What Is a Stressor? External or Internal
When something in your day throws you off—an unexpected bill, a sharp comment, a looming deadline—it’s common to say, “That was a stressor.” In everyday thinking, a stressor is seen as something outside of you that causes tension inside of you. And that’s partly true, yet what if there’s more to the story? What if the real stressor isn’t external, but internal?
Let’s take a closer look.
Stressor: The Common View
A stressor is anything that causes stress. It is typically defined as any event, situation, or thought that causes your body and mind to react. These stress reactions might include worry, tension, anger, overwhelm, or even physical symptoms like a racing heart or tight shoulders. Most of us can easily identify common stressors:
- A difficult conversation
- Financial uncertainty
- Workload pressure
- Relationship issues
- Health concerns
The usual approach to managing stress is to avoid the stressor, work to change the stressor, build resilience to cope or do nothing. And while those strategies may help in the short term, they don’t always address what’s actually triggering your stress response.
That’s where things get interesting.
The Hidden Layer: Mental Imagery
Stress isn’t just about the current event. Think about household chores: The mess in the corner or the dust on the furniture. A woman, rather than a man, often feels responsible and stressed about doing all the housework. Why? We have experiences of mothers doing all the housework. Advertisers not only promote the benefits of their products but also the seriousness of keeping the house clean. Guests automatically make subtle judgements of the woman. These experiences and beliefs are embedded in our culture yet we often attribute the current household tasks as the stressor. And we don’t go around thinking about memories of our mothers or old television ads as the root of our stress. We attribute it to what is currently in front of us: the mess and the dust.
Behind the stress reaction is a memory or belief, in the form of mental imagery. Also, this mental imagery is often outside of your awareness and drives automatic reactions. In medical research, it’s referred to as intrusive or involuntary mental imagery. It could be a flash of a worst-case scenario or a memory from your past. These images can get stuck and play on repeat every time something in the present triggers it. This mental imagery is the stressor.
A New Way Forward: Resolving the Stressor with Logosynthesis®
Instead of managing stress, what if you could resolve the underlying stressor?
Logosynthesis® is a model used in self-coaching and by coaches, counsellors and psychotherapists to guide you to both identify and release triggering mental imagery. It works by using a structured, repeatable technique to shift it. And here’s how it works:
- Spot it – You pause to identify the situation that is triggering a stress response. You may notice this by the tone of your voice, a repetitive complaint or a more intense “fight, flight, freeze” reaction.
- Shift it – You’re guided through a simple, gentle process using the Logosynthesis® Basic Procedure to identify and shift underlying mental imagery.
- Feel the relief – As the image loses its charge, your stress response naturally eases. You feel calmer, clearer, and more present.
An Example: From Pressure to Peace
Many of us struggle with different aspects of work. In one example, Kate was struggling with a demanding workload. When she connected with the distressing thoughts, emotions and physical sensations, she activated the pressure that was familiar to her.
“I can’t get through the pile of paper on my desk.”
A vivid image of this “pile of paper” was present in the space in front of her. She could see it and experience the distress.
With Logosynthesis, we target that exact image. And as the energy releases, both the mental imagery shifts and the distressing symptoms fade away. The stressor is gone.
Why This Matters
You don’t have to stay stuck in stress.
Understanding that a stressor isn’t just “what’s happening in front of you” but rather underlying mental imagery can be a game-changer. With Logosynthesis®, you’re not fighting stress responses; you’re releasing the hidden triggers.
That’s not just relief—it’s transformation.
Want to experience this shift for yourself?
Ready to shift a stressor? Explore a guided session, join an online course, or connect for a conversation. So here are some options to get started: