ch3: personal stress manangement Flashcards
stressor
specific or non-specific agents or situations that cause the stress response in a body
stress
a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation, an internal state of arousal, non-specific response of the body to various demands
acute time-limited stressors
- short-term anxiety-provoking situations coming up in the near future (there is an end point)
- ex. a presentation
brief stressors
- a more serious challenge that may occur on a consistent basis (there is an end point)
- ex. prepare for final exams
life-changing events
- great impact, important decisions or consequence of a natural disaster or traumatic occurrence (end at some point in the future)
- ex. choosing university or preparing for a wedding
chronic stressors
- ongoing demands building up stress over a long period of time (no clear end point)
- ex. disability caused by an accident or taking care of loved one with Alzheimer’s
distant stressors
- traumatic experiences that occurred long ago outside of your regular lifestyle (continue to have emotional and psychological impact)
- ex. climate change
eustress
a positive stress that stimulates a person to function properly
distress
a negative stress that may result in illness
neustress
a type of stress that is considered to be neutral (neither good or bad), perceived to be unimportant
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
the sequenced physiological response to a stressful situation: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, developed by Selye
homeostasis
the body’s natural state of balance or stability
adaptive response
the body’s attempt to reestablish homeostasis or stability after stressors disrupting and triggering physiological response
what are the three stages of GAS
alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
alarm
stressor first occurs → body responds with changes that temporarily lower resistance. certain hormones rise, blood pressure and heart rate increase
resistance
stressor continues → internal resources are used to sustain homeostasis. respond intensely and feel great anxiety, and it takes great effort to maintain normal behaviour
exhaustion
stress continues long enough → stress overload, no more normal functioning, smallest amount of additional stress can cause a breakdown
F3 → Fight-Flight-Freeze
a psychological stress response that evolved as a survival mechanism allowing us to react quickly to both life-threatening and non-life threatening situations, coined by Cannon
fight
the amygdala (responsible for interpreting fearful images and sounds) sends a message to the hypothalamus (relay centre) which controls the pituitary gland that produce hormones to control body temp, heart rate, and hunger. we experience nausea, tight muscles, a desire to attack, and feelings of anger or rage
flight
fighting is not an option = flight. heart rate rises, rapid breathing, release of blood sugar for extra energy
freeze
when we can’t defend or outrun the situation, we cannot move, think, or react and we feel paralyzed
cognitive-transactional model of stress and coping
a non-biological stress theory, developed by Lazarus and Folkman, that looks at the relation between stress and health
psychological stress
according to Lazarus, is the relationship between a person and their environment and the power to deal with the demands of that relationship without unreasonable or destructive costs
primary appraisal process
perceive an event as a threat or a challenge
secondary appraisal process
comprehensive assessment of the person’s ability to manage the threat and their coping resources will occur
coping responses
stress outcomes will depend on the effectiveness of the cognitive appraisal and the person’s coping process
feed back
stress outcomes will feed back into the cognitive appraisal to determine if more stress needs to be done to resolve the situation
cognitive appraisal
how the event affects people’s lives
planful problem solving
a form of approach to dealing with stress that has a healthy effect on the emotion response
confrontive coping and distancing
a form of approach to dealing with stress that makes things worse
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
a special science that focuses on the relationship between our brain’s response to stress and our immune system
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
a part of the CNS that starts in the cerebral cortex and regulates our bodily functions (heart rate, respiratory system, and glands)
sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
initiates the release of stress hormones that increase our heart rate and respiratory rate
what are the processes our body go through under stress in the sympathetic nervous system
- SNS → hypothalamus (control centre) → stimulate adrenal glands → release epinephrine (adrenaline) → increase in blood flow, dilation in the alveoli → more oxygen taken in and breathing rate increases (also release of more glucose for muscle contractions)
- blood leaves the digestive system to save energy → hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland → adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH, helps to release nutrients the body has stored as energy) → adrenal glands release cortisol (other parts of the body release endorphins, which helps with pain relief)
parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)
slows down other systems that are stimulated by the stress response to restore homeostasis
epinephrine
aka adrenaline, released from the adrenal glands and initiates an increase in blood flow
hypothalamus
a section of the brain that acts as our control centre and reacts to stress hormones that have been released by the SNS
cortisol
released from the adrenal glands and helps to release nutrients the body has stored for energy
complicated grief
an intense an extended period of grief that is often linked to the loss or death of a family member, friend, acquaintance, or partner relationship (a sense of disbelief, anger, bitterness, recurrent intrusive thoughts, and intense yearning)
adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
released by the pituitary gland, which triggers the adrenal glands to release cortisol, a hormones that helps to release nutrients the body has stored as energy
discrimination
a form of biased and unjust treatment of people on the unfair justification of age, culture, race, or sex (a societal stressor)
terrorism
the use of violence and intimidation, usually in an unlawful way to advance political aims, also classified as a stressor
technostress
a modern disease that consists of a feeling of anxiety or pressure resulting from a struggle to embrace or overexposure to computer technology
FoMO
fear of missing out, a compulsive concern where individuals believe they might miss out on something other people are experiencing (social anxiety)
digital dementia
the shrivelling of the grey matter in the hippocampus, causing a breakdown of our cognitive abilities due to extreme overuse of the internet
defence mechanisms
a psychological process that alleviates anxiety and eliminates mental conflict
denial
the refusal to accept a painful reality
displacement
the redirection of feelings from their true object to a more acceptable or safer substitute
projection
the attribution of unacceptable feelings or impulses to someone else
rationalization
the substitution of acceptable reasons for the real motivations for the behaviour
reaction formation
adopting attitudes and behaviours that are the opposite of what you feel
repression
keeping threatening impulses, fantasies, memories, feelings, or wishes from becoming conscious
breathing exercies
controlled and regulated breathing techniques lower stress levels and relax and clear our mind (abdominal breathing)
biofeedback
a method of obtaining feedback or information about psychological activity occurring in the body. Uses electronic monitoring device to measure temperature or skin responses and internal physiological activities, the results are shared with the subjects to learn to control involuntary functions (body temperature, heart rate, muscle tension, brain waves)
meditation
use of quiet sitting, breathing techniques, improve concentration
guided imagery
visualizing oneself in the state of calmness and wellness
mindfulness
experiencing the physical and mental sensations of the present moment
progressive relaxation
reducing muscle tension by contracting than relaxing certain areas of the body
sleep debt
the number of hours of missed sleep per night
circadian rhythm
(suprachiasmatic nucleus SCN) - the body’s 25 hour biological clock that controls our sleep-wake cycle, located in the hypothalamus
visualization
an approach to stress control, self-healing, or motivating life changes by means of guided imagery
non-REM (NREM) sleep
a restorative state of sleep characterized by slower brain wave frequency, breathing and heartrate
REM sleep
sleep that occurs at intervals during the night an is characterized by rapid eye movements. during this type of sleep a person experiences more dreaming, body movements, and faster pulse and breathing
obstructive sleep apnea
sleep disorder where the throat muscles relax, making it difficult to breathe
central sleep apnea
brain doesn’t send the proper signals to the breathing muscles
complex sleep apnea
a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea
