Stress Management: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Introduction

Feeling overwhelmed? You aren’t the only one. 

The American Institute of Stress reports in article “Stress in Teens and Young Adults” that 70% of American high school teen students see their peers suffering from anxiety and depression. Moreover, the article mentions that while the American adult stress has an average of 3.8, the American teen has an average of 5.8. While these statistics might seem alarming, it wouldn’t be considered abnormal behavior for a teen in this generation to read these facts and agree. With the silent pressures set by parents, teachers, peers, and even themselves, American teens have a lot on their plate.

Additional factors contributing to the already heavy load that American student teens carry, that you might relate to, include the following: 

• Financial instability  

• Physical insecurities 

• Mental complications 

• Worry for the future 

• Grief 

Good Stress: Understanding and Utilizing 

With this, piled up with much more, it is easy for students to become burdened under feelings of overwhelm and constant stress. However, contrary to earlier claims, stress can be seen in a more positive light. This shocking statement might spark some doubt, but it has been tried and proven from research done in differing prestigious institutions that show otherwise. In fact, Firdaus Dhabhar, PHD, writes in an article for Stanford Medicine speaking about this. He writes, “Most of us come to think that stress is bad for us, but it is really part of our fundamental survival system.”

The associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of research at Stanford explains that the beneficial components come from acute short-term stress, additionally mentioning that the benefits from these forms of stress come when they are triggered “in the right circumstances”,  rather than chronic and long-term stress. He further writes that  these types of stress, specifically short-term stress, is good stress for the body since it is “the fight or flight stress response is nature’s fundamental survival mechanism.” 

Fun Fact: Stanford Medicine is known for its medical education, contributions to biomedical research, and pioneering advancements in areas such as organ transplantation!

What is Good Stress? 

Elizabeth Scott, PhD, writes more on the benefits of good stress for an article published in 2023 for Verywellmind. In it, she writes, “Good stress is the type of stress we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens and our hormones surge, but there is no threat or fear.” Furthermore, according to the Yerkes-Dodson Law, stress can actually improve performance. (To a certain point!) 

Fun Fact: Good stress is also known as “eustress” by psychologists!

Recap: Good Stress vs Bad Stress 

Good Stress

Good stress does NOT cause any threat or fear mentally/physically.

Good stress can form resilience.

It is usually classified as:

• Short-term stress 

• Acute 

Bad Stress

Bad stress can cause anxiety and levels of paranoia to INCREASE. 

Bad stress can cause negative health effects.

It is usually classified as:

• Long-term stress 

• Chronic 

The Problem 

Dhabhar draws attention to an evident yet fair point:  Stress is still seen by the majority as a problem.

It’s understandable why someone would find it hard to believe that stress could be good for you. Because of its shown detrimental effects to all ages including insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and reason for triggering panic attacks. To make matters worse, stress has been shown to have a physical impact, such as weakened immunity, heart disease, and digestive issues, as well. (Mayo Clinic)

What Others Are Doing: 

But what can we do?

Let's take a look at what universities and other prestigious and esteemed establishments are doing to help fight stress. 

With stress becoming a rising problem, it is no surprise to see that there are several studies being conducted to help find a way to hone stress and make it favorable. For example, the Health Resource Network (HRN) has stated that their mission is to educate people on how  stress management is more than just different techniques but is also how we interact with obstacles in our daily lives and how we treat ourselves and others around us. This is a simple but efficient way to reach out to many and talk about a problem that should be talked about much more.

Furthermore, research findings from a study that aimed to discover which stress management techniques would be most efficient in workplace settings published by the Sage Journals found the including:

• Physiological improvement came with muscle relaxation. 

• Psychological improvement came with cognitive-behavioral skills.

• Biofeedback was used the least and was shown to be the least effective.

• Meditation improved the outcomes in several domains, but was only used in 6 of the experiments. 

• A combination of these stress management techniques (2 or more) found a higher level of improved outcome in comparison to an individual technique.

What YOU Can Do

Firstly, it is of most importance to acknowledge that you are never alone. As cliche as it sounds, there will always be someone out there willing to listen to you, regardless of how important you think your problem is. Reach out to a family member, a friend, a trusted adult, etc! Remember that you aren’t fighting your battles alone. Understanding that on its own can do so much for you. Here are other ways you can fight stress healthily and effectively! 

• Remember to take breaks during work or in any stressful scenario 

• Take deep breaths! Regulate your breathing and your pulse.

• Take a nap! When we’re tired, it’s best to give our body and mind a break and let ourselves rest. 

• Talk to a friend. Friends make everything better, and the burden is always less with someone who is there to carry it with you. 

• Find the root of the problem! What is causing your stress? How can you minimize its impact on you? Is this something you really should be worrying about? What can you do? Asking yourself questions like these can be very helpful when sorting out problems.  

Final Thoughts

I hope that after reading this, you’ve found answers to what you might have been looking for, or you’ve learned something new about stress! Thank you so much for reading and don’t forget to tune in for more in the future! 

Written by Gabrielle B and researched by Keegan W

2025 The HEAL Project