1. Stress and Coping
You are not alone

2. Stress
What is stress? Well, Some use the term stress to refer to circumstances that threaten the well-being of a person or to refer to the response people have to threatening circumstances. Yet, Others use the term to refer to the experience of a threatening circumstance. All of these are true depending on the way you approach the subject.

3. Types Of Stressors
Stressors are psychologically or physically demanding events or circumstances. There are 3 main types of stressors
Catastrophic events: Large earthquakes, wars, etc.
Major life changes (Positive or Negative): Marriage, starting college, divorce, starting a new job
Minor Hassles: Traffic jams, standing in line, etc.

4. Internal Stressors
Exposure to difficult circumstances does not produce stress itself. Rather, stress occurs when people experience frustration, conflict, or pressure.
Frustration – The experience of being thwarted when trying to achieve a goal

5. Conflict
Conflict occurs when people have two or more incompatible motives. Conflict can occur in three forms:
The Approach – Approach Conflict: Occurs when people try to choose between two desirable alternatives
The Approach – Avoidance Conflict: Occurs when people must choose to do something that has both positive and negative aspects
The Avoidance- Avoidance Conflict: Occurs when people have to choose between two undesirable options (this is the most stressful conflict)

6. Pressure
Pressure: Occurs when people feel compelled to behave in a particular way because of expectations set by themselves or others. No matter what kind of stressor causes stress to occur. Stress is accompanied by many physiological changes

7. General Adaption Syndrome
Hans Selye believed that the bodies stress response consists of general adaption syndrome which has three stages: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion
Stage One: Alarm: An organism recognizes a threatening situation. The sympathetic nervous system activates, giving rise to fight or flight response. Digestive system slows, blood pressure and heart rate increase, adrenal hormones are released, and blood is drawn away from the skin to the skeletal muscles

8. General Adaption Syndrome
Stage Two: Resistance – Occurs when stress continues for a period of time. Physiological arousal stabilizes at a point that is higher than normal
Stage Three: Exhaustion – Prolonged stress causes the body’s resources to run out, and physiological arousal decreases. Organisms become more susceptible to disease.

9. Seyle’s Idea
Research has supported Seyle’s idea that prolonged stress can cause physical deterioration. However research has also shown that the body response isn’t as specific as Seyle thought. Different kinds of stressors produce different bodily responses. Stress is subjective and people respond differently to the same stressors depending on gender, medical conditions, and genetic predisposition.

10. The Brains Response To Stress
Any threat or challenge that an individual perceives in the environment triggers a chain of neuroendocrine events. The events can be conceptualized as two responses:
Sympathetic/ Adrenal: Message from the brain to the adrenal medulla via the sympathetic nervous system which secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine . This causes the fight or flight response where the heart rate quickens and blood pressure rises.
Pituitary/ Adrenal: When the hypothalamus is stimulated and produces corticotrophin and releases it to the pituitary gland. The adrenal cortex secretes cortisol that will report back to the original brain centers and the body organs will stop the whole cycle

11. Cortisol
The Prolonged Secretion of Cortisol leads to many health problems such as:
Break down of the cardiovascular digestive, and musculoskeletal systems: such as you get ulcers, asthma, eczema or skin rashes, migraines, hypertension, indigestion, constipation, back aches, headaches, even heart disease, etc.
Stress is not the sole cause for these. Heredity, specific organ weakness, learned reactions to stress, and personality all play their part.

12. Personalities
Type A Personalities – run high risk of heart attack because they are individuals who are ambitious, aggressive, business-like, controlling, and highly competitive.
Type B Personalities – Unlikely to have a heart attack because they are generally apathetic, patient, relaxed, easy- going, no sense of time schedule, and at times lacking an overriding sense of urgency.
Hardy Personalities – Usually resistant to heart attack. They hold a sense of personal commitment to self, work, family, and others stabilizing their values. They feel they have control over their lives.

13. Coping with Stress
The cognitive approach to coping is based on a mental process of how the individual appraises the situation at hand. Where the level of stress and the unique coping strategies that the individual partakes. There are two types of appraisals : the primary and the secondary
Primary Appraisals: When the individual makes a conscious evaluation of the matter at hand of wether it is either a harm or a loss, a threat or a challenge.
Secondary Appraisals: When the individual asks himself/herself “What can I do?” by evaluating the coping resources around him/her.

14. Coping Resources
Physical Resources: Such as how healthy one is, how much energy they have, etc.
Social Resources: Family or friends one has to depend on for support in their immediate surroundings
Psychological Resources: Self-esteem, self efficacy, etc.
Material Resources: How much money you have, what kind of equipment you may be able to use, etc.

15. Nurturing Yourself is Necessary to fight stress
Never Forget to:
Set aside time to relax
Connect with others
Do something you enjoy everyday
Keep your sense of humor
Exercise regularly
Eat a healthy diet
Get enough sleep
Reduce caffeine and cigarettes

16. Stress Management Strategy’s
Adapt to the stressor
Reframe the problem
Look at the big picture
Adjust your standards
Focus on the positive
Avoid Unnecessary Stress
Learn to say No
Avoid people who stress you out
Take control of your environment
Avoid hot-button topics
Alter the situation
Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
Be willing to compromise
Be more assertive
Manage your time better
Accept the things you cant change
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable
Look for the upside
Learn to forgive
Share your feelings

17. Test Question What are the 3 types of stressors? Catastrophic
Major life changes
Minor Hassles