PSYC 102 Session 8 - Stress and Stress Coping PDF

PSYC 102 Session 8 – Stress and Stress Coping Dr. Ernest Darkwah Department of Psychology University of Ghana College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education 2022/2023 Academic Year  SESSION OBJ...

PSYC 102 Session 8 – Stress and Stress Coping Dr. Ernest Darkwah Department of Psychology University of Ghana College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education 2022/2023 Academic Year  SESSION OBJECTIVES By the end of this lecture, students will be able to: Understand the concept of stress Explain some causes of stress Explain some strategies for dealing with stress Slide 2  SESSION READINGS Session Reading: Slide 3 Topic One STRESS Slide 4  Stress Think and tell: Someone says: “Oh my God, I’m so stressed” How do you understand the person? Think of instances in your own life when you have described yourself as “stressed”. How were you feeling when you described yourself as “stressed”. As a freshman student in a big university like UG, there are several situations you probably have faced that made you describe yourself as stressed.  Stress Navigational stress: trying to find your way around this campus, locating lecture halls, exam centers etc. Academic stress: piled up lectures, writing a number of IAs on the same day, that lecturer whose explanations you just don’t get, that course that you wish could just vanish from your programme. Relationship stress: ever had a troublesome room mate? Drink-ups every weekend in your room? or the boy/ girl who just won’t leave you alone? Financial stress: when you know you owe tuition/ residential fees and you see a notice warning all defaulters of possible ejection.  Stress These are only some of the stressors that university students face all the time. Infact, according to the American College Health Association, (2015): Stress is so prevalent on university campuses that about 86% of university students report feeling overwhelmed  Stress But what exactly is stress and how is it defined? Before we go there, take a look at some of the synonyms of stress to prep you up: Synonyms : Pressure Tension Anxiety Worry Distress  Stress There are variations in scholarly viewpoints regarding how stress can be defined. However in general scholars agree that stress may refer to: A condition or feeling that is experienced when a person perceives that demands made on him/her exceed the resources available for them to respond adequately.  Stress In simple terms: Stress is how we feel when we are worried The feeling is brought about by some event or situation. The situation itself is not the stress but rather, our reaction to the situation causes the stress. Situations/Events which cause us stress are referred to as stressors. The effects of stress are called strain  Stress Top Causes of Stress Cause Factors 1 Job Pressure Co-Worker Tension, Bosses, Work Overload, Downsizing 2 Money Loss of Job, Reduced Retirement, Medical Expenses 3 Health Health Crisis, Terminal or Chronic Illness Divorce, Death of Spouse, Arguments with Friends, 4 Relationships Loneliness Inadequate Nutrition, Caffeine, Processed Foods, Refined 5 Poor Nutrition Sugars 6 Media Overload Television, Radio, Internet, E-Mail, Social Networking Sleep 7 Inability to release adrenaline and other stress hormones Deprivation  Stressors An event will be more stressful if it: is unpredictable involves a lot of pressure Examples: – speeding pace of work/activity – meeting deadlines – working at maximum capacity for a long time (hrs) unavoidable intense unfamiliar. Stress : effects/symptoms Topic Two Stress Management/Coping Slide 14  Protective factors: Resilience Resilience the ability to recover quickly from difficulties - either largely or completely. It does not necessarily imply that the person has a positive feeling about the negative situation. Despite this setback – I am going to do my best to achieve some or all of my goals.  Protective factors : Mental Toughness Mental Toughness is a personality trait which determines in large part how individuals deal with stress, pressure and challenge irrespective of circumstances. Individual sees challenge and adversity as an opportunity and not a threat and has the confidence and positive approach to take what comes in their stride. All mentally tough individuals are resilient, but not all resilient individuals are mentally tough  Mental toughness and resilience development The 4 C’s - Understanding these behaviours will be important for the individual in their performance and wellbeing Control –having a sense of self-worth and describes the extent to which a person feels in control of their life and their circumstances. It describes the extent to which they can control the display of their emotions. Commitment – It is about goal orientation and ‘stickability’ and describes the extent to which someone is prepared to set goals and make measurable promises that, once made, they will work hard to deliver on. Challenge – Challenge describes the extent to which the individual will push back their boundaries, embrace change and accept risk. It’s also about how they see all outcomes – good and bad. Confidence – Describes the self-belief an individual has in their own abilities and the interpersonal confidence they possess to influence others and deal with conflict and challenge.  Stress management/ coping Points to Note: Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. Then, Accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining your stress level Whatever you do, stay away from unhealthy ways of coping Such strategies may bring relief temporarily, but may cause more harm/stress in the long term  Stress management/ coping Unhealthy coping: Smoking Drinking too much alcohol Overeating or undereating Sitting for hours in front of the TV or computer Withdrawing from friends, family, and social activities Using pills or hard drugs to relax  Stress management/ coping Unhealthy coping: Sleeping too much Procrastinating Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts and exhibiting physical violence)  Stress management/ coping There are many healthy ways of managing/coping with stress that you can chose from. Whichever one you choose, you need to make a conscious decision to stick to the coping routine and dedicate yourself to it. Everyone has a unique response to stress There is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it.  Stress management/ coping No single method works for everyone or in every situation, So, experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control of situations. You may speak to a psychologist if you are not sure which strategies to use.  Stress management/ coping Healthy Coping: The Change Approach: You can either: Change the situation or Change your reaction. Note: When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept.  Stress management/ coping Change the situation: – Avoid the stressor. – Alter the stressor. Change your reaction: – Adapt to the stressor. – Accept the stressor.  Stress management/ coping Practical Examples of the change approach: Take Control of your environment: – If the news makes you anxious, turn Radio or the TV off. – If traffic’s get you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. – If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, let somebody do the shopping for you.  Stress management/ coping Analyze your schedule, responsibilities and daily tasks: – If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” – Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them altogether  Stress management/ coping “Enjoy some mistakes”!! Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection from yourself and others Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”  Stress management/ coping Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. Stress management/ coping