Some factors that can protect you from stress

It’s clear that we perceive everyday situations differently. What represents a threat for some is nothing more than an opportunity for others. The way each person experiences stress is influenced by various factors known as stress response modulators, which can be risk or protective factors.

When we talk about vulnerability to stress, we refer to the degree of susceptibility of individuals to suffering its negative consequences. This susceptibility is often approached, as Dionisio Zaldívar, professor of Psychology at the University of Havana, does, in terms of risk and safety profiles.

What do we call a risk profile and a safety profile?

Risk profile. This profile is made up of certain deficient or negative characteristics of the individual’s personality, traumatic experiences and experiences, hindering and threatening elements of the environment, and inadequate styles of assessing and coping with conflict situations. These factors decrease stress tolerance and increase individual vulnerability, which consequently increases the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders and illnesses.

Safety profile. This is made up of efficient or positive personality traits, satisfactory life experiences, facilitating environmental factors, and appropriate styles for assessing and coping with conflictive situations. These factors increase tolerance and decrease individual vulnerability, which also reduces the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders and illnesses.

In his book “Knowledge and Mastery of Stress,” published by Científico-Técnica, Professor Zaldívar provides a comprehensive explanation on this topic. Let’s look at these factors.

Lifestyle: A lifestyle refers to those cognitive, affective-emotional, and behavioral patterns that show a certain consistency over time, under more or less consistent conditions, and that can constitute risk or safety factors, depending on their nature.

A healthy lifestyle is an important factor in shaping a safety profile. These include behaviors that reduce the risk of illness, such as adequate control and treatment of stress and negative emotions, a good exercise, sleep, and recreation regimen, control and avoidance of substance abuse such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, and proper time allocation and use.

Self-esteem: A personal judgment of worth, a positive self-assessment that is expressed in the attitudes an individual adopts toward themselves. Self-esteem has a significant impact on the interaction individuals maintain with their environment and their response to certain demands, as well as on the possibility or expectation of control over conflictive situations. The level of self-esteem influences the type of response and coping in stressful situations.

Control: This is one of the most important variables in managing stressful situations. Having or perceiving some control over stressful events increases the degree of stress tolerance and reduces the severity of its negative effects. Individuals who perceive themselves as having a low capacity for environmental control tend to be more vulnerable in their coping.

Coping: This can be considered a mediator of the emotional reaction to stressful situations. It includes both classic defense mechanisms and various behaviors or strategies for dealing with negative emotional states and solving problems. The main functions of coping are:

1. Attempting to solve the problem

2. Regulating emotions

3. Protecting self-esteem

4. Managing social interactions

The important thing is for the person to develop an attitude that leads them to seek, in each case, the most realistic solutions according to the required adjustments.

Social support: The value of social contacts as a protective element for human beings (positive relationships with family, friends, and coworkers) has been proven. The protective role of social support in stressful situations consists of the information and resources provided by others in the environment that minimize the perception of threat and maximize the perception of control. Social support acts as an important stress modulator. Its presence provides guidance and direction for action and helps identify personal and social resources.

Social support acts as an important stress modulator; its presence offers guidance and direction for action and helps identify personal and social resources.

Personal strength: Personal strength, which some authors refer to as resilient personality, is important in increasing stress tolerance. This concept considers aspects such as: the degree of commitment individuals have to what they undertake; the tendency to view difficulties as challenges, as something that tests their abilities rather than as threats. The feeling of control over their circumstances; and the tendency to approach problems realistically and optimistically, focusing on action and the search for possible solutions.

Important factors contributing to personal strength are those linked to the individual’s system of values and beliefs and their worldview, which enable them to face difficulties and conflicting situations with firmness and optimism.

Positive and optimistic worldview: Every person has a system of beliefs, judgments, and values about themselves, others, and the meaning of life, which become important coping resources. A positive worldview is not restricted to beliefs about oneself, but includes positive beliefs about others and existence itself.

When a person operates under the precept of “not believing in anything or anyone,” they will have little success in facing the problems of everyday life, as there is little room for the hope and optimism that sustain effort and perseverance. On the contrary, a positive system of beliefs about others and life is a strength for coping with problems. Similarly, a strong religious conviction, faith in justice and loyalty, or any other solid belief in human values favors positive outcomes.

Problem-solving skills: While a positive worldview is a powerful resource, it is not sufficient to effectively deal with problems. Life is highly complex and full of practical demands, which presupposes that people are capable of finding answers to the problems they face. It’s no coincidence that someone once said, “The problem is not the problem… but the solution.” A problem for which one has the necessary resources ceases to be a problem. Therefore, developing the ability to search for and find the necessary information, the ability to identify the essence of the conflict, generate alternative solutions, and select the most effective ones, becomes an exceptional coping resource.

Social Skills: Since positive beliefs and problem-solving skills are necessary, it is important to note that problems arise in a context of interpersonal relationships in which it is practically impossible for problems and their solutions not to be related to others, particularly those who have a certain degree of significance for people. Therefore, the ability to communicate in ways that are socially appropriate to the demands is important. Awkward communication with those involved in problem-solving makes it difficult to cope optimally. The skills of listening, dialogue, precision in ideas, sensitivity to others, and assertiveness, on the other hand, attract others and put them in a position to cooperate and collaborate on solutions.

Of course, not having all of these factors does not mean that the individual lacks a security profile. What matters is the positive tendency with which they express themselves. If the tendency were negative, it would constitute a risk profile. Developing the components of the stress response security profile is something that can be learned if one is determined.