SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — A new study by Zippia, a website for career assistance, shows that New York state is the fifth most stressed out state in the United States. But contrary to popular belief, stress isn’t always a bad thing, according to Lisa Olson-Gugerty, a public health expert teaching at Syracuse University.
“There are two types of stress: distress and eustress. Distress is the negative stress that we talk about, while eustress is good stress. It allows us to be happy and find joy in things,” said Olson-Gugerty. “We actually need stress in our daily life to be alive, to respond to things. But too much distress can negatively affect overall health. So it is definitely something we need to consider.”
She believes that this is a public health issue that needs to be addressed by the government first and foremost, but that individuals can also take action to reduce stress in their lives. According to Olson-Gugerty, the best way to do that is to “divide and conquer” — meaning identifying one’s stressors, one at a time, and then think of effective ways to intervene.
“You can exercise, you can walk, make better nutritional choices,” advised Olson-Gugerty. “And if stress leads you into bad habits, like smoking, think of ways you can change those bad habits.”
