Under pressure: how stress can change our lives for the better

Stress and emotional tension tends to be associated with distress – but a form called ‘eustress’ can be healthy and productiveStress has become a defining feature of the 21st century, contributing to the mental-health crisis, fuelling a boom in mindfulness apps and even, science has suggested, affecting unborn children. But it is not always the villain it is made out to be. Psychologists are keen to arm us with the knowledge that some stress can be good, healthy and productive.