Stress Essay, Research Paper

I have chosen the topic of stress and coping for my psychology reflection paper.

This course provided in-depth information on stress, coping with stress, and the

favorable or unfavorable aspects that stress has on our psychological makeup. It

also clearly defines the psychological factors that create social dysfunctions,

the methods of psychological research, and treatment theories that assist us

with stress-related coping. I discovered that psychophysiological disorders are

in fact physical disorders, in which our emotions are believed to play a central

role. The stress factors that people routinely face lead to disorders on both a

mental and physical basis. A common misconception, shared by me prior to

completing this course, was that people who suffer from psychophysiological

disorders are not really sick. I now realize that psychological disturbances

such as stress can easily impact on the human anatomy in the same manner as any

disease. A good example would be a peptic ulcer that has been caused by stress.

This ulcer is indistinguishable from an ulcer that may have been caused by an

overuse of medication. This course effectively discussed the effects that stress

has on our health, productivity, budget, and lives. I learned that a degree of

stress is necessary; even desirable. It excites or challenges us to achieve

better results. Experiencing events such as the birth of a child, completion of

a major project at work, or moving to a new city, can generate as much stress as

any tragedy or disaster. But without it, life would be dull. Through this course

I have found that stress reducers help individuals regain a sense of control and

equilibrium. Some stress reducing strategies may relieve the immediate stress

symptoms but others may require developing new behavior patterns to cope with

the stresses of life. Some of these strategies include: 1. Relaxing – Close your

eyes and breathe for 10 minutes. Think of relaxing places and blot all else out.

2. Exercising – Relaxed muscles make relaxed nerves. Take a brisk walk at lunch

or choose some other exercise that is comfortable and realistic. 3. Eating Right

- Develop eating habits that fit your situation but limit fat, sugar and salt.

4. Talking to a Friend – Find someone who won’t butt in and give advice. Find

someone who listens. 5. Not Relying on Alcohol or Drugs √ Moderation of

some substances may be fine but if used to avoid problems, they may lead to

abuse or addiction. 6. Confronting the Situation – Often, to avoid dealing with

something is more stressful than addressing it directly. 7. Prioritizing Your

Responsibilities √ Decide what is more important. You don’t have to do

everything. 8. Doing Something for Yourself – Listen to music; go shopping; read

a book. Choose something you enjoy. 9. Seeking Professional Help – If nothing

seems to work, allow a professional counselor to assist you in getting

"unstuck". The subject of stress has become a favorite topic in

everyday conversation. It`s not unusual to hear my friends, coworkers, and

family members talk about the difficulty they have with managing the stress of

everyday living. We talk about being burned out, overwhelmed and "losing

it." We also talk about our efforts to control the events that cause

stress. Most of us understand the results of not controlling our reactions to

stress. But we are generally unaware of the many other emotional, cognitive and

physical consequences associated with unmanaged stress. We learn to interpret

our experiences very early in life. We learn from our parents, our teachers, and

our peers. Those of us who have children know that they are natural mimics. I

constantly see my kids imitate and assimilate the behavior they see. A good

example of interpretation would be a thirteen-year-old who wants to understand

her developing sexuality. Her mother says, Ask your teacher. Her teacher says,

Ask your minister. Her minister says, Ask your mother. From this conspiracy of

silence she learns to assign a meaning to sex and sexuality: It`s something too

awful to discuss. Parents and teachers aren`t the only ones who train

perceptions. We learn to assign meanings from the very culture we live in ethnic

groups, neighborhoods, colleagues, churches, geographic locations, and friends.

In addition, television, books, movies, billboards, newspapers and magazines are

powerful influences on the way we view the world. I think one of the most

intriguing things about this topic is that stress will always be a constant in

our daily life. As we move towards the millennium, there will be increasing

competition in most areas of business and industry. (The falling trade barriers

and competition from developing countries will see to that.) The successful

companies will be those with the most efficient and highly motivated workforce

√ and that means those which pay due regard to the physical and mental

health of their employees. The first step in coping with stress is recognizing

the signs that indicate a buildup of stress. The manner in which we cope with

stressful situations can determine our future physiological stability. There is

no such thing as a stress free life. In fact a certain amount of stress improves

performance; I have worked with several senior executives that feel stress is

related to the business and employees should be able to cope on their own. They

feel that their responsibility is to make profits for the shareholders, not to

mollycoddle the employees. It has been acknowledged that many of the people who

get to more senior jobs are relatively tough and resilient. For that reason they

may find it hard to understand why some of their subordinates find difficulty in

coping. This view, however, is fast changing. Just as employers can generate

stress, they can also help to alleviate it. Poor employee health costs money and

a healthy workforce is a productive workforce. The introduction of technology,

e.g. fax and email, means that the pace of work is increasing. People expect

quicker answers to questions. People are also becoming more accessible as a

result of the mobile phone and pager. They are not able to get away from work to

totally relax. The goal of stress management is to show people that stress is a

normal part of a healthy life, which can, however, get out of control. We can

increase our coping skills but ideally we should seek to eliminate or reduce the

sources of stress. It is important to be able to recognize √ in oneself

and others √ when stress levels are becoming too great, and to do

something about it before overload is reached: that is to learn stress

management skills. When you start to feel stress, first retrace your steps until

you find the event you have perceived as threatening. Second, identify what

meaning you attached to the experience. Finally, if you don`t like the way you

feel, you can consciously change your mind and choose a different, more positive

interpretation. I believe that the study of psychology is very interesting and

worthwhile. Since psychology affects so many aspects of our life, I feel that it`s

essential for everyone, even if they don`t intend to specialize in the field, to

know the basic facts and methods. This course and others like it are

instrumental in giving us a better understanding of why people think and act as

they do. Psychology affects our life through its influence on laws and public

policy. It also provides insight to our social attitudes and reactions, which

ultimately assist us in dealing with the trials and tribulations of everyday

life.