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 productive

Stress 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. This type is known as "eustress" and without it, they say, our lives would be dull and meaningless.

"Stress has got such a bad rap," says Daniela Kaufer, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley. "There's this perception that stress is always bad for the brain, but that's not true. Your stress response is crucial to your survival. It elevates your performance, is super-important for alertness and prepares you to adapt to the next thing that comes along."