Stress
an unpleasant physical or psychological reaction to circumstances perceived as challenging
Fight or Flight response
an automatic emotional and physical reaction to a perceived threat that prepares one to either attack it or run away from it
Stressors
any event or change in your life that causes stress
Primary Apraisal
how significant an event is to a person
Secondary Apraisal
Ones ability to cope and take advantage of the situation
Health Psychology
the psychological specialization that focuses on the relationship between the mind and body
General Adaptation Syndrome
H. Selye's concept where our ability to ward off the effects of stress stays strong for a while, but eventually plummets
Alarm
the first phase of the stress response, in which the person faces a challenge and starts paying attention to it
Resistance
the body attempts to resist or adapt to the stressor
Exhaustation
If the stressor continues beyond the body's capacity, the resources become exhausted and the body is susceptible to disease and death
Psychophysiological Illnesses
mind-body" illness; any stress-related physical illness, such as hypertension and some headaches
Personality types
discrete categories of people based on personality characteristics
Personality Type A
Ambitious
Competitive
Practical
Impatient
Aggressive
Personality Type B
Relaxed
Cheerful
Patient
Too Casual
Procrastinator
Personality Type C
Systematic
Thoughtful
Sensitive
Cautious
Critical
Personality Type D
Distressed
Negative
Pessimistic
Depressed
Social Inhibited
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
a psychological disorder lasting at least a month characterized by feeling continuously on edge, avoiding reminders of the traumatic event, having difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and frequently recalling or reliving the event
Coping
efforts to reduce or manage an experience of stress
Problem-focused coping
Attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
Emotion-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one's stress reaction
Mindfulness
The state of being alert and mentally present for one's everyday activities
Hardiness
behaviors that reflect resilience under stressful circumstances: commitment, controlling, challenge
Optimism
an attitude toward the future characterized by hope or expectation of a positive outcome