Psychology · Ch 3 — Meeting Life Challenges
Coping with Stress
Coping with Stress
Coping with Stress
The central idea in modern stress research is that what matters for your well-being is not the stress you face, but how you cope with it. Coping is a dynamic, situation-specific reaction — a set of concrete responses intended to resolve the problem and reduce stress. The way we cope often depends on rigid, deep-seated beliefs based on past experience. For example, when stuck in traffic we feel angry because we believe the traffic should move faster. To manage stress, we often need to reassess the way we think and learn coping strategies.
People who cope poorly with stress have an impaired immune response and diminished activity of natural killer cells. Individuals show consistent differences in the coping strategies they use, which can include both overt (visible) and covert (internal) activities.
Endler and Parker's Three Coping Strategies
| Strategy | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Task-oriented | Obtaining information about the stressful situation and alternative courses of action; deciding priorities and acting directly to deal with the problem. | "Schedule my time better", "Think about how I have solved similar problems" |
| Emotion-oriented | Efforts to maintain hope and control emotions; can also involve venting anger and frustration, or deciding nothing can be done. | "Tell myself it is not really happening to me", "Worry about what I am going to do" |
| Avoidance-oriented | Denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation; conscious suppression of stressful thoughts and replacement with self-protective thoughts. | Watching TV, phoning a friend, trying to be with other people |
Lazarus and Folkman's Model
Lazarus and Folkman conceptualised coping as a dynamic process rather than an individual trait. Coping refers to constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the internal or external demands created by the stressful transaction. Coping serves two functions: to manage or alter the problem, and to regulate the emotional response to that problem. They divided coping responses into two types:
Problem-focused strategies attack the problem itself. They involve behaviours designed to gain information, alter the event, and alter beliefs and commitments. These strategies increase awareness, knowledge, and the range of coping options, and can reduce the threat value of the event. Example: "I made a plan of action and followed it."
Emotion-focused strategies call for psychological changes designed primarily to limit the degree of emotional disruption caused by an event, with minimal effort to alter the event itself. Example: "I did some things to let it out of my system."
While both types are necessary, research suggests people generally use problem-focused coping more often than emotion-focused coping.
To check your own coping style, rate yourself on a 5-point scale (5 = always, 1 = never) for items like: "I express emotions openly and directly", "I work towards my own personal goals", "I accept situations that cannot be altered", "I discuss my worries with friends", "I may not get everything just right". The higher your score, the better your coping ability.
Stress Management Techniques
Stress is called a silent killer. It plays a significant role in physical illness and disease — hypertension, heart disease, ulcers, diabetes, and even cancer are linked to stress. Due to lifestyle changes, stress is on the increase, so schools, institutions, offices, and communities are concerned about learning techniques to manage it.
Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation is an active skill that reduces symptoms of stress and decreases the incidence of illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Usually, relaxation starts from the lower part of the body and progresses up to the facial muscles, so that the whole body is relaxed. Deep breathing is used along with muscle relaxation to calm the mind and relax the body.
Meditation Procedures
The yogic method of meditation consists of a sequence of learned techniques for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness. It involves such thorough concentration that the meditator becomes unaware of any outside stimulation and reaches a different state of consciousness.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a procedure to monitor and reduce the physiological aspects of stress by providing feedback about current physiological activity. It is often accompanied by relaxation training. Biofeedback training involves three stages:
- Developing an awareness of the particular physiological response (e.g., heart rate)
- Learning ways of controlling that physiological response in quiet conditions
- Transferring that control into the conditions of everyday life
Creative Visualisation
Creative visualisation is an effective technique that uses imagery and imagination. Before visualising, one must set a realistic goal, as it helps build confidence. It is easier to visualise if the mind is quiet, the body relaxed, and the eyes closed. This reduces the risk of interference from unbidden thoughts and provides the creative energy needed for turning an imagined scene into reality.