When most people think of stress, they think of exhaustion, anxiety, or burnout. But science tells a more nuanced story: stress is not always harmful. In fact, under certain conditions, stress can be energizing, motivating, and even performance-enhancing.
This is what psychologists and biologists refer to as positive stress — a normal and adaptive response that helps you deal with challenges and grow stronger from them. In this article, we’ll explore what positive stress is, how your mindset influences it, and why personality traits can make a difference in how you experience stress.
Stress Isn’t Always the Enemy
Stress is a condition of the body that helps us to cope with pressure, not to destroy us. Biologically, the stress response — which includes increased heart rate, heightened attention, and a burst of energy — is the body’s way of preparing to handle a demanding situation.
Think of athletes preparing for a race, a speaker stepping on stage, or a paramedic arriving at the scene of an emergency. In these cases, stress sharpens focus, mobilizes resources, and improves reaction time. That’s positive stress at work.
Psychologists often refer to this beneficial form of stress as “eustress” — a state of activation that helps you perform better without overwhelming you. Eustress is short-term, manageable, and perceived as within your capacity to handle.
Reframing Stress: A Scientific Perspective
Whether stress feels helpful or harmful isn’t just about the situation — it’s also about how you interpret it. A growing body of research in cognitive psychology shows that your mindset about stress determines its impact on your performance and health.
One of the most compelling studies comes from the Journal of Experimental Psychology (Jamieson et al., 2022). In this study, university students were split into two groups before a math test. One group received a brief explanation of how the stress response enhances focus and improves outcomes. The other group was told to ignore their stress.
The result? Students who reframed stress as helpful had lower cortisol levels, less test anxiety, and better performance. Those who were told to suppress or ignore stress performed worse over time. The takeaway: acknowledging and positively reframing stress is more effective than avoidance.
The Role of Personality: Why It’s Easier for Some Than Others
Not everyone finds it easy to see stress in a positive light. Research suggests that your personality plays a significant role in how you respond to stress.
- People high in neuroticism (a trait marked by emotional reactivity and anxiety) are more likely to interpret stress as threatening and overwhelming.
- Those higher in optimism or conscientiousness are more likely to view stressors as challenges to be managed or mastered.
- High levels of self-efficacy — the belief in one’s ability to succeed — are linked to greater use of adaptive coping strategies like reframing.
Importantly, these tendencies are not fixed. Even individuals prone to negative emotions can learn to reframe stress through practice and targeted interventions.
What Makes Stress “Positive”?
So what determines whether a stress response is positive or harmful? Research points to three key factors:
- Perceived control
If you feel you have the resources to meet a demand, stress is energizing. If not, it becomes threatening. - Duration
Short-term stress can enhance memory, immunity, and problem-solving. Long-term (chronic) stress can have the opposite effect, leading to fatigue and illness. - Recovery
The ability to downregulate after stress (e.g., through rest, sleep, social support) is essential for maintaining health.
Changing the Narrative Around Stress
Not all stress is toxic. When properly managed and understood, stress can be a source of growth, clarity, and even meaning. The key lies in reframing — changing your interpretation of stress from a threat to a challenge. This mental shift has measurable physiological effects and can significantly improve both well-being and performance.
And while some personality traits may make reframing more difficult, the ability to adopt a more adaptive stress mindset can be developed — just like any skill.
