Overview
What is Stress/ Kinds of Stress
Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances (Merriam Webster, 2014). There are four kinds of stress. Survival stress is brought on by feeling like you are in danger physically and triggers the fight or flight reaction. Internal stress is emotional brought on by worrying and feeling out of control. Environmental stress is when loud noises, crowds, or certain atmospheres make someone extremely uncomfortable. Then there is stress brought on by fatigue and overwork which builds up over time (Mountain State, 2014).
Stress is Not Always Bad- Natural Stress Response
The purpose of stress is to prepare your body to take on a potentially dangerous situation that you need to react quickly to, to survive.Your hypothalamus alerts your body to the danger. A combination of nerve and hormonal signals prompts adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure, pumping blood to major muscles, and boosts energy supplies quickly. While that is happening cortisol eliminates functions nonessential and that are not assisting fight or flight (Mayo Clinic, 2014). That is part of the Central Nervous System which is in charge of telling your body what to do. Some of those functions include peripheral vision and hearing (“Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell, 2005). It also alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes (Healthline, 2014).
Stress Can Be Harmful
Unfortunately sometimes we perceive events that are not actually dangerous in a threatened way and become unnecessarily stressed. If this constantly happens over a long period of time then these hormones will always be present and continue to stunt those other processes causing health problems in the future. During the natural stress response more oxygen is taken in but breathing problems could result especially if someone has pre-existing respiratory problems. Frequent stress can cause heart problems due to the heart constantly working at a faster pace to send blood to major muscles making the risk for heart attacks and strokes more prevalent as it starts to wear out. When you are under stress your body attempts to produce more energy at a faster pace causing your liver to produce extra blood sugar to do so. The body reabsorbs unused blood sugar but your body may not be able to keep reabsorbing that sugar at the pace it is being produced therefore causing an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When the body is under stress your muscles tense up to protect them from injury. If your muscles never relax, it can cause pain and aches all over your body. Taking pain medication to relieve that pain can be abused and build an unhealthy habit. During stressful situations, the body is not concerned with anything other than they systems and muscles that can aid in the fight or flight response so it does not care about reproduction. You may lose sex drive or in men it may increase significantly due to an increased production of testosterone. Over time the production of testosterone will drop and interfere with sperm production causing erectile dysfunction and impotence. The urethra, prostate, and testes will also be more prone to infection. Woman's menstrual cycle can be affected to make it irregular, heavier, and more painful. Short term stress causes the immune system to become stimulated but as it becomes more long term it wears down and becomes compromised making people more susceptible to illnesses and it will take longer to recover from those illnesses. (Healthline, 2014)
Stressors in Teens
Stressors are events in ones life that causes them stress. Because most teens experience the same environments most of the time like school and home life, that means most teens will experience the same stressors. The main stressors teen experience are large homework loads, parental pressures, fear of bullies, social pressures, sports expectations of performance, and part time jobs (TeenHelp.com, 2014).
How Parents Contribute to Teen Stress/ How They Can Help
Every parent wants their kids to be successful but sometimes expectations of success become too high and cause teens to burn out. They try too hard to meet unrealistic standards or they know they cannot accomplish something and give up before even trying. Encouragement is really important but parents need to make sure it is making the teen feel motivated rather than adding more pressure. Parents have to be aware of the signs of their kids stress and adapt accordingly so that the health and wellbeing of the teen always comes first. Then they will be prepared to take on those challenges that will propel them towards being successful (Sharecare, 2014).
How Stress Affects Teen Athletes Performance Levels
A study was conducted on 65 highly skilled young male soccer players for seven months to determine whether the causal relationship between performance level and interpersonal stress was affected within the team. They paid attention to the factor of parental support but no evidence was found that interpersonal stress did not affect their performance levels. It was found though that low performance levels produced negative feelings towards other team mates affecting the interpersonal relationships. This only happened under specific circumstances like lack of parental support as well (The Sport Psychologist, 2014). Poor performance affects the attitudes of players and that can cause more stress into a domino effect but stress itself was not found in this instance to cause poor performance.
Effects of Teen Stress
Depression, anxiety and social phobias have been noticed becoming more prominent in teenagers (Mercury News, 2014). This has not been noticed sooner because kids have been making efforts to conceal their mental illness. Teen agers easily pick up on what to do or say to appear as if everything is fine. They know what to say to their friends, parents, and teachers even if it is completely the opposite of how they are feeling. Acting for years on end is difficult and takes a toll on these kids. They get to a point where they cannot hold it in and they fall apart emotionally or physically and it comes as a huge surprise to everyone around them. Panic Attacks and other Anxiety Disorders are becoming more common and it is starting earlier and earlier in later generations. School shootings and suicides have driven schools to hire more psychiatrists and therapists in schools as well as adding classes for students with social phobias. Theories as to why these problems are increasing include economic distress, dysfunctional families, absent and preoccupied busy parents, technology obsession, social media and extraordinary pressure on kids to excel. Anxieties turn into phobias as they become more depressed or anxious to the point where they cannot even get out of bed to go to school. Teenagers happiness is thrown out the window as they focus on what they need to do, accomplish, and overcome every day from internal pressures, focusing on their future, social pressure of how to appear, and adult pressures of performing in school and becoming successful. None of that takes into consideration of the well being of these kids and what they really want or need to be happy (Mercury News, 2014).
Acute Stress (Levels of Stress)
Acute Stress is the most commonly experienced form of stress that can be thrilling or exciting. This type of stress can be enjoyable in some cases like going on roller coasters or through haunted houses, skydiving, or other activities that we like. (Explorable.com, 2014) Sometimes acute stress can go a little overboard and cause symptoms like quicker heart beat, faster breathing, increased sweating, cold hands, feet, skin, feeling sick to your stomach, tightened muscles, dry mouth, frequent bathroom breaks, minor muscle spasms, headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Some emotional symptoms could be bad judgement, viewing difficult situations as dangerous, difficult time having fun, easily distracted, anxious, frustrated, mad, feeling unwanted, and having difficulty discussing your problems with others (Mountain State, 2014). Acute Stress can be exciting. Acute stress is also commonly brought on by daily demands that life throws at you. Other forms are when you are expecting pressures or demands in the near future and can make you nervous or various little things are piling up in your life causing you to be stressed thinking about dealing with them. All of this is short term and easily manageable if recognized early and some steps are taken to help relieve it.
Episodic Stress
Episodic Stress is a build up of Acute Stress. That little every day stresses become worse and more prominent. This is when you have a laundry list of things you need to do and not enough time to do it. You feel disorganized, you are always busy and never feel like you get a break. Everything you do is extremely rushed and chaotic. Episodic stress can also be brought on by constant worrying about anything and everything. These attributes in a persons life become habitual and even though changing your lifestyle would help cure Episodic stress, people under Episodic stress detest change and see nothing wrong with their current lifestyle. These people also add to their stress by having unrealistic or extremely high standards for themselves most commonly seen in people with “Type A Personality”. These people are very competitive, aggressive, and sometimes hostile (Explorable.com,2014). Some of the worse symptoms of acute stress can also be seen for episodic stress depending on their severity. Some of their reactions can be over aroused, short-tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. They are constantly on edge and seem overly nervous and overwhelmed. People suffering from acute stress snap easily and become hostile very quickly. Depression and minor heart problems are also possible (Explorable.com, 2014).
Chronic Stress
Chronic Stress is the least commonly experienced but is the most life threatening. This type of stress is experienced at a constant rate, everyday, and does not subside. It affects almost every system in the body and if let alone for long enough will cause a range of severe health problems. This type of stress can be brought on by being in an abusive relationship whether it be a bad marriage, a child being abused at home, or being abused in some other arena like school. Childhood trauma can haunt people their whole lives and re-living that event or fearing something like it could happen again scares these victims everyday. Deep seated beliefs and fears also contribute as stressors and leave the victim in a constant state of fear and hypervigilance. Someone that has a high demand job like law enforcement or lawyers where they are constantly working, thinking, and have new unpredictable stressors hammering them everyday on top of their other daily stressors is more susceptible to chronic stress as well. Some symptoms of chronic stress include loss of appetite, being unable to sleep, adopting nervous behavior like twitching, nail biting, teeth grinding, pacing and other repetitive habits, becoming sick more easily and frequently, being unable to perform sexually, experiencing aches and pains, and constantly feeling tired and worn out. People suffering from chronic stress may also feel extremely anxious, overwhelmed, confused, unable to make decisions, experience mood swings including depression, anger, frustration, helplessness, irritability, defensiveness, irrationality, overreaction, impatience, or restlessness constantly. They may also increase dependence on food, alcohol, or drugs, start neglecting once important things like school, work, and personal appearance, and develop irrational fears that they did not have before (Mountain State, 2014). Chronic stress can also lead to self harm, aggression, heart attack, stroke, and suicide (Explorable.com, 2014). Chronic Stress is extremely difficult to treat and anyone that suffers from chronic stress should see their physician immediately.
How the Brain Functions Under Stress (amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex)
Neurotransmitters in the brain begin to fail affecting your body clock, energy levels, and the pleasure part of your brain causing sleeplessness, decrease in motivation, and causes sadness or depression. It becomes harder to react to and deal with stress as these shut down (TeenHelp.com, 2014).
How to Relieve Stress
When you ask people what causes them stress, they could list a whole bunch of problems but those problems are just a part of life. Money, kids, work, friends, relationships and family are always going to be around so instead of trying to avoid stress, learn to manage it. Dr. Farrell gives five tips to help with managing stress. They are to 1. take control of how you respond, 2.remember fun and laughter, 3. learn to breath, 4.take mini vacations, and 5.learn its okay to say no. Stress makes you feel like you are out of control and it is discouraging. Focus on what you can control and what you can control is your attitude. Stress also sucks the fun out of your life. Do not let it. Make an effort to be happy, have fun, and laugh (Dr. Farrell, 2014). Stop and take a deep breath. More oxygen to your brain calms your body and makes you feel more relaxed (Mountain State, 2014). You also need to make a point of "breaking the cycle" of stress. Take a vacation, get away for a while and focus on yourself rather than all the things you always need to accomplish. And lastly learn to say no. You do not have to do everything people ask of you. That is why they ask. You have the option to say no. When you take on more than you can handle, you are just asking to be stressed. Take control of your stress. Do not let it get the best of you (Dr. Farrell, 2014). You can make stress your friend. Stress is not always bad but it can become harmful over long periods of time. Changing your mentality about stress can do wonders for your symptoms and can save your life. People need to get away from the idea that they were so stressed which was turning out to be the source of more of their problems then the stress itself. It has been found that people that think stress is so dangerous die sooner than people who do not hold so much belief and fear in it (Kelly McGonigal, 2014). People need a different approach on how to handle stress. Perhaps understanding how different personality types deal with stress differently and therefore have different solutions for stress, you can learn how to handle yours (DISC Insights, 2013). DISC Personality Test Online is a test you can take to determine what your personality is like. It will ask you what description matches you most and they will give you four options or scenarios to choose. The test will then tell you which personality trait you obtain; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Conscientiousness. A dominant personality enjoys power, control, assertiveness, and tends to be direct, decisive, take risks, problem solve, and be argumentative (DISC Insights, 2013). These people are very driven. An influential personality communicates and performs in social situations well. They are outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, impulsive, and emotional (DISC Insights, 2013). A steady personality is patient, thoughtful, and stable. They listen well, are predictable, understanding, supportive, friendly, and generous (DISC Insights, 2013). A conscientiousness personality enjoys structure and organization. They tend to be accurate, precise, careful, correct, systematic, analytical, and have high standards for themselves (DISC Insights, 2013). These personality types all experience different stressors because they think and behave differently than one another. D personalities become stressed by losing control, taking orders, or having to be slow or deliberate. I personalities would not mind losing control as much but slow deliberation would cause them stress. Not being liked, precision, and detail would stress I’s while public speaking would not. S personalities would not mind taking orders, being slow, or deliberate but lack of deliberation would stress S’s as well as public speaking. C personalities also get stressed when there is a lack of deliberation and public speaking. C’s do not mind working slowly, being disliked, having to be precise or detailed (DISC Insights, 2013). These are just a few things that do or do not stress different personality types. Understanding what causes you stress can help you be more aware when those situations are present so that you can either remove yourself from the situation or work on being able to handle it better.
Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances (Merriam Webster, 2014). There are four kinds of stress. Survival stress is brought on by feeling like you are in danger physically and triggers the fight or flight reaction. Internal stress is emotional brought on by worrying and feeling out of control. Environmental stress is when loud noises, crowds, or certain atmospheres make someone extremely uncomfortable. Then there is stress brought on by fatigue and overwork which builds up over time (Mountain State, 2014).
Stress is Not Always Bad- Natural Stress Response
The purpose of stress is to prepare your body to take on a potentially dangerous situation that you need to react quickly to, to survive.Your hypothalamus alerts your body to the danger. A combination of nerve and hormonal signals prompts adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure, pumping blood to major muscles, and boosts energy supplies quickly. While that is happening cortisol eliminates functions nonessential and that are not assisting fight or flight (Mayo Clinic, 2014). That is part of the Central Nervous System which is in charge of telling your body what to do. Some of those functions include peripheral vision and hearing (“Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell, 2005). It also alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes (Healthline, 2014).
Stress Can Be Harmful
Unfortunately sometimes we perceive events that are not actually dangerous in a threatened way and become unnecessarily stressed. If this constantly happens over a long period of time then these hormones will always be present and continue to stunt those other processes causing health problems in the future. During the natural stress response more oxygen is taken in but breathing problems could result especially if someone has pre-existing respiratory problems. Frequent stress can cause heart problems due to the heart constantly working at a faster pace to send blood to major muscles making the risk for heart attacks and strokes more prevalent as it starts to wear out. When you are under stress your body attempts to produce more energy at a faster pace causing your liver to produce extra blood sugar to do so. The body reabsorbs unused blood sugar but your body may not be able to keep reabsorbing that sugar at the pace it is being produced therefore causing an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When the body is under stress your muscles tense up to protect them from injury. If your muscles never relax, it can cause pain and aches all over your body. Taking pain medication to relieve that pain can be abused and build an unhealthy habit. During stressful situations, the body is not concerned with anything other than they systems and muscles that can aid in the fight or flight response so it does not care about reproduction. You may lose sex drive or in men it may increase significantly due to an increased production of testosterone. Over time the production of testosterone will drop and interfere with sperm production causing erectile dysfunction and impotence. The urethra, prostate, and testes will also be more prone to infection. Woman's menstrual cycle can be affected to make it irregular, heavier, and more painful. Short term stress causes the immune system to become stimulated but as it becomes more long term it wears down and becomes compromised making people more susceptible to illnesses and it will take longer to recover from those illnesses. (Healthline, 2014)
Stressors in Teens
Stressors are events in ones life that causes them stress. Because most teens experience the same environments most of the time like school and home life, that means most teens will experience the same stressors. The main stressors teen experience are large homework loads, parental pressures, fear of bullies, social pressures, sports expectations of performance, and part time jobs (TeenHelp.com, 2014).
How Parents Contribute to Teen Stress/ How They Can Help
Every parent wants their kids to be successful but sometimes expectations of success become too high and cause teens to burn out. They try too hard to meet unrealistic standards or they know they cannot accomplish something and give up before even trying. Encouragement is really important but parents need to make sure it is making the teen feel motivated rather than adding more pressure. Parents have to be aware of the signs of their kids stress and adapt accordingly so that the health and wellbeing of the teen always comes first. Then they will be prepared to take on those challenges that will propel them towards being successful (Sharecare, 2014).
How Stress Affects Teen Athletes Performance Levels
A study was conducted on 65 highly skilled young male soccer players for seven months to determine whether the causal relationship between performance level and interpersonal stress was affected within the team. They paid attention to the factor of parental support but no evidence was found that interpersonal stress did not affect their performance levels. It was found though that low performance levels produced negative feelings towards other team mates affecting the interpersonal relationships. This only happened under specific circumstances like lack of parental support as well (The Sport Psychologist, 2014). Poor performance affects the attitudes of players and that can cause more stress into a domino effect but stress itself was not found in this instance to cause poor performance.
Effects of Teen Stress
Depression, anxiety and social phobias have been noticed becoming more prominent in teenagers (Mercury News, 2014). This has not been noticed sooner because kids have been making efforts to conceal their mental illness. Teen agers easily pick up on what to do or say to appear as if everything is fine. They know what to say to their friends, parents, and teachers even if it is completely the opposite of how they are feeling. Acting for years on end is difficult and takes a toll on these kids. They get to a point where they cannot hold it in and they fall apart emotionally or physically and it comes as a huge surprise to everyone around them. Panic Attacks and other Anxiety Disorders are becoming more common and it is starting earlier and earlier in later generations. School shootings and suicides have driven schools to hire more psychiatrists and therapists in schools as well as adding classes for students with social phobias. Theories as to why these problems are increasing include economic distress, dysfunctional families, absent and preoccupied busy parents, technology obsession, social media and extraordinary pressure on kids to excel. Anxieties turn into phobias as they become more depressed or anxious to the point where they cannot even get out of bed to go to school. Teenagers happiness is thrown out the window as they focus on what they need to do, accomplish, and overcome every day from internal pressures, focusing on their future, social pressure of how to appear, and adult pressures of performing in school and becoming successful. None of that takes into consideration of the well being of these kids and what they really want or need to be happy (Mercury News, 2014).
Acute Stress (Levels of Stress)
Acute Stress is the most commonly experienced form of stress that can be thrilling or exciting. This type of stress can be enjoyable in some cases like going on roller coasters or through haunted houses, skydiving, or other activities that we like. (Explorable.com, 2014) Sometimes acute stress can go a little overboard and cause symptoms like quicker heart beat, faster breathing, increased sweating, cold hands, feet, skin, feeling sick to your stomach, tightened muscles, dry mouth, frequent bathroom breaks, minor muscle spasms, headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Some emotional symptoms could be bad judgement, viewing difficult situations as dangerous, difficult time having fun, easily distracted, anxious, frustrated, mad, feeling unwanted, and having difficulty discussing your problems with others (Mountain State, 2014). Acute Stress can be exciting. Acute stress is also commonly brought on by daily demands that life throws at you. Other forms are when you are expecting pressures or demands in the near future and can make you nervous or various little things are piling up in your life causing you to be stressed thinking about dealing with them. All of this is short term and easily manageable if recognized early and some steps are taken to help relieve it.
Episodic Stress
Episodic Stress is a build up of Acute Stress. That little every day stresses become worse and more prominent. This is when you have a laundry list of things you need to do and not enough time to do it. You feel disorganized, you are always busy and never feel like you get a break. Everything you do is extremely rushed and chaotic. Episodic stress can also be brought on by constant worrying about anything and everything. These attributes in a persons life become habitual and even though changing your lifestyle would help cure Episodic stress, people under Episodic stress detest change and see nothing wrong with their current lifestyle. These people also add to their stress by having unrealistic or extremely high standards for themselves most commonly seen in people with “Type A Personality”. These people are very competitive, aggressive, and sometimes hostile (Explorable.com,2014). Some of the worse symptoms of acute stress can also be seen for episodic stress depending on their severity. Some of their reactions can be over aroused, short-tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. They are constantly on edge and seem overly nervous and overwhelmed. People suffering from acute stress snap easily and become hostile very quickly. Depression and minor heart problems are also possible (Explorable.com, 2014).
Chronic Stress
Chronic Stress is the least commonly experienced but is the most life threatening. This type of stress is experienced at a constant rate, everyday, and does not subside. It affects almost every system in the body and if let alone for long enough will cause a range of severe health problems. This type of stress can be brought on by being in an abusive relationship whether it be a bad marriage, a child being abused at home, or being abused in some other arena like school. Childhood trauma can haunt people their whole lives and re-living that event or fearing something like it could happen again scares these victims everyday. Deep seated beliefs and fears also contribute as stressors and leave the victim in a constant state of fear and hypervigilance. Someone that has a high demand job like law enforcement or lawyers where they are constantly working, thinking, and have new unpredictable stressors hammering them everyday on top of their other daily stressors is more susceptible to chronic stress as well. Some symptoms of chronic stress include loss of appetite, being unable to sleep, adopting nervous behavior like twitching, nail biting, teeth grinding, pacing and other repetitive habits, becoming sick more easily and frequently, being unable to perform sexually, experiencing aches and pains, and constantly feeling tired and worn out. People suffering from chronic stress may also feel extremely anxious, overwhelmed, confused, unable to make decisions, experience mood swings including depression, anger, frustration, helplessness, irritability, defensiveness, irrationality, overreaction, impatience, or restlessness constantly. They may also increase dependence on food, alcohol, or drugs, start neglecting once important things like school, work, and personal appearance, and develop irrational fears that they did not have before (Mountain State, 2014). Chronic stress can also lead to self harm, aggression, heart attack, stroke, and suicide (Explorable.com, 2014). Chronic Stress is extremely difficult to treat and anyone that suffers from chronic stress should see their physician immediately.
How the Brain Functions Under Stress (amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex)
Neurotransmitters in the brain begin to fail affecting your body clock, energy levels, and the pleasure part of your brain causing sleeplessness, decrease in motivation, and causes sadness or depression. It becomes harder to react to and deal with stress as these shut down (TeenHelp.com, 2014).
How to Relieve Stress
When you ask people what causes them stress, they could list a whole bunch of problems but those problems are just a part of life. Money, kids, work, friends, relationships and family are always going to be around so instead of trying to avoid stress, learn to manage it. Dr. Farrell gives five tips to help with managing stress. They are to 1. take control of how you respond, 2.remember fun and laughter, 3. learn to breath, 4.take mini vacations, and 5.learn its okay to say no. Stress makes you feel like you are out of control and it is discouraging. Focus on what you can control and what you can control is your attitude. Stress also sucks the fun out of your life. Do not let it. Make an effort to be happy, have fun, and laugh (Dr. Farrell, 2014). Stop and take a deep breath. More oxygen to your brain calms your body and makes you feel more relaxed (Mountain State, 2014). You also need to make a point of "breaking the cycle" of stress. Take a vacation, get away for a while and focus on yourself rather than all the things you always need to accomplish. And lastly learn to say no. You do not have to do everything people ask of you. That is why they ask. You have the option to say no. When you take on more than you can handle, you are just asking to be stressed. Take control of your stress. Do not let it get the best of you (Dr. Farrell, 2014). You can make stress your friend. Stress is not always bad but it can become harmful over long periods of time. Changing your mentality about stress can do wonders for your symptoms and can save your life. People need to get away from the idea that they were so stressed which was turning out to be the source of more of their problems then the stress itself. It has been found that people that think stress is so dangerous die sooner than people who do not hold so much belief and fear in it (Kelly McGonigal, 2014). People need a different approach on how to handle stress. Perhaps understanding how different personality types deal with stress differently and therefore have different solutions for stress, you can learn how to handle yours (DISC Insights, 2013). DISC Personality Test Online is a test you can take to determine what your personality is like. It will ask you what description matches you most and they will give you four options or scenarios to choose. The test will then tell you which personality trait you obtain; Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Conscientiousness. A dominant personality enjoys power, control, assertiveness, and tends to be direct, decisive, take risks, problem solve, and be argumentative (DISC Insights, 2013). These people are very driven. An influential personality communicates and performs in social situations well. They are outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, impulsive, and emotional (DISC Insights, 2013). A steady personality is patient, thoughtful, and stable. They listen well, are predictable, understanding, supportive, friendly, and generous (DISC Insights, 2013). A conscientiousness personality enjoys structure and organization. They tend to be accurate, precise, careful, correct, systematic, analytical, and have high standards for themselves (DISC Insights, 2013). These personality types all experience different stressors because they think and behave differently than one another. D personalities become stressed by losing control, taking orders, or having to be slow or deliberate. I personalities would not mind losing control as much but slow deliberation would cause them stress. Not being liked, precision, and detail would stress I’s while public speaking would not. S personalities would not mind taking orders, being slow, or deliberate but lack of deliberation would stress S’s as well as public speaking. C personalities also get stressed when there is a lack of deliberation and public speaking. C’s do not mind working slowly, being disliked, having to be precise or detailed (DISC Insights, 2013). These are just a few things that do or do not stress different personality types. Understanding what causes you stress can help you be more aware when those situations are present so that you can either remove yourself from the situation or work on being able to handle it better.