Personality types and reactions to stress

Personality types and reactions to stress

Scientists have identified a series of different factors that can influence an individual's vulnerability to stress. While age and sex can seemingly make you vulnerable to stress, the major deciding factor is
your personality type. Psychologists have learnt that people respond to stressful situations in different
ways. Everyone has different stress 'thresholds'. Someone with a low stress threshold can become
highly stressed by simple events, such as being late for a meeting or forgetting their keys. But it would take something much more threatening, like failing an exam or moving house, to initiate the stress response in a person with a high stress threshold.

Psychologists talk about two personality types when it comes to stress.

\Type A and B.

People with Type-A personalities are more likely to rush, be competitive and be perfectionists. They often attempt to do two or more things at once and feel guilty when they take time out to relax or do nothing, even if it is just for a couple of hours.

Type-B personalities, on the other hand, are people who can be described as 'laid back '. They are easy going, able to work at a reasonable pace and can 'relax without guilt'.
Not surprisingly, Type A people are much more prone to stress than Type B people. Any event that
disrupts their normal routine or gets in the way of their plans can upset a Type A person, while a Type B person is much more able to take the world in their stride. They tend to be more adaptive in their thinking and are better at putting things in perspective, thinking through how they are going to deal with a situation rather than just stressing over it as a Type A person would.