Different Kinds of Stressors

You probably already knew that there are many different kinds of stressors, or events that require the body to adapt in some way. According to Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, & Camera (2011), these stimuli can be  
   
          * physical
          * emotional/psychological

Can you list three stimuli for each of these categories? Go ahead and take a minute to jot down your ideas. When you are finished, look at the list below:

These are definitely examples of negative stressors, and you undoubtedly came up with some great examples of your own.

But as previously eluded, not all stressors are bad. Look at the following example:

The good stress is what Selye termed eustress. Stress can serve as motivation for positive results, including training for that marathon, taking childbirth classes, changing your diet or exercise habits, applying to nursing school, saying "yes" to the right person, and purchasing a lottery ticket. Eustress can help us to change ourselves and grow into better persons. We can use our stress to help us become nurses through all the required studying, to advocate for change, and even to learn how to do something new (i.e. start an I.V., drive a stick shift car, cook a gourmet meal to please and impress our friends). Unfortunately, the human body does not differentiate between the two. Unrelenting stress, or the inability to achieve a neutral state between excitement and rest, manifests itself in symptoms, which we will explore more in depth soon.

But isn't it nice to learn that not all stress is bad, or harmful? In research, eustress has been linked to concepts such as having hope or meaning, and being managable (Nelson & Cooper, 2005). It can be something to savor (Simmons & Nelson, 2001) - yes, savor! Relishing the knowledge that you are on the path to becoming exactly who you want to be should be satisfying, even though the journey is often fraught with both distress and eustress.

For more information on the topic of eustress, please visit:

                                                 The Positive Effects of Stress

In the next post, we will explore the concept of resiliency or coping.

References:

Lewis, S. L., Dirksen, S. R., Heitkemper, M. M., Bucher, L., & Camera, I. M. (2011). Medical-Surgical nursing. Assessment and management of clinical problems (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

Nelson, D., & Cooper, C. (2005). Guest editorial: Stress and health: A positive direction. Stress and Health, 21(2), 73-75. doi:10.1002.smi.1053

Simmons, B. L., & Nelson, D. L. (2001). Eustress at work: The relationship between hope and health in hospital nurses. Health Care Management Review, 26, 7-18.