Eustress - Occupational Eustress

Occupational Eustress

Much of the research on eustress has focused on its presence in the workplace. In the workplace, stress can often be interpreted as a challenge, which generally denotes positive eustress, or as a hindrance, which refers to distress that interferes with one's ability to accomplish a job or task. Relationships have been shown between how one appraises an occupational stress and how one chooses a coping style. Emotion-focused coping strategies have been related to threat appraisals and distress while task-focused coping have been related to challenge appraisal and eustress. Research has focused on increasing eustress in the workplace, in an effort to promote positive reactions to an inevitably stressful environment. Techniques such as Stress Management Interventions (SMI) have been employed to increase occupational eustress. SMI's often incorporate exercise, meditation, and relaxation techniques to decrease distress and increase positive perceptions of stress in the workplace. Rather than decrease stress in the workplace, SMI techniques attempt to increase eustress with positive reactions to stressful stimuli.