Chapter Twelve: Emotion, Stress, and Health

Emotions, Stress, and Health: How to Cope

INTRODUCTION

A review of the most effective methods of coping with stress.

WHAT'S AHEAD

• When you are feeling overwhelmed, what are some ways to calm yourself?
• Why is it important to move beyond the motions caused by a problem and deal with the problem itself?
• How can you learn to rethink your problems?
• When do friends reduce your stress, and when do they just make matters worse?

KEY CONCEPTS

Cooling Off
Solving the Problem
Rethinking the Problem
Looking Outward

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Cooling Off (p.421)

INTRODUCTION

The most immediate method involves calming down -- reduce the body's physical arousal.

KEY CONCEPTS EXPLAINED

..Relaxation Techniques

• Relaxation Training Training - Types of Techniques
  • Alternatively tense and relax your muscles.
  • Lie or sit quietly.
  • Meditate by clearing your mind

• Beneficial Effects
  • Lower stress hormones.
  • Enhances immune system functioning.

..Exercise (Health benefits for the physically fit):

• Fewer health problems.

• Lower physiological arousal to stressors.

• Fewer physical symptoms, colds, and visits to the doctor.

• Less anxiety, less depression, less irritability.

..Other Strategies...

• Massage, walks, calm music, baking bread, and skydiving (ok, maybe sky diving, firewalking, and base jumping do not count as calming activities).

	Do you think cigarette smoking reduces stress?
	http://www.psychplace.com/news/cognitive/smkstress.html May require a pasword -- information about Psychology Place Resource

Solving the Problem (p.422)

INTRODUCTION

We need to move from emotion-focused coping to problem-solving coping.

KEY CONCEPTS EXPLAINED

.
..Emotion-Focused Coping

• Concentrating and talking about the emotions the problem has caused.

• Normal to spend a period of time in this kind of coping

• Benefits of emotion-focused coping (repeatedly going over the event and its emotions).
  • Come to terms with the event.

  • Start to make sense of the event.

  • Decide what you should do
  • [Rewind to emotional inhibition techniques]

..Problem-Focused Coping

• Concentrates on the problem not the feelings.

• Benefits
  
  
  • Increases sense of self-efficacy

  • Encourages critical thinking.

  • Better able to solve the problem in this mode.

  • Better able to avoid negative emotions.

  • Even reduces physiological arousal.

..

Rethinking the Problem (p.423)

INTRODUCTION

For those problems that cannot be completely solved, it is useful to reassess the meaning of the events.

KEY CONCEPTS EXPLAINED

• Reappraisal
  
  
  • Reassess problem into a challenge or potential opportunity.
    
    
  • 2/3 of spinal cord injured persons felt their disability had some positive effects.

  • Reappraising the actions of others is also helpful in reducing stress.
    
    
• Social Comparison

  • Compare self to others less fortunate.

  • Comparing self to others doing better than you is useful if it provides information about how to manage/improve your own situation.
    
    
• Humor
  
  
  • Seeing the absurd or whimsical aspects of a bad situation is stress reducing.

  • Benefits
    • Improves immune system functioning.

    • Hastens recovery from illness.

    • Less distress.

    • May stimulate the release of endorphins.

  • Laughing at a problem means you see it in a new way which helps you gain control.

  • Caution: Vicious jokes at the expense of others may make things worse.

LINKS about Humor and Stress

• wwwlink: Website of the president of the Amer. Assn . of Therapeutic Humor .
• www.link: "Laughing Out Loud" - a student developed website.
• wwwlink: An article about how humor reduces stress.
• www.link: Another review article.

Looking Outward (p.423)

INTRODUCTION

Social support means reaching out to others - family, friends, co-workers.

KEY CONCEPTS EXPLAINED

..Social Support Mechanisms

• Help to evaluate the problem.

• Help to plan a course of action.

• Offer resources and services.

• Source of attachment and connection

..Benefits of Receiving Social Support

• Grim fact: People with little social support are more likely to die.

• Beneficial effects on:
  • Cardiovascular system.

  • Endocrine system.

  • Immune System.

.Social "Support" may be the source of the stress:

• People behave awkwardly.

• Cut short your expression of feelings.

• Say something stupid.

• Offer the wrong kind of support.

• Unwilling to listen.

• Your support group has the very bad habits (e.g. smoking, alcohol bingeing) that are causing you problems. Hard to break bad habits under these circumstances.

.Benefits of Giving Social Support

• Helping others helps us with our own major traumas or just every day hassles.

• Individuals who are empathetic and cooperative are healthier and happier.

• Why? The ability to look outside yourself is related to almost all the successful coping strategies.
  • Encourages problem solving rather than blaming.

  • Helps reappraisal of conflict.

  • Helps gain perspective on a problem rather than exaggerating its importance.

  • Elements of forgiveness, tolerance and empathy in helping, helps you live with unpleasant situations you face.

	An article on the value of friendship
	http://www.psychplace.com/news/develop/friend.html May require a pasword -- information about Psychology Place Resource

Next Topic - Taking Psychology With You: Anger...........................Chapter Contents