Written by Marissa Hoen | June 9 2021
About a week ago I began an accelerated online course on Health Psychology at UVic. This course couldn’t have come at a better time in my life, having just experienced health stresses of my own. Thus far, I have been extremely lucky in my recovery- but that doesn’t mean it has been easy. Anyone reading this has likely dealt with some sort of stress in life, whether it be an acute trauma, a chronic medical condition, or COVID-related stresses.
Stressors are all around us, but from my studies so far and my recent experiences I am coming to understand that the way we view these events and how we choose to cope with them are incredibly powerful and can transform our lives (both physiologically and psychologically)!
Learning about different forms of coping with stress has helped me become more aware of my own habits around stress, and has enabled me to begin the journey of learning to cope in ways that are better for my health! I hope that this helps you do the same.
Stress
Stress has been defined as some variation away from an individual’s resting state caused by a stressor or ruminations of past/future stressors (Hadjistavropoulos & Hadjistavropoulos, 2019). Not all stress is harmful, as some acute stress is needed to get us out of harmful situations or to promote forward momentum in our lives. It is more chronic or prolonged stress that becomes more harmful for our health and wellbeing.
While we cannot control the stressors that come up in our lives, we can shift the way we think about them and which strategies we choose to cope with them.
Forms of Coping:
As outlined by Hadjistavropoulos & Hadjistavropoulos (2019), there are two general types of coping of which many other specific forms fall under.
Problem-Focused Coping: this involves both identifying the stressor and the ways in which you can practically deal with it. For example, if you were just diagnosed with a digestive disorder, you may cope by seeking nutritional advice from a Registered Dietician and begin creating a new meal plan.
Emotion-Focused Coping: this coping strategy is centered around addressing the emotions that accompany stressful circumstances. An example of this is seen in those who call friends or family to talk through their feelings during stressful times.
Avoidant coping: It is generally understood that type of emotion-focused coping is the least effective coping mechanism (Hadjistavropoulos & Hadjistavropoulos, 2019), as the individual ignores the stressor and avoids taking action around it.
Research has shown that when coping with a medical condition, a mixture of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping is most effective at relieving stress and the physiological consequences of that stress (Hadjistavropoulos & Hadjistavropoulos, 2019). When studying the coping strategies of 100 middle-aged men and women, Folkman and Lazarus (1980) found that both strategies are used together in varying degrees depending on age, gender, the context of the stress, and how stressful the event is viewed or appraised. One of the most effective forms of coping within these types is social support.
Social Support
People with positive social support, or people in their lives who care about their health and wellbeing, are more likely to have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure and faster healing times than those without (Uchino et al., 1996). In addition to the physiological benefits, I see the psychological benefits in my own life and in those around me- when we listen and support each other, the benefits are immediate and challenges feel slightly less challenging.
Connect with people however you can. Social support has shown to be one of the best methods for coping with stressors, and men especially need to be aware that it may not be a natural habit to reach out and communicate stress in their lives. Studies show that men do not seek out support as frequently as women, however they do benefit from this social support (Hadjistavropoulos & Hadjistavropoulos, 2019).
If you are experiencing stress and need help navigating through it, I highly recommend reaching out to a professional. There are many forms of therapy, so if you don’t have an ideal experience the first time- don’t give up! Find the right person for you and what you are going through.
References
Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1980). An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 21(3), 219-239. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136617
Hadjistavropoulos, T., & Hadjistavropoulos, H. (Eds.). (2019). Fundamentals of health psychology. Oxford University Press.
Uchino, B. N., Cacioppo, J. T., & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (1996). The relationship between social support and physiological processes: A review with emphasis on underlying mechanisms and implications for health. Psychological Bulletin, 119(3), 488-531. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.119.3.488
Image Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/breathing-exercise