UNIT III.

MANAGING AND CARING

FOR THE SELF
CHAPTER 3: TAKING CHARGE FOR
ONE’S HEALTH
JURILYN A. PEREZ BSCA

TAKING CHARGE FOR ONE'S HEALTH

WHAT IS STRESS?
STRESS IS YOUR BODY'S WAY OF RESPONDING TO ANY KIND OF DEMAND.
STRESS IS THE BODY'S NATURAL DEFENSE AGAINST PREDATORS AND DANGER.
IT FLUSHES THE BODY WITH HORMONES TO PREPARE SYSTEMS TO EVADE OR
CONFRONT DANGER. THIS IS KNOWN AS THE "FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT" MECHANISM. IT
CAN BE CAUSED BY BOTH GOOD AND BAD EXPERIENCES.WHEN PEOPLE FEEL
STRESSED BY SOMETHING GOING ON AROUND THEM, THEIR BODIES REACT BY
RELEASING CHEMICALS INTO THE BLOOD. THESE CHEMICALS GIVE PEOPLE
MORE ENERGY AND STRENGTH, WHICH CAN BE A GOOD THING IF THEIR STRESS
IS CAUSED BY PHYSICAL DANGER. BUT THIS CAN ALSO BE A BAD THING, IF
THEIR STRESS IS IN RESPONSE TO SOMETHING EMOTIONAL AND THERE IS NO
OUTLET FOR THIS EXTRA ENERGY AND STRENGTH.

STRESS DEFINED IN MANY WAYS

- BLOOM (1988) DEFINES STRESS AS EXTERNAL EVENTS THAT MAKE ADAPTIVE
DEMANDS ON A PERSON. WITH THE CHANGING OF THE ENVIRONMENT
NECESSARY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO SURVIVE AND ADAPT DEMANDS OF TIME
ALL HUMAN BEINGS EXPERIENCE. STRESS IS SIMPLY A WAY OF LIFE, IT IS AN
INEVITABLE PART OF LIFE.WHICH ONE CANNOT AVOID, BUT CAN ONLY BE
CONTROLLED OR MANAGED.

-(LAZARUS FOLKMAN, 1984; CHROUSOS * GOLD, 1992; LOVALLO, 1997 ;

PEARLIN. LIEBERMAN, MENAGHAN & MULLEN,1981; WEINER, 1992) THE LEVEL
OF STRESS EXPERIENCED BY THE INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS UPON HOW STRESS IS
BEING PERCEIVED .STRESS DOES NOT ONLY COME FROM THE EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT OR FROM OUR SURROUNDINGS BUT OFTEN AISO IT COME FROM
THE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES THAT WE DEMAND FOR OURSELVES.

HOW MUCH STRESS IS TOO MUCH

STRESS HAS BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE —EFFECTS. WHEN
EXPERIENCING STRESS, INDIVIDUALS USE COPING STRATEGIES AND
RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH IT, HOWEVER, SOMETIMES STRESS IS TOO MUCH
THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S COPING STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES ARE NOT
SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO MANAGE OR REDUCE THE STRESSORS.WHEN THIS
HAPPEN, STRESS OVERLOAD TAKES PLACE.
STRESSORS

THE CAUSES OF STRESS ARE CALLED STRESSORS. IT CAN BE PERSONAL,

ENVIRONMENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL.

PERSONAL STRESSORS- REFER TO INTERNAL DEMANDS TO SUCH AS FEAR OF

FAILURE OR WORRYING ABOUT THE FUTURE;

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS- ARE EXTERNAL EVENTS LIKE CHANGE IN FAMILY

ROLES, LIVING CONDITIONS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES;

PHYSICAL STRESSORS- ARE CONDITIONS SUCH AS NOISE, POLLUTANTS, OR

TOXIC ELEMENTS FOUND IN THE BODY AND

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS -ARE COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE DEMANDS

SUCH AS BREAK-UP, DEATH OF LOVE ONE OR RIGOROUS ACADEMIC
STANDARDS. FOR HUMANS, MOST STRESSORS INCLUDE BOTH PHYSICAL AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPONENTS.

PHYSICAL STRESSORS -ARE CONDITIONS SUCH AS CROWDING ISOLATION,

PRESENCE OF POLLUTANTS, OR TOXIC ELEMENTS FOUND IN THE ENVIRONMENT
OR PHYSICAL BODY. PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS, ON THE OTHER HAND,
RESULT FROM “ONE’S OWN MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY TO ONE’S
OWN INNER COGNITIONS AND EMOTIONS OR TO OUTSIDE FACTORS SUCH AS
PERSONS, PLACES AND EVENTS” (ZANDEN, 1993).

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS ARE LIFE EVENTS, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE THAT

FORCES A PERSON TO CHANGE OR ADAPT.
1. CATASTROPHIC EVENT ARE SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED, POTENTIALLY LIKE-
THREATENING EVENTS, TRAUMA.
EXAMPLE: INCIDENTS, ASSULTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS.

2. LIFE CHANGES AND STRAINS ARE EVENTS THAT CALL FOR ADJUSTMENT.
EXAMPLE: DIVORCE, FAMILY ILLNESS, UNEMPLOYMENT AND MOVING TO A
PLACE.

3. CHRONIC STRESSORS CONTINUE OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME

EXAMPLE: LIVING NEAR A NOISY AIRPORT, EXPERIENCING
DISCRIMINATION AND LIVING UNDER THE THREAT OF TERRORISM.

4. DAILY HASSLES ARE MINOR IRRITATIONS, PRESSURE AND ANNOYANCES

WHOSE EFFECT AND UP TO BECOME SIGNIFICANT.
EXAMPLE: DAILY COMMUTING IN EVERY TRAFFIC
MOREOVER, THERE ARE CONFLICT-INDUCED STRESSORS, THIS REFER TO
STRESSORS IN WHICH SOME GOALS CAN BE SATISFIED ONLY AT THE
EXPENSE OF OTHERS. THESE ARE FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF MOTIVATIONAL
CONFLICTS:
1. APPROACH-APPROACH CONFLICTS RESULT WHEN A PERSON IS
CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO OR MORE ALTERNATIVES, EACH OF WHICH IS
POSITIVE OR POTENTIALLY REINFORCING.
2.
3. AVOIDANCE-AVOIDANCE CONFLICTS, A PERSON ARE FACED WITH
SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES, EACH OF WHICH IS NEGATIVE OR PUSHING IN
SOME WAY.
4.
5. APPROACH-AVOIDANCE CONFLICTS THERE IS ONLY ONE GOAL A
PERSON WOULD LIKE TO REACH BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WOULD LIKE
TO AVOID.
6.
7. MULTIPLE APPROACH- AVOIDANCE CONFLICTS RESULT WHEN A
PERSON IS FACED WITH A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES, EACH OF WHICH
IS IN SOME WAY OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE.