Measures library
Five places pressure can do its work. Thirteen questions to find which one it is for you.
Thirteen questions behind the scenes. You don't need to learn any of them.
These working measures were inspired by materials science and adjacent psychological research. We are studying whether the proposed questions and scores are reliable and useful. The engineering names are metaphors, not physical measurements of people.
1 · Contact
What gets in
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Reflect Bounces off
Does the first response tend to meet a boundary, such as stepping back or not taking ownership of a problem?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Self-distancing
- What studies found
- People who step back and look at a hard moment from a little distance tend to report less distress and less replaying afterwards.
- One explanation
- Seeing the event from outside your own point of view may reduce how personally it is read, so less of it is carried forward.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Kross & Ayduk 2017Narrative review
- Design
- Narrative review (summarised from the title; no abstract available)
Self-distancing: theory, research, and current directions. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2016.10.002
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Observed in studies Moderate
Psychological detachment
- What studies found
- Mentally switching off from work stress after hours goes with lower exhaustion in many studies.
- One explanation
- A clear boundary between the stressor and the rest of life gives recovery time to happen.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Sonnentag & Fritz 2015Narrative review
- Conditions
- Mentally switching off from work during free time
- Method
- Review of cross-sectional, longitudinal and daily diary studies
- Observed
- Heavy workload went with less switching off after work, and less switching off went with more strain and poorer well-being.
- Design
- Narrative review
Recovery from job stress: the stressor-detachment model. Journal of Organizational Behavior. doi:10.1002/job.1924
Wendsche & Lohmann-Haislah 2017Meta-analysis
- Who
- Employee samples totalling 38,124 people
- Conditions
- Mentally detaching from work during non-work time
- Method
- Pooled correlations with health, well-being and performance
- Observed
- Detaching from work was linked with less exhaustion, better sleep and well-being, while higher job demands went with less detachment.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis on antecedents and outcomes of detachment from work. Frontiers in Psychology. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.02072
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for distancing and detachment. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to self-distancing and detachment as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Absorb Sinks in
Does the first response often move inward, where you think or feel before showing it?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Expressive suppression
- What studies found
- People who habitually keep feelings off their face tend to report feeling the emotion no less inside, and sometimes feel less close to others.
- One explanation
- Holding the outward signs back takes effort and leaves the inner state to be dealt with later.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Gross & John 2003Cross-sectional study
- Who
- Participants across five studies
- Conditions
- Everyday habits of rethinking situations or hiding feelings
- Method
- Questionnaires on reappraisal, suppression, emotion, relationships and well-being
- Observed
- Habitually rethinking situations went with more positive emotion and well-being; habitually hiding feelings went with more negative emotion and poorer relationships.
- Design
- Cross-sectional study
Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
Gross 1998Narrative review
- Conditions
- How people influence which emotions they have and show
- Method
- Integrative review of emotion research
- Observed
- Proposed that emotions can be regulated at five points: choosing or changing the situation, shifting attention, rethinking it, or adjusting the response.
- Design
- Narrative review
The emerging field of emotion regulation: an integrative review. Review of General Psychology. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
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Observed in studies Strong
Rumination
- What studies found
- Going over a problem again and again, alone, is linked with longer low moods.
- One explanation
- Inward processing helps when it reaches a conclusion; it costs more when it turns into a loop.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco & Lyubomirsky 2008Narrative review
- Conditions
- Rumination: repetitively dwelling on problems and feelings
- Method
- Review of research on response styles theory
- Observed
- Rumination predicted the onset of depression and was also linked with anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking and self-harm.
- Design
- Narrative review
Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for inward processing. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to inward processing and suppression as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Transmit Goes straight out
Does the first response often become words, visible emotion or immediate action?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Social sharing of emotion
- What studies found
- After most emotional events, people talk about them with someone else, often soon and more than once.
- One explanation
- Sharing can bring support and help make sense of the event, though talking alone does not always reduce the feeling.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Rimé 2009Narrative review
- Conditions
- Talking with others about emotional experiences
- Method
- Review of theory and evidence
- Observed
- Emotional experiences were usually followed by talking about them with others, and this sharing had effects between people and in groups.
- Design
- Narrative review
Emotion elicits the social sharing of emotion: theory and empirical review. Emotion Review. doi:10.1177/1754073908097189
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Observed in studies Strong
Venting and arousal
- What studies found
- Hitting, shouting or revving up while thinking about the provocation tends not to reduce anger; calming activities more often do.
- One explanation
- Discharge that keeps arousal high may rehearse the anger instead of letting it settle.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Bushman 2002Lab experiment
- Who
- Participants who had been made angry
- Conditions
- Hitting a punching bag while thinking about the provoker, or about fitness
- Method
- Self-reported anger and loud noise blasts given to the provoker
- Observed
- Venting while dwelling on the provoker increased anger and aggression; doing nothing at all worked better than venting.
- Design
- Lab experiment
Does venting anger feed or extinguish the flame?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. doi:10.1177/0146167202289002
Kjærvik & Bushman 2024Meta-analysis
- Who
- 154 studies with 10,189 participants
- Conditions
- Calming activities such as deep breathing versus arousing ones such as jogging
- Method
- Pooled effects on anger and aggression
- Observed
- Calming activities reduced anger and aggression, while activities that raised arousal, like hitting a bag or running, did not help overall.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase or decrease arousal. Clinical Psychology Review.
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for emotional expression. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to social sharing and expression as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Porosity How much of the room gets in
How readily do signals from other people and surroundings seem to enter your attention or mood?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Emotional contagion
- What studies found
- People tend to catch the emotions of those around them, often without noticing, through faces, voices and posture.
- One explanation
- Automatic mimicry and feedback from your own face and body may pull your mood toward the room’s.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Hatfield, Cacioppo & Rapson 1993Narrative review
- Design
- Narrative review (summarised from the title; no abstract available)
Emotional contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770953
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Observed in studies Moderate
Sensory-processing sensitivity and differential susceptibility
- What studies found
- Some people respond more strongly to their surroundings, for worse in harsh settings and for better in supportive ones.
- One explanation
- Sensitivity may work like a gain control: it amplifies the environment in both directions.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Aron & Aron 1997Cross-sectional study
- Who
- Diverse samples across seven studies
- Method
- Questionnaires, including a new 27-item Highly Sensitive Person Scale
- Observed
- High sensitivity to sensory input showed up as one trait, partly separate from introversion and emotional reactivity.
- Design
- Cross-sectional study
Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.73.2.345
Belsky & Pluess 2009Narrative review
- Conditions
- Harsh versus supportive and enriching environments
- Method
- Review of temperament, biological and gene studies
- Observed
- Some people seemed more sensitive to their surroundings in both directions, doing worse under adversity and better with support.
- Design
- Narrative review
Beyond diathesis stress: differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/a0017376
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Observed in studies Early
Empathic distress and compassion
- What a few studies found
- Sharing someone’s pain can become distress, while compassion training shifts the response toward warmth.
- One possible explanation
- Feeling with someone and feeling for them seem to rely on different processes, and the second is less draining.
- Evidence
- A few studies, mostly correlational. Plausible, not settled.
Singer & Klimecki 2014Narrative review
- Conditions
- Sharing and understanding other people's feelings
- Method
- Short overview of social neuroscience concepts
- Observed
- Described empathy as sharing another person's feelings while knowing they are theirs, unlike emotional contagion, where that line is lost.
- Design
- Narrative review
Empathy and compassion. Current Biology. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.054
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for emotional contagion and sensitivity. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to emotional contagion and sensitivity as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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2 · Deformation
What changes when it hits
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Stiffness How much it takes to move you
How much do circumstances seem to have to change before your approach changes?
What research says
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Observed in studies Strong
Intolerance of uncertainty
- What studies found
- People who find uncertainty hard to bear tend to report more worry and anxiety across many settings.
- One explanation
- An open question keeps the mind preparing for every outcome, so a change of plan reopens that work.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Carleton, Norton & Asmundson 2007Cross-sectional study
- Who
- Two samples of undergraduate students
- Conditions
- Intolerance of uncertainty: finding it hard to live with not knowing
- Method
- Testing a 12-item short form of a 27-item questionnaire
- Observed
- The 12-item version held up well, matched the original closely, and split into an anxious part and an avoidance part.
- Design
- Cross-sectional study
Fearing the unknown: a short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.014
McEvoy et al. 2019Meta-analysis
- Who
- 181 studies with 52,402 participants
- Conditions
- Intolerance of uncertainty and symptoms of several mental health conditions
- Method
- Pooled correlations, testing study design and measurement factors
- Observed
- Finding uncertainty hard to bear was moderately linked with symptoms of anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and eating disorders.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
The impact of methodological and measurement factors on transdiagnostic associations with intolerance of uncertainty: a meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101778
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Observed in studies Moderate
Coping flexibility
- What studies found
- People who can switch strategies to fit the situation tend to adjust somewhat better to stressful change.
- One explanation
- Matching the response to what the moment needs may matter more than any single strategy.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Cheng, Lau & Chan 2014Meta-analysis
- Who
- Studies from 1978 to 2013, with 58,946 people in total
- Conditions
- Stressful life changes
- Method
- Pooled links between coping flexibility and psychological adjustment
- Observed
- Being able to fit coping to the situation was linked with better adjustment, with a small to moderate overall effect.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
Coping flexibility and psychological adjustment to stressful life changes: a meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/a0037913
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for uncertainty and flexibility. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to intolerance of uncertainty and flexibility as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Yield point When it starts to get serious
When does a manageable demand begin to feel significantly harder?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Reactivity to daily stressors
- What studies found
- People differ in how strongly everyday problems move their mood, and those differences matter as much as how many problems they face.
- One explanation
- The same event can be read as a minor hitch or a real threat, which sets how much it registers.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Bolger & Schilling 1991Diary study
- Who
- 339 people
- Conditions
- Minor everyday stressful events over 6 weeks
- Method
- Daily reports of stressful events and mood
- Observed
- For people high in neuroticism (prone to worry and upset), stronger reactions to daily stressors explained twice as much extra distress as facing more stressors.
- Design
- Diary study
Personality and the problems of everyday life: the role of neuroticism in exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. Journal of Personality. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1991.tb00253.x
Almeida 2005Narrative review
- Conditions
- Everyday stressors such as family arguments or work deadlines
- Method
- Telephone diary data from the National Study of Daily Experiences
- Observed
- Age, gender, education and ongoing chronic stress were linked with how often people met daily stressors and how strongly they reacted.
- Design
- Narrative review
Resilience and vulnerability to daily stressors assessed via diary methods. Current Directions in Psychological Science. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00336.x
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Observed in studies Strong
Appraisal
- What studies found
- Whether something feels stressful depends on how its demands compare with the resources you think you have.
- One explanation
- A demand registers as stress when it seems to outrun what you can bring to it.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Lazarus & Folkman 1984Book
- Conditions
- Psychological stress across health, emotion and stages of life
- Method
- Theory drawing on two decades of research, with literature reviews
- Observed
- Set out a theory of stress built on two ideas: how people size up a situation (appraisal) and what they do about it (coping).
- Design
- Book
Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer (book).
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for daily-stress reactivity. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to daily-stress reactivity as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Ductility How far you bend without breaking
How far can plans or behavior adjust before the adjustment becomes costly?
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Regulatory flexibility
- What studies found
- People who notice what a situation needs and adjust their response tend to cope somewhat better over time.
- One explanation
- Reading the context and changing course gradually may prevent strain from building past a breaking point.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Bonanno & Burton 2013Theory
- Conditions
- Coping with stressful events
- Method
- Review and individual differences framework
- Observed
- Argued that no coping strategy helps everywhere; what matters is reading the context, having varied strategies, and adjusting based on feedback.
- Design
- Theory
Regulatory flexibility: an individual differences perspective on coping and emotion regulation. Perspectives on Psychological Science. doi:10.1177/1745691613504116
Cheng, Lau & Chan 2014Meta-analysis
- Who
- Studies from 1978 to 2013, with 58,946 people in total
- Conditions
- Stressful life changes
- Method
- Pooled links between coping flexibility and psychological adjustment
- Observed
- Being able to fit coping to the situation was linked with better adjustment, with a small to moderate overall effect.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
Coping flexibility and psychological adjustment to stressful life changes: a meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/a0037913
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Observed in studies Moderate
Suppression and build-up
- What studies found
- Keeping feelings off the surface tends not to reduce them, and it may leave less room to ask for help early.
- One explanation
- Hidden strain gives others no signal to respond to, so it can grow until it spills.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Gross & John 2003Cross-sectional study
- Who
- Participants across five studies
- Conditions
- Everyday habits of rethinking situations or hiding feelings
- Method
- Questionnaires on reappraisal, suppression, emotion, relationships and well-being
- Observed
- Habitually rethinking situations went with more positive emotion and well-being; habitually hiding feelings went with more negative emotion and poorer relationships.
- Design
- Cross-sectional study
Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
-
Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for regulatory flexibility. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to regulatory flexibility as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Piezo Whether pressure turns into action
Does pressure prompt purposeful activity, and does that activity help?
What research says
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Observed in studies Early
Stress mindset
- What a few studies found
- People who see stress as something that can sharpen performance tend to report better work and mood under pressure.
- One possible explanation
- Believing stress can help may change how much energy goes into the task rather than into fighting the feeling.
- Evidence
- A few studies, mostly correlational. Plausible, not settled.
Crum, Salovey & Achor 2013Lab experiment
- Who
- Participants across three studies
- Conditions
- Short films presenting stress as enhancing or as debilitating
- Method
- Stress Mindset Measure questionnaire, cortisol and desire for feedback
- Observed
- Short films shifted beliefs about stress, and seeing stress as enhancing went with moderate cortisol responses and more wish for feedback.
- Design
- Lab experiment
Rethinking stress: the role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0031201
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Observed in studies Moderate
Challenge and threat appraisal
- What studies found
- Reading a demand as a challenge rather than a threat goes with a more effective pattern of effort.
- One explanation
- When resources seem to match the demand, arousal is more likely to fuel action than freeze it.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Tomaka et al. 1993Lab experiment
- Who
- Participants in three laboratory experiments
- Conditions
- Repeated active and passive stressful tasks
- Method
- Self-reported appraisals, stress, and heart and blood vessel responses
- Observed
- Seeing a task as a threat went with more reported stress and stronger blood vessel responses; seeing it as a challenge went with stronger heart responses.
- Design
- Lab experiment
Subjective, physiological, and behavioral effects of threat and challenge appraisal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.65.2.248
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for stress mindset. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to stress mindset and challenge appraisal as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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3 · Adaptation & wear
What repeats do
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Work hardening Whether repeats make you tougher
How do prior demands relate to current capability, caution or confidence? Prior hardship is not assumed to cause growth.
What research says
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Observed in studies Early
Steeling and moderate adversity
- What a few studies found
- People with some past adversity tend to report better wellbeing than those with none or a great deal.
- One possible explanation
- Manageable challenges may build coping skills and confidence that carry into the next one.
- Evidence
- A few studies, mostly correlational. Plausible, not settled.
Seery, Holman & Silver 2010Longitudinal study
- Who
- National sample of adults
- Conditions
- Lifetime adversity and recent negative events
- Method
- Repeated surveys of distress, functioning and life satisfaction over several years
- Observed
- People with some past adversity reported better mental health than those with none or a lot, and were least affected by recent events.
- Design
- Longitudinal study
Whatever does not kill us: cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0021344
Rutter 2012Narrative review
- Conditions
- Adversity and later stress
- Method
- Review of human and animal studies, including natural experiments
- Observed
- People varied hugely in response to similar adversity, and earlier hardship sometimes strengthened and sometimes sensitised later responses to stress.
- Design
- Narrative review
Resilience as a dynamic concept. Development and Psychopathology. doi:10.1017/S0954579412000028
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Observed in studies Moderate
Resilience as the common path
- What studies found
- After hard events, most people show steady functioning rather than lasting difficulty.
- One explanation
- Ordinary coping resources, used again and again, often carry people through.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Bonanno 2004Narrative review
- Who
- Adults facing loss or potentially traumatic events
- Conditions
- Bereavement and potentially traumatic events
- Method
- Review of research evidence
- Observed
- Most people exposed to loss or trauma kept functioning with only minor, brief disruption, and this resilience was more common than often believed.
- Design
- Narrative review
Loss, trauma, and human resilience. American Psychologist. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20
Galatzer-Levy, Huang & Bonanno 2018Systematic review
- Who
- 54 studies of people after potentially traumatic events
- Conditions
- Potentially traumatic events
- Method
- Compared response patterns over time and pooled how common each was
- Observed
- Resilience was the most common pattern, about 65.7% on average, followed by recovery, lasting difficulty and delayed onset.
- Design
- Systematic review
Trajectories of resilience and dysfunction following potential trauma. Clinical Psychology Review. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.05.008
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for steeling and resilience. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to steeling and resilience as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Fatigue How repeats wear on you
How do many repeated smaller demands accumulate?
What research says
-
Observed in studies Moderate
Daily hassles
- What studies found
- Small everyday hassles predict wellbeing as well as, and sometimes better than, major life events.
- One explanation
- Frequent minor stressors may leave little time to recover between them.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Kanner et al. 1981Longitudinal study
- Who
- Community sample of middle-aged adults
- Conditions
- Everyday hassles and uplifts versus major life events
- Method
- Questionnaires once a month for 10 months
- Observed
- Daily hassles predicted psychological symptoms better than major life events did.
- Design
- Longitudinal study
Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. doi:10.1007/BF00844845
Almeida 2005Narrative review
- Conditions
- Everyday stressors such as family arguments or work deadlines
- Method
- Telephone diary data from the National Study of Daily Experiences
- Observed
- Age, gender, education and ongoing chronic stress were linked with how often people met daily stressors and how strongly they reacted.
- Design
- Narrative review
Resilience and vulnerability to daily stressors assessed via diary methods. Current Directions in Psychological Science. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00336.x
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Observed in studies Moderate
Wear and tear of daily stressors
- What studies found
- In a ten-year study, people whose mood reacted more to daily stressors were more likely to report later emotional difficulties.
- One explanation
- Small reactions, repeated often, may add up into longer-term strain.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Charles et al. 2013Longitudinal study
- Who
- 711 adults aged 25 to 74
- Conditions
- Daily stressors over eight evenings, followed up 10 years later
- Method
- Evening reports of stressors and negative mood
- Observed
- Stronger negative reactions to daily stressors predicted more distress and more reported anxiety or depressive disorders 10 years later.
- Design
- Longitudinal study
The wear and tear of daily stressors on mental health. Psychological Science. doi:10.1177/0956797612462222
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for daily hassles. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to daily-hassle reactivity as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Creep How slow, long pressure wears on you
How does a long, continuing responsibility affect functioning and choices over time?
What research says
-
Observed in studies Moderate
Allostatic load
- What studies found
- The same stress responses that help in the short term are linked to wear on health when they stay on for long periods.
- One explanation
- Responses that are meant to switch off may stay partly on under chronic load.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
McEwen 1998Narrative review
- Conditions
- Long-term effects of the body's stress response
- Method
- Review of physiological research
- Observed
- Described how the body's stress systems can both protect and damage it, and called the long-term wear 'allostatic load'.
- Design
- Narrative review
Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1056/NEJM199801153380307
Guidi et al. 2021Systematic review
- Who
- 267 studies of adults in general and clinical populations
- Conditions
- Built-up burden of chronic stress and life events
- Method
- Database search of studies measuring allostatic load with biomarkers or clinical criteria
- Observed
- Higher allostatic load, the body's built-up wear from chronic stress, was linked with poorer physical and mental health.
- Design
- Systematic review
Allostatic load and its impact on health: a systematic review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. doi:10.1159/000510696
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Observed in studies Strong
Chronic work strain and burnout
- What studies found
- Long-running demand without enough recovery goes with exhaustion and detachment from work.
- One explanation
- Effort spent over months without matching rest or reward may slowly drain resources.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter 2001Narrative review
- Conditions
- Chronic emotional and interpersonal stress at work
- Method
- Review of 25 years of burnout research
- Observed
- Described burnout as a long-term response to job stress with three parts: exhaustion, cynicism and a sense of ineffectiveness.
- Design
- Narrative review
Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for chronic strain. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to chronic strain as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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4 · Aftermath
What stored stress does
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Half-life How long it stays
Does the subjective effect seem to linger or settle? This is not a clock-time forecast.
What research says
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Observed in studies Moderate
Emotional inertia
- What studies found
- Some people’s moods change slowly from moment to moment, and higher inertia goes with lower wellbeing.
- One explanation
- A state that resists change keeps carrying yesterday’s stress into today.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Kuppens, Allen & Sheeber 2010Diary study
- Who
- People with and without low self-esteem or depression
- Conditions
- Everyday emotional ups and downs
- Method
- Repeated emotion measures in naturalistic settings, across two studies
- Observed
- Emotions of people with low self-esteem or depression changed more slowly from moment to moment, for both good and bad feelings.
- Design
- Diary study
Emotional inertia and psychological maladjustment. Psychological Science. doi:10.1177/0956797610372634
Houben, Van Den Noortgate & Kuppens 2015Meta-analysis
- Who
- 79 articles with 11,381 people in total
- Conditions
- Short-term changes in emotion over time
- Method
- Pooled 793 links between emotion patterns and well-being
- Observed
- Lower well-being went with emotions that varied more, swung more sharply, and also lingered longer, especially for negative emotions.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
The relation between short-term emotion dynamics and psychological well-being: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/a0038822
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Observed in studies Moderate
Perseverative cognition
- What studies found
- Continued worry about a past or future stressor keeps the body’s stress responses active longer.
- One explanation
- Thinking about the event may restart the response even after the event itself is over.
- Evidence
- Several studies or a meta-analysis support it, with mixed sizes or open questions.
Brosschot, Gerin & Thayer 2006Narrative review
- Conditions
- Worry, rumination and anticipating stressful events
- Method
- Review of heart, hormone, immune and nervous system studies
- Observed
- Worry, rumination and anticipating stress were linked with greater heart, hormone and immune system activity, before and after the stressful events themselves.
- Design
- Narrative review
The perseverative cognition hypothesis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.06.074
Ottaviani et al. 2016Meta-analysis
- Who
- Sixty studies of healthy participants
- Conditions
- Rumination or worry, induced in experiments or measured as a habit
- Method
- Pooled blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability and cortisol
- Observed
- Rumination and worry went with higher blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol and lower heart rate variability, in both experimental and correlational studies.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
Physiological concomitants of perseverative cognition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/bul0000036
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for emotional inertia. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to emotional inertia as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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Residual stress What’s left afterwards
What thoughts, feelings or behavior seem to remain after the source has gone?
What research says
-
Observed in studies Strong
Perseverative cognition and rumination
- What studies found
- Worry and rumination after a stressor are linked to prolonged physical stress responses and lower mood.
- One explanation
- Replaying keeps the event active in the mind, which can keep the response going after the event has passed.
- Evidence
- Large reviews or meta-analyses agree on the pattern.
Brosschot, Gerin & Thayer 2006Narrative review
- Conditions
- Worry, rumination and anticipating stressful events
- Method
- Review of heart, hormone, immune and nervous system studies
- Observed
- Worry, rumination and anticipating stress were linked with greater heart, hormone and immune system activity, before and after the stressful events themselves.
- Design
- Narrative review
The perseverative cognition hypothesis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.06.074
Ottaviani et al. 2016Meta-analysis
- Who
- Sixty studies of healthy participants
- Conditions
- Rumination or worry, induced in experiments or measured as a habit
- Method
- Pooled blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability and cortisol
- Observed
- Rumination and worry went with higher blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol and lower heart rate variability, in both experimental and correlational studies.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
Physiological concomitants of perseverative cognition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/bul0000036
Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco & Lyubomirsky 2008Narrative review
- Conditions
- Rumination: repetitively dwelling on problems and feelings
- Method
- Review of research on response styles theory
- Observed
- Rumination predicted the onset of depression and was also linked with anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking and self-harm.
- Design
- Narrative review
Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x
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Observed in studies Early
Unfinished goals
- What a few studies found
- Unfinished tasks tend to intrude on the mind, and making a specific plan for them reduces the intrusion.
- One possible explanation
- A plan may tell the mind the loop is handled, so it stops sending reminders.
- Evidence
- A few studies, mostly correlational. Plausible, not settled.
Masicampo & Baumeister 2011Lab experiment
- Who
- Participants across several studies
- Conditions
- Unfinished goals, with or without making a specific plan
- Method
- Intrusive thoughts, word accessibility and anagram performance
- Observed
- Unfinished goals caused intrusive thoughts and poorer performance on other tasks, and making a specific plan for them removed these effects.
- Design
- Lab experiment
Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0024192
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Calmistry hypothesis Untested here
Calmistry’s measure itself
- What our model proposes
- Calmistry’s own questions for this measure have not yet been checked against established scales for rumination. That comparison is planned once real answers come in.
- Why we think so
- Until then, treat the link to rumination and unfinished goals as a borrowed idea, not a measured match.
- Evidence
- A Calmistry idea or metaphor. We have not tested it on real people yet.
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5 · Recovery
What recovery looks like for you
Recovery is examined through context, selected practices and later check-ins. A useful explanation should also consider sleep, resources, workload, relationships and the possibility that the source of pressure needs to change.
What we're still testing
A new name does not make a new scientific construct. We are checking whether each measure adds something beyond what psychology already measures, stays reasonably stable across situations, and helps people make better decisions. We keep what holds up and improve what doesn't.