Week 6 - Stress & Coping
Moderating the Impact of Stress
Social support:
The perceived comfort, caring or help received from others
Can take the form of:
Emotional support
A sense of belonging
Information
Self-esteem
Networking to improve resources
Stronger social relationships correlate with the amount of assistance, people believe is available to them
Stress Management
Optimism:
The expectation of good things happening and bad things not happening
Strongly associated with electrical well-being and adaptive coping mechanisms
Conscientiousness:
And increased internal locus of control
Strongly related to better health habits, which serve as protective factors during times of high stress
Strongly associated with electrical well-being and adaptive coping mechanisms
Age:
Correlated with generativity, a sense of purpose, and emotion-focused coping for uncontrollable stressors
As we get older, we learn to eliminate coping responses that we find less effective
Coping mechanisms are, in part, enduring characteristics of the individual’s constitution
Certain stressors are more common throughout different age groups, for example, middle-aged people report stressors around family life and work, whilst older adults report stressors around health and physical abilities
Coping Styles
Emotion-focused coping:
Aims at relieving the emotional impact of stress
Does not target the cause of the stressor, but makes the person feel better
Problem-focused coping:
Targets the environment or the conditions that are causing the stress
CBT suggests using:
Cognitive restructuring (appraisals)
Relaxation techniques
Time management
Problem-solving skills
Behavioural activation
Developing coping strategies
Self-care, exercise, and addressing bad habits
Humour!
Humour buffers the effects of stress and promotes well-being
