Stress and Coping

This chapter explores the tension between survival and growth and considers differ models of defining and coping with stress. There are several ways theories in psychology define normal. We can use statistics, societal norms, positive mental health, levels of personal distress, and maladaptiveness. Signs of personal distress can be both psychological and physical. Emotion-focused coping involves trying to reduce the negative emotional responses associated with stress, such as sadness, fear, or frustration. To explain stress as a more dynamic process, psychologists Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman advanced the transactional theory of stress and coping. One finding, useful for coaching, is that major life events, such as divorce, exert stress by several daily hassles. Psychologists Suzanne Kobasa and Salvatore Maddi propose a combination of attitudes that creates a buffering effect against stress. Wellbeing is related to how we can reduce stress, improve mood, and boost cognition.