Stress,

Health,an
d Coping
Psychology
1010
Stressors
Definition: Specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a
person or threaten the persons well-being.
For most its an event that disrupts the comfortable pattern of our lives. (It can be
something as little as an essay)

Stress: The physical and psychological response to internal or external

stressors.
Stressful
Events
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahes observation

Major life changes cause stress and stress

causes illness

In a large student sample the average score

ranged from 182-2,571 & the average
score was 1,247

Research shows that positive events produce

less psychological distress and fewer physical
symptoms
Chronic Stressors
Definition: sources of stress that occur continuously or repeatedly.
(discrimination, bullying, money problems)

People form groups based on culture, race, interest, etc. and many
chronic stressors are linked to these social relationships
Being outside the in-group can be stressful

Being targeted by the in-group causes even more stress

Chronic stressors can be linked to environments as well

Traffic, violence, noise, etc
Fight or Flight Response
Definition: An emotional and physiological reaction to an emergency that
increases readiness for action.

Walter Cannon coined the phrase to represent the body's response to any
threatening stimulus.

Response occurs in the hypothalamus, which stimulates pituitary gland and

releases Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Stimulates the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine which increase

the sympathetic nervous system activation.
General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS)
This is a three-sage physiological stress response that appears regardless of
the stressor that is encountered.

STAGE 1: Alarm Phase

In this stage the body mobilizes its resources rapidly in order to respond to a threat. This
phase is equivalent to the fight-or-flight response.

STAGE 2: Resistance Phase

The body adapts its high state of stimulation as it tries to cope with the stressor. The body is
being taxed to generate resistance, and all the fun stuff is put on hold.

STAGE 3: Exhaustion phase

The defenses that were created in stage two create gradual damage. This leads to costs or
Effects on Health and Aging
People exposed to chronic stress,
whether due to their relationships,
jobs, or something else,
experience actual wear and tear
on their bodies and increased
aging.

People exposed to chronic stress

have shorter telomere length and
lower telomerase activity.
Stress and Heart Health
Chronic stress, or a constant stress experienced over a prolonged period
of time, can contribute to long-term problems for coronary heart
disease.

Sympathetic Nervous System redistributes blood flow to our muscles,

pulling it away for our internal organs. And the liver, which normally
removes cholesterol and fat from the blood, cant do its job. Thus,
excess cholesterol and fat may continue to circulate in our blood and
later get deposited around the heart.
Mind Management: Repressive
Coping
Repressive Coping: avoiding situations or thoughts
that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining
an artificially positive viewpoint
An example of this is a rape victim who avoids where it
happened, and refocuses on what is happening now
instead of dealing with what happened to them.

Some people find it difficult to avoid unpleasant thoughts

that it can be turned into a grim preoccupation. For
others it is easy to put stressful situations aside.
Mind Management: Rational
Coping
Rational Coping: facing the stressor and
working to overcome it (Opposite of
Repressive Coping)
3 step process

i. Acceptance : Coming to realize that the

stressor exists and cannot be wished away

ii. Exposure: Attending to the stressor, thinking

about it, and seeking it out

iii. Understanding: Working to find the meaning

of the stressor in your life

This method is the hardest to accomplish

Mind Management: Reframing
Reframing: finding a new or creative way to
think about a stressor that reduces a
stress
An example of this is a person afraid of public
speaking does not think about the
audience evaluating them but instead
thinks about evaluating the audience.

Stress inoculation training (STI): a reframing

technique that helps people to cope with
stressful situations by developing positive ways
to think about a situation.
Body Management
Meditation: The practice of international
contemplation

Relaxation:
Relaxation therapy: technique for reducing tension
by consciously relaxing muscles of the body which
draws on the Relaxation response (a condition of
reducing muscle tension, cortical activity, heart
rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure

Eating right: Start your day right with

breakfast, and keep your energy up and
your mind clear with balanced, nutritious
meals throughout the day. Reduce caffeine
and sugar.
Body Management Continued
Biofeedback: the use of an external monitoring
device to obtain information about a bodily
function and possibly gain control over that
function. Developed with the goal of high-
tech relaxation

Aerobic Exercise: Exercise that increases heart

rate and oxygen intake for a sustained period
and is associated with psychology of well-
being

Social Support: Aid is gained through

interacting with others and getting support
from others
Strengthening Self-Control
Self-control is the ability to handle personal
feelings and emotions in difficult situations.
Without self-control, it is impossible to manage
your anger and stress.
Locus of Control- the researcher Julian
Rotter concluded that persons feeling or
beliefs about factors that rule their behavior
are as important as the actual factors
themselves. People thoughts are just as
important as what actually happens.
Strengthening Self-Control
continued
Internal Locus- believe that only they are responsible for what happens to
them.

External Locus- believe that they have no control over what happens to
them. Externals view themselves as victims of fate or of other outside
forces beyond their control.

Locus of control can change in ones lifetime. If it can change, then it can
be learned. Its important to have an internal rather than an external
locus of control in order to manage your stress.

Having a sense of Control, developing more optimistic thinking and

building social support can help us experience less stress and thus
improve Health.
Test Question
What is a stressor?

Specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a

person or threaten the persons well-being.