Explain two ways in which people try to alleviate stress.
Explain how a perceived lack of control can affect health.
Explain why self-control is important and whether it can be depleted.
Explain how an optimistic outlook affects health & longevity.
Explain how social support promotes good health.
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DEALING WITH STRESS�COPING STRATEGIES
Problem-Focused Coping – When we believe stress is a problem to be solved
Directly challenge the stressor or the way we interact with it.
Emotion-Focused Coping – When we believe we cannot change a situation
Avoid or ignore the stressor and instead attend to our emotional needs (meditate, therapy, reach out to family/friends.
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PERSONAL CONTROL
Personal Control – Our sense that we control the events going on around us.
Learned Helplessness – Becoming hopeless and passive when faced with repeated bad events outside of your control.
Studies show that the more control in one’s life equates with better morale & health, HOWEVER…
Tyranny of Choice - If offered too many choices we can feel regret over what we didn’t choose.
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INTERNAL VS EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL
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SELF-CONTROL
Self-Control – Ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term rewards.
Predictor of good health, higher income, & better school performance.
Like a muscle, self-control weakens after use (depletion effect) and needs time to recover and rest. It can grow stronger with practice.
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OPTIMISM VS PESSIMISM
Optimists – Expect to be in control, cope better & as a result have better health.
“Nuns Study” – Nuns who were optimistic at 22 years old on average lived 7 years longer
Respond to setbacks with a hopeful attitude
Pessimists – Expect things to go badly.
Attribute poor performance to lack of ability (“I can’t do this.”) or situational factors outside of their control (“There is nothing I can do about it.”)
Ways to combat Pessimism:
Alternative Seeking – Develop alternative explanations that are more optimistic
Evidence Seeking – Cite evidence in your life that disputes pessimistic thoughts.
De-catastrophizing – Keep things in perspective. Don’t make it out to be more than it is.
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SOCIAL SUPPORT
Social Support – being liked by encouraged by family & friends.
People supported by close relationships tend to live longer
Lonely people had a 30% higher death rate
People with high marital quality are as healthy as those that maintain a healthy diet and exercise.
Support calms us in times of stress. (Holding spouse’s hand while getting shocked)
Support fosters a stronger immune system. (Cold virus study)
Those that share their grief or troubles have less issues later than those that go it alone. Even writing about it helps!