Stress, Coping

and Health
Jeanette Field
Angel Lombana

Stress
Might

cause a person to feel physical or mental

pressure, tension or strain

Stressor
Any

situation, event, experience or other stimulus

that causes a person to feel stress

Causes Of Stress
School

Family
Kids
Relationships
Work
Money
Other

Class Survey Results

#1 Stress is school for men and women

Allostatic Load
The

total, combined burden of stress and disease

that an individual must cope with

Organ Reserve
The

capacity of human organs to cope with unusual

stress

Anatomy of Stress
Hypothalamus
Short Term
Adrenal

medulla
Hormones;
Adrenaline
Epinephrine
Norepinephrine
Physiological reaction

Long Term
Adrenal

cortex
Hormones;
Cortisol (steroid)
Physiological reaction

Problem Focused Coping

Strategy

often used by younger adults to deal with

stress in which they tackle a stressful issue directly
Relationships; they discuss changes needed or plan a
break-up
Work conflict; complain to boss, transfer
department or location, or quit.

Emotional-focused coping
A

strategy to deal with stress by changing feelings

about the stressor rather than changing the stressor
itself
Older Adults
Work conflict; say boss is uniformed. Also rely on
coworker to joke or complain about situation
Relationship; focus on good qualities & ignore
annoying ones

Gender Differences
Also

effects how a person responds to stress &

affects allostatic load.
Men usually use problem focused coping; fight or
flight mode using sympathetic nervous system
Men tend to let work be their stressor
Women are more emotional-focused; tend and
befriend. They produce oxytocin wanting
caring/confidential interactions.

Class Survey Results

#1

way men cope with stress: exercise

#1 way women cope with stress: sleep

Coping Strategies
Positive

Negative

Reading

Smoking

Exercising

Overeating

Sleeping

Gambling

Listen

Drinking

to music
Watch TV

Class discussion also concluded that anything in excess is negative

What is the difference between

Stress and Stressor?
Stressor

is event or stimulus which causes the stress

which is a physical response