Nathan BarryFounder and CEO, Kit · Founder and CEO at Kit

Not All Stress Is Bad - Neuroscientist Explains

5 Jul 2025 · 1 min

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0:45

In this segment of the YouTube video, the neuroscientist explains that stress functions as a signal that can be either harmful (distress) or beneficial (eustress). Distress is the type of stress that harms health and performance, while eustress is the motivating, growth‑promoting stress that pushes learning and development. The speaker emphasizes that having no stress leads to boredom, whereas excessive stress leads to anxiety and sleep problems. The key practical takeaway is to assess both the type and the amount of stress you’re experiencing, aiming for a “Goldilocks” zone where stress is present but not overwhelming, thereby optimizing performance and well‑being.

Chapters

In the book, you talk about stress as a signal. What does that mean and how do you think about it? Being stressed is bad, but there are actually two kinds of stress. There's distress and eustress. Distress is the bad kind of stress. Eustress means good stress. Good stress is the kind of stress that makes you push yourself to learn more and to grow. If you have zero stress, then you're bored. If you have too much stress, then we get into anxious territory where it impacts your sleep and all of that. So paying attention to stress as a signal is really about asking yourself first, what kind of stress are you are you experiencing? Are you experiencing right now? Is it the good kind or the bad kind? And how's the amount? How's the temperature for you? Like, is it, is it too much? Is it too little? Are you in that Goldilocks zone? Because that's where you want to be.