Stress, what is stress? As defined in Chapter 2 (Psychological Disorders, Therapy, and Lifestyle Change/2.9 Stress and Health), stress is not just a stimulus or a response, stress is the process by which we appraise and cope with environmental threats and challenges. It is our decision on how much we allow stress to affect us. If a person’s car gets hit by a stray rock while driving, some would not encounter any stress and continue driving; others will worry about the incident and become distressed. I believe stress is an interesting topic of study for psychologists because stress causes negative effects in humans as well as animals, and stress is always relevant. Even though over time, the things that cause our stress change, stress, however
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In the study, “Stress Changes How People Make Decisions,” researchers have found that when people are put under stress, they start paying more attention to positive information and discounting negative information. People tend to focus on the less stressful decision rather than weigh all options evenly. Thinking back on stressful situations in my life, I would choose the decision that was most appealing at the time, ultimately resulting in me regretting the decision and enduring more stress. The study, “How to Predict Who Will Suffer the Most from Stress,” shows us that by having a more variable heartbeat during a restful situation is positive, but having a variable heartbeat during a stressful situation is a sign that you will become more stressed. Having a regular heartbeat during a real life threat helps you deal with the situation. This is something that I need to work on. I experience the same stress levels no matter the situation. These two studies have revealed to me that I need to work on how I react to stress. By controlling stress in my life, I will make precise decisions and save the high stress levels for fight-or-flight situations. In the video, “Stress, Portrait of a Killer,” heart disease is linked to stress. I fully understand the power that stress can have if not controlled. I could hit a breaking point or become ill. This will affect my day-to-day life and could result in me not …show more content…
I tend to focus only on the positive, only seeing the glass half full. I do not weigh both sides evenly. I chose the decision that I feel more positive about. The end result usually doesn’t pan out the way I intended. I then have that moment of unpleasant clarity; I should have known better and I should have weighed all aspects of the problem and solution. For example, my husband and I decided that he should rent a house while he worked out of town for two years. We decided to sell our travel trailer to get money for the deposit and first and last month’s rent. We had already been made aware that his job might not last the full two years but decided to rent the house for six months so that the kids and I could visit over the summer and not be crammed in a hotel room. We sold the travel trailer, he signed the papers on the rental house, and two months later he was laid off. We lost the deposit, first and last month’s rent, and we no longer have our trailer. Now thinking back, I wish we had kept our travel trailer and pulled it up there during the summer. I wish we would have thought of every possible solution instead of deciding on the one that put a little money in our pockets for a short time. I feel that I need to recognize that I am in a stressful situation that might hinder my decision making skills, then take a step back and
In the study, “Stress Changes How People Make Decisions,” researchers have found that when people are put under stress, they start paying more attention to positive information and discounting negative information. People tend to focus on the less stressful decision rather than weigh all options evenly. Thinking back on stressful situations in my life, I would choose the decision that was most appealing at the time, ultimately resulting in me regretting the decision and enduring more stress. The study, “How to Predict Who Will Suffer the Most from Stress,” shows us that by having a more variable heartbeat during a restful situation is positive, but having a variable heartbeat during a stressful situation is a sign that you will become more stressed. Having a regular heartbeat during a real life threat helps you deal with the situation. This is something that I need to work on. I experience the same stress levels no matter the situation. These two studies have revealed to me that I need to work on how I react to stress. By controlling stress in my life, I will make precise decisions and save the high stress levels for fight-or-flight situations. In the video, “Stress, Portrait of a Killer,” heart disease is linked to stress. I fully understand the power that stress can have if not controlled. I could hit a breaking point or become ill. This will affect my day-to-day life and could result in me not …show more content…
I tend to focus only on the positive, only seeing the glass half full. I do not weigh both sides evenly. I chose the decision that I feel more positive about. The end result usually doesn’t pan out the way I intended. I then have that moment of unpleasant clarity; I should have known better and I should have weighed all aspects of the problem and solution. For example, my husband and I decided that he should rent a house while he worked out of town for two years. We decided to sell our travel trailer to get money for the deposit and first and last month’s rent. We had already been made aware that his job might not last the full two years but decided to rent the house for six months so that the kids and I could visit over the summer and not be crammed in a hotel room. We sold the travel trailer, he signed the papers on the rental house, and two months later he was laid off. We lost the deposit, first and last month’s rent, and we no longer have our trailer. Now thinking back, I wish we had kept our travel trailer and pulled it up there during the summer. I wish we would have thought of every possible solution instead of deciding on the one that put a little money in our pockets for a short time. I feel that I need to recognize that I am in a stressful situation that might hinder my decision making skills, then take a step back and