3 Ways To Make Stress Your Ally, Not Your Enemy

The way you respond to stress matters more than you'd think. Here's how the 'stress paradox' can teach you this.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | April 17, 2025

While stress is often framed as the enemy of well-being, it can, paradoxically, serve as a powerful catalyst for personal growth. When we learn to engage with stress rather than avoid it, we can harness its energy to propel ourselves toward resilience, achievement and meaning.

Stress is a universal human experience, yet it's frequently misunderstood. Most of us associate it with negative outcomes — burnout, anxiety or overwhelm. But this narrative only captures one side of the story. Beneath its uncomfortable surface, stress is a deeply adaptive force, one that has shaped human survival and continues to shape our potential for growth.

At its evolutionary core, stress is a biological response designed to help us survive immediate threats. The "fight or flight" mechanism once helped our ancestors respond quickly to predators or environmental dangers. This response could mean the difference between life and death, making stress an essential part of survival.

Today, though the threats we face are more psychological than physical, this stress response still plays a vital role: it acts as a signal, alerting you to problems that need attention and motivating you to take action and adapt to your environment.

This dual nature of stress — the fact that it can harm or help depending on how we relate to it — is known as the "stress paradox." Without certain kinds of stress, you might lack the drive or urgency to succeed. By learning to distinguish its different forms and responding to them thoughtfully, you can leverage stress to improve your life.

Here are three types of stress that you can turn into opportunities for growth.

1. Eustress: Positive Stress

Eustress is the kind of stress that motivates you to perform at your best. It's the buzz you feel before a big presentation, the focused determination during a workout or the purposeful urgency of a new role at work. Unlike chronic distress, eustress enhances performance and resilience.

For instance, training for a marathon may be physically demanding, but the stress of the training schedule pushes you to improve your endurance, knowing that each step gets you closer to your goal. Even taking on a new responsibility at work — like leading a team or managing a major project — can bring eustress. It's challenging, but it drives you to rise to the occasion.

A 2024 study published in Stress & Health also found that when adolescents view stress as a challenge (eustress), they tend to demonstrate higher mental toughness. However, when they view stress as a threat (distress), their mental toughness is lower. Importantly, mindfulness practices were shown to enhance this adaptive framing — offering a way to stay grounded and open under pressure.

Here are two simple ways to embrace eustress.

• Use stress as a motivational tool. Instead of letting stress create anxiety, use it to fuel your passion. Before something big, channel your nervous energy into extra preparation or practice. Remind yourself that this stress shows that you care about the outcome and can motivate you to perform well.
• Reframe stressful situations as opportunities. Instead of viewing stress as a burden, see it as an opportunity to grow. For example, if you're anxious about an upcoming job interview, frame the experience as a chance to develop your communication skills and confidence, no matter the outcome.

2. Hypostress: The Stress Of Understimulation

While most people associate stress with being overwhelmed, there's another side to the spectrum — hypostress, or the stress caused by boredom and lack of challenge. Hypostress results from understimulation and can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction and eventually a decline in mental well-being.

Hypostress is especially common in situations where daily tasks feel repetitive or monotonous. Over time, this lack of stimulation can lead to feelings of emptiness or restlessness as your mind craves meaningful engagement, but remains unchallenged.

A 2024 study published in BMC Public Health also suggests that feeling bored at work doesn't just make people disengaged; it can actually lower their overall well-being.

Specifically, job boredom was associated with:

• Lower life satisfaction. People felt less fulfilled in general.
• Decreased positive functioning. They struggled to stay motivated and engaged in their daily life.
• Higher anxiety and depression. Boredom at work contributed to significant mental health issues.

Addressing hypostress involves finding ways to introduce novelty, creativity and purpose into daily tasks. Here are a few ways to do so:

• Set new challenges. Take on a side project or extra responsibility at work. You could learn a new skill like coding, public speaking or mastering a new language. You can also set specific performance goals and milestones along the way to make the process more rewarding.
• Incorporate creativity. Engage in activities like painting, writing or music. You can also try puzzles, strategy games or brain-training exercises to reawaken mental stimulation and enjoyment.
• Break your routine. Bring some variety into your daily schedule. You can also travel, even for short trips, to experience fresh perspectives and diverse cultures.
• Engage in meaningful activities. Volunteer for a cause you resonate with or join intellectually engaging communities that share your interests.

Hypostress reminds you that life needs balance — not just relief from stress but also meaningful engagement and challenge. It serves as a reminder that growth comes not just from overcoming challenges, but also from seeking new ones.

3. Hyperstress: A Sense Of Overwhelming Pressure

Hyperstress is that feeling of being stretched too thin and arises when life's demands exceed our perceived ability to cope. It's the experience of being chronically overwhelmed — juggling competing obligations, multitasking beyond limits and rarely feeling caught up. This kind of stress can drain your energy, lower your focus and negatively impact your health.

Research published in Experimental and Clinical Sciences highlights that stress has a dual function: in moderate doses, it promotes biological and psychological adaptation. But when stress becomes chronic or unmanageable, it can contribute to a range of illnesses — from cardiovascular disease to depressive disorders.

While hyperstress might seem indisputably negative, it can also serve as an important alarm to slow down, recalibrate and listen to your body. It's a signal that your physical and mental limits are being tested, urging you to pause and make adjustments.

If left unchecked, hyperstress can lead to burnout. However, by recognizing it early, you can use it as a tool for self-awareness and take steps to restore balance before things spiral any further. Sometimes, stepping back is the key to moving forward.

Here are a few ways to deal with hyperstress.

• Prioritize and delegate. Not all tasks are urgent. Clarify what matters most and delegate when possible. Let go of non-essential tasks that are draining your time and energy.
• Practice time management. Break tasks into smaller steps and focus on one thing at a time. For instance, you can try the Pomodoro technique — 25 minutes of work, then a 5-minute break.
• Set boundaries. Learn to say "no" when stretched thin, and especially do so preventatively, so that you don't have to get to the point of burnout. Set clear personal and professional boundaries to facilitate this.
• Take regular breaks. Short breaks with restorative activities like a walk or deep breathing can recharge your mind and prevent stress buildups.
• Physical activity. Regular exercise — even a quick walk — helps release stress and improves your mood.

Hyperstress often pushes you to your limits, but with mindful strategies, it's possible to regain control and create a healthier balance.

Stress, in all its forms, is a natural part of life, but it's how we respond to it that truly matters. Our reactions often determine whether it will overwhelm or motivate. This offers you a choice — to either meet stress with resistance, or with curiosity and self-care. By recognizing its message and learning to work with it, you can turn even the most difficult moments into catalysts for personal evolution.

Has stress distracted you from the present moment? Take this science-based test to find out if you are living mindfully: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.