Stress. We all have it, at every age and every stage of life. Some days have more, and some days have less.

Although the words good and stress might not seem like a likely duo—they actually do fit together. Turns out, there are certain types of stress that are actually good for you. They help you feel more alive, energetic, and help you function at your highest level.

Rise to the challenge

Trying to figure out something new and unfamiliar can be a little stressful and become a challenge. Challenges can bring out the best in people. Challenges cause you to muster up your inner resources and resolve. Those resources could be physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, or emotional and can solve issues large or small. Think of Olympians like Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White. They undoubtedly experienced a huge adrenaline rush as they began their gold-medal races. Having to rise to the challenge.

Maybe one of your kiddos is learning to read and needs help in order to succeed. You rise to the challenge by finding age-appropriate books, asking questions of experts, and researching teaching techniques online. Rather than seeing the circumstance as stressful, think of it as a way to nudge toward personal growth.

Or, maybe you're starting a home business for the first time. You know there’s lot to learn and do, so you’ve decided to take some online courses to learn these new skills—all while continuing to be a devoted spouse and super hero parent. Allow yourself to feel invigorated, knowing you’ll be able to rise to any challenge that life sends your way. This is the epitome of good stress.

Excitement and anticipation

Remember your wedding day and the butterflies you felt in your stomach? You were excited about the day and couldn’t wait for all the adventures that life would bring. Or the feeling of booking a long-anticipated trip?

The type of excitement and anticipation you experience during these big moments are types of stress. And, they’re really good for you. Enjoy the experience of these stressors. Play them up and enjoy the moments. Cultivate them. You’ll feel more alive as a result.

Brain booster

Stress can stretch you cognitively. It can boost your brain to do things you might not have expected. For example, say you get a promotion at work or you need to change your family's eating routine because of a newfound food allergy in one of your kids. In order to face those twists and turns, you brain begins to function at a whole new level. A level you didn't even know existed. You read more about different diets, learn more about certain ingredients, and ultimately feel more alert and focused.

Look for ways you can incorporate this type of stress into your life. You probably won't even see it as stress. You'll feel like you’re just taking the brainy person you already are for a walk.

Sense of endurance

You know what's really gratifying? Getting through something big that you might not have anticipated you could have ever endured before. These types of major challenges in life like getting through the sleepless nights of your newborn baby can make you feel like you just ran a marathon—and won. This type of stress brings a profound sense of endurance.

Thinking back to Olympians Vonn and White, they probably felt a sense of endurance as they reached the pinnacle of their careers. After years of training and hard work, this type of stress becomes very gratifying.

Each time you’re faced with good stress, it helps better prepare you for situations in the future. Think of it as toning up your stress muscles. You’re constantly making them strong and getting them ready to face the next obstacle with grace and confidence.

Relaxation response

Even so-called negative stress can be turned into good stress with a little help from none other than, you. Rather than seeing events, circumstances, people, and things as obstacles and problems—it's definitely possible to reframe them by thinking of them as challenges to help you do and be your absolute best.

When you practice different techniques and strategies, it brings out the relaxation response. This is good stress. For example, when you weave hobbies, enjoyable things, laughter, deep breathing, adequate sleep, and exercise into your day-to-day life—these stressors are handled in a positive way. The goal is to be an optimist, knowing things will work out in the end.

When you learn to maximize the positive stress in your life, you’ll see the world in a whole new light. The key is preventing negative stress from becoming chronic. As soon as you realize you’re under any kind of stress, quickly put yourself into action mode. If you notice stress building over time, quickly diffuse it. Immediately look for ways to help yourself respond and move into the relaxation response. This will ultimately help you transition bad stress into good stress.