Beyond Good and Bad Stress: Recognising the Impact of Silly Stress
When discussing the topic of stress, the typical focus is on the dichotomy between “good stress” and “bad stress”. However, there is a third, often overlooked type of stress that can have a significant impact on our overall well-being – what is sometimes referred to as “silly stress”.
Silly stress encompasses the small, seemingly insignificant stressors that we encounter in our day-to-day lives. Something that we know is insignificant, or that isn’t really going to have a devastating consequence if it doesn’t happen just so.
These could be things like getting bothered by the TV volume being on an odd number, agonising over the “right” way to orient the toilet paper roll, or stressing about how someone chooses to eat a particular food item. While these types of stressors may seem trivial, research has shown that the accumulation of them can actually contribute to elevated stress levels and undermine our ability to cope with more significant challenges.
As leaders, it’s important to be attuned not only to the eustress and distress experienced by yourself and your team, but also to this third category of silly stress. By identifying these minor stressors, you can gain valuable insights into how individuals are truly processing and managing the demands placed upon them.
