Too much stress—or stress that continues for a long time—can cause serious physical and emotional problems. These problems include trouble sleeping, sickness, and pain. Heart disease and even cancer probably result from stress. Moreover, people under stress are in more danger of having an accident at work or while driving, and they might start bad habits more easily such as smoking or eating too much.
It is important to point out that stress is not always bad, however. Actually, today’s busy lifestyles lead to two kinds of stress—eustress and distress. Eustress is the effect of positive events that cause a change in a person’s life. Eustress provides the amount of stress that is just right for a person to grow, to stay energetic, and to feel happy with life. For instance, getting married is a happy life event for most people. However, getting married is also a big change, so it causes stress. Distress, on the other hand, is the effect of bad or difficult experiences. Problems with money, school, or relationships are common causes of distress in modern life. According to the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale (1967), the death of a husband, wife, or child causes the most distress in a person’s life. Distress can cause serious health and emotional problems, but eustress can actually improve a person’s well being.