Coping and Well-Being Study Notes

Adjustment and Coping

• Adjustment: Refers to psychological processes involved in adapting, coping, and managing challenges of daily life.

  • Growth involves:

  • Learning and expanding awareness

  • Accepting new challenges

  • Coping effectively

Why Do We Need Adjustment?

• Reasons for adjustment include:

  • Economic factors

  • Social changes

  • Political situations and governmental policies

  • Educational backgrounds

  • Ethnicity, diversity, gender, and age

  • Example: Indonesia has over 600 ethnic groups with various languages and customs.

Understanding Stress and Coping

• Stress: Defined as the individual's response to a stressor.

  • Stressor: Events that threaten or are perceived as threatening, straining coping abilities.

The Stress Process

• Stimulus Event: Can lead to stress.

  • Primary Appraisal: Deciding if the situation is relevant and threatening or irrelevant/harmless.

  • Secondary Appraisal: Assessing coping resources; whether these are inadequate or adequate determines stress levels.

Coping Strategies

• Constructive Coping Tactics:

  • Appraisal-Focused Strategies(reframing/intrepret based coping)

  • Detect and dispute negative self-talk

  • Use rational thinking

  • Positive reinterpretation

  • Finding humor

  • Turning to religion

  • Problem-Focused Strategies:

  • Active problem-solving

  • Seeking social support

  • Time management

  • Self-control and assertiveness

  • Emotion-Focused Strategies:

  • Release pent-up emotions

  • Distract oneself

  • Manage hostile feelings

  • Meditation and relaxation techniques

Overview of Stress Process

• Moderating Variables: Factors affecting stress tolerance include social support, hardiness, optimism, and more.

• Stressful Events: Examples include major exams, personal relationships, or financial issues.

• Cognitive Appraisal: Influenced by familiarity, controllability, and predictability of the event.

• Emotional Response: Varies from annoyance to anxiety, grief, etc.

• Physiological Response: Involves autonomic arousal and hormonal changes.

• Behavioral Response: Coping efforts can vary widely (e.g., seeking help, lashing out).

Positive vs. Negative Adaptation Outcomes

• Positive Outcomes: Learning new skills, increased self-esteem, improved coping abilities.

• Negative Outcomes: Physical health issues, psychological problems, burnout, and decreased task performance.

Additional Reflection Points on Coping Strategies

• Reflect on your typical responses to stress:

  • Initial reactions

  • Avoidance vs. engagement

  • Effective vs. ineffective strategies

  • Preference for problem-solving vs. emotional coping