Managing Stress

 “It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.”
―Hans Selye

In a previous post discussing the response to stress as being maladaptive or adaptive, highlighted how stress can be an adaptive response to an event which can affect us on a physiological level as well as psychologically. Some may be able to transform the stress in a functional and adaptive way, what Hans Selye (1936) coins as “eustress”. If an individual is unable to manage their stress response, this can lead to maladaptation – which if reinforced with specific conditioning could lead to mood and behavioural changes.

Those at greater risk of stress in society include individuals from marginalised or vulnerable groups such as older individuals, minority ethnic communities, impoverished groups, immigrants and those living with a disability. The social stress theory (Pearlin, 1989) views social conditions as a cause of stress for members of disadvantaged groups. This stress, in turn, can cause disease. The structural arrangements in society can also determine the level of support and coping strategies available for such groups.

Nevertheless, we know that stress doesn’t just directly effect marginalised groups, it can also impact the career driven, high-flying employee or those who’ve experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

Being aware of our stress responses is the first healthy step towards recognising that something in our life isn’t aligned; whether it’s connected to suppressed trauma or a sudden and unexpected life event.

But having the awareness isn’t enough to combat the short and long-term effects of stress, we need the tools to be able to manage the stress especially if the cause of our burden we are experiencing cannot be rectified immediately.

In our response to stress, we can find three useful strategies to mediate the effects of stress which is underpinned by; coping, social support, and mastery.

Coping

Living in a state of chronic stress can cause the brain to think that a physical fight is about to start at any time as I outline in the managing stress workbook. Cortisol, in turn, tells our body to have much energy available. Long-term effects of attempting to manage chronic stress can result in burnout causing severe disturbance to our vital physical and mental mechanisms.

Whilst we cannot eradicate all stress, simple daily processes to manage or prevent the onset of stress altogether include:

• Engage in relaxing activities.
• Exercise and stretching, reading, listening to music, meditation and prayer and journaling.
• Follow a routine which can promote a sense of purpose and normalcy.
• Maintain healthy habits by eating well; there’s plenty of research on the links between food, stress and mental health.
• Getting enough sleep, and engaging in physical activity can promote better mental health.

Social Support

Having a social network to provide us with support can be an integral component towards mediating stress effects along with providing physical and mental health benefits. Social isolation can largely effect the marginalised groups we discussed earlier but anybody can be at risk of social isolation including older people who often live alone; sensory impairments also contribute towards their social isolation. Some of the additional health effects from limited social support can include insomnia and reduced immune function; loneliness is also associated with higher anxiety, depression even poor cardiovascular health and cognitive function (Ozbay et al., 2007).

Creating an environment which is socially supportive doesn’t mean the introvert needs to find a group of people willing to be their friend. Supportive networks can be created by stay connected through phone calls, email, texting and to some extent social media platforms; whilst there’s always a risk of living a life through technology, there’s also benefits to online socialising such as being able to form connections with people you wouldn’t ordinarily meet day-to-day which Phua et al, (2017) study explores. Results found that Twitter users had the highest bridging social capital, followed by Instagram – this suggests, there is a sense of healthy social belonging that can be found within reason.

The most obvious way to develop social networks, particularly during our adulthood years which is known to be more difficult in forming friendships is through joining local clubs and leisure activities. It should be noted that the most optimal source of social support for the individual when combating stress will depend on the age and life experiences of the person. For example those in their later life stages may prefer to join local clubs that tie in with their personal experiences such as dealing with spousal bereavement as commonly found amongst the older population. Whereas, stress due to trauma or addiction might require social network needs to be met through charity support groups.

Ultimately, social support can provide us with a sense of belonging, when we belong we increase our resilience to stress.

Mastery

Psychologists recognise that humans are agents of their self-development, where we can regulate our emotions and responses to events given the right guidance, support and patience. Bandura (1979) proposed that mastery experiences is one of the surest ways to develop a sense of self-efficacy. What this means is, experiencing failure can teach us resilience, which we can apply to the ways we manage our stress responses.

Developing resilience to stress is easier for some more than others, this can be connected to both genetic and environmental factors. However, this does not mean it is impossible to to develop resilience. Though it will require daily practice initially, once you have mastered the basics of developing resilience in the face of stress it becomes a natural automatic response long-term.

My wellbeing journal can be found here. It includes 12 monthly themes to support mental health.

References

Bandura, A. (1979). Self-referent mechanisms in social learning theory. American Psychologist, 34(5), 439–441. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.34.5.439.b

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Meyer, I. H., Schwartz, S., & Frost, D. M. (2008). Social patterning of stress and coping: Does disadvantaged social statuses confer more stress and fewer coping resources? Social Science & Medicine, 67(3), 368–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.03.012

Pearlin, L. I. (1999). Stress and mental health: A conceptual overview. In A. V. Horwitz & T. L. Scheid (Eds.), A handbook for the study of mental health: Social contexts, theories, and systems (pp. 161–175). Cambridge University Press.

Phua, J., Jin, S. V., & Kim, J. (Jay). (2017). Uses and gratifications of social networking sites for bridging and bonding social capital: A comparison of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Computers in Human Behaviour, 72, 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.041

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