Coping Strategies and Resilience When Encountering Life Stressors - Literature review Example

ing strategies and rеsiliеnсе Name Course Lecturer Date Monroe (2008) observes that, life stressors are normal to all human beings and particularly in the context of changes which are perceived as stressful. Psychological stress is directly related with the negative life changes including job loss or death of a loved one. Life changes require a certain degree of adaptation and thus even positive life changes such as getting married at times can be stressful. However, people are unequally endowed with skills and ways to cope with stressors. The distinction arises whereby some assume healthy and beneficial approaches for dealing with stress while other may adopt relative or negative ways. There are various literatures and arguments of practical and theoretical ways of dealing with stress and the each design present an array of strategies that can help individual to deal with life stress. Whichever choice a person may make depend on how effective it is in line with their life experiences, activities and support. Coping therefore involves individual’s capability to adjust and tolerate negative events and realities in an attempt to maintain a positive emotional equilibrium and self-image. As Folkman (2009) observes, traditionally, there are various developed techniques which have successfully been used to deal with stress and its consequences. Recently, considerable research has also been very informative for stress prevention, management and resilience. The most effective form of coping is geared towards self-help approaches for prevention and building-resilience based on theory and practice. Resilience involves an individual tendency of coping with adversity and stress. This may result to a return to previous and normal functioning or complete lack of negative effects. Resilience may further manifest through ability to function better after an experience of adversity a condition known as posttraumatic growth. Resilience is however process and not primarily an individual trait. As Larzelere & Jones (2008) points out, there are other supportive stress management mechanisms which involve the roles of the close family relationships and bonds and the larger contexts of peer and the society at large who offer continuous support to the vulnerable individuals. Michel, Mitchelson, Pichler & Cullen (2010) observes that, there are various factors related to resilience building and thus help in modifying life negative effects or adverse situations. One of the primary factors involves provision of care and support through created trust and promoted love by close network of people like family members, colleagues and workmates. The network of people offers encouragement toward acceptance and positive living. Additionally, resilience may result from individual’s capacity in making realistic plans, self-confidence, positive self-image, developed communication skills and the ability for managing impulses and strong feelings (Monroe, 2008). On the other hand, coping mechanism and resilience has been confirmed to be limited for maltreated children with various risk factors. Some of factors such as single parenting, family unemployment and inadequate maternal education may increase the risk (Gunnar, Frenn, Wewerka & Van Ryzin, 2009). Such individuals will have low ego-resilience and intelligence to equip them thoroughly with dealing with life stressors. Such individuals may further exhibit disruptive-aggressive, become withdrawn and possess other internalized behavioral problems. Negative effects can further be moderated through controlling the environmental hazards or stressful situations for vulnerable individuals. External social support based on three contexts can effectively act as protective factor. First, personal attributes including an outgoing individual with positive self-concepts and looking on bright side of life will effectively cope with stressors. Secondly, close family bonds with emotional stable members account for modifying the environment of the vulnerable individuals. Thirdly, the larger community which readily offers support or counsel from peers promotes resilience building. According to Cohn, et al. (2009), the family or peer who adopts humor related have been confirmed to offer effective coping mechanism where they maintain a state of happiness more so to age-related adversity. According to Gunnar, Frenn, Wewerka & Van Ryzin (2009), every life changes involve some stress as it requires adjusting and adaptation. Too many changes for a brief period create perception which may reduce control of important t events. Such perception increase slow self-esteem, development of anxiety and depression. To some extent, physical illness can develop in case an individual adapting capacity is overwhelmed by many changes. Coping is a process which can be inborn or developed through experience or learning. Stressors and unusual demands require a person to mobilize greater effort and energy compared to daily routine life requirements. When effort is mobilized for long, the level of stress-related hormones is elevated which lead to illness and physical breakdown. Acute stress such as marital breakdown, change of residence, longer duration stress including chronic pain, illness and financial problems may be profound and require enhanced capacity of coping. According to Chiesa & Serretti (2009), there are two effective coping strategies that are commonly engaged by various individuals. One of the most effective ways involves an individual vulnerable to stress. Capability to cope and resilience starts after distancing oneself from stress sources in case the causes can be avoided. An individual can opt to disentangle with places, relationship or events that stimulate stress. This may be through decreased duration of interaction or relocating. On the other hand, a person can directly attempt to change the stress source to suit their needs and preferences. This may involve a change of a certain stressing course and activities to adopt a relatively favorable one. Another level of stress coping mechanism may involve an individual view of the problem from a religious perspective. Such faith gives composure by reflecting on different explanation of life events and provides hope to go on. A person may develop new beliefs or challenge the previously held ones which do not suit their adaptive capabilities. Losing a certain ground and compromising may allow a person to be objective for instance when their perspective or stand becomes a source of criticism, stereotyping and conflict. Chiesa & Serretti (2009) argues that, a more sophisticated approach on personal capability depends on both the individual traits and ability to take actions. This involves ability to lower expectations that cannot be met in certain condition and are seen as contributing to stress. It is possible to adjust personal needs accordingly and limit conscious torment when such needs are not met. This may involves cutting on expenses, splitting life goals into pieces and working on one issue at a time for convenience. Another way of coping may involve the capability of maintaining emotional composure. On the other hand a person can express distressing emotions through involvement in activities such as games or partying to divert such stress. The highest way of coping with stress involves a person involvement in active responsibility for their situations. In this case, a person is not complacent but seeks for help, resources and increase physical inputs to change the conditions that increase or produce stress. In life events, a person may seek for resources, skills or adapt a lifestyle that will help them respond effectively as stress arises (Walsh, 2011). The strategies adopted may be ad-hoc, constant or continuous measures that are effectively used when stress arise. Precisely, this has been the widely used mechanism by most people who are self-confident, optimistic in business, education and other life processes. A person can also engage in problem solving through trying divergent ways for every stressful situation. In most cases, this involves the 5 Ws and H where an individual asks themselves when, what, why, where, which and how to develop various process for coping. There is possibility of coming up with various approaches which are then converged depending on effectiveness and application and stimulate positive attitude, activities designed for cooping and resilience. Walsh (2011) argues that, an individual will automatically assume a certain lifestyle in case of change through the previous experiences and continuous mental and physical engagement to positive outcomes. Precisely, a person does not look on stress sources and its consequences but develops the way out depending on duration, strategies and place. As Kinman & Grant (2011) argues, the second approach for coping with stress involves identification and coordination through support services. This account and profoundly involves effective communication skills where a person can ask others for assistance and help. In case, there is access of support a person goes for it to promote their skills, efficiency and approach to the life stressors. The most immediate help can be accessed from family, religious or professional members and fraternities that are well equipped with experiences and capability to shape new approaches to life and stress. An individual will then receive direct help, coordinated activities or unplanned sessions that promote their coping mechanism. Such instances like marriage breakdown, dealing with bias and stereotyped occurrences, rehabilitation from a stressing lifestyle and others may actively be engaged through the help of various groups or individuals. Finally, a person can opt to maintain emotionally supportive relationships. The network of people with understanding of a person’s experiences, trauma and effectively involved in different areas of a person’s performance can promote stress coping skills (Pistole, Roberts & Chapman, 2010). The people offer help when in need and accelerate an individual recovery. One of the most effective ways the relationship may result is coping based on stages. Apart from controlling the various effects of stress, they evaluate a personal progress, complement and enhance individual’s capability through support of the effective ways that work for a person. People who suffer physical injury that leave them disabled can be supported to overcome the detrimental psychological and emotional effects that follow such accidents through the help and maintenance of emotional supportive relationship. References Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. The journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 15(5), 593-600. Cohn, M. A., et al. (2009). Happiness unpacked: Positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Emotion (Washington, DC), 9(3), 361. Folkman, S. (2009). Commentary on the Special Section “Theory-Based Approaches to Stress and Coping”. European Psychologist, 14(1), 72-77. Gunnar, M. R., Frenn, K., Wewerka, S. S., & Van Ryzin, M. J. (2009). Moderate versus severe early life stress: associations with stress reactivity and regulation in 10–12-year-old children. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34(1), 62. Kinman, G., & Grant, L. (2011). Exploring stress resilience in trainee social workers: The role of emotional and social competencies. British Journal of Social Work, 41(2), 261-275. Larzelere, M. M., & Jones, G. N. (2008). Stress and health. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 35(4), 839-856. Michel, J. S., Mitchelson, J. K., Pichler, S., & Cullen, K. L. (2010). Clarifying relationships among work and family social support, stressors, and work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76(1), 91-104. Monroe, S. M. (2008). Modern approaches to conceptualizing and measuring human life stress. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol., 4, 33-52. Pistole, M. C., Roberts, A., & Chapman, M. L. (2010). Attachment, relationship maintenance, and stress in long distance and geographically close romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27(4), 535-552. Walsh, R. (2011). Lifestyle and mental health. American Psychologist, 66(7), 579. Read More

twork of people offers encouragement toward acceptance and positive living. Additionally, resilience may result from individual’s capacity in making realistic plans, self-confidence, positive self-image, developed communication skills and the ability for managing impulses and strong feelings (Monroe, 2008). On the other hand, coping mechanism and resilience has been confirmed to be limited for maltreated children with various risk factors. Some of factors such as single parenting, family unemployment and inadequate maternal education may increase the risk (Gunnar, Frenn, Wewerka & Van Ryzin, 2009).

Such individuals will have low ego-resilience and intelligence to equip them thoroughly with dealing with life stressors. Such individuals may further exhibit disruptive-aggressive, become withdrawn and possess other internalized behavioral problems. Negative effects can further be moderated through controlling the environmental hazards or stressful situations for vulnerable individuals. External social support based on three contexts can effectively act as protective factor. First, personal attributes including an outgoing individual with positive self-concepts and looking on bright side of life will effectively cope with stressors.

Secondly, close family bonds with emotional stable members account for modifying the environment of the vulnerable individuals. Thirdly, the larger community which readily offers support or counsel from peers promotes resilience building. According to Cohn, et al. (2009), the family or peer who adopts humor related have been confirmed to offer effective coping mechanism where they maintain a state of happiness more so to age-related adversity. According to Gunnar, Frenn, Wewerka & Van Ryzin (2009), every life changes involve some stress as it requires adjusting and adaptation.

Too many changes for a brief period create perception which may reduce control of important t events. Such perception increase slow self-esteem, development of anxiety and depression. To some extent, physical illness can develop in case an individual adapting capacity is overwhelmed by many changes. Coping is a process which can be inborn or developed through experience or learning. Stressors and unusual demands require a person to mobilize greater effort and energy compared to daily routine life requirements.

When effort is mobilized for long, the level of stress-related hormones is elevated which lead to illness and physical breakdown. Acute stress such as marital breakdown, change of residence, longer duration stress including chronic pain, illness and financial problems may be profound and require enhanced capacity of coping. According to Chiesa & Serretti (2009), there are two effective coping strategies that are commonly engaged by various individuals. One of the most effective ways involves an individual vulnerable to stress.

Capability to cope and resilience starts after distancing oneself from stress sources in case the causes can be avoided. An individual can opt to disentangle with places, relationship or events that stimulate stress. This may be through decreased duration of interaction or relocating. On the other hand, a person can directly attempt to change the stress source to suit their needs and preferences. This may involve a change of a certain stressing course and activities to adopt a relatively favorable one.

Another level of stress coping mechanism may involve an individual view of the problem from a religious perspective. Such faith gives composure by reflecting on different explanation of life events and provides hope to go on. A person may develop new beliefs or challenge the previously held ones which do not suit their adaptive capabilities. Losing a certain ground and compromising may allow a person to be objective for instance when their perspective or stand becomes a source of criticism, stereotyping and conflict.

Chiesa & Serretti (2009) argues that, a more sophisticated approach on personal capability depends on both the individual traits and ability to take actions.

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