Health & Life Magazine March 2017

TYPE-A
AMBITIOUS
AND STRESSED
TYPE-B
RELAXED
AND PATIENT
TYPE-C
REFLECTIVE
AND SHY
TYPE-D
DEPRESSED
AND SENSITIVE
The Type A personality is
characterized by anxiety,
competitive drive and high levels
of stress. People with a Type A
personality tend to be highly
ambitious and favor positions
of leadership. They are risktakers,
so suit an entrepreneurial
environment. They are very
active and always need to be
doing something. On the flip side,
they have workaholic tendencies.
They have a short fuse, are easily
irritated and angry, and tend to
talk over people. Because of their
anxiety and impatience, Type A’s
can have trouble connecting with
others, often appearing rude or
brusque.
Pros: practical, driven, ambitious.
Cons: aggressive, impatient,
cynical, mistrusting.
Type B’s are the polar opposites to
Type A’s. Relaxed and easygoing,
they are much less focused
on competition, preferring to
enjoy the game instead of being
set on winning. While they
appreciate achievement, they do
not experience the same levels
of stress or anxiety if they don’t
hit targets. People with Type
B personality enjoy exploring
ideas and are reflective. They
do not let stress get to them and
remain calm even in difficult
situations—but sometimes too
calm when it comes to deadlines.
Type B’s make friends easily,
enjoy connecting with others and
forming strong emotional bonds.
Pros: cheerful, calm, relaxed,
patient.
Cons: can be too casual,
procrastinate.
Type C’s are curious and
evidence driven. They are
systematic and analytical
thinkers, who like to see the
workings of things. Because they
focus on points other people
often overlook, they are natural
problem-solvers. They don’t
like risk, preferring routine and
a well-trodden path. Type C’s
tend to be introverted and shy,
sensitive and thoughtful. They
can struggle making new friends
and connecting with others,
though they seek other people’s
approval. They can easily fall into
hopelessness or helplessness,
and do not handle criticism well.
Pros: systematic, thoughtful,
sensitive.
Cons: critical, cautious,
introverted.
Type D is the latest addition to
the Personality Types, and stands
for “distressed”. These types of
people are generally negative,
pessimistic and depressed. They
don’t see much joy in their life
or their surroundings, and don’t
deal well with change. They
prefer routine over uncertainty,
and following instructions
over being proactive. Afraid of
rejection, they avoid opening up
and therefore struggle to make
friends and connect with others.
Pros: Direct, sensitive.
Cons: Depressed, stressed,
negative.
STRESS, ANGER AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
But what does this mean for your health? Rosenman and Friedman carried out
an eight-and-a-half-year study to see how personality affects physical health. The
results, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest
that Type A behaviors, specifically anger and stress, increase the risk of coronary
heart disease two-fold.
But their theory has some limitations. Firstly, very few of us fit into one personality type; the
majority of us are a mix of two or more. Secondly, their study observed only middle-aged men, so
their findings can’t really be generalized to the remaining population. But regardless of that, their
research helped develop the health-psychology field, where psychologists look at how a person’s
mental state affects their physical health.
It is not as simple as linking one personality type to physical illness. As it happens, disease is
linked not to one type, but to a series of behavioral and character traits. Unsurprisingly, negative
emotions like anger, stress, hostility, depression and resentment are associated with inflammation,
hypertension and heart disease. A study published in the American Heart Association’s Journal
found that these emotions are also closely linked to increased incidences of stroke.
Too much stress, whether it’s due to a deadline at work or traffic on the road, creates a “fight or
flight” response in the body—the same thing happens when you get angry, or are in a constant
state of irritation. Adrenaline gets pumped to all your cells, cortisol is released into your blood
stream. Too much cortisol slows down your cells’ ability to regenerate, weakens your immune
system and leads to adrenal fatigue. This in turn affects your cognitive abilities and how well
you’re able to sleep, impairs your thyroid function, increases your weight—particularly around the
gut—and even leads to brain fog. How much stress do you experience in your life?
TIME FOR SOME
OPTIMISM
In a study published in the Clinical Practice &
Epidemiology in Mental Health, researchers
followed over 500 men for 15 years and
found heart related deaths were 50% lower
among optimistic people. The study also
found they had a higher quality of life and
better mental health than people who are
pessimistic.
PERSONALITY
AND HEALTH
So, your personality does
affect your wellbeing, but
you don’t need to completely
change yourself to protect
your health. Make a conscious
decision to step away from
anger and stress, and turn
the dial up on your optimism,
to experience a calmer state
of mind and a better state of
health.
17
MARCH 2017