Sources of Stress and Coping With Stress What

Sources of Stress and Coping With Stress: What causes stress and how can we cope with stress?

Stressors: • A Stressor is any event or situation to which an individual must adjust Source of Stress: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. To what extent:

Stress Responses: Emotional • Stress can cause us to feel many negative emotions • While there is a physical response to stress, we are far more likely to describe our stress in terms of our emotional state Ex: “Golly gee whizz it all to heck. I am so frustrated!!!”-Mr. Whiskers

Stress Responses: Cognitive • Stress can make it difficult to think clearly and rationally • These responses explain why we often cannot remember things that happen in a stressful environment as well as why we often make silly errors when we are stressed EX: George was so stressed that he forgot that today was his anniversary. Good luck buddy…

Stress Responses: Behavioral • When we are stressed, our behavior can be deeply impacted. • We are more likely to show we are stressed and are more likely to do things that we might not otherwise do when we are not so stressed out. EX: When James’ boss gave him another folder to analyze, he became stressed

Stress Responses: PTSD • While most people associate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with military veterans, the reality is that any one of us can be diagnosed with this disorder • People with PTSD will often not be able to deal with general stress or may avoid certain activities altogether because of a traumatic event • The symptoms of PTSD can be both psychological and biological EX: Many people who have been in terrible car accidents find it incredibly difficult to get back into a car following the accident.