How Stress Can Be Good For Your Progress

Stress. It’s a word that often carries negative connotations, in so many ways. However, not all stress is bad. In fact, there’s a key distinction between negative stress and positive stress: two forces that play very different roles in our lives, especially when it comes to improving our skills and performance. Positive stress, also known as eustress, can be incredibly beneficial for training and progress, while negative stress (distress) often hinders growth and leads to burnout.

Recently, Emotiv’s Tan Le discussed the concept of good stress with Wayne and Jimmy Lin on the Aimlabs Podcast. It’s the pressure that comes from challenging situations, like preparing for a big game or trying to hit a new personal best in training. In this state, we’re out of our comfort zone, but it’s not overwhelming. Instead, it motivates us to rise to the occasion, sharpen our focus, and enhance our capabilities. This form of stress is particularly important in the context of cognitive load, where the brain is challenged to process more information, adapt, and solve complex problems. Essentially, it’s training the brain to handle more, which is vital for improving performance.

Cognitive stress, or cognitive load, is a key element of effective training. When we engage in tasks that challenge our attention, decision-making, and reaction time, like those involved in precision training, gaming, or high-performance competition, our brain is under cognitive stress. This isn’t a bad thing; in fact, it’s crucial for making progress. By pushing the brain to work harder in a controlled manner, we improve our ability to manage complexity and make decisions under pressure, both of which are vital for achieving success in competitive environments.

However, it’s important to find a balance. Too much negative stress can overwhelm us, leading to anxiety, burnout, and a decrease in performance. You might experience this in the form of tilt, or being distracted by stress outside of your game. When we feel a healthy amount of pressure or cognitive load, however, we start to develop the mental resilience necessary to handle difficult situations more effectively. This is why stepping outside of your comfort zone during training, whether it’s in a game or practice session, is so important. It’s through these moments of discomfort and challenge that we experience real growth and improvement. So next time you feel the pressure, don’t back down: embrace it as a tool for pushing your limits and reaching new heights.