Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Enhancing Well-Being with Psychology523>> Closing ThoughtsFrom national tragedies and major life events to the minor hassles and annoyancesof daily life, stressors come in all sizes and shapes. Any way you look at it, stress isan unavoidable part of life. Stress that is prolonged or intense can adversely affectboth our physical and psychological well-being. Fortunately, most of the time peopledeal effectively with the stresses in their lives. As Katie’s story demonstrates, theeffects of even the most intense stressors can be minimized if we cope with themeffectively.Ultimately, the level of stress that we experience is due to a complex interactionof psychological, biological, and social factors. We hope that reading this chapterhas given you a better understanding of how stress affects your life and how youcan reduce its impact on your physical and psychological well-being. In EnhancingWell-Being with Psychology, we’ll suggest some concrete steps you can take tominimize the harmful impact of stress in your life.ENHANCING WELL-BEING WITH PSYCHOLOGYMinimizing the Effects of StressSometimes stressful situations persist despite our best efforts toresolve them. Knowing that chronic stress can jeopardize yourhealth, what can you do to minimize the adverse impact of stresson your physical well-being? Here are four practical suggestions.Suggestion 1: Avoid or Minimize the Use ofStimulantsIn dealing with stressful situations, people often turn to stimulantsto help keep them going, such as coffee or caffeinatedenergy drinks. If you know someone who smokes, you’ve probablyobserved that most smokers react to stress by increasing theirsmoking (Ng & Jeffery, 2003; Todd, 2004). The problem is thatcommon stimulants like caffeine and nicotine actually workagainst you in coping with stress. They increase the physiologicaleffects of stress by raising heart rate and blood pressure. In effect,users of stimulant drugs are already primed to respond withgreater reactivity, exaggerating the physiological consequences ofstress (Lovallo & others, 1996; Smith & others, 2001).The best advice? Avoid stimulant drugs altogether. If that’snot possible, make a conscious effort to monitor your use ofstimulants, especially when you’re under stress. You’ll find iteasier to deal with stressors when your nervous system is notalready in high gear because of caffeine, nicotine, or other stimulants.Minimizing your use of stimulants will also make it easierfor you to implement the next suggestion.Suggestion 2: Exercise RegularlyNumerous studies all point to the same conclusion: Regularexercise, particularly aerobic exercise like walking, swimming, orrunning, is one of the best ways to reduce the impact of stress(Bass & others, 2002; Ensel & Lin, 2004; Wijndaele & others,2007). The key word here is regular. Try walking briskly for20 minutes four or five times a week. It will improve your physicalhealth and help you cope with stress. In fact, just about anykind of physical exercise helps buffer the negative effects ofstress. (Rapidly right-clicking your computer mouse doesn’tcount.) Compared to sofa slugs, physically fit people are lessphysiologically reactive to stressors and produce lower levels ofstress hormones (Rejeski & others, 1991, 1992). Psychologically,regular exercise reduces anxiety and depressed feelings andincreases self-confidence and self-esteem (Berk, 2007).Suggestion 3: Get Enough SleepWith the ongoing push to get more and more done, peopleoften stretch their days by short-changing themselves on sleep.But sleep deprivation just adds to your feelings of stress.by John Jonik ©2005 John Jonik fromcartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.