Psychology · Ch 3 — Meeting Life Challenges
Summary
Summary
- Nature of stress: Stress is the pattern of physiological, behavioural, emotional, and cognitive responses to real or imagined stimuli perceived as threatening or challenging. It is not the event itself but the individual's appraisal of it.
- Types of stress: Eustress is positive, motivating stress that enhances performance; distress is negative, overwhelming stress that impairs functioning. Stress can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term, often from persistent problems).
- Sources of stress: Life events (major changes like death, marriage), daily hassles (minor irritants like traffic), and catastrophic events (natural disasters, war). Conflict (approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance) and frustration (blocked goals) are key psychological sources.
- General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) (Selye): Three stages — Alarm reaction (fight-or-flight), Resistance (body adapts to cope), Exhaustion (resources depleted, leading to illness).
- Cognitive appraisal (Lazarus & Folkman): Primary appraisal (is this a threat, challenge, or harm/loss?) and Secondary appraisal (can I cope with it?). The interaction determines stress intensity.
- Effects of stress: Physiological (weakened immune system, hypertension, heart disease), psychological (anxiety, depression, burnout), and behavioural (substance abuse, poor sleep, reduced performance).
- Stress and immune system: Chronic stress suppresses immunity via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing cortisol, which reduces lymphocyte activity and raises vulnerability to infections.
- Coping strategies: Problem-focused coping (directly managing the stressor — e.g., time management, seeking information) and emotion-focused coping (managing emotional distress — e.g., meditation, seeking social support). Effective coping uses both as needed.
- Stress management techniques:
- Relaxation techniques: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, meditation.
- Exercise: Regular aerobic activity reduces stress hormones and improves mood.
- Social support: Trusted relationships buffer stress by providing emotional, informational, or tangible help.
- Cognitive restructuring: Replacing irrational, negative thoughts with realistic, positive ones (e.g., from "I can't handle this" to "I can manage step by step").
- Time management: Prioritising tasks, setting realistic goals, avoiding procrastination.
- Life skills for resilience: Assertiveness (expressing needs without aggression), problem-solving, effective communication, decision-making, and self-awareness — all reduce vulnerability to stress. …