11 Health Stress Coping Flashcards
Defined by Rathus as any demand made by an organism
to adapt, cope, or adjust.
stress
helps us become alert and occupied.
eustress
experienced if stress is intense or
prolonged; it can become a burden.
distress
Study of the relationships between psychological factors
and the prevention and treatment of physical health
problems
health psychology
who is the founder of stress research
hans selye
he Started his investigation on the
body’s response to stressors, observed his patients with diff
erent problems, and concluded that any number of environ
mental events would produce the same stress symptoms.
hans selye
Selye’s term for the common effects on the body when
demands are placed on it
general adaptation syndrome
STAGE of GAS
-Alarm Stage
-Resistance Stage
- Exhaustion stage
body’s first reaction to a stressor. The temp
orary state of shock during which resistance to illness and
stress falls below normal limits
alarm stage
glands throughout the body manufac-
ture different hormones that protect the individual.
resistance stage
the person might collapse in ex-
haustion, and vulnerability to disease increases
exhaustion stage
is considered the body’s system that plays the greatest role. Th
e HPA axis regulates various body processes.
hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis
stress hormone” that directs cells to make sugar, fat, and
protein available so the body can take quick action; it suppresses the
immune system.
cortisol
The axis also controls reactions to stressful events. When it detects a
threat in the environment, the brain signals the hypothalamus to
release _______ which stimulates the
pituitary gland to produce another hormone that causes the
adrenal glands to release cortisol.
corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
Factors that causes stress
- daily hassles
- life changes
- conflicts
Regularly occurring conditions and experiences that can threaten or
harm our well being.
daily hassles
what are the daily hassles
- Household Hassle
- Health Hassle
- Time-pressure
- Environmental Hassle
- Inner Concern
- Financial Responsibility Hassle
- Work Hassle
- Security Hassle
opposite of daily hassles.
uplifts
Getting a scholarship, graduating from college, marrying the right pers
on, finding a good job, and moving to a better neighborhood require
us to adjust.
life changes
Feeling of being pulled in two or more directions by opposing motives
conflict
least stressful type. In this type, each of the t
wo goals is desirable and both are within reach.
approach-approach conflict
more stressful because we are motivated to
avoid each of the two negative goals, yet avoiding one of them requires appr
oaching the other.
avoidance-avoidance conflict
experiences when the same goal produces a
pproach and avoidance motives.
approach-avoidance conflict
most complex form of conflict be-
cause each of several alternative courses of action has pluses and minuses.
multiple approach-avoidance conflict
psychological moderators of stress
- self-efficacy
-psychological hardiness - sense of humor
- predictability and control
- social support
Ability to believe in our capacity
to make things happen.
self-efficacy
what are the stress hardy personality
- commitment
- control (internal and external)
- challenge
(Suzanne Kobasa and colleagues –late 1970’s)- studied that business
executives who seemed able to resist illness despite stress. In their
study, certain personality traits that protects us from the health
ravages of stress called stress hardy personality. (3c’s of hardiness)
• Commitment
• Control – Internal and External
• Challenge
psychological hardiness
Can moderate the effects
of stress.
Benefits:
• stimulates endorphins,
• Positive cognitive shifts and
• Positive emotions
sense of humor
what are the benefits of sense of humor
• stimulates endorphins,
• Positive cognitive shifts and
• Positive emotions
Enable us to moderate the
impact of stress.
predictability and control
allows us to prepare
Ourselves for the inevitable .
predictability
allows us to feel that we are
Not at the mercy of the fates.
control
Considered as a buffer against the
effects of stress; can be given to and
received by people through some
aspects.
social support
different types of social support
- emotional concern
- instrumental aid
- information
- appraisal
- socializing
Can be demonstrated through listening
to people’s concerns and expressing
feelings of sympathy, caring,
understanding, and reassurance.
emotional concern
Can be in the form of material support
and services that facilitate adaptation.
May be given, after a disaster a manifested,
through provisions of food, medicines, and
temporary living quarters.
instrumental aid
Can be shared giving guidance and advice
that enhance people’s ability to cope.
information
Done by giving feedback about how one
is doing. Helps people interpret what
happened to them.
appraisal
Can be in a form of initiating simple
conversation or going shopping with
another person. Even when it is
oriented specifically toward solving
problems, has beneficial effects.
socializing
stress management strategies
- physical management
- behavioral management
- cognitive restructuring
• Structure each day to include a minimum of 20 minutes of aero
-bic exercise. Zumba has already been a current trend. It can be
done alone or with family members or with friends.
• Eat a balanced meal
• Avoid caffeine. The substance may aggravate anxiety, insomnia,
nervousness, and trembling.
• Get enough hours of sleep
• Take a warm bath or shower
physical management
Can be done through involvement in diversionary activities or
directs action taking like positive addiction to cross stitching,
gardening, drawing, writing, poems, composing songs, etc.
behavioral management
Everything that happens to us, whether it stresses us or not de
pends on how we think about that experiences. If you have tho
ught of the event as stressful, use the cognitive restructuring a
pproach to lighten the effects of stress.
cognitive restructuring
