Chapter: Chapter03: Stress – What It Is and How to Manage It
Essay/Discussion Questions:
1.College is a time characterized by many new and sometimes stressful experiences. Complete the College Life Stress Inventory on pages 86-87 in your textbook and calculate your score using the scoring key on page 117. Describe your general reaction to stress in your life, the coping mechanisms you use, and how, if at all, you might be able to reduce the amount of stress you are currently experiencing in your life.
2.We all experience stress at some point in our lives, sometimes more profoundly than others. It is often during these periods of high stress that we discover strengths and realities about ourselves we otherwise might not have known. Describe the most stressful incident you have ever experienced, being sure to identify how you responded in the situation and what, if anything, you learned from the experience. Would you respond in the same way if a similar situation were to arise in the future?
3.There are defining moments in our lives, both personal and shared, that leave lasting impressions on us. Every generation experiences some national disaster or trauma, 9/11 being one of the more recent in our nations history. Describe how, if at all, you believe life has changed since 9/11, both for you as an individual and as a nation.
4.Despite the negative psychological and physical consequences associated with the Type A behavior pattern, it may be argued that there are some benefits to possessing some of the characteristics associated with Type A (e.g., highly driven). Describe what, if any, Type A characteristics you possess and how you believe these help or hinder you.
5.Most everyone has felt at some point in their lives that they do not fit in with the dominant culture, whether because of race, ethnicity, gender, value system, or some other personal feature. Describe a situation in your life when you felt segregated from the mainstream, including the context of the situation, how you felt, how you handled the situation and what, if anything, you learned from the experience.
6.What are you (3) biggest stressors? How have you coped with them? Which of the stress management techniques or strategies mentioned in the text may be helpful to you?