3 Stress and Coping Free Online FlashCards

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s physical and emotional response to demands or challenges, which are called stressors.

Why can the same event feel more stressful to one person than another?

How a person appraises a situation and judges their ability to manage it can affect how stressful it feels. The same event may feel manageable to one person and overwhelming to another.

What does the sympathetic nervous system do during fight-or-flight?

The sympathetic nervous system quickly activates the fight-or-flight response, raising heart rate and blood pressure, quickening breathing, and making more energy available.

What role does the HPA axis play in the stress response?

The HPA axis responds more slowly than the sympathetic nervous system and prompts cortisol release, which helps mobilize energy and regulate the stress response.

How can brief stress be helpful?

Brief stress can focus attention and help someone act in response to a challenge.

What can prolonged stress activation contribute to?

Repeated or prolonged stress activation without enough recovery may contribute to sleep problems, muscle tension, headaches, digestive symptoms, and mood difficulties.

How may chronic stress affect health-related behaviors?

Chronic stress may be associated with changes such as less physical activity, poor sleep, different eating patterns, or increased reliance on substances.

What is problem-focused coping?

Problem-focused coping aims to address the stressor itself, for example by making a plan, seeking information, setting boundaries, or breaking a task into smaller steps.

What is emotion-focused coping?

Emotion-focused coping helps manage feelings when a stressor cannot readily be changed. Examples include slow breathing, relaxation, mindfulness, or talking with someone trustworthy.

What does appraisal-focused coping change?

Appraisal-focused coping changes how a person understands or interprets a situation, which can make a challenge feel more manageable.

How should a person choose a coping strategy?

The most useful approach depends on the situation: practical action may help when a problem can be changed, while emotional support or calming practices may help when it cannot be changed immediately.

What is a possible drawback of persistent avoidance?

Avoidance can bring temporary relief, but persistent avoidance may leave a manageable problem unresolved.