What are stressors?

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Stressors

Stressors are the things that put pressure, or stress, on a person’s mind or body and trigger a stress response. They can be big events or small hassles, outside in the world or inside a person’s own thoughts. If stressors are ignored, they tend to serve as a string of microtraumas, and that can have serious impact on an individuals mental health.

What a stressor is

A stressor is anything that makes the body and mind go, “Uh‑oh, this might be a problem; I need to react.”

Another way to think of it, is as a potentially new, emerging trigger:

At first you might not even notice it,
Then it becomes a bit of an irritant.
Those around you tell you that it is normal to ignore it,
But for you, it is now as triggering as heck.
A lot is to do with them not thinking your pain significant,
And their suggestion that you ignore that personal boundary.

And the cumulative impact of all those microtraumas,
Is now giving you nightmares from hell!

The event itself is the stressor (for example, a deadline); the feeling of tension, worry, or being wound‑up is the stress response.

Main types of stressors

Major life events: Big changes such as bereavement, divorce, serious illness, job loss, moving house, or having a baby.
Daily hassles: Small, frequent annoyances like traffic, arguments, noise, queues, minor money worries, or constant emails.
Chronic stressors: Ongoing pressures that don’t let up, such as long‑term caregiving, ongoing debt, a hostile workplace, or chronic pain.
Traumatic stressors: Events involving threat, horror, or serious harm, like accidents, violence, abuse, or disasters.

External vs internal stressors

External stressors come from outside: work demands, relationship conflict, financial problems, crowded or unsafe environments.
Internal stressors come from inside: harsh self‑talk, perfectionism, constant worrying, fear of failure, or reliving past events (flash-backs).

How stressors affect people

When a stressor appears, the body releases stress hormones, heart rate and breathing may speed up, and attention narrows to the “threat.”

Short bursts of this can be useful (helping to focus and act quickly), but if stressors are intense or constant, the system becomes overloaded and people may feel anxious, low, exhausted, or physically unwell. This can develop into various trauma related coping responses, which may become impulsive, and accepted as the individuals “normal” true self.

Coping with stressors more helpfully

Identify your main stressors: Write down what actually triggers your stress, instead of just saying “everything.”

Sort them into “can change” vs “can’t change”:

For “can change”: problem‑solve, ask for help, plan, set boundaries.
For “can’t change”: use acceptance, calming skills, rest, support from others.

Lower the overall load where possible: simplify commitments, say no more often, and build small recovery habits (sleep, movement, breaks, enjoyable activities).

Stressors are the things that pull your system into “alert” mode; understanding what they are and which ones you can influence makes it easier to protect your health and cope without burning out.