We are living in a fast-paced world where stress triggers are everywhere. Our bodies are naturally wired to respond to real or perceived threats to protect our existence.
But have you noticed that some people can show high anxiety and stress levels over minor stressors? For example, an abrupt work performance review can get some people worked up compared to others who always seem stress-resistant, even when going through a life-changing event like a job loss or divorce.
Looking at personality types may shed light on how we react to stressful situations.
Different personality traits influence how people assess an event, its repercussions, and their capacity to deal with it. In this article, we will examine the correlation between stress and personality types to determine whether your personality affects your ability to cope with stress.
But first,
Is there a Stress-Resistant Personality?
A stress-resistant personality is a paradox. These individuals tend to be in highly stressful situations but experience low levels of stress-related complications, whether physically or mentally. But since we are naturally inclined to react to stressors in one way or another, how can we explain an optimistic person going through insurmountable barriers?
Is a stress-resistant personality type even a thing?
Or is the person displaying a defense mechanism, hiding the outward signs? Or maybe they use techniques to help them cope with stress?
It comes down to this — stress management can be learned.
These individuals have trained their brains to look for positivity even during stressful events. With a hopeful attitude and a positive perspective, they feel empowered to overcome obstacles. In a nutshell, they prefer to look for solutions to challenging situations instead of getting angry and frustrated.
Such an approach is good news for people who have trouble bouncing back as quickly. Developing resilience, a good sense of personal control, and a positive attitude can be the antidote to ward off stress and keep you happy and healthy amidst life’s challenges.
What Causes Stress?
Research has shown that stress profoundly affects our mind and body, including long-term effects such as lowered emotional endurance and immunity.
But what triggers stress? Stress is a response triggered by positive or negative factors, which could be external or internal, called stressors. Put simply, it can be anything that places high expectations on you.
They could be:
- A toxic work environment
- Perfectionism
- Injury or illness
- Financial difficulties
- School exams and assignments
- Everyday house chores
- A negative perspective on life
- Difficult relationships
- Bereavement
- Caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled
- Negative self-talk and many more
Regardless of what causes you to be stressed, the symptoms are likely to follow a pretty consistent pattern.
Signs of Stress: A Quick Overview
Stress has a way of taking over every aspect of life. And the first step in managing it is to recognize the stressful situations as they occur.
Here are some of the early warning signs you need to look out for, according to The American Institute of Stress:
- Frequent headaches
- Low focus and concentration
- Lightheadedness and dizziness
- Sweaty hands and feet
- Mumbled speech
- Social withdrawal or avoidance
- Increased mood swings
- Sleeping problems
Left unmanaged, chronic stress can lead to illness, situational depression, and burnout syndrome. One factor that can mediate the negative impact of stress is a person’s personality.
Connection Between Personality and Stress
Your personality comprises unique thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns. Some aspects of your personality can influence how you appraise stressors. That’s what triggers your “fight or flight” response to stress.
Some traits, like maintaining a positive attitude, may help you adopt healthy coping mechanisms. In contrast, another individual's personality traits may make them isolate themselves or turn to negative self-talk. It’s safe to say that some personalities are more prone to stress than others.
Which Personalities are Prone to Stress?
Researchers have connected certain personality traits to stress by looking at their coping strategies — the proverbial "fight or flight" response.
Let's look at three crucial personality models, the Big Five, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and Enneagram, to explore different traits that may tell why you react to stress the way you do.
What follows is an overview of how personality can impact how we handle stress.
You can learn more about your individual personality by taking any or all of the BrainManager self-assessments. When you do, you will receive a detailed report tailored to your answers. Plus, you will have access to a growing library of stress management and personal development resources in the free member’s area.
The Big Five Personality Traits and Stress
The Big 5 model looks at individuals across, you guessed it, five different personality traits — each of which is viewed along a spectrum ranging from high to low.
Out of the five traits, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are associated with positive coping mechanisms towards stress, while neuroticism is strongly connected to high levels of stress and negative coping mechanisms.
Big 5 Neuroticism and Stress
Individuals with high neuroticism consistently experience negative emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, and depression. They tend to appraise any stressor as a threat (there’s no positive side to it) and fall into a downward spiral of negative thoughts.
Consequently, people who score high in neuroticism may not actively consider effective coping strategies to help them navigate their challenges. Instead, they embrace negative behaviors like avoidance.
Conversely, people who score low in neuroticism (or alternatively, have high emotional stability), in general, are much better equipped to handle stressful situations and readily turn to positive coping behaviors and techniques.
Myers Briggs Personality Types and Stress
As diverse as the 16 MBTI personalities are, so are their capacities to deal with stress. Some MBTI types exhibit the characteristics of highly sensitive people, predisposing them to stress-related problems more than others.
INFJ and Stress
INFJs are known for their deep compassion and sensitivity to plight and suffering. They tend to overanalyze their thoughts and ideas in pursuit of solutions to mitigate suffering. Their save-the-world ideals may lead them to become people-pleasers and often fall victim to selfish manipulators, increasing their vulnerability to excessive worry, anxiety, and stress.
INFP and Stress
Like INFJs, INFPs are highly empathetic and always ready to accept others. These individuals hang onto a utopian ideal that there is good in everyone and often end up disappointed. In the quest to help others, they feel stuck between pleasing others and caring for their own well-being. This internal conflict and their ability to soak negative energy in the name of empathy makes them more susceptible to stress.
ESFP and Stress
ESFPs love being the center of attention; turning on the charm is second nature. The need for the ESFP personality type to be liked and admired leaves little room for criticism. And their stress levels rise fast when people criticize their behaviors or thoughts.
ENFP and Stress
ENFPs are highly creative and free-spirited individuals who don't take criticism well. They overextend themselves to meet the demands of their critics and, in the process, feel trapped with no way out. They often lay blame on others for their shortcomings but inwardly feel hopeless and highly stressed.
Learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the 16 MBTI types and how they handle stress here.
Enneagram Types and Stress
Of the nine Enneagram types, 4 and 6 have the highest tendency to associate stress with negative emotions.
Let’s explore each of them further.
Enneagram 4 and Stress
These unconventional and creative individuals often over-glorify positive traits in other people while wrestling with their perceived internal inadequacies. The consistent self-victimizing talk exposes them to too much stress that they usually prefer to withdraw to cope with the heavy emotions.
Enneagram 6 and Stress
Individuals with the Enneagram 6 personality are overly cautious and paranoid and can easily perceive a harmless situation as dangerous. They are prone to developing high levels of overwhelming stress due to their hypervigilance and constant illusions of danger.
Type A Personality and Stress
Developed by cardiologists Friedman and Rosenman as part of the Type A and B Personality Theory, Type A personalities are highly competitive individuals. They tend to overwork themselves in pursuit of their ambitious goals and experience high levels of stress in the process. As the heart specialists found out, these stress levels can be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.
While the premise that Type As are more prone to morbidity due to cardiovascular disease has been disproved, there is some evidence that people with this personality type are at a higher risk of work-related stress and burnout.
5 Tips to Help You Cope With Stress for All Personality Types
The reality is stressful situations will keep coming. Whether it's increased workload, getting stuck in traffic, starting a new job, or a dental appointment. And since living with high levels of stress is not an option, some stress management techniques can come in handy to help you take back control of your life.
Here are some valuable tips anyone can use to manage stress:
1. Improve Your Work-Life Balance
Practice good time management. Set boundaries between work and home. Have a schedule that allows you to enjoy work and care for yourself.
2. Manage Your Emotions in The Moment
If you're experiencing stress, it's best to deal with the emotions in the moment for faster relief. Take deep breaths, listen to music, chew gum, or call a friend. Pent-up emotions will only worsen your stress, and you could suffer long-term emotional and physical health effects.
3. Connect With People
Connecting with others may be challenging for personalities that like keeping their space, but there are other diverse personalities that make excellent listeners. Plus, talking face-to-face with someone triggers stress-reducing hormones!
4. Eliminate Unhealthy Coping Strategies
One common characteristic all the personalities listed above share is their unhealthy stress coping mechanisms, such as avoidance and negative self-talk. Unlearn these temporary and unhelpful habits and adopt new strategies that help you bounce back quicker, calmer, and in control.
5. Seek Professional Help
Some of your self-destructive thoughts and behaviors may prove hard to change by yourself. A counselor or therapist can offer guidance on the best way to manage your stress effectively.
You can also check out these power-packed stress management techniques and learn how to take care of yourself based on your personality type.
Do You Have a Stress-Prone Personality?
Your personality is a big part of why you think and behave as you do. Maximizing the strengths and modifying weaknesses as you progress in life guarantees you better emotional and physical health.
Do you suspect that your personality traits are behind your alarming stress levels? Taking a personality test is an excellent place to start. You'll not only know what dominant traits affect your stress response, but you can also empower yourself by adopting better coping skills that make you a better person in all spheres of life.
Not sure which personality test is right for you? Check out this article!
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