Question

Activity 1.2: Understanding the Meaning of Stress. Directions: The following statements are not accurate. State why they are false by using evidence cited in the text, or examples from your life, to refute the fallacious statements. 1. Stress is the same for everybody. 2. The relationship between stress and the incidence of illness is simple and straightforward. 3. Stress is always bad for you. 4. Stress is everywhere, so you can't do anything about it. 5. Whenever someone experiences a stressor, he/she will inevitably experience physiological arousal or emotional anxiety. 6. If someone does not display symptoms, it means that he/she has no stress.

Answer 1

1. False. Stress is not the same for everybody. Different stressors affect people differently. Two individuals may have an entirely different group of stressors. Furthermore, even the same stressor may cause very different reactions in two individuals. The experience of stress depends upon its cognitive appraisal i.e.. whether the stressor is perceived as a challenge or threat.

2. The statement is false because the relationship between stress and illness is complex. There are several ways through which stress can lead to illness. The stress weakens the immune system which leads to an increase incidence of illnesses. Moreover, when the body's resources are directed towards fighting the stressor, there are less of them available to fight the pathogens that may enter thereby leading to illness. Physiological changes that take place during stress such as hypertensions, increase in heartbeat, etc may also lead to a host of other health problems.

3. Stress is not always bad for you. The term eustress is used to describe the level of stress that is good for you. Optimum level of stress allows you to perform to the best of your abilities. Without any stress, an individual may be lazy and laid back which would decrease performance.

4. While stress is everywhere, there a host of coping strategies that can be employed to deal with it. There are also a number of relaxation techniques that allow people to deal with stress.