Chapter 89. Methods of Managing Stress

Learning Objectives

aerobic exercise
in stress management, sustained exercise that improves cardiovascular functioning and helps to relax the body and reduce negative emotions
biofeedback
in stress management, displaying a person’s own physiological measurements so that the person can become aware of the body’s reaction to stress or relaxation
cognitive
refers to the mental activities involved in perceiving, remembering, thinking, and reasoning
depression
extreme mood swing in a negative direction, accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness
emotion
a conscious mental state or feeling that arises spontaneously as a reaction to events
emotion-focused coping
an approach to managing stress that targets the negative emotions produced by the stress, attempting to remove or reduce those emotions
external locus of control
belief that you have little or no personal control over events of your life; external forces, or random events, are in charge of your destiny
internal locus of control
belief that you have personal control over events of your life, and thus have the power to make changes
mindfulness meditation
in stress management, a way of paying attention to the inner state of your body and mind in order to promote relaxation
problem-focused coping
an approach to managing stress that directly targets the stressor, attempting to remove or reduce the source of the stress
social support
in stress management, emotional support from others that helps to calm the body and reduce negative emotions
stress
the body’s response to a threat or challenge
stressor
event or object that is the source of stress; any threat or challenge to a person
Methods of Managing Stress
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Learning Objectives:

Describe some effective methods of coping with stress.

Contrast problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.

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1. Brief periods of mild stress can be good for us, as the stress activates physical and cognitive processes that help us reach our peak performance on important tasks. However, chronic stress can impair our health and trigger depression or other psychological problems.

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2. Methods of coping with stress can reduce some of its damaging effects. One approach, called problem-focused coping, targets the source of the stress (the stressor). If you are feeling stress about a writing assignment, the best way to reduce that stress is to complete the assignment. If a relationship is the source of your stress, you could cope with the stress by investing effort in improving that relationship.

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3. In contrast, emotion-focused coping does not address the stressor, but instead attempts to manage the negative emotions produced by the stressor. This type of coping can be useful, but sometimes leads to an unhealthy reliance on alcohol or other drugs, or an overindulgence in favorite “comfort foods.”

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Photo: two young adults, with one in obvious distress and the other providing social support through a comforting touch
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Photo: young adults engaging in aerobic exercise (running or using gym equipment)
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4. Other methods of emotion-focused coping are much more effective. Social support from friends or family reduces the body’s stress response and suppresses negative emotions. Aerobic exercise produces the same effects, along with other health benefits.

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5. Some methods of emotion-focused coping are specifically directed toward reducing the body’s stress response by inducing relaxation. Mindfulness meditation directs your attention to muscle tension and breathing rate, calming both your body and your brain. Biofeedback measures and reports your physiological responses such as heart rate and muscle tension, helping you learn techniques to relax your body.

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6. Some individuals, especially those with an internal locus of control, typically respond to stress with problem-focused coping. Other individuals who have an external locus of control may lack confidence that they can change the situation, and thus typically use emotion-focused coping.

Practice: Coping with Stress

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Practice: Coping with Stress

Roll over each of the images to view a description of that method of stress management.

The figure has five images, three on the top row and two on the bottom row. The first image is of two women. One of the women has her hand on the other woman's shoulder as she listens to her.
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The second image is a woman sitting at a table typing on a laptop, with a book open beside her.
The third image is a man teaching a step aerobics class.
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The fourth image is a woman sitting in a crossed-leg position, meditating.
The fifth image is a man looking at a computer screen that is displaying a heart rate.

Emotion-focused coping through social support: reducing the intensity of the negative stress-related emotions by seeking comfort from friends and family

Problem-focused coping by solving the problem: directly addressing the stress of an important writing assignment by completing the assignment

Emotion-focused coping through aerobic exercise: managing the stress response and improving mood while increasing cardiovascular health

Emotion-focused coping through meditation: calming body and mind by paying attention to moment-to-moment conscious experience

Emotion-focused coping through biofeedback: using physiological measurements to learn how to relax the muscles and slow the heart rate

Quiz 1

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Quiz 1

Match the terms to the descriptions by dragging each colored circle to the appropriate gray circle. When all the circles have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

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Perhaps you should go back to review methods of coping with stress.
social support
mindfulness meditation
internal locus of control
biofeedback
aerobic exercise
external locus of control
sustained movement that improves cardiovascular functioning
displaying a person’s own physiological measurements to show the body’s reaction to stress or relaxation
paying attention to the inner state of body and mind in order to promote relaxation
care and concern from others in a time of stress
belief that you have little or no personal control over the events of your life
belief that you have personal control over the events of your life

Quiz 2

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Quiz 2

Drag each term to the gray area in front of a matching description. When all the terms have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Perhaps you should go back to review problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.
Select the NEXT button and move to the Conclusion.
Problem-focused coping
Problem-focused coping
Emotion-focused coping
Emotion-focused coping

managing stress by directly confronting the source of the stress.

managing stress by reducing the negative feelings produced by the stress.

more likely to be used by individuals with internal locus of control.

more likely to be used by individuals with external locus of control.

Conclusion

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