Causes of Stress Differentials Between Individuals

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to thrive in chaos, while others get overwhelmed by even positive changes in their lives? Stress is a highly subjective experience. While many of us are stressed by roughly the same things—jobs, money, being overscheduled, relationship conflict—different people may react more or less strongly to the same situation for several reasons:

Differences in Resources

One widely-accepted definition of stress is that it’s what occurs when the perceived demands of a situation outweigh one’s available resources. This leads people to perceive themselves threatened, which triggers the body’s stress response and the experience of "being stressed." Therefore, the level of resources one has available can make a significant difference in whether someone experiences stress in a given situation.

It’s also important to note that "resources" refer to external factors such as physical and emotional assistance from others, money, and other physical resources, as well as internal factors such as knowledge, experience, and courage. The difference in available resources is a major factor in why two people may face the same situation and experience it differently.

Internal and external resources can also be coping mechanisms. For example, external resources can include things we need from other people and internal resources can include mindfulness, meditation, imagery, and breathing.

Differences in Physiology

Some people are naturally more sensitive and reactive to stress. Differences in temperament, a collection of inborn personality traits that can be observed as early as infancy, can cause some people to be naturally more resilient in the face of stress while others can feel more threatened and less able to cope. While we can’t change the temperament we were born with, we can become more aware of our predispositions and work around them by building up skills that may compensate for certain sensitivities, or structure our lifestyles to minimize certain stress triggers.

Differences in Meaning Associated With Circumstances

Another factor that affects whether a situation is perceived as "stressful" is the meaning that people find in the situations. Any situation is neutral until you interpret the event, which is where your thoughts and feelings come into play. Your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all linked.

Having a sense of control in a situation, for example, can make it feel much less threatening and more empowering. (Think of people with very few possessions because they are choosing a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity versus those who have very little because they’ve lost most of their assets in a poor economy.) Looking at the same situation as a "challenge" instead of a "threat" can make a potentially stressful experience feel invigorating instead of overwhelming. (Think of doing work that utilizes your talents and abilities versus work that’s monotonous or just too hard—doesn’t it feel different?) And cultivating an attitude of gratitude can help you see the potential gains of a situation rather than only the difficulties. (Many people talk about "looking for the gift" in a crisis.)

If you interpret the event/situation as a threat then that is going to lead to a different emotion and behavior. This comes from CBT and how our thoughts, emotions and behaviors are all linked.

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A Word From Verywell

If you're someone who gets stressed more easily, there are things you can do. Approach stress management from all different angles, including building your resources and resilience and changing the way you look at stressful situations.