Final answer:
Eustress is a positive, motivating form of stress that can enhance performance and well-being, as opposed to distress, which is excessive and debilitating. A moderate amount of eustress can lead to peak performance, but too much stress becomes counterproductive and harmful.
Step-by-step explanation:
A force that motivates and energizes you rather than makes you anxious and frustrated is called eustress. Eustress is a type of stress that is associated with positive feelings, optimal health, and performance, and was introduced by Hans Selye as part of his stress theory. This form of stress can be beneficial, for example, in spurring athletes to perform at their best during competitions or aiding students in focusing and remembering information during exams. By contrast, severe test anxiety which hampers performance is a type of distress, referring to stress that has become excessive and debilitating.
Understanding the impact of eustress can help individuals recognize when stress is a motivating force and when it becomes harmful. Optimally, increasing levels of stress can improve performance, a phenomenon depicted in performance models as an inverted-U curve, reaching peak performance at an optimal level of stress. Beyond this peak, however, stress becomes detrimental to health and performance.