Understanding Stress: Part 2

Here we will discuss the N.U.T.S. principle that encompasses 4 characteristics often used to describe stressors. We each have unique triggers that define a situation as stressful or not, but those situations usually contain at least one of the N.U.T.S. characteristics; novel, unpredictable, threat to the ego, sense of control.

N - novelty; something new

U - unpredictability; no way of knowing it could occur

T - threat to the ego; feeling your competence is questioned

S - sense of control; feeling you have little or no control in a situation

We are not recommending avoidance of any N.U.T.S. situation, which we will cover in the future. We do however think it is important to realize the characteristics often associated with stressors. This places you in a better position to leverage the positive effects of stress, respond accordingly, and recover. Many times simple awareness of a physiological response is all it takes to not be overcome by stress. Knowledge of typical stressor characteristics is very powerful - knowing activation of your stress response system is probable, is the first step to optimizing performance.