- Coping with stress is more important than the stress itself for maintaining mental and physical health.
- Coping is a dynamic and situation-specific response aimed at reducing stress or solving the problem.
- Endler and Parker identified three coping strategies: task-oriented (dealing directly with the problem), emotion-oriented (managing feelings), and avoidance-oriented (ignoring or avoiding the stressor).
- Lazarus and Folkman divided coping into problem-focused (changing the situation) and emotion-focused (controlling emotional reaction) strategies.
- Effective coping improves well-being, while poor coping can weaken the immune system and overall health.
Definitions [5]
Definition: Coping
“Coping refers to constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the internal or external demands that are created by the stressful transaction.” - Lazarus and Folkman
Definition: Positive Health
Positive health is the state of complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. It is not merely the absence of disease. It comprises high quality of personal relationships, a sense of purpose in life, self-regard, mastery of life skills, and resilience to stress, trauma, and change.
Definition: Health Promotion
Health promotion refers to any event, process, or activity that facilitates the protection or improvement of the health status of individuals, groups, communities, or populations. Its objective is to prolong and improve the quality of life.
Definition: Wellness
According to Cicarelli and Meyer (2007), wellness is the practice of behaviour and lifestyle choices on how to promote both physical and mental health.
Definition: Life Skills
According to the WHO, life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.
Key Points
Key Points: Nature of Stress
- Stress is a state of physical and mental tension when demands disturb a person’s balance.
- Eustress and Distress – Moderate stress (eustress) improves performance, but excessive or long-term stress (distress) harms health and efficiency.
- Stress and Strain – Stress refers to external pressure; strain is the internal effect like anxiety or illness.
- Cognitive Appraisal – Stress depends on how we interpret the event and judge our ability to cope with it.
- Types of Stressors – Stressors may be environmental, social, or psychological, and may be short-term or long-term.
- Stress Reactions – Stress causes physical (hormonal changes), emotional (fear, anger), behavioural (fight or flight), and cognitive (worry, poor concentration) responses.
Key Points: Effects of Stress on Physical Health
- Physical Health: Stress can cause or worsen many health problems, such as ulcers, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, and weakened immunity.
- Psychological Impact: Stress affects emotions (e.g., mood swings, anxiety), thinking (e.g., poor concentration), and behaviour (e.g., sleep issues, substance use).
- Examination Stress: High exam stress can reduce performance by causing anxiety, negative thoughts, and poor focus.
- Burnout: Prolonged stress leads to physical and mental exhaustion, lowering energy, mood, and health—called burnout.
- Lifestyle & Immunity: Chronic stress weakens immunity and leads to unhealthy habits; good diet, exercise, and social support improve health.
Key Points: Coping with Stress
Key Points: Promoting Positive Health and Well-Being
- Positive Health: It means complete well-being—physical, mental, social, and spiritual—not just being free from illness. It includes strong relationships, life purpose, and stress resilience.
- Health Promotion: Activities and efforts that help improve and protect health at individual and community levels, aiming to enhance life quality and longevity.
- Wellness and Life Skills: Wellness is making healthy lifestyle choices. Life skills (like communication and rational thinking) help us deal effectively with daily challenges.
- Key Influencers of Health: Regular exercise, a balanced diet, self-care, and strong relationships support good health. Avoiding habits like procrastination and perfectionism is also important.
- Positive Mindset: Having a stress-resistant personality and optimistic thinking helps handle problems better and promotes mental and emotional strength.
