Productive vs. toxic stress

How to tell the difference between productive stress and toxic stress 🧠⚡

⚡ Productive stress feels like: "This is hard, but I can figure it out."
Your heart rate elevates, but your thinking stays sharp.
You feel energized after tackling the challenge, and you sleep well that night. You're stretching your capacity, not breaking it.

📛 Toxic stress feels like: "This is impossible, and I'm drowning."
Your mind races but can't focus.
You feel depleted even after small wins, and your sleep is restless or non-existent.
You're operating beyond your recovery capacity, and your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

The litmus test I use with founders:
➡️ Can you articulate what success looks like in this stressful situation, and do you believe it's achievable with the resources you have?
✅ If yes, it's productive stress that's building your resilience.
🚫 If no, you're in toxic stress territory that's eroding your decision-making and leadership effectiveness.

The fix isn't eliminating stress - it's recalibrating it.
Sometimes that means breaking impossible challenges into possible pieces. Sometimes it means getting the resources you actually need instead of trying to be a hero.

This stress calibration work is foundational to the performance psychology coaching I do with founders who want to scale without burning out.