_____ is the term used to describe the level of stress that is good for a person and is one of the assets for achieving peak performance and managing minor crises.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Eustress
Option (1) Eustress — Correct. Not all stress is bad. Eustress is the term for the level of stress that is good for you and is one of a person’s best assets for achieving peak performance and managing minor crises, the very words of the question.
Option (2) Distress — Incorrect. Distress is what eustress can turn into: the harmful form of stress that causes the body’s wear and tear. It lowers performance instead of raising it.
Option (3) Acute Stress — Incorrect. Acute stress is short-term stress that arises from a sudden demand or threat, such as a near-accident on the road, and fades once the situation is over. The term tells how long stress lasts, not whether it is good for a person.
Option (4) Strain — Incorrect. Strain is the reaction to external stressors such as noise or crowding. It names the stress response in general, not a helpful level of stress.
Note 1: The term in Option (3), ‘acute stress’, is not explained in the 2023-24 NCERT, which NTA followed in 2025, nor in NCERT (2025-26); both books only name Acute Stress Disorder among the trauma-related disorders. It is explained here for the benefit of the students.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 31-05-2023 (Slot 3).
NCERT (2025-26): “Nature, Types and Sources of Stress … It is important to remember that not all stress is inherently bad or destructive. ‘Eustress’ is the term used to describe the level of stress that is good for you and is one of a person’s best assets for achieving peak performance and managing minor crisis. Eustress, however, has the potential of turning into ‘distress’. It is this latter manifestation of stress that causes our body’s wear and tear.…” |