Stress Management Tips for Different DISC Styles

Different DISC personality types react to stress differently and even become stressed from different situations. It may not come as a complete surprise, but once you embrace it, you'll be able to make it through the ups and downs, daily stressors, and anxious moments of day-to-day life that much better.

With the DISC assessment, you'll learn about your personality type and how stress affects you. Not only will you discover the right approach for yourself, but you'll gain valuable insight into how others around you may be reacting internally, enabling you to respond in a positive, thoughtful manner. This can provide huge dividends at home and in the workplace.

People respond differently to various circumstances; they may even have the complete opposite response and mindset. What is stressful to one personality type may be entirely non-stressful to another. Here are a few common situations or circumstances to consider:

• A loss of control is stressful for D personalities but non-stressful for I styles.
• Taking orders is also stressful for D types but non-stressful for S personalities.
• Slow deliberation is stressful for both D and I personality types but non-stressful for S and C styles. However, the roles are reversed for lack of deliberation.
• Not being liked is stressful for I styles but non-stressful for D and C personalities.
• Precision and detail are stressful for I types but non-stressful for C styles.
• Public speaking is stressful for S and C personalities but non-stressful for I styles.

Your personality will have you responding to different environments in drastically different manners. Before moving on, though, let's clear up a few significant myths about stress:

• Stress comes only from your career -- False!
• The only people vulnerable to stress-related problems tend to be either aggressive or workaholics -- False!
• Stress always manifests as tension or anxiety -- False!
• The effects of stress build up quickly -- False!
• The best stress remedy is to physically "get away" -- False!
• Stress comes only from major trauma -- False!
• Daily exposure to stress makes you physically tired -- False!

You may be thinking that you know less about stress than you had envisioned. Here are a few helpful hints for each personality type and how you can respond to stress to reduce its negative impact:

• D personalities should step back, slow down, and reevaluate priorities. Think about the big picture before responding.
• I personalities should focus on the problem, assume responsibility, and be accountable for a solution.
• S personalities need to move faster, share their feelings and thoughts, and make decisions quicker. Resist the urge to simply avoid conflict.
• C personalities should use available data to make decisions, use positive self-talk, and resist the urge to drag their feet and nitpick to avoid being wrong.

Of course, this is just the start of how different DISC personalities can cope with stress. By utilizing your DISC profile to learn about your personality and then applying that directly to what stresses you, how you respond to stress, and how you can improve that response, you'll be a healthier and happier person each and every day.