Eustress

In the last byte, we looked at the criticism on Two-Factor Theory. In today's byte, we look at Eustress and its influence in motivation.

Eustress can be defined as a pleasant or curative stress. It is the healthy, normal stress that sometimes gets us to perform to the best of our ability. Research has found that, it is Eustress that enables athletics perform better in competition, it also synchs with one's attempt to delivering a speech. This positive stress ensures that the speaker is prepared well for the speech and takes greater care to deliver the speech well.

Eustress is part of the new discipline of positive organizational scholarship that includes study on investing in strengths, finding positive meaning of work displaying courage and principled action and drawing on positive emotions at work. This approach to work enhances hope and optimism and there by health for people at work. The focus in these studies is on the individual's interpretation of events as a source of motivation.

Eustress is a manifestation of this broad, positive perspective - people begin to see opportunities when they would otherwise have felt obstacles, they begin to interpret the barriers as challenges in their path. The pressure tends to keep them motivated and not frustrate them in their daily activities.

We shall continue the discussion on positive energy and full engagement in the next byte.