Stress: The Four Types

On of the healthiest habits you can adopt for successful transformation and lifelong health is properly managing your stress.  The American Institute of Stress lists 50, yes 50 common signs and symptoms of stress.  You can find that list here.  As you can see, although stress is often considered a psychological or emotional problem, it actually has very strong physical effects.  They include an increase in adrenaline secretion, higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle tension, and slow digestion.  When stress hormones cortisone and cortisol are released, the immune system is suppressed, which can make the body vulnerable to colds and infections and delay healing.  Additionally, cortisol is bad news for fat loss because it encourages build up around the midsection. It may also deplete the body of potassium, magnesium and calcium, leading to nutrient deficiencies.

SO..how do we combat the effects of stress?  

First. we break down our stress into 4 major types of stress - using the acronym T.A.S.E.  Who else sometimes feels tased or incapacitated at times from stress?! (This comes from the work of Dr.  Karl Albrecht)

  Time stress.

Anticipatory stress

Situational stress

Encounter stress

Time Stress

We experience time stress when we worry about time, or the lack thereof. We worry about the number of things that we have to do, and fear that we'll fail to achieve something important. We might feel trapped, unhappy, or even hopeless.  Common examples of time stress include worrying about deadlines or rushing to avoid being late for a meeting.

How do we managing Time stress?  Time stress is one of the most common types of stress that we experience today. Good time management skills, making sure that we devote enough time to the most important priorities, creating more time in our day, or accomplishing high-priority tasks when we have the most energy and feel alert.   

Anticipatory Stress

Anticipatory stress is the stress that we experience concerning the future. Sometimes this stress can be focused on an event, but it can also be vague and undefined.  Maybe a "sense" that something will go wrong. 

Because anticipatory stress is future based, we have to recognize that the dreaded event doesn't have to play out as we imagine. We can use positive visualization techniques to imagine the situation going right.  Research indicates that our minds can't tell the difference, on a basic neurological level, between a situation that we we visualize well repeatedly and one that actually happens.  Meditation can also help in developing focus and the ability to concentrate on what's happening right now, rather than on an imagined future. Consider setting aside time daily – even if it's only five minutes – to meditate.  We can address the fears we are facing, as well as develop a fail safe or back up plan can help to diminish the stress.  

Situational Stress

Situational stress comes when we experience a scary situation that you have no control over. This could be an emergency, or it could involve conflict, or a loss of status or acceptance in the eyes of a group. For instance, getting laid off or making a major mistake in front of others are examples of events that can cause situational stress.

Situational stress often appears suddenly, and catches us unprepared.  To help with this, we have to practice self-awareness and recognize our automatic physical and emotional signals that our bodies send out when we are under pressure.  We each react to situational stress differently, and it's essential that we understand both the physical and emotional symptoms of this stress, so that you can be aware and manage them appropriately. 

Encounter Stress

Encounter stress revolves around people. We experience encounter stress when we worry about interacting with a certain person or group of people – we may not like them, or think that they're unpredictable.  This type of stress also occurs from "contact overload": when we feel overwhelmed or drained from interacting with too many people.

Because encounter stress is focused entirely on people, we can manage better by working on people skills. It's also important to know when we are about to reach the limit for interactions in the day. Everyone has different symptoms for encounter stress, but a common one is withdrawing psychologically from others and working mechanically. Another common symptom is getting cranky, cold, or impersonal with others.  When these arise, take a break!  Go for a walk, drink water, and practice deep breathing exercises 

Does categorizing your stress help you cope better?

What ways have you personally used to cope with any of the above?

Which type is more prominent in your life?