Internal locus of control individuals are not consumed by blaming others or external conditions. They adopt a problem-solving approach and act to change the conditions, rather than wasting time and energy on negative feelings. They adopt healthier habits, precisely because they believe that they have a significant level of input over their health and success.

On the contrary, people with an external locus of control believe that their successes and failures are the result of external conditions, such as luck, fate, the position of the stars, and the choices and actions of others around them.

Sensation seeking

Certain individuals among us tend to seek intense experiences. They perceive stressful, for the average person, events as vaguely threatening, risky, or distressing. As a result, they report lower stress levels and fewer psychosomatic symptoms.

Cons include that, at a young age, these individuals find it difficult to join organized groups (school, sports teams) and socialise with their colleagues. Following their instincts, later they may adopt various unhealthy habits (such as smoking, drinking, driving at excessive speed) to satisfy their need for excitement.

Autonomic nervous system response

Individuals with an over-reactive autonomic nervous system are more susceptible and have reduced tolerance to stress, as they easily mobilise biological resources during “fight or flight” responses to stimuli they perceive as threatening.

The response of the autonomous nervous system depends on genetic construction and genes and differs from person to person. Men are predisposed to respond to stress immediately and with a higher intensity than women do, because their bodies secrete stress-related hormones and elevate their cardiovascular activity. Similarly, people who use stimulants such as coffee have lower tolerance and experience increased reactions to stressors. On the other hand, under similar conditions, individuals who exercise and are in good physical condition display lower responses and changes in their nervous system.

Type-A behaviour

As you have probably realised by now, there are different types of people in this life: rabbits or racehorses and turtles or snails. The first would consider merely lying on the beach or listening to music under a shady umbrella and having nothing to do as torture. A slow pace of life, peace, and tranquillity satisfies the latter.

According to Friedman and Rosenman (1974), Type-A individuals exhibit the following behaviour characteristics:

– They are competitive, impatient, aggressive, negative, and perfectionists.

– They pursue challenges.

– They feel pressured by time; they are always watching the clock.

– They eat, talk, and walk quickly.

– They dominate group discussions.

– They do not share power and responsibility with anyone and do not delegate jurisdiction to others.

Several instruments have been developed to assess perceived levels of stress. Some measure state or situational anxiety. Others measure trait anxiety, which is a stable tendency to respond with anxiety across different situations.

Questionnaires developed to assess Type-A behaviour include items such as:

If you have an appointment, you tend to: Be casual about when you arrive – Show up early.

You would say that you are: Not a very competitive person – A very competitive person.

You always tend to feel a bit rushed and under pressure: False – True.

You tend to: Take on as many tasks as you can handle – Do one task as a time.

If you are frustrated, you: Should not be provoked – Are likely to withdraw a little.

Imagine you are ready to go but have to wait for people in your group to be ready: It’s not that big of a deal, you’ll amuse yourself in the meantime – You are probably going crazy with impatience.

Do you typically wear a watch? Yes – No.

You: Have trouble falling asleep – Sleep like a baby.

When someone takes a long time to express his or her thoughts, you: Get frustrated – Listen patiently.

According to older studies, Type-A behaviour individuals are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular problems. It appears, however, that Type-A behaviour does not tend to be a strong predictor of coronary heart disease. Later research (Smith, 1992; Williams, 2001) has shown that sarcasm and aggressiveness in response to frustration and failure are the only behaviours that relate to cardiovascular disease.26 Yet Type-A is only one of the factors associated with the development of heart diseases; others include heredity, diet, exercise, and smoking.

Hardy Type-A individuals do not seem to be at any greater risk from stress than Type-B individuals. In other words, you may be running around all day doing chores. If you are enjoying it, you should not worry that much about the potential negative health effects associated to Type-A behaviour.

OTHER MEDIATORS

Social support

There is a lot of evidence confirming the buffering effects of social support. Social scientists consider it best “medicine” for divorcees, for instance, significantly reducing the impact of the stress involved in a separation.