Page 433 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 15.4 Some Daily Hassles
We face frustrations every day—these are the daily hassles of life.
How can we combat the effects of hassles?
• Household duties (cleaning, cooking, shopping)
• Concerns about health
• Time pressures (not enough time to get something done)
• Environmental hassles (noise, pollution, crime)
• Financial hassles (paying bills, saving for the future)
• Worries about your job
• Concerns about your future
• Inner hassles (feelings of low self-esteem or
loneliness)
Source: Lazarus et al., 1985.
1. Review the Vocabulary What is the difference between eustress and distress? Should stress always be avoided? Explain.
2. Visualize the Main Idea Use a chart similar to the one below to list exam- ples of the different conflict situations.
Conflict Situation Example
Approach-approach conflict
3. Recall Information Why are life changes sources of stress? What are other sources of stress?
4. Think Critically Many people have criticized the SRRS. Can you think of a better way to measure stress? Explain.
5. Application Activity
Select a day and keep a log of your daily hassles and uplifts. At the end of
the day analyze your general mood—were you in a bad or good mood? Did your hassles out- number your uplifts? Briefly outline a strategy by which you pay more attention to uplifts and brighten your mood.
defense system, making it harder to fight off potential health problems.
It has also been sug- gested that small, positive events, called uplifts, can protect against stress. Up- lifts are things that make a person feel good, such as winning a tough chess match, going out to lunch with a good friend, or doing well on a semester exam. Some psychologists claim that uplifts can have the opposite effect of hassles; they can reduce stress and protect a person’s health.
Every one of us faces many daily hassles—traffic, arguments, car trouble, and so on. Could it be that the primary effects of stress are the accumulation of little things that just constantly seem to hassle us (Weinberger, Hiner, & Tierney, 1987)? Seventy-five married couples recorded their everyday hassles, and it turned out that those with more hassles had significantly more health problems such as sore throats and headaches, which they experienced later (DeLongis, Folkman, & Lazarus, 1988).
Assessment
Chapter 15 / Stress and Health 419