Stress, Coping and Health

Coping with Stress

• Time and situation management– Gather feedback about how you spend time– How can you measure how you spend your

time?– P R I O R I T I Z E

• What has the least consequence if you don’t do it?• What do you do now that you could stop doing?

Coping with Stress

• Physiological and Behavior Strategies– Keep fit and avoid sickness

• How does exercise help?

– Activity makes us tired—sleep better

– Eat well (more “good for you” foods) to metabolize better

– Get rid of germs with healthy habits• Flu shots

• Wash hands

• Gargle with salt water

– Relaxation techniques

Coping with Stress

• Cognitive methods—change how you think– Replace irrational beliefs with reasonable thoughts

• i.e., Perfectionism or total self-relianceacceptance of fallibility and asking others for help

– Take a problem-solving approach—don’t just wallow in self-pity

– Learn to say “No” and be assertive• Use ERA statements

– Empathy– Rationale– Action

Communication Attributes of Less Stressed People

• Self-disclose appropriately to a friend• Use positive self-statements and surround selves

with positive people• 4 C’s

– Commitment: what you do is important– In Control: internal locus of control, make choice to

reduce stress– Challenge: view potential stressors as challenges, not

problems– Conscientiousness: stay on task early on, get over

stress early

Practicing Stress Management

• Write for 15 minutes about things that stressed you recently and how they made you feel

• Relaxation Response

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Biopsychosocial Model

This model holds that you must look at the

factors that influence a person’s behavior.

You don’t want to look at these factors separately, but how they interact with each other.

Study people who are healthy

and find out what their life is like – genetics, family, friends, etc.

StressIt is not the events that happen to us that cause us

stress, but how we .

How do YOU ? Take a moment to reflect

Think about it….. Why is it that when a teacher assigns a paper/project there are different reactions in the room?

Observe your fellow peers next time for this…

Predictors of Stress

• Negative situations

• Positive situations

• Personality—some are less able to adapt to stress– Introverts do not habituate well– Less reactive people can handle stress

• Hassles—regular demands or inconveniences

• Secondhand stress– People surrounding you are stressed– Women are more affected by this than men—women express,

men withdraw

Negative Signs of Stress• Emotional signs

– Irritability• People are low information processors—max out on info

processing when stressed b/c constantly thinking of things• More information makes you angry, see everything as serious

– Sadness, depression– Apathy– Anxiety

• Free-floating anxiety: constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop

– Mental fatigue• Forget things, what you meant to do

– Overcompensate or live in denial by taking on extra work

Which do you think affects us the most?

• 1. Daily Stress

• 2. Significant Changes

That is,

• 3. Catastrophes

That which takes us

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Sounds easy – huh?

In fact, research demonstrates that people suffer more over small events that large events.

Answer….

• Because they are often

• Think about stresses in your life – e.g., schoolwork. Just when you think you have gotten your work out of the way, that psych teacher of yours starts giving reading check quizzes

Frustration

Simply put, you can’t reach a goal that you would like to reach.

The frustration-aggression hypothesis states that frustration

Watch for ongoing frustration though!!!

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm-physiological arousal occurs

Resistance-physiological arousal stabilizes

Exhaustion-body begins to shut down

Conflict

Conflict is good in that it teaches us about prioritizing and decision-making

Lewin and Miller describe three types-

Approach-ApproachAvoidance-Avoidance Approach-Avoidance

Change

Frustration and stress can sometimes be avoided by obtaining coping skills, however……

Most people HATE change, even if their current situation is horrible – it seems that we sometimes are so afraid of change because of the UNKNOWN!!

3 Responses to Stress

1. Emotional Responses

2. Physiological Responses

3. Behavioral Responses

Emotional Responses

Stress and mood are highly correlated according to Caspi study conducted with women.

Helplessness leads to

Common Emotional Responses to Stress

- Annoyance, anger and rage

- Apprehension, anxiety and fear

- Dejection, sadness and grief

WHICH ARE YOU MOST LIKE?

Inverted U Hypothesis

It appears that a small amount of stress is optimal for task completion and awareness, but at a certain level,

Physiological Responses

• Fight-or-flight –

• Parasympathetic system

Behavioral Responses

• Coping-how we try to reduce or tolerate the demands of our lives

• How do you cope with stress?????

• Aggression-Dollard/frustration-

• Passive-Aggressive Responses

Defense Mechanisms

• Denial of Reality

• Fantasy

• Intellectualization-

• Undoing-

• Overcompensation

• Displacement

Constructive Coping

Constructive coping-

- Confront problem directly – really look at your options

- Reasonably appraise your coping resources-what will you do if you cannot do anything????

Negative Effects of Stress

Burnout –

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Effects of Stress on Physical Health

Psychosomatic , in part, by psychological stressors (don’t forget that genetics plays some role in all of this)

Somatoform Disorders-

ARE YOU TYPE A?

Oh c’mon now, you know who you are…

- Strong- Impatient/- Anger/- Unable to handle- Likes to do ALL the work

themselves- Workaholics

Which of these characteristics is most associated with heart disease?

Do you find yourself……

Having difficulty restraining yourself from hurrying other’s speech?

Doing more than one thing at a time?

Feeling guilty if you use extra time to relax?

Tending to get involved in a lot of things at one time?

Racing through yellow lights when you drive?

Do you find yourself….

Needing to win in order to get enjoyment out of things?

Needing to move, walk and eat rapidly?

Taking on too many responsibilities?

Getting angry when you have to wait on line?

Having an intense desire to better your position in life and impressing others?

Type A Personalities….

Have greater physiological reactivity in response to stress may cause wear and tear

Exposure to self-imposed stress may be high because competitiveness and time urgency foster pressure,

Type A Personalities…

Hostility and competitiveness may undermine social support from others that might buffer the effects of stress

Cynicism and impatience might lead to poor health habits, such as a lack of exercise, excessive consumption of convenience foods, or denial of symptoms

Emotional Reactions and Heart Disease

STRESS TAXES THE HEART!!!

DEPRESSION HAS BEEN LINKED TO HEART DISEASE

THE MORAL OF THE STORY…..REALLY EVALUATE YOUR STRESS LEVEL – WHAT IS WORTH STRESSING ABOUT?

Physical Problems – Type A

Associated with…..ColdsUlcersAsthmaHeadachesChronic back painStrokeHeart DiseaseAIDS

By the way……

Stress and lack of sleep deplete your immune system…..

Before you go to college, you may be required (if not ask your doctor about it) to get vaccinated for meningococcal meningitis

If you are a stressed person…..

Stress does not necessarily mean that you will get sick. You need to also have…..

ARE YOU TYPE B?

You know who you are too…….

Are you –

Relaxed most of the time?

Easygoing?

Amicable?

Adaptable?

How to cope with your stress….

- Social support – this is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Surround yourself with positive people

- Try to be optimistic

- Study by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman demonstrated that people who use a pessimistic explanatory style as someone

Negative Signs of Stress• Physical

– Sleep too much, too little– Weight issues– Headaches, migraines– Digestive problems– Aches and pains– Get sick more because immune system is low– Over self-medicate– Injuries– Physical exhaustion—cannot get enough sleep

Physiological responses to stress

• Catecholamines-– Epinephrine (adrenaline)-

– Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)-

– Dopamine-released by

Physiological response to stress

• Cortisol-called the ‘

‘ “as it is released in larger quantities when a person is stressed

• Problems associated with high stress:

• Impaired cognitive performance • Suppressed thyroid function • Blood sugar imbalances such

as hyperglycemia • Decreased bone density • Decrease in muscle tissue • Higher blood pressure• Lowered immunity and

inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences

• Increased abdominal fat

Some other physiological reactions to stress

The body is initially stimulated by catecholamines, which allow the sympathetic nervous system to activate.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreted by the pituitary gland, stimulates the adrenal glands. Stimulates the release of corticosteroids – hormones that stimulate the release of fats and proteins to help increase one’s energy during the fight-or-flight response.

Physiological reactions to stress

Glucocorticoids – when people are stressed, these hormones are released

Those of you who have test anxiety and can’t remember anything, RELAX, it is the chemicals!!!! Really, you need to relax before a test. If you know that looking over your notes increases your anxiety, why do it?

Stress appears to be related to…..

Poor academic functioning

Insomnia

Nightmares

Alcohol/drug abuse

Overall unhappiness

Stress may also play a role in….

Depression

Schizophrenia

Bipolar Disorder

Anxiety Disorders

Eating Disorders

Health-Impairing Behavior

Why do people engage in self-destructive behaviors?

Why do people drink knowing it may destroy their liver?

….Smoke when it can damage their lungs?

….Overeat when it can damage their heart?

Answers…

Bad habits develop over time

Many of these behaviors feel good

People often think it will never happen to them

Think about it…..do you think anyone starts drinking alcohol with the intent of becoming an alcoholic? Does this make sense?

Reactions to illness

Some people don’t like to go to doctor because…

They are afraid of what they may hear

They are afraid that they will look like they are overreactingLack of timeThey don’t see their symptoms as serious

The “Sick Role”

Some people like the “sick role” because it..