Eustress: Stress Can Actually Improve Your Life. Here's All You Need To Know

In contemporary times, there are a lot of factors that can affect our well-being and stress is one of the most common culprits that often destroys our peace of mind. But according to experts, not all stress is bad.

Work pressure and lack of time to unwind or connect with a friend for emotional support are often causes of stress that tend to get overlooked in the modern lifestyle. There is little doubt that being stressed out with no outlet can leave one feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope with mental breakdowns.

Stress often gets a bad rap and understandably so. However, some experts have argued that it can also be a motivator for survival. While we may be in the pursuit of an antidote to the "bad stress," there's a thing called "good stress" that can actually help us navigate life better.

Difference between good stress and bad stress:

Experts have classified stress into two types -- good stress and bad stress. While the latter quickens the pulse and causes the hormones to surge, posing a threat to emotional well-being, the former, commonly known as eustress, encourages a person to overcome many hurdles.

Eustress emerges from the adrenaline rush a person has while watching a scary movie or bumping into his crush in a crowded place. This type of stress gets a person pumped up, excited and intrigued, and most importantly, fills them up with confidence.

Here are some reasons why eustress is actually the best thing to happen to you:

Motivates you: Someone who never experiences stress may never feel the need to improve their life. When the good stress hits you, you're motivated to complete the tasks at hand rather than whiling your time away. According to a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, "eustress" protects the mind against oxidative damage and significantly delays brain aging.

Makes you productive: Stress can help strike a balance between work and recreation. While acute stress can trigger depression and other mental conditions, a little bit of it can actually keep a person accountable for his/her actions and inspire to do better in life. "Medium levels of stress can enhance our motivation," Kathleen Gunthert, a professor of Psychology at American University, told Time. "We have all had the experience saying, "Oh I’ve got to get such and such done" but not being able to find the motivation to do it until we are stressed because it is due the next day and all of a sudden the motivation is there."

Improves relationships: Stress triggers oxytocin, which is crucial to a great social life. A person who has learned to regulate stress and find comfort in his own company can feel happier and manage to keep the bad stress at bay. "In times of stress, social support can serve as a potent buffering mechanism that enhances resilience. In humans, stress can promote protective affiliative interactions and prosocial behavior," according to a 2016 study.

Helps acquire new skills: Chronic stress interrupts learning but good stress pushes you to set goals and achieve them. It can be quite the motivator to discover and learn new life skills that can go a long way in improving your overall well-being.

Betters your health: Experts believe that eustress positively impacts the human body and builds resilience against several diseases. Eustress accelerates the release of sugar into the bloodstream, which can help repair tissues, decrease inflammation, improve heart health and overall endurance.