stress and happiness

Stress

The process by which we appraise and cope with environmental threats and challenges, including stressors and stress reactions.

SRRS (Social Readjustment Rating Scale)

Measures stress through Life Change Units (LCU); high scores indicate a higher likelihood of stress-related diseases.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye’s model describing the body’s response to stress in three stages: Alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.

Alarm Reaction

The initial response to stress, involving activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increased heart rate.

Exhaustion

The final stage of GAS where the body's resources deplete, increasing vulnerability to disease.

Type A Personality

A personality type characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and aggressiveness, associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Psychophysiological Illness

Physical diseases caused or worsened by stress, such as hypertension and heart disease.

Appraisal Theory of Stress

The theory suggesting that our perception of stress impacts its effects; includes primary and secondary appraisal.

Fight or Flight Response

A physiological reaction to perceived threats involving the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine to prepare for action.

Health Belief Model (Shelley Taylor)

A framework suggesting that individuals seek medical care based on perceived threat severity and belief in treatment effectiveness.

Biofeedback

A technique that monitors physiological responses to help individuals control stress.

Optimistic Style

A way of thinking where successes are attributed to personal abilities and failures to external factors.

Feel-Good, Do-Good Phenomenon

The tendency for individuals to be more likely to help others when in a positive mood.

Relative Deprivation

The feeling of being worse off when comparing oneself to others, leading to frustration and envy.

Elevation

A positive emotional response experienced when witnessing acts of kindness, which can inspire optimism and prosocial behavior.

Daily Hassles

Minor, frequent stressors such as traffic or work deadlines that can accumulate and contribute to overall stress levels.