Exposure to the constantly rising demands of life takes us daily through many uncertainties and unpredicatable events.
These often respresent challenges as well as jeopardies for our well being.
Moreover, there is a constant growing concern arising from our awareness that we are forced to retain our daily routines for the purpose of supporting ourselves and meet our biological need.
Also, these challenges can be even more conditioned by the expectation that other people have of us.
It is often that we are coerced or just feel obligated to answer to these challenges and meet the demand they carry.
Therefore, this complexity shows us how it is becoming ever harder to cope with such challenges in a successful and satisfying way.
In return, this gives rise to certain difficulties and the automatic reaction of our defense mechanisms.
So, now we are able to define stressors as a situation, event or some pressure in single or in plural form that causes stress.
These are more often percieved to cause negative stress.
This said, they are mainly to be observed as the causes of distress.
Thus, stressors may be used as a synonym for a cause of stress.
However, it may be argued that this claim is wrong.
That is beacuse, logically, the cause of stress is actually an event, a situation, a demand or a jeopardy which we are exposed to.
Putting it like this, the cause of stress is rather our personal interpretation of these circumstances, which we may percieve as a close danger.
But, for the purpose of communication, stressors’ synonym may be a phrase cause of stress.
Therefore, what is a stressor, actually?
To be able to more closely define stressors and to truly understand the content of this term, it is desirable to dive into the sources the stressors may come from and the ways in which they manifest themselves.
Types of stressors
The situations, events, pressures and demands we are exposed to may come from different sources.
According to these sources, stressors may be divided in various types.
It is to be noted that different types of stressors do not and cannot repesent a bubble that separated strictly from the other types.
This statement does not require further special verification or argumentation.
It represents an intuitive reaction and a reasonable conclusion that stems from the nature of these factors, which dictates the necessary location of different stressor in at least two or more categories.
By taking such angle of approach, we are going to make a deep dive to answer the question “What is a stressor?”
We have a long way to go.
Therefore, we are going to relief ourselves from that thought over a cup of tea. A one with new flavour.
Try it yourself and relieve yourself of stress.
Stressors arising out of intent and stressors arising out of coerced action
Stressors in life are our inseparable companions.
The positive ones we should welcome as a friend we tend to see often.
On the other side, the negative ones we are able to tolerate as long as they are just passing by and will be lost from the horizon after a certain amount of time.
To some of these factors we may expose ourselves willingly, by exercising a specific activity that gives rise to a certain stressor.
In these cases, presuming that the activity somebody willingly chooses represents also an act of joy, motivation and excitement, the stressors which arise of exerting such activities are more likely to have a positive note.
Such stressors are actually likely to serve to improve our quality of life and contribute to our overall health.
Exercising, strolling, playing, reading, investing and various forms of social interaction are to represent such examples of stressors.
So, it is wishful to have an abundance of those and their presence is a strong sign we are living a fulfilled and happy lives.
This, on the other hand guards us from the numerous illnesses that daily target our minds and bodies.
However, to some of them we are forced to expose, because our encounter with them is dictated by the obligations we are expected to fulfill.
The examples of stressors that may fall into this category may comprise work tasks, studying or schooling in general, parental care, disbalances in family life and so on.
Absolute stressors and relative stressors
When we are talking about stressors, there are a few things to take into account.
First, it is important to be aware of the fact that statement made about a significant number of stressors, regarding the way we process those, cannot be a categorical claim.
This is due to the fact that we are human beings.
Furthermore, that presupposes that we are basicly unique and that we are coloured with different settings which includes different mind sets, different experiences, different knowledge that we posssess and different temper, at least.
All of this inevitably influences the way in which each of us reacts to any given stressor originating from a certain situation or an event.
Nevertheless, it may be argued that some greater unfortunate events or situations, which predominately come from our surroundings and often inflict wider area or stretch through a longer time period result in causing distress to all the population that is hit by them.
These stressors may be determined as absolute and their main characteristic is universality.
Stressors examples which have this characteristic includes al kinds of natural disasters, wars and armed conflicts in general as well as unpredictable attacks that come from some of the non governernmental subjects.
Experiences of pain and suffering, being it emotionally or physically can also be determined as falling under this category.
The counterpart of absolute stressors are relative stressors.
Relative stressors, if combined with some other types of stressors actually represent the most common stressors, for they are the most numerous and most frequent category.
Though, this requires a little bit of precision.
Although the claim that relative stressors are the most common stressors does not represent a faulty statement, a certain quality has to be added to that statement.
The further elaboration must take into account that this group of stressors is most common in way if its occurence, but not also in the way of its interpretation.
This requires us to head back to the previous argumentation which dealt with the circumstance that the receptiveness and/or resilience of human beings to certain stressor hugely depends upon their background.
Therefore, different treats of our personality, as well as possible previous encounter with the stressor of the same sort contribute to the reaction of the body when confronted with a certain stressor.
In mention of the stressors in life, we first think of those stressors.
For all the abovementioned reasons, these stressors are labeled as relative stressors, beacuse there is no way (except by experiment and observation of each individual) to know how a certain person will percieve an input stemming for a given situation or an event.
Further on, there is no way to know if such an input will trigger a defense response which manifests itself as stress.
Now, it is easy to see how people may succumb to the burden of distress, because the possible stressors that come from just of these areas are very often in occurence and high in intensity.
In this place it is important to mention that there is no definite list of relative stressors.
The list of these stressors is as abundant as the number of situations or events we can find ourselves in while living our regular lives.
Therefore, the ambition to embrace the variousity of relative stressors must come down to providing some of the examples of such stressors.
This group of stressors may be roughly divided in two subgroups.
They include life stressors (or personal stressors) and familiy stressors, because these are the most common pools from which relative stressors originate.
The examples of stressors which may be comprised by this category include some specific situations at the work place or those connected with work in general.
These are often associated with the need to perform timely the tasks given and with the need to satisfy the expectations of the superior staff, which can lead to possible misunderstandings.
Unemployment for a great number of people represents a major life stressor, being problematic for a number of reasons.
Also, examples of stressors which belong in this category include some growing issues which are related with the need of people to study or, even broader, to educate themselves for the purpose of getting a decent job in the future.
For many students, taking on an exam or project or even social interacting with others during that process may constitute a great hindrance.
Associated with that, there is an always present problem regarding the funding of the studies and a debt that usually drags for a number of years.
Another vivid examples of these stressors arise from our everyday family issues.
This may include the relationship with the spouse or a partner and with children, as well as the relationship with our other close famliy members and also the well-being of these persons.
This field is also related to the possible problem which may arise in trying to adequately finance the living costs of the entire family and especially the upbringing of the offsprings and can contribute to the dissipation of the family community.
Calculating and paying taxes for the household should also be brought up in this place as one of possible major life stressors.
That is especially true if we approach this question from an angle that takes into account the amount for which we are deprived of our income.
On the path to further types of stressors…
These two categorisations may represent probably the broadest and most abstract division of the stressors we are to meet.
They are necessary condition to answering our question “What is a stressor?”
However, for the purpose of closer observation of this wide issue, it is of interest to us to provide more narrow, specific and concrete types of stressors.
Such a perspective gives a better view of this issue, which is predominately vivid and closely tied to the specific experiences of the certain indiviual or the given group.
Choosing this approach seems reasonable for at least one reason.
It mainly consists in the fact that over a past few decades stress left the pages of scientific articles and entered into every pore of our daily activity.
Its spread is so wide and deep that it may even infest our bodies during sleep.
This takes us further in our effort to outline some useful types of stressors.
Physical (physiological or biological) stressors and psychological stressors
This categorisation probably corresponds the best to our personal conceptions of stressor definition.
It is easy to grasp, fully understandable and very close to our perception and possible description of the origins of probable stressors.
The basis for this categorisation of stressors is our body, which is and always has beeen the centre of our attention.
Also, without human body as the one and only target of stress, there would never be a word of this phenomenon.
Therefore, it is of importance to give attention to this object around which the core issue revolves.
Physical stressors get their name on the account that we simply feel them on or inside our bodies.
They are triggered by the activation of our sensory and immune systems, in its broadest scope, as an answer to a certain percieved danger to our organism.
Examples of stressors which correspond this category are rather finite and they include a variety of irritations to our sensors.
This may be manifested in problems like some trouble with sight, smell or hearing.
Exposure to high or low temperatures, which puts a strain to our bodies to adapt is also to be put in this category.
Further examples include all sorts of illnesses and injuries and with this issues related experience of pain.
Contemporary hectic world is merciless. We are expected to successfully overcome each stressful situation or event and we are forced to make distress a style of life.
When people wonder what is thending nowadays, daily distress would be one of many correct answers.
Because of this, there is a great chance that of many experiences of distress some of them, which were high in intensity, may leave a permanent mark in form of the psychological trauma.
With these statement, we came to the category of psychological stressors. An important feature of these stressors is that their source is our mind.
Therefore, this category of stressors overlaps greatly with reltive stresors, the main feature of which is that they are percived randomly, according to the all of the features of the personality and pas experiences of any given individual.
Psychological stressors are, thanks to all the reasons just mentioned today already the most prevalent category of stressors.
They are also the main reasons why we fall into situations which make us seek the help of a proffesional.
As mentioned earlier, a source of examples of these stressors are our past traumatic experiences, including also those that came to be because of some previous workings of life stressors.
The peculiar thing about this group of examples is that in many cases a person experiencing a psychological stressor isn’t able to tell why are sensored triggered a certain traumatic experience from the past.
The intensity of these stressors may be high due to the fact the re-experience of the past trumatic experience may seem very alive and can be bound with the ressurection of the emotions we felt when back then.
This may come as a great burden on us in case if the reminiscence of trauma is still fresh, even though there is currently perhaps no threat at all, with our memory being the only contributor to such state.
Even closer link to relative stressors is presented in another group of examples of these stressors.
There examples are related to some objectively neutral situations or events in our surroundings.
Howver, they are percieved as a threat by a certain person or a group of persons due to the fact that failing to sail sucessfully through them and complying with the demands they set can result in an unpleasant new situation or may trigger an undesired consequence.
These manifest as a feeling that the person who founds him or herself in such a situation simply name a pressure.
Very lively examples of stressors of this kind include the need to pick kids from school or make it to the school play on time or get home in time for afamily meal or trying to meet some deadlines at work, as well as the need to get or maintain good grades.
Environmental (outer) stressors and internal stressors
We claimed that stressors may originate from within us or from a certain stimulus laying in our surroundings.
This categorisation partially intermingles with the previous one and also presents in part a somewhat different angle of approach, while bringing some new quality.
If our surroundings make for a source of stressor, than we speak about environmental stressors.
Few examples of enviromental stressors included in this group are some unpleasant frequencies or sounds.
A certain pallete of colours (mostly bright colours) also represents a fine example.
Morevoer, all kinds that may interact in a way that causes confusion and uncertainty go into this category.
Severe weather conditions like high winds or low temperatures are also to be mentioned or cold water when showering or even the lack of proper lighting which may work disturbing.
An important feature of this category of stressors is that they exclusively represent stimuli in our surrounding and not some events, situations or demands. Another feature is that these stimuli are picked up by our sensory system.
The opposite group is presented by internal stressors. Similar to psychological stressors, the are a product of our thoughts, which are often negative, so that they mostly relate to negative streesors.
However, internal stressors differ from psychlogical stressors in that way that psychological stressors have a template in form of a certain pending or actual event or situation in our environment.
These occurences in real world then drive our minds, which interpret them, differently and uniquely, taking in account all the circumstances which were previously described in detail.
On the other hand, internal stressors do not an event or a situation to be produced. They can, however, be triggered by the amount and gravity of the forecoming demands, on the basis of similar previous experiences, especially if they resulted in some hardships or hurdles.
Internal stressors consist entirely or our thoughts which are necessary coloured as positive or negative.
It is rather hard to expect a neutral thought on the matter that is important to us personally.
Therefore, this thoughts turn into emotions and in that way stressors.
Working space and the college and schooling system in general are two very important sources for the examples of stressors of this sort.
Stressors which sprout in such an enviroment include the emotions of under-value and the feeling that one does not belong in these frames, which can lead to the feeling of alienation, perfectionist behaviour which can lead to burnout and feeling of being overwhelmed by the percieved amount of expectations.
All of the aformentioned emotions may be very harmful if they persist over a longer period of time, because they are able to undermine our optimal functioning.
Towards the end of stressor definition
We are of thought that a complex matter like stressors are cannot be defined merely through a sentence or two, no matter how succinct someone is able to describe them.
To give an answer to a question “What is a stressor?” requires a more comprehensive approach.
This approach must take into account adjusting the content to a reader from any part of the society, regardless of hers or his background.
This may perhaps present a frame and boundaries we have to respect when talking about what a stressor is, but the important part, the one of content, escapes its reach.
So, to sum it up, a proper stressor definition requires an attempt to gather its main characteristics in a sentence or two, but is even more necessitates the abundance of examples, which give this notion proper content and enable us recognize them.
This may prove crucial in taking the proper measures to eliminate them, which contributes greatly protecting our health.
Acute stressors nad chronic stressors
Thus, we came to the final (but also useful) brief categorisation of stressors.
In the previous article we explained the main differences between acute and chronic stress.
Similar to the forms of stress that may trouble a persons, stressors may also be categorised as chronic stressors and acute stressors.
It is worth mentioning that even though stressors cause stress, the presence of chronic stressor does not imply the incurring of chronic stress, nor does the existance of acute stressors need to result in acute stress.
On the other hand, acute stressors may even lead to chronic stress and chronic stressors may just cause an acute stress.
Confusing? Nah.
It is quite simple actually. We just have to remember that the mind of each of us interprets stressors in a unique way.
Before the continuation of the explanation, it is say a word or two on each category.
Acute stressors are characterised by their short duration and they come up unexpectedly or in a situation that we know will occur, but for which we are not fully or at all ready.
They are triggered by some demands, actual or closely pending or by an event or situation hazardous to our health.
Examples of these stressors include a situation where a student is being asked something he or she doesn’t know and than perhaps exposed to embarassment.
The similar situation may be an unpleasant or an unexpected question during a job interview.
It may also include situation like being a victim of some criminal offence like robbery or act of violence.
Chronic stressors, on the other hand, represent stressors which are present in longer term and they may potentially have a massive negative effect on our bodies and overall health.
Examples of chronic stressors include enduring unhealthy relationships, high demanding jobs with daily deadlines, domestic violence with a permanent feature.
Also, being a victim of a criminal offence which in execution takes a longer period, like kidnapping, may be mentioned here.
Acute and chronic stressors alike may be major life stressors.
However, it is more probable that acute stressors will cause acute stress and that chronic stressors will lead to chronic stress.
Nevertheless, in the end our minds are the only relevant factors for the interpretations of the effect of the stressors, acute or chronic, likewise.
That is so because some people will see chronic stressors like something bearable, while other people may really experience chronic stress.
Similar, to many, a certain acute (and relative) stressors may cause no trouble at all and won’t trigger a stressful reaction, while other, regardless of the short term presence of acute stress may suffer greatly and develop chronic stress.
Conclusion
We really put a lot of effort to bring you closer an answer to a question “What is a stressor?”
However, we are aware that common speech rarely uses this term.
That is why we are again goin one step further.
This is why we are dedicating our next article to stressor synonyms.
Everybody should be able to understand what this topic is all about.
We also take into account that many people fall victim to this condition without really knowing that.
We stress the importance of education regarding this matter for this issue bring many hardships.
One of these certainly is the unability to work to your full capacity and social exclusion.
As always, if we left anything unclear, feel free to ask and comment.