The Different Types Of Stressors And How To Deal With Them
Stress is a natural response to changes or threats. It can help us remain aware of our surroundings and survive potentially dangerous situations. However, excess stress can negatively impact our minds and bodies, particularly when we aren't sure why it's happening.
The sources of stress are known as stressors. Learning more about stressors may help you reduce your exposure and adverse reactions to them. There are several potential stressors, manifestations of stress, and ways to prevent stress from negatively impacting your life, which we’ll cover below.
What are stressors?
The word "stressors" refers to the internal and external stimuli that create feelings of stress. They are the signs that tell our minds and bodies that something dangerous, complex, or harmful might be occurring. Stressors can be certain situations, life events, emotions, people, or physical sensations.
A stressor could be sitting in traffic, an upcoming work presentation, or an illness. A stressor often causes a stress reaction but is not the emotion or experience of stress itself. Separating stress from the cause may help you find ways to reduce it.
Types of stressors
There are several categories of stressors that you may experience, which could overlap. For example, you might experience chronic and acute stressors that are both biological and psychological. Below are several types of stressors. Consider creating a list of stressors you experience to journal about or discuss with your therapist.
Biological stressors vs. psychological stressors
Biological stressors are those that you might notice in your body first. They can include illnesses, injuries, hunger, coldness, and other physical sensations or ailments. Have you ever noticed that you felt more stressed when in pain? This feeling may come from a biological stressor.
Psychological stressors are a broader category of scenarios, events, and feelings. Psychological stressors may include biological stressors, high-pressure situations (e.g., meeting a deadline, taking a test, or public speaking), or significant life changes. Often, psychological stress comes from the meaning you ascribe to the situation.
Another example of psychological stress is when sensory cues around you remind you of past psychological trauma and cause you to relive the experience or feel the same emotions. The threat may be over at that point, but you might still feel stress and other challenging emotions.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Acute stressors vs. chronic stressors vs. episodic acute stressors
Acute stressors are often short-term sources of stress that show up without regularity. These short-term stressors can include things such as a job interview or an argument with a loved one. If acute stressors are felt at regular intervals, they may become episodic.
Episodic acute stressors can occur when someone consistently takes on too many responsibilities, experiences conflict in relationships, or struggles with tension, aggressive behavior, or anxiety. They are often repeated acute (short-term) events, such as recurring arguments, frequent stressful appointments, or unhealthy conflict styles.
Chronic stressors are often considered a severe form of stress because they have the potential to cause serious health problems. They are ongoing stressors that persist for an extended period and may impact your mental and physical health. Chronic stressors often occur during high-risk jobs, periods of financial hardship, and other long-term situations in which you frequently feel you must be on your guard.
Environmental stressors vs. internal stressors
Environmental stressors are stimuli that come from your surroundings. Very cold or very hot weather, loud noises, a lack of resources, natural disasters, and allergens are all examples of potential environmental stressors. Environmental stressors can be challenging to avoid and manage because they may be or feel out of your control.
Internal stressors are the thoughts and emotions you experience that lead to stress. Internal stressors include the pressure you put on yourself to perform, feelings of inadequacy, or behaviors you feel you can't control. For example, college students often experience stress from the pressure they put on themselves to get good grades. This stress may lead to mental burnout.
Psychosocial stressors
The term "psychosocial" refers to how social factors, thoughts, and behaviors interrelate. Psychosocial stressors can include relationship challenges and other social stressors. For example, people who have social anxiety may feel nervousness and apprehension in social situations.
With psychosocial stress, you may feel that your relationship is being threatened internally by the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors you experience. Alternatively, the threat may come from outside the relationship through external stressors that affect the relationship's stability.
How to manage stress
You can use many stress management methods to reduce the impact of various stressors on your mental and physical health. You may find that some approaches work better than others or that certain stressors are best managed through specific techniques.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the process of bringing awareness to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It has been suggested to reduce stress and improve overall mental well-being. You can practice mindfulness by sitting or lying quietly, breathing deeply, and tuning into an awareness of the thoughts and sensations you experience.
Try taking note of what you're feeling while you practice mindfulness and let the thoughts enter your mind without judging them. Mindfulness can be practiced almost anywhere, any time, so it can even be a helpful tool when you're in a place with several environmental stressors. Studies suggest that practicing mindfulness on the go can be as effective for stress management as practicing it at home.
Exercise
Physical activity may help you release tension, produce mood-boosting endorphins, and improve sleep. To reduce the effect that biological stressors have on you, consider joining a gym or dance studio, taking frequent walks or bike rides, or starting an at-home workout routine.
Self-care
Self-care may consist of anything that helps nurture your body and mind. Self-care can mean eating enough fruits and vegetables, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and saying no to things you don’t have the capacity for. Consider creating a morning and night routine that incorporates several self-care practices so that you can stay consistent.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient form of meditative movement that may help counteract the stress response and calm your mind and body simultaneously. Beginners or experts can practice many different forms of yoga. It can be a productive way to reduce stress, increase physical activity, and boost the immune system. Studies suggest that it can also be an effective treatment component for depression and anxiety.
Managing stress with therapy
A licensed therapist may help you identify your stressors, understand how they impact your life, and work to address them. If you’re concerned about fitting in-person therapy into your schedule or don’t have many providers in your area, you might try online therapy instead. With BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist and then meet with them remotely from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Research suggests that online therapy can be an effective stress-management tool for individuals experiencing a variety of everyday stressors. In one study, for example, researchers found that online cognitive behavioral therapy significantly decreased feelings of stress in individuals whose stressors were related to physical health challenges. Cognitive behavioral therapy can work by helping individuals reframe unhelpful thought patterns, such as those that may manifest as stressors.
Takeaway
There are many different types of stressors, and each may affect your life in different ways. Awareness of the stressors you experience may help you address them as they arise. Cultivating healthy habits and engaging in physical exercise and meditation may equip you to better manage stress and counteract the fight-or-flight response, and you might also find it useful to meet with a licensed therapist.
What are the four major types of stressors?
Stress factors typically fall under four types: physiological, psychological, psychosocial, and environmental stress. Understanding these different types of stressors can help you manage and cope effectively by addressing their underlying causes.
- Physiological stressors relate to bodily conditions, such as illness, injury, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, or physical discomfort. They can significantly impact your stress levels due to their direct effect on your body.
- Psychological stressors typically originate from your thoughts, emotions, and mental processes. Examples include worries, fears, anxiety, pressure from work or school, and the demands you place on yourself. These types of stressors can create physical health problems over time if left unaddressed due to the body's chronic exposure to stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.
- Psychosocial stressors are interpersonal and come from family, friends, coworkers, or societal interactions. Examples include stressful situations involving conflict, peer pressure, or social expectations.
- Environmental stressors arise from your surroundings, such as noise, pollution, weather conditions, and overcrowding. They can affect your stress levels directly and often aren't easily controllable.
What are the seven main types of stress?
There are many possibilities for what could be considered a "main" type of stress, but it is possible to pinpoint seven of the most typical types that people experience:
- Acute Stress— Short-term stress that arises from recent or anticipated pressures and demands. It's the most common form of stress and often relates to the pressures of day-to-day responsibilities.
- Episodic Stress— Also a common form of stress, episodic stress is when acute stress becomes frequent and consistent, creating continuous overwhelming feelings.
- Chronic Stress— This type of stress persists over an extended period and can result from ongoing situations like financial problems, relationship issues, or work-related stress. Chronic stress can have profound health implications if left unmanaged.
- Psychological Stress— This type of stress originates from mental or emotional pressures. It can be triggered by worry, fear, anxiety, or uncertainty about the future.
- Physiological Stress— This stress affects the body's physical state, often due to illness, injury, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, or environmental factors. Physical stress can impact overall health and well-being.
- Routine Stress— Day-to-day pressures and demands, such as responsibilities at work or home, can lead to regular stress. While manageable in small doses, frequent routine stress can become overwhelming.
- Traumatic Stress— This type of stress results from exposure to highly distressing major life events, such as accidents, natural disasters, violence, or abuse. It can have long-lasting effects on mental and emotional well-being if not addressed and treated properly.
What are 20 stressors?
20 stressors reported in 2023 by the American Psychological Association's annual Stress in America Survey include (in no particular order):
- Healthcare Avalability/Affordability
- Inflation
- Unemployment Rates
- The Future Of The Nation
- Violence And Crime
- U.S. Debt
- Mass Shootings
- The Nation's Social Divisiveness
- Family Responsibilities
- Housing Costs
- Relationships
- Job Stability
- Personal Safety
- Discrimination
- Climate Change/Global Warming
- Global Tension/Conflict
- Immigration
- Current State Of Race Relations
- Suicide Rates
- Abortion Laws
What are the ten types of stress?
During the 1960s, researchers developed the social readjustment rating scale (SRRS) to rank stressful events according to the impact and amount of readjustment required to cope with them. While the checklist has attracted criticism, it is still sometimes used to predict the likelihood of stress-related health issues in individuals.
Ten types of stress listed in the SRRS include:
- 1. Death Of A Spouse
- 2. Divorce
- 3. Marital Separation (Living apart from a spouse due to issues in the relationship.)
- 4. Incarceration
- 5. Death Of A Close Family Member
- 6. Personal Injury Or Illness
- 7. Marriage (Even though it's typically a joyous event, it involves significant adjustments.)
- 8. Losing A Job
- 9. Marital Reconciliation
- 10. Retirement Transition
What are the six main stressors?
Although there are more than six examples of daily stressors, experts from the U.K.'s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have identified six common stressors in business organizations. These may carry over in everyday life, but they are most often observed within the workplace:
- Demands: Inability to cope with the demands of a job.
- Control: Unable to control how one performs their job.
- Support: Don't have enough information and support to do the job.
- Relationships: Troubles with relationships at work, workplace bullying.
- Role: Lack of clarity on one's role and responsibilities.
- Change: Lack of engagement with organizational changes.
What are the three three kinds of stressors?
Psychologists have a more condensed list of the stressors people face daily: acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress.
What are the top 3 stressors in your life?
Stress varies between people due to contexts such as age, cultural factors, socioeconomic status, race, sexuality, and many more. It is a highly personal topic, and the things that create stress in one person's life may not affect another.
To determine the top stressors in your life, think about the things that make you feel overwhelmed. When engaging with the stressor, you may become easily frustrated and feel like you have no control. Many people feel extreme aversion to the stressor and avoid it or have a difficult time "turning off" their thoughts about it.
Regardless of the type of stress you may experience, techniques such as mindfulness and breathing exercises can provide some stress relief. You may also seek the assistance of a mental health professional who can help you learn coping and stress reduction skills.
What are three types of stressors in 12th grade?
Adolescents and young adults experience many of the same sorts of stress in daily life as their adult counterparts— but they have other stressors that are often unique to the experiences of people in their life stage. For example, grade 12 students may feel pressured to get good grades or be accepted into a continuing education program after graduation. (Extracurricular responsibilities like jobs and clubs can also create stress.)
Social factors such as bullying and peer pressure can lead to significant stress and negatively impact self-esteem. Familial relationships and issues at home can also be stressful. It's essential for young people to ask for help in the form of social support from a trusted loved one, a mentor or a school counselor, or a licensed mental health professional trained in treating stress in adolescents and young adults.
What are five examples of family stressors?
Though there are many types of familial stress, they don't all have negative effects. Many studies have examined the impact of both "eustress" (defined as a sort of "good stress" that may have positive effects on our health and well-being) and destress within several contexts. Eustress stressors are still considered stressful despite their nature because they are appraised as significant life changes that require adjustment.
Familial stress often includes examples of eustress and destress. Five examples of family stressors include:
- Financial issues such as debt, loss of income, and unexpected expenses.
- Healthcare concerns about treatment, medical bills, and the emotional toll of seeing a loved one suffer.
- Life transitions, including situations of eustress like purchasing a new home, the birth of a child, marriage, starting a new job, and going away to college— and distressful situations like divorce, losing a job, or the loss of a loved one.
- Relationship conflicts between family members.
- Work-life balance issues like inflexible schedules, long work hours, and demanding career expectations.
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