Keeping it real: stress management
“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye
Stress is a part of our everyday lives as cross-cultural workers. According to research, there is a relationship between our outlook on life and how we handle stress.1 Our outlook can affect both our mental and physical health. This article explains what kind of outlook is most beneficial, plus some hints on developing a balanced outlook.
Our outlook is the most important way to handle stress, though perhaps not quite in the way we might think. For many years, an optimistic outlook was touted as the best approach for coping with high stress levels. Pessimism leads to poor mental health, while optimism is a sign of good mental health. But according to psychologist Suzanne Segerstrom, “When pessimists encounter difficult situations, they’re likely to disengage. Optimists are likely to keep working,” even if it is detrimental to their health. A better approach is an outlook of optimism tempered with realism. The optimist can burn himself out “convinced they would thrive no matter what.” On the other hand, the more realistic optimist, who shows a moderate amount of skepticism, is likely to be the healthiest.2
The three sets of behavioral responses and their challenges
This balance outlook is important in managing stress, but challenging to maintain in different ways for each of the personality types.
Type A behavior pattern:
The aggressive, impatient, and competitive Type A individuals have trouble sitting still. They are most likely to develop heart disease and high blood pressure. But because they tend to be successful in whatever they undertake, they are praised and celebrated for the qualities that are most harmful to them.3
For Type A individuals to become realistic optimists means slowing down with things like hobbies, meditation, etc. Staying connected is also essential.4 Developing solid relationships where they can share and have their beliefs challenged is a way that people with this behavior pattern can gain perspective and develop a balanced outlook.
Type B behavior pattern:
Laid back, tolerant, and relaxed Type B’s are highly imaginative and creative. Unlike Type A individuals, they have lower levels of anxiety. They don’t stress about meeting deadlines, aren’t competitive at work or play, and rarely worry about doing things in a timely way.
Type B individuals seem tailor-made for the realistic optimistic viewpoint, but they also have weaknesses. Being optimistic actually takes effort. And when met with difficulty, relaxed B will not always have the problem-solving skills to solve these challenges, seeing failure as an acceptable alternative. B types have an advantage in that they often already have the patience and flexibility to learn the skills necessary for problem solving. And since most B’s are already optimistic by nature, they are ahead of the two other common personality types, needing only to work on being more realistic in their expectations.
Type D behavior pattern:
Hostile, cynical, and gloomy Type D individuals are always expecting the worst. They are unexpressive and tend to keep their emotions hidden. They are four times more likely to have heart attacks and often struggle with depression.5
There are many challenges for D types in order to develop a healthy outlook but the first step is for them to overcome their fear of rejection, which keeps them from sharing what they feel. Like Type A individuals, developing social support will help them have a place to open up and gain perspective.
Stress is part of everyone’s life, but scientists have discovered that it can actually boost our immune system and make us healthier. In the past, professionals advised avoiding stressful situations in order to realize optimum health. But what is really detrimental to our health is extreme, constant stress over a long period. Certain amounts of stress can actually make us healthier. It’s important to remember that our outlook on stress is important. Any personality type that combines optimism with realism can turn low levels of stress into something that makes us stronger.
1. Paul Raeburn, “A Case for Double-Edged Optimism,” Psychology Today Magazine Online, May 1, 2006, https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200605/case-double-edged-optimism
2. Ibid.
3. Saul McLeod, “Type A Personality”, SimplyPsychology, 2014, http://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-a.html
4. Elizabeth Scott, Ms, “Type A Stress Relief: Type A Stress Relief”, April 20, 2016, https://www.verywell.com/type-a-stress-relief-3145058
5. M. Farouk Radwan, “Type D Personality”, 2015, http://www.2knowmyself.com/distressed_personality/type_d_personality