SECTION 3 COPING STRATEGIES PSYCHOLOGICAL COPING STRATEGIES Cognitive

SECTION 3: COPING STRATEGIES

PSYCHOLOGICAL COPING STRATEGIES § Cognitive appraisal: the interpretation of an event that helps determine the stress impact § Key is to approach stressors in a positive way § View them as challenges, not obstacles

DEFENSIVE COPING STRATEGIES § Denial: when a person decides the event is not really a stressor § Intellectualization: when a person analyzes the situation from an emotionally detached viewpoint

Involve changing our environment or modifying a situation to remove stressors ACTIVE COPING STRATEGIES

HARDINESS § Refers to the personality traits of control, commitment, and challenge § Control: we have the ability to affect an outcome § Commitment: establishing/ pursuing our goals § Challenge: actively confronting/ solving problems

PROBLEM SOLVING § Regarding conflicts as problems to be solved § Problems become positive challenges rather than negative setbacks § It involves a rational analysis of the situation that will lead to an appropriate decision § A very healthy strategy that sharpens insights and attention to detail and develop flexibility

EXPLANATORY STYLE § Martin Seligman---2 types of thinking: § 1) Optimist § 2) Pessimist

RELAXATION § Many techniques § Progressive relaxation: lying down comfortably and tensing and releasing the tension in each major muscle group in turn---developed by Dr. Edmond Jacobson § Meditation: focusing of attention with the goal of clearing one’s mind and producing an “inner peace”

BIOFEEDBACK § The process of learning to control bodily states by monitoring the states to be controlled § Usually need machinery

HUMOR § “Laughter is the best medicine” § Can increase blood flow § Laughing releases tension § It helps us deal with intense emotional pain of a loss

EXERCISE § Stimulates and provides an outlet for physical arousal § Burns off stress hormones § David Holmes: aerobic exercise reduces cardiovascular response and arousal following stressful events

OTHERS § Support groups and Professional help § Training: preparation eases stress § Improving Interpersonal skills: most stress stems from interpersonal relationships

SECTION 4: STRESS IN YOUR LIFE For many people , college and work involve adjustment and stress

AUTONOMY § The ability to take care of oneself and make one’s own decisions § This is what growing up is all about

CHOOSING A COLLEGE § One of the 1 st big steps toward autonomy § Most go in with unrealistic aspirations and expectations § Most experience “college shock”--unaware of realities of responsibility required for college

SOURCES OF CHANGE IN COLLEGE § New friends § Friendships may challenge ideology § Developmental friendships: friends force one another to reexamine their basic assumptions and perhaps adopt new ideas and beliefs

COPING WITH CHANGE § Some practice resynthesis: combining old ideas with new ones and reorganizing feelings in order to renew one’s identity

WORK SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION § Examined by Industrial/organizational psychs § High job satisfaction leads to higher productivity § 5 major sources of work satisfaction: § 1) Resources § 2) Financial reward § 3) Challenge § 4) Relations with coworkers § 5) Comfort

CHANGING CAREERS § Career: a vocation in which a person works at least a few years § Most will change careers many times in their life § Work satisfaction is major cause of change § Availability of jobs effects the level of dissatisfaction tolerated in current career

COMPARABLE WORTH § Idea that women and men should receive equal pay for jobs calling for comparable skill and responsibility § Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Civil Rights Act of 1964 protect against discrimination in the workplace