The Psychology of Stretch: Why Challenge Fuels Your Growth and Engagement

Most of us think of wellbeing at work as avoiding stress, pressure, and burnout. While that’s important, the opposite extreme can also be damaging: work that feels repetitive, under-stimulating, or uninspiring.

The missing ingredient? Stretch.

Stretch is the experience of being challenged just beyond your comfort zone in ways that fuel growth. It’s not about working harder for the sake of it. It’s about engaging with the kind of challenges that expand your skills, spark your energy, and keep you connected to purpose.

Why Stretch Matters for You

Human beings are wired to grow. Motivation research tells us we thrive when three basic psychological needs are met:

• Autonomy: having a sense of choice and control
  
• Competence: feeling capable and effective, and
• Connection: relating to others meaningfully (Deci & Ryan, 2000)

Stretch directly feeds competence. When you take on something just beyond your current skill level, you prove to yourself that you can grow. That sense of mastery not only builds confidence, it strengthens engagement and resilience. Without it, work can quickly feel flat: too easy, too predictable, or simply disconnected from growth.

The Sweet Spot: Flow at Work

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described flow as the state where challenge and skill meet in perfect balance. You’ve likely felt it before:

• You’re absorbed in a task
  
• Time passes quickly
  
• You feel energised rather than drained

Flow is where motivation and performance peak. And the way to reach it more often? Seeking out healthy stretch.

Stretch vs. Strain

Not all challenge is equal. A helpful distinction is between stretch and strain:

• Stretch: Feels energising, builds confidence, is achievable with effort.

• Strain: Feels overwhelming, draining, or unmanageable; often linked with burnout.

The same role can involve both. For example, learning a new software system may feel like a healthy challenge if you have time and support, but a harmful strain if it’s piled on top of impossible deadlines. The difference often comes down to whether the challenge is supported, meaningful, and realistically achievable.

How You Can Seek Healthy Stretch

If you’re feeling stuck in your comfort zone or noticing strain creeping in there are ways to rebalance:

1. Look for “micro-stretch” opportunities:  Volunteer for a new project, shadow a colleague, or tackle a task that’s just outside your usual scope.

2. Craft your role:  Adjust how you approach tasks so they feel more challenging or meaningful. Even small tweaks can shift energy levels.

3. Ask for feedback: See feedback as a tool for growth, not just evaluation.

4. Embrace learning through mistakes: Stretch often involves stumbling. Each misstep is part of the growth process.

5. Check your supports:  Stretch is healthy when you have resources, guidance, and psychological safety. If those are missing, it may tip into strain.

What Organisations Can Do

While individuals can seek out stretch, the responsibility doesn’t rest on employees alone. Workplaces that support healthy challenge through job design, development pathways, and a culture that encourages experimentation create conditions where both people and performance thrive.

Too little challenge leads to disengagement and turnover.

Too much challenge without support leads to strain and burnout.

The right amount of stretch builds capability, creativity, and commitment.

Organisations that get this balance right aren’t just supporting wellbeing. They are unlocking innovation and adaptability.

Final Thoughts

Stretch isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing differently. Leaning into challenges that grow your skills, energise your work, and keep you engaged with purpose.

For employees, this means seeking out opportunities that feel slightly uncomfortable but ultimately rewarding. For organisations, it means creating the conditions where healthy challenge is possible, safe, and valued.

At the 11th hour clinic, we believe that finding the balance between stretch and strain is central to both wellbeing and performance. Because when people grow, organisations grow with them.

If pushing yourself at work feels more draining than rewarding, book a confidential consultation with the 11th hour clinic. We’ll help you find strategies to stretch your potential while protecting your wellbeing.

Visit us at our clinics in Brisbane City, North Lakes and on Bribie Island. For more information see our locations page or call us on 07 3303 0364.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.

Spreitzer, G., Sutcliffe, K., Dutton, J., Sonenshein, S., & Grant, A. M. (2005). A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organization Science, 16(5), 537–549.