Stress and Health
The Real Reason Peter Pan Never Grew Up
What makes you stressed?
The last bagel is gone! I’m going to be late for work!
Am I going to be eaten?
Is there enough to eat?
What makes a Zebra Stressed?
Three Types of Stress:
Acute Physical Stressors:
Require immediate physiological response in order to survive. e.g. attack or natural disaster (Catastrophe) Body does well!
Chronic Physical Stressors:
e.g. starvation, drought, dangerous living conditions. Body does OK.
Psychological and Social Stressors:
pressures in our social, cultural and economic environment. e.g. marital stress, hassles or work burnout Can be based on thoughts alone! Body does not do so well.
Reminder . . .
The body is divided into the CENTRAL (brain and spinal chord) and PERIPHERAL (all the neurons that connect the body to the CNS) Nervous Systems. Peripheral nervous system is divided into the SOMATIC (voluntary) and the AUTONOMIC (involuntary) Nervous Systems The Autonomic nervous system is divided into the SYMPATHETIC and the PARASYMPATHETIC Nervous Systems.
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Parasympathetic Division “Vegetative Functions”
Sympathetic Division “Fight or Flight” Response
Increased digestion Increased saliva Decreased heart rate Decreased breathing Increased blood flow to gut
Restful state
Decreased digestion Decreased saliva Increased heart rate Increased breathing Shunting of blood from gut to other tissues (skeletal muscle, heart, brain) Heightened arousal and vigilance
Results of Chronic Stress:
Increased fatigue Increased risk of heart disease Increased risk of diabetes Decreased reproductive function Decreased digestion Decreased growth!
The Accidental “Discovery” of Stress
Endocrinologist Hans Seyle’s poor rats. General Adaptation Syndrome (Three
stages)
1. ALARM REACTION - the body’s stress response 2. RESISTANCE - balance is temporarily re-attained by adapting to the presence of the stressor 3. EXHAUSTION - if stressor remains, resources are depleted,leading to illness or death
Seyle’s (Now Revised) General Adaption Syndrome
Alarm Reaction Resistance / Adaption Illness -- if stressor remains, stress
response itself begins to cause long term damage
Is Stress Always Bad?
Some level of arousal is stimulating and motivating People vary in how they respond to stress, based on things such as:
Physiological differences Personality variables Cognitive and emotional responses to stress
Changing How We Respond To Stress
Attributional Style
Internal, Stable, Global vs. External, Unstable, Specific (Seligman) Survival rates for breast cancer patients (Taylor) The plant study (Langer & Rodin)
Perceived Control
Optimism
Coping with Stress
(With a little help from your friends)
Social Support: psychological and physical resources from others
Tangible: money, shelter, food Intangible: comfort, support, advice
Social support contributes to health and longevity
More Coping Strategies
Relaxation / Meditation
More Coping Strategies
Exercise Emotion-focused coping Problem-focused coping Cognitive reappraisal Social comparison
More Coping Strategies
Exercise Emotion-focused coping Problem-focused coping Cognitive reappraisal Social comparison Humor