Time Under Tension

Spark #120 - Choose the kind of stress that builds you, not breaks you.

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Stress isn’t the enemy.
Chronic stress is.

The kind that simmers under the surface.
Clenched jaw. Tight gut. Racing mind.
That kind will wreck you.

But not all stress is bad.
Some of it builds you.

It’s called eustress— healthy stress.¹
It’s the kind of “good” stress that wakes you up.
Sharpens your edge.
Makes you stronger.

I call it time under tension.
When you’re just outside your comfort zone.
On purpose.
To expand. To grow.

I look for it every day.

• Go heavier. Go faster.

• Speak the truth.

• Take the steeper trail.

• Let them see you.

• Take the road less traveled.

• Go against the norm.

• Do the hard thing.

You get the point.

Comfort keeps you stuck.
Time under tension moves you forward.

✨Time under tension builds you.

I coach people through it. Reach out if you're ready.

1. Concept of eustress explored in The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal, PhD (Avery, 2015)