STRESS AND HEALTH NOTES Tiffany Chen P.01
Section 1: Sources of stress
Stress โ A person's reaction to their inability to cope with a tense event or situation.
- Components of stress = stressor โ a stress producing event.
- Stress Reaction โ body's response to it
- Distress โ negative stress
- Eustress โ positive stress
- Conflict situations =
- Approach- approach โ you have to choose between 2 good things.
- Avoidance- avoidance โ have to choose between 2 negative things.
- Approach- avoidance โ have to choose between a good option or a bad option.
- Hassles โ small aggravating things that occur every day.
- Uplifts - small positive events.
Section 2: Reactions to stress
- Fight or flight โ body prepares itself for self defense
- General adaptation syndrome = alarm, resistance and exhaustion.
- Alarm โ body prepares itself
- Resistance โ try to cope with stressor
- Exhaustion โ if stressor persists body wears out.
- Emotional and Cognitive responses = anxiety, anger and fear.
- Difficulty in concentrating, poor decision making.
- Behavioral Reactions = Nervous habits (pacing, biting, nails), smoke or drink more, take rugs,
feel tired for no reason.
- Aggression towards family members
- Physical Reactions = Headaches, stomachaches, and muscle pains.
- Contributes to illness.
- Immune system is suppressed after long periods of stress.
- Personality Differences.
- Type A = High strung, easily agitated, always ready to fight, hostile, irritable, extremely
competitive.
- Type B = Ladi back, relaxed, patient.
- Type A = More likely to have a heart attack in their 30's and 40's. Adrenaline messes with
cholesterol.
Section 3 โ Coping with stress:
๏Defensive Coping Strategies=
- Denial (act like you're not stress)
- Intellectualization (step back and analyze situation)
