What stress is, its types and sources, how we appraise it, the General Adaptation Syndrome, ways of coping, life skills, and what builds resilience and well-being.
Key ideas
Selye defined stress as the body’s nonspecific response to any demand; it can be physical and environmental, psychological or social.
Stress comes from life events, daily hassles and traumatic events, and from frustration, conflicts and internal and social pressures.
Lazarus: primary appraisal judges an event as harm, threat or challenge; secondary appraisal judges whether we can cope.
Long-lasting stress can lower immunity; psychoneuroimmunology studies the links between mind, brain and immune system.
Coping can be task-oriented, emotion-oriented or avoidance-oriented (Endler and Parker); acting on the problem is problem-focused coping.
Relaxation, meditation, biofeedback, creative visualisation, stress inoculation and exercise all help manage stress.
Life skills (assertiveness, time management, rational thinking, good relationships, self-care) and social support build resilience and well-being.
Remember
General Adaptation Syndrome
alarm reaction → resistance → exhaustion (Selye)
Hardiness (Kobasa)
the three Cs: commitment, control, challenge
Effects of stress
emotional, physiological, cognitive, behavioural
Stress inoculation
Meichenbaum: replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Resilience
bouncing back; helped by self-worth, a confidant, problem-solving skills, a sense of purpose
Planning a day
hours left = 24 − hours already planned
Watch out
Swapping the appraisals: primary is about the event, secondary is about one’s own coping resources.
Getting the GAS order wrong: resistance comes before exhaustion.
Thinking all stress is harmful: a challenge appraised well can spur effort.
Worked example
Suppose a student plans a day with 6 hours at school, 6 hours of study and 8 hours of sleep. How many hours are left for meals, exercise and rest, and which life skill does such planning show?