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Camryn Welsh

Sarah Kiewitz

English 1201.503

25 March 2020

Reviewing Stress Management Sources

Stress is one issue that every person has in common and has experienced at one point in

their lives. Stress has broad levels, whether someone is stressing about a homework assignment,

a job interview, or an upcoming surgery, can determine which level they’re experiencing. The

more severe the stress, the more negative effects it will have on health. People endure different

forms of stress, react differently to it, and have different ways of coping with stress. In my

research essay, I want to focus on the question: How does managing stress improve health?

While answering this main question I will also discuss the effects stress has on the body, that

way readers can understand the importance of reducing stress. I will also explore the best ways

to reduce stress, so readers can use the tips themselves.

While searching for sources on my research topic, I noticed a pattern throughout all the

studies and information on stress. My sources distinguish between two categories of stress:

chronic and acute. Adam Felman of Medical News Today explains the difference between the

two types; acute is “short-term and usually the more common form of stress,” while chronic

“develops over a long period and is more harmful,” (“Why Stress Happens and How to Manage

It”). The goal of Felman’s job at Medical News Today, is to research content in order to write

and provide the most clinically accurate medical information for readers; to achieve this,

Felman’s article was read and reviewed by Dr. Stacy Sampson, a practicing family physician. In

an article done by the American Psychological Association further information is provided to

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explain how acute stress affects the body versus how chronic stress affects the body; chronic

stress tends to have more severe long-lasting issues, while acute stress tends to have temporary

symptoms that “once the acute stress episode has passed, the body returns to its normal state,”

(“Stress Effects on the Body”). The American Psychological Association covers over one

hundred topics relating to physical and mental health, with each article being written by a team

of 121,00 educated writers. This article was written by APA but was assisted by over six

different doctors with PhD degrees. APA’s website is a place where researchers and other

readers curious about medical backgrounds can go to learn more.

My sources also have a common theme on how to manage and cope with stress. In an

article published to HelpGuide, tips are given to help reduce stress, including increased physical

activity, determining what in your life is causing the stress, and spending more quality time with

others (Robinson et al.). This article was written and reviewed by several people including

Melinda Smith who has received a master's degree in psychology and written health articles for

over fifteen years. The same solutions to stress are mentioned on MyHealthFinder, a website ran

by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in an article by Natalie Ziegler, reviewed

by both the National Institute of Mental Health and National Institutes of Health, where she also

mentions that creating schedules, taking time out of the day to relax, and eating healthy can also

contribute to the reduction of stress (“Manage Stress”).

I did notice two of my sources had information which countered each other. While Peter

Jaret of Greater Good Magazine interviewed Daniela Kaufer, an acting associate dean and

integrative biology professor at UC Berkeley, he asked her about tips to make stress beneficial

rather than harmful. Kaufer currently leads studies on the biology of stress at a molecular level,

where her findings have revealed a difference between good and bad stress. Kaufer answered by
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stating that if you have a positive attitude, “you’re more likely to have a healthy response than if

you perceive stress as catastrophic,” (“The Surprising Benefits of Stress”). This is a contradicting

statement with Elizabeth Scott’s article, where she states that one of three most common

mistakes regarding stress is that “even if you have the best attitude in the world and experience

the situation as a positive one,” stress still takes a negative toll (“Top 3 Misconceptions About

Stress Management”). Scott has a Master of Science degree, which she uses to inform readers as

a wellness coach; she has written many articles on stress management and health. In this article,

she goes on to explain a better approach would be to view stress from both sides, negative and

positive, so that people realize even repeated beneficial stress can be negative. Though, Scott

also states that even many health experts believe this common misconception. So, these articles

double as both a disagreement between two of my sources, but also a misconception in Scott’s

opinion.

After analyzing and annotating my sources, answers to my research question become

more evident. How does managing stress improve health? Well, by reducing stress you make

yourself less at risk for health conditions caused by enduring long periods of stress. By reducing

stress, you are also creating a better environment to think for school and work. You become an

overall happier person once stress is taken away, and in a better mindset to create healthier

relationships with others. In my sources, I also read about the effects stress has on the body.

Stress can affect multiple parts of the body, including the brain, the nervous system, and

digestive track. In my final essay, I want to go more in depth on the specific problems stress can

have on the body. I also explored the best ways to reduce stress, and figured out planning ahead,

creating time for others, and identifying the source of the stress, are all ways to reduce stress. In

my essay I’d also like to mention the science behind stress; I’ve already found information on
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this topic on Harvard Medical School Special Health Reports, which goes over the stress

response and which chemicals are released as a result of stress ("Stress Management:

Approaches for Preventing and Reducing Stress"). I will discuss a counterargument in my essay

as well, which will be that some believe that there is a form of good stress; I’m hoping to prove

in my essay that no form of stress is good. This literature review helped me determine the

structure I’d like to write my essay in and my focus points for my thesis.
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Works Cited

American Psychological Association. Stress Effects on the Body. 2019,

www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

‌Felman, Adam. “Stress: Why Does It Happen and How Can We Manage It?” Medical News

Today, 28 Nov. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855#types. Accessed 28

Feb. 2020.

Jaret, Peter. “The Surprising Benefits of Stress.” Greater Good, 2015,

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_surprising_benefits_of_stress.

Robinson, Lawrence, et al. “Stress Management.” HelpGuide.Org, Help Guide, Oct. 2019,

www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

Scott, M.S., Elizabeth. “Why Misconceptions about Stress Can Actually Hurt You.” Verywell

Mind, 29 July 2019, www.verywellmind.com/top-misconceptions-about-stress-and-

stress-management-3145229. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

"Stress Management: Approaches for preventing and reducing stress." Harvard Medical School

Special Health Reports, edited by Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publications,

1st edition, 2019. Credo Reference, http://sinclair.ohionet.org/login?

url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/hhpharvard/stress_management_appr

oaches_for_preventing_and_reducing_stress/0?institutionId=6043. Accessed 12 Mar.

2020.

Ziegler, Natalie. “Manage Stress - MyHealthfinder | Health.Gov.” Health.Gov, My Health

Finder, 2019, www.health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-

health/manage-stress. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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