The difference between STRESS and Stressors - and why it matters
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE “DIFFERENCE" AREN’T THEY THE SAME THING?
Nope! And knowing the difference is key to supporting your mental health.
Let’s look at the standard definition of stress, pulled directly from the Oxford dictionary.
STRESS (NOUN)
1 - pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
2 - a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.
The standard definition of stress is interesting because it describes both the pressure AND the result or impact of the pressure.
Psychologists and mental health professionals define stress slightly differently and the nuance is important to understand. This definition is from the American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology.
STRESS (NOUN)
1 - the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave.
Let’s look a little closer at the nuance between stress and stressors and why knowing the difference is important for your wellbeing.
STRESS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING INSIDE THE BODY. THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL & EMOTIONAL CHANGES HAPPENING INTERNALLY.
Stress shows up as a racing heartbeat, shallow breathing, or hyperventilating, sweaty palms, upset stomach, muscle tension, intrusive thoughts or memories, worrying about the future, replaying past scenarios over and over again or collapsing on your couch and scrolling for hours. (This list isn’t exhaustive, but I think you get the point)
Stressors are things that cause stress. Stressors include a huge range of experiences and span from being hungry, dehydrated, not getting enough restful sleep, having demanding roles/jobs, over extending yourself to witnessing or being subjected to oppression, injustice, violence and abuse.
In my experience as a psychotherapist (including nearly 100% of my training in graduate school) we place too much emphasis on dealing with stressors while largely ignoring the physiological impact of stress in our bodies.
WE NEED TO TAKE ACTIONS THAT ADDRESS THE STRESSORS AND THE STRESS AND WE DO SO IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
We deal with stressors by adjusting schedules, budgets, rationalizing our behavior, extending the benefit of the doubt, analyzing our thoughts either alone or with a talk therapist, communicating needs and boundaries, engaging in conflict resolution and negotiation at work, or ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away.
We deal with stress with physical activity, creative expression, positive social interactions, intentional, effective breathing practices, laughing, crying, and giving or receiving affection in trusting and safe spaces. More on that in the next article.
And the next time you find yourself dealing with STRESSORS but not dealing with the STRESS, my next article will highlight 7 proven ways to deal with stress.
Supportive Resource: I highly recommend the book Burnout: the secret to unlocking the stress cycle by sisters Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA
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