How to Make the Most of good stress and Manage the Bad

<p><b>How to Make the Most of good stress and Manage the Bad by Marissa Downes</b></p> <p>Stress, or more accurately distress, occurs when the demands on a person exceed their abilities, skills, or coping strategies.</p> <p>“Stress is a response to a threat in any situation and is the body’s way of protecting you,” says Laura Kampel, a Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Black Dog Institute.</p> <p>It’s essential to recognise that stress is ‘designed’ to be a short-term experience and can even be helpful in many situations (more on healthy stress or eustress later).</p> <p>However, too much stress too often, or chronic stress, can take a heavy toll on our health, wellbeing, performance and our relationships.</p> <p><b>Stress levels in Australia are rising</b>.</p> <p>A survey conducted by the Australian Psychological Society found the wellbeing of Australians has been declining in recent years, with respondents reporting lower levels of wellbeing and higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety.</p> <p>The survey on Stress and Wellbeing in Australia found:</p> <ul><li>Younger adults between 18 to 25 consistently reported lower levels of wellbeing</li><li>Personal finance, health, and family issues are the top stressors across all age groups.</li><li>Pressure to maintain a healthy lifestyle was the fourth most common cause of stress.</li><li>Most Australians surveyed felt that stress impacted their physical health (72%) and mental health (64%), but very few reported seeking professional help.</li><li>More than one in 10 Australians (12%) reported that keeping up with social media networks contributed to their overall stress levels.</li><li>According to research from Headspace and the National Union of Students, 83.2% of Australian universities and their students reported that stress negatively affected their health and wellbeing.</li></ul> <p><b>There’s more to stress because it is more than <i>distress</i></b>.</p> <p>Today the word stress is synonymous with distress. There is a common belief th