In moderation, stress can be healthy and life-enhancing. It can energize us and push us to greater levels of creativity, courage or strength. Stress can also be a gift. It can make us aware of areas of our life that need changing, and it can motivate us to make those changes. But too much stress, or stress that last for a long time, can also hurt our health and shorten our lives.
Stress comes in many different forms and at many different times.
An important part of understanding something is the ability to name it. One step in stress management is to be able to identify when you are experiencing stress and when you are not. Then you have the awareness of what stresses you and what doesn't, and you have important information about how you respond to stress. From here, you can start to identify and learn which stress management strategies work best for you. The type or amount of stress that is distressing is for you can be different that what stresses someone else.