The Broad Nature of Stress
Stress is related to an ongoing environment condition and to one’s own perception of and reactions to this environmental condition. It is important to note that stress is not the same thing as trauma. Traumatic events are often immediately life-threatening, whereas stress doesn’t typically constitute an immediate existential threat. We are not “killed” by a pending job performance review or pile of unpaid bills. Rather, the challenging job or financial hardship is a long-term source of potential threat. Stress is usually sustained over time rather than being a sudden intrusion.
Negative stress is defined as anything that poses a sustained challenge or threat to our well-being. Conversely, positive stress is defined as anything that poses a sustained challenge which leads to new learning, excitement or an ultimate release of tension. For instance, we can find the climbing of a rock face to be challenging, but also exciting and highly rewarding—just as learning and mastering a difficult piano score can be a source of initial anxiety and later a source of personal pride. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes this state of positive stress as a threshold between anxiety and boredom—and provides a label (“flow”) for the remarkable experience associated with the state when we are navigating the rock face or music score.
Of greatest importance for some interested in getting a good night of sleep is the role played by positive stressors as motivators for change and guides for movement towards a more harmonic state of wellness—this is where our previous essay on exercise comes in. We recognize while on the rock face that some time each week needs to be set aside for exercise and outdoor experience—whether it is climbing the rock face or running five miles.
We would suggest that there are additional benefits associated with positive stress and sleep. Positive stress leads us to pay better attention to our health (including pathways associated with components two and three) – and thereby get a better night of sleep. While playing the piano, we come to recognize that it is important for us to take care of our health if we are to continue enjoying the music. We seek out “flow” and recognize that life is worth living in health. We want to frequently find flow in our work, our family and our time of re-creation—so we try to remain healthy.
