting some friends for a day of fun. There are many cool things at the fair, but what beckons me to drive a considerable distance to immerse myself in an environment where my children will beg to buy cheap toys for triple their value, rides have been known to fall apart mid-spin, and virtually all the food is deep-fried (including Oreos and Twinkies--I'm not making this up!) is the promise of stress. Specifically, eustress. And most of my fellow fair-goers are doing it for the same reason. (Okay, I'm sure some will be there for the deep-fried Oreos, too.)

We do this because eustress is the 'good kind of stress' that keeps us feeling vital and alive. That's right, it's good to have some stress in life, if it's eustress. It keeps us healthy. It comes from exciting activities like riding roller coasters or playing tag, as well as from meeting challenges and pushing ourselves to succeed at areas in which we have talent. (Read this for more about types of stress.)

Things get more risky for our health and wellbeing if we experience repeated, negative stress known as chronic stress. Rather than coming from challenges and fun events, chronic stress is that negative stress that we experience when we have a stressful work environment, conflict at home, or other situations where the stress seems constant and inescapable, or excessive. Many of us experience this, too.

There are also those who don't have enough eustress in their lives from riding roller-coasters and taking on new challenges, and unwittingly create too much busy-ness or drama in their lives. Adrenaline junkies, stress addicts, drama queens--we all know them (and some of you reading this are them). There's a limit to how much stress is healthy, and those who cause excessive drama in their own lives--especially if they're not aware that they're doing it--are at risk of surpassing that limit.

Read more about types of stress and how to handle it in healthy ways, if you don't already know. It's an important part of stress management, and can help you create a healthier lifestyle. And, while you're working on a healthier lifestyle, be sure not to eat too many deep-fried Oreos!