psychology
Which personality type copes best with stress?
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Are you team: “This is all too much! Stop it!” – or rather: “Oh, it’ll be okay… there’s strength in calm.”? How people react in stressful situations is very individual. We explain what your personality type means for your stress level.
How we react in a stressful situation can be related to our personality; More precisely: with the characteristics of the so-called “Big Five” of personality psychology: Extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness and openness. Some are more pronounced than others and together make up your own character, at least in theory.
When it comes to stress, people can be incredibly excited in some moments and calm in others. Sometimes their reaction is also determined by that of another person. For example, we are often full of confidence when someone next to us is having a small nervous breakdown – or we ourselves show our vulnerability when we are with a person who exudes a certain level of (self-)confidence.
We explain what advantages and disadvantages the characteristics of the Big Five model bring with them and what they may mean for stress levels.
This is how the Big Five affect stress
The personality traits of the Big Five can be both strong and weak. We assume a high value for the respective properties.
1. The extraverts
Extraverted people enjoy being around others – they are communicative and tend to gain energy from interactions rather than lose it. Their good communication skills mean that they also talk to other people more often about their problems and thus minimize their stress.
Extraverted people tend to see the positive in difficult moments. For example, instead of focusing on the hassle of moving, they tend to look at the fun things like new restaurants and parks nearby that they can soon discover.
2. The conscientious ones
These people like to plan and organize and like to be prepared. To others, they often seem very competent. Your proactive behavior can contain stressful situations before they arise. This personality type prefers to stick to fixed and already known structures and is less likely to take risks. He also takes care of his own health, which also reduces stress.
3. The Open
These people are open to new experiences and love the creative and aesthetic. They can usually handle stress well because they behave similarly to extraverts. They usually have a good social network and tend to rate new experiences positively.
4. The Neuroticists
These people are reluctant to show their emotions and appear very controlled. Something that can definitely pay off in some situations as they look like they are keeping their cool. However, inside they are often anxious or nervous. Those who have a high level of neuroticism are considered to be more emotionally unstable. These people often doubt themselves and tend to have negative thoughts.
5. The Agreeable Ones
You get along well with others and are true team players. Because they are cooperative and also have a higher level of trust in other people. Stressful situations therefore arise less frequently on an interpersonal level. If they have problems, they can also rely on strong social connections to help them cope.
And which type is best equipped to deal with stress?
As it turns out, almost all personality types are more or less good at facing stress. However, if neuroticism is too strong, it is more likely to lead to problems. Because of their closedness, these people find it difficult to let negative emotions go and their thoughts often lead to a negative self-image. The other personality types, which often shine through optimism or a certain openness towards other people, have fewer problems. The good news: We can learn to manage stress, for example through meditation techniques – and we don’t necessarily have to keep a high level of neuroticism forever. Here you will find tips against stress:
Sources used: psychologytoday.com, psychcentral.com, aivy.app. geo.de