Stress Scenarios and a Healthy Reaction to Stressors

There are five scenarios outlined below in which the person highlighted does not react to stress in a healthy manner. The type of stressor is identified, an explanation provided for why the person's reaction is unhealthy, and offers healthy alternatives to reacting to and moderating the stress of the situation described.

Stress scenario 1: Every morning, as she prepares for her two-hour drive to work, Carole gets a headache.

Carole is experiencing the frustrations of commuting. From the information provided, it does not appear that Carole is actively coping with her stress.

Carole could choose a different route to work that has less traffic volume, listen to calming or soothing music during the drive, and incorporate meditation or exercise as part of preparation for work. Carole would benefit from increasing her social support by carpooling. Carole could realize her internal locus of control which would enable her to predict what triggers her stress on her long commutes and plan for ways to cope with it in a healthy manner.

Stress scenario 2: Jim hates attending meetings at which he might be asked a question. His hands begin to shake at the thought of not having the right answer.

Jim is experiencing anxiety as a psychological barrier to public speaking. Jim has low self-efficacy, believing that he will not have the correct answer increases his anxiety.

Preparing himself prior to the meetings will increase Jim's confidence in his ability to answer correctly and dealing with his irrational beliefs by recognizing that answering a question wrongly is not as tragic as he thinks it is. Jim can increase his self-efficacy by replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Jim can change his view of the meetings from fearing he will answer incorrectly to optimistically viewing the meetings as a learning experience.

Stress scenario 3: Lori's stomach hurts constantly. Lori was married eight months ago, is expecting her first child in five months, and just started a new job after finishing her graduate degree.