COPING WITH STRESS

S.DEEPIKA
I MSC APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
CONTENTS
 Stress Biofeedback
 Stressor Redefinition
 Coping
Guided Imagery
 Problem focused coping
 Emotion focused coping
 PMR
 Stress Inoculation
training
STRESS
Stress is a negative emotional experience
accompanied by predictable biochemical,
physiological , cognitive , and
behavioural changes that are directed
toward altering the stressful event or
accommodating its effects (Baum , 1990 )
STRESSOR
• An event or situation perceived by
persons to be a danger to their physical ,
psychological or social health.

• Eg: crowd , noise , bad relationship , job

interview etc.,
COPING
• Dealing with stressors in our physical ,
psychological,sociocultural
environments.
• It is a complex process and it requires
effort.
• It includes using thoughts or
cognitions,emotions and behaviours to
adapt successfully to the stress.
TWO GENERAL TYPES OF COPING

• Problem Focused Coping

• Emotional focused coping

PROBLEM FOCUSED COPING
PROBLEM FOCUSED COPING
• Planning and setting goals to find
practical solutions to stressors.
• Higher the optimism , lesser the distress
with psychosocial issues than pessimistic
people.
• People may be able to view some
stressors as oppurtunities for learning
new thing.
EMOTION FOCUSED COPING
EMOTION –FOCUSED COPING

• Coping directed towards managing the

emotions or feelings aroused by a
stressor.
• There are positive and healthful ways to
cope emotionally.
• Spiritual , religious approaches , prayer as
well as meditation.
Cont...
• Abusing Alcohol or other mood – altering
substances that numb our emotions.

• Some smokers cope with stressors by

lighting up more cigarettes than usual
(National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA) 2008 ).
• Emotional Disclosure: Relieving stress
from a traumatic event by talking with or
writing or journaling it.

• Avoidant Coping: Reacting for a

stressor by denial or minimizing a threat
rather than taking some kind of action to
resolve the issue.
STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

• Improve our coping and decrease the

likelihood of stressors taking a negative
or damaging our physical , emotional and
social health.
• It is important to learn to reduce the
potential for stress before it creates
problem it our lives.
Cont...

• Stress management skills have been

shown to be effective in patients with
HIV , diabetes , cancer and asthma
(Martin & Brantley , 2004).
• This technique was originally described
at the beginning of 20th century by the
physiologist Edmund Jacobson (1938).
• In simple , Intensional tensing and
relaxing of muscle groups to increase the
understanding of what if feel likes to be
relaxed.
• This techniques helps to relieve from
over arousal and muscular tension.
STRESS INOCULATION TRAINING
• Meichenbaum (1985) devised and tested a
form a cognitive therapy designed to
immunize people against stress.
It comprises into 3 stages
1. Conceptualization
2. Skills Acquisition and Rehearsal
3. Application
1. Conceptualization

• Educating the patient about the nature of

stress and their negative outcomes.
• The therapist also explains important
concept such as appraisal and cognitive
distortion that play a key role in shaping
stress reactions.
2.Skills Acquisition & rehearsal
• Participants tends to learn some coping
skills to reduce their stress.
• Therapist considers individual’s stressors
as well as the strength and weakness of
the individuals.
• Skills such as Emotional Self control ,
Exposure therapy, Cognitive reframing ,
role-playing, deep breathing, exercise and
PMR
3.Application
• Before ending training , the therapist will
discuss techniques to help the individual
avoid reexperiencing their symptoms.

• SIT is used depend on their symptoms ,

experiences , existing coping strategies
and underlying conditions.
BIOFEEDBACK
• This training combines with counselling
or talk therapy with technology to learn
relaxation.
• Through instruments , it measure and
feedback about muscle tension.
• People learn to control anxiety in the
body through notifications by sounds or
flashing lights.
REDEFINITION

• Therapists teach this method to change

the way we think about stressors.
• Positive statements about the likelihood
of tolerating a stress
GUIDED IMAGERY
• It is similar to talk therapy but there is no
electrodes or flashlights.
• It is also linked to distraction
• Visualising the pleasant situations.
• This process brings on a relaxed state ,
concentrates attention and distracts the
patient.
REFERENCES
Psychology Tools. (2023).resource / Psychology
tools.
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/pr
ogressive-muscle-relaxation/
Taylor.S (2015),Health Psychology,Mcgraw-Hill
Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Weller.C,(2013).Stress inoculation training in
tactical strength and conditioning. ,
https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/tsac-r
eport/stress-inoculation-training-in-tactical-str
ength-and-conditioning