Assignment Code: BBPCS-186 / ASST / TMA /2021-22

Course Code: BPCS-186

Assignment Name: Managing Stress

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

NOTE: All assignments are compulsory.

Instructions:

1.Have a title page. Include details like Name, Enrolment number, Email id, Regional Centre, Study Centre, Programme Title and code, Course title and code.

2.Use A4 size paper for the tutorial (ruled/ bank).

3.For making tables, blank pages can be used and tables/ graphs (if any) to be drawn in pencil.

4.Content should not be plagiarised.

Part A

Assignment One

Answer the following questions in about 500 words each. Each question carries 20 marks.

3 x 20 = 60

Q 1) Explain the nature and measurement of stress.

Ans) Stress measurement is a requirement for accurate stress diagnosis. Stress can be quantified in a number of different ways. These are discussed in the following order:

1) Physiological measures

Physiological measurements could be quite useful in diagnosing and comprehending a person's stress. In the next unit, we'll go through the many types of stress models and the physiological changes that occur when people are exposed to stressful conditions. To understand the stress experienced by an individual, physiological reactions such as increased blood pressure, quick pulse rate, and breathing rate can be assessed. This can be accomplished utilising a variety of equipment and machines, such as a polygraph. Stress can also be quantified by biochemical methods, as stress causes the release of hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol, and others. Physiological measures appear to be helpful in identifying stress, but they have some drawbacks. To begin with, physiological changes can occur for a variety of reasons other than stress. Second, because the individual is either given a blood test or is linked into a machine, the entire process of taking the physiological measure may cause stress to the individual. Furthermore, the testing may be expensive and time-consuming.

2) Psychological test

Physiological measurements could be quite useful in diagnosing and comprehending a person's stress. In the next unit, we'll go through the many types of stress models and the physiological changes that occur when people are exposed to stressful conditions. To understand the stress experienced by an individual, physiological reactions such as increased blood pressure, quick pulse rate, and breathing rate can be assessed. This can be accomplished utilising a variety of equipment and machines, such as a polygraph. Stress can also be quantified by biochemical methods, as stress causes the release of hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol, and others. Physiological measures appear to be helpful in identifying stress, but they have some drawbacks. To begin with, physiological changes can occur for a variety of reasons other than stress. Second, because the individual is either given a blood test or is linked into a machine, the entire process of taking the physiological measure may cause stress to the individual. Furthermore, the testing may be expensive and time-consuming.

3) Checklist

Stress can also be measured using a checklist. A checklist, for example, can be utilised for big life events. The person is asked to check off important life events from a list that he or she has experienced over a period of time. The list of key events has been meticulously compiled and represents major life events that could occur in anyone's life. Death of a loved one, divorce, job relocation, and other big life events are examples of major life events. Any major life event can put a strain on an individual's coping resources as he or she tries to adjust to the situation. Furthermore, if a person is dealing with a number of important life events at the same time, the stress that he or she will feel will be considerably greater.

4) Interview

An interview is another way for measuring stress, in which in-depth information is gathered from the subject face to face. Structured, unstructured, and semi-structured interviews are all possible. Although the interview approach can be used to gather a lot of useful information, it is a time-consuming and costly strategy. Furthermore, the interviewer must be well-versed in interview techniques.

It's also feasible that the above measures are combined to gain a complete picture of the individual's stress levels.

Q 2) Compare between Fight or flight response and General Adaptation Syndrome.

Ans) When it comes to stress, Cannon advocates for the fight or flight response. According to Cannon, stress is the result of an external environmental demand that causes an imbalance in an individual's natural steady state. He went on to say that the body includes innate defence mechanisms that help to maintain an individual's homeostasis, or natural steady state. Cannon was also fascinated by a person's sympathetic nervous system activity in a stressful scenario.

When confronted with a potentially dangerous scenario, an individual will either prepare to battle the threat or flee or run away from it. Certain physiological changes will occur in the individual, preparing him or her to fight or flee. Sweating, a parched mouth, tight muscles, and other physiological changes are examples. Blood pressure and pulse rate have also increased. Aside from that, breathing may become fast and pupils may dilate. Essentially, the individual's body will move energy from body systems that aren't required to respond to the scenario to body systems that must function in order to respond to the issue at hand at this time. The sympathetic nerve system and the endocrine system are stimulated. For example, if a person comes face to face with a snake, he or she will either fight or flee, and his or her body will prepare the individual for this situation. As a result, there is an imbalance that disrupts the body's homeostasis. The body will return to normal and homeostasis will be restored once the crisis is ended and there are no more difficulties or threats.

The flight or fight response is useful because it allows you to cope with a situation quickly. In the long run, such stress experiences can have a harmful impact on a person's physiological and affective functioning.

The general adaptation syndrome (GAS) is a theory that defines the physiological changes that occur in the body when it is exposed to stress. The alert stage, resistance stage, and weariness stage are the three stages of the syndrome.

The alarm stage

There are two substages in the first GAS stage:

Body temperature and blood pressure both drop during the shock phase. Fluid loss from body tissues is also a possibility.

The body's fight-or-flight reaction is triggered during the countershock phase. Stress hormones and adrenaline cause a rise in heart rate and blood pressure.

The resistance stage

The body begins to mend itself after the alarm stage. If the stressful circumstance is handled, the body will continue to heal until it reaches its pre-stress level. If the stressful situation is not resolved, the body remains on high alert and adapts to the increased stress level. Blood pressure and stress hormones are still high. Hypertension and cardiac problems, as well as impatience, frustration, and poor attention, might result from this.

The exhaustion stage

When the body's tolerance to higher stress levels begins to break down as a result of persistent or chronic stress, this stage occurs. The body lacks the strength and resources to combat stress. The following are examples of tiredness signs, but they are not exhaustive:

1. Trouble sleeping

2. Severe loss of concentration

3. Fatigue

4. Depressed mood

5. Trembling or jumpiness

6. Anxiety attacks

7. Crying spells

8. Stress-related illnesses

The alarm stage is not hazardous for short-term or mild stressors. It's a natural defence system designed to keep the body safe from harm. However, when the body is subjected to continuous or chronic stress, it may be unable to heal itself in a timely manner, resulting in weariness.

Q 3) Describe Perfectionism. Discuss various moderators of stress.

Ans) Perfectionism is defined as high expectations that a person has of himself, others, or both, and these standards are demanding in nature, leaving little room for compromise. Internal perfectionism (from within) and external perfectionism (from without) are two types of perfectionism (expectations from others). Internal perfectionism causes people to have high expectations of themselves, which can harm their health as well as their productivity. It can also have a detrimental impact on their relationship as well as their self-esteem. External perfectionism causes people to constantly find fault with others and to never be content with how others work, which can lead to anger and resentment.

There are a few stress moderators that should be included as well. In the link between stress and matching reactions, moderators play a crucial role. Individuals may experience higher or lower stress levels as a result of these modifiers. LOC (locus of control): Rotter established the notion of locus of control in 1954, and it can be defined as an individual's belief system about whether the consequence of his or her actions can be attributed to his or her own acts or to events, objects, or persons beyond his or her control. As a result, people can have either an internal control or an external control attitude. There is a link between LOC and stress, and it has been discovered that those with an internal locus of control have superior physical and psychological health.

Individuals with an internal locus of control view stressful situations as a challenge rather than a danger, and hence are better able to cope with stress.

Hardiness: Hardiness is defined as a desire for challenges, as well as a strong feeling of commitment and control. Individuals with high hardiness are upbeat and regard adversity as an opportunity to learn and progress. They also put in long hours since it is something they enjoy doing. As a result, those with high hardiness are better able to cope with stress than people with low hardiness.

Social support: This is one of the most important stress moderators. If a person is facing stress, he or she will be able to cope better if he or she gets adequate social support. Social support can take the shape of material presents, financial assistance, meals, and so on, as well as information about stress and coping skills. It's possible that social support is also emotional. Not only does social support reduce stress reactivity, but it also reduces the harmful impacts of stress on those who receive it.

Optimism and pessimism: Optimistic people have been reported to be able to deal with stress effectively and hence are less likely to be negatively affected by stress. Optimism is also linked to resilience, which helps people recover from difficult events. Pessimistic people, on the other hand, are more prone to be impacted by stress and suffer psycho-physiological illnesses.

Gender and culture: Gender and culture, in addition to the aforementioned factors, may play a crucial role as stress moderators. To a large extent, socialisation is influenced by gender and culture, which can affect not just a person's personality but also their ideas and attitudes. And how an individual perceives, deals with, and copes with stress is influenced by their personality, beliefs, and attitudes.

Assignment Two

Answer the following questions in about 100 words each. Each question carries 5 marks.

8 x 5= 40

Q 4) Describe the effect of stress on relationships.

Ans) Relationships can be harmed by stress. Stress is common, but it may be detrimental to relationships. People frequently bottle up or keep their stress to themselves, making it difficult for their partners to understand and assist them.

Stress has very contagious effects, and it will eventually affect those around you, wreaking havoc on their life as well. When it comes to your relationship, stress can produce big rifts that would otherwise be completely avoidable. It will eventually break both you and your partner down, feeding bad emotions in each other and causing unnecessary issues. These are stress indicators, so if you're dealing with more than you can bear, you may take a break, reassess your conduct, and rescue your relationship.

Q 5) Discuss the concept and nature of coping.

Ans) “Coping is a set of ideas and behaviours that people employ to deal with the internal and external demands of situations that they perceive to be difficult or beyond their own capabilities. Attempts at coping are made to “manage, master, tolerate, decrease, or minimise the demands of a stressful environment.”

Coping entails trying to deal with a problem. Coping with Stress is a stressful situation. Coping may be used to address an issue that is causing the individual distress or to address bad feelings that he or she is experiencing. Coping can be adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the situation. Adaptive coping not only reduces stress, but it also offers long-term benefits. While maladaptive coping may provide temporary relief from stress, it can have a severe influence on an individual's physical and psychological health.

Q 6) Discuss mindfulness and biofeedback as techniques of stress management.

Ans) Relaxation techniques, meditation, Yoga, mindfulness, and biofeedback are examples of stress management strategies. When someone is stressed, they go through a multitude of physiological changes. Rapid breathing, elevated heartbeat and pulse rate, muscle tension, and other symptoms may occur. Relaxation techniques can be utilised efficiently in this situation, especially to minimise the muscle tension experienced by the person who is stressed. Relaxation techniques aid not only in the reduction of stress, but also in the reduction of anxiety, improved sleep, blood pressure management, headaches and migraines, and so on.

Q 7) Explain the techniques of time management.

Ans) Planner System is one of the most important time management techniques. This technique might assist you in making the most of your time. This planning system can take the form of a journal, a notepad, or any other format that is comfortable for the user. Planners may now be built on mobile phones as well as PCs. In fact, several phone providers now include planners as standard apps. Once you've adopted the planner approach, it's critical to set aside at least 10 minutes each day for planning. A planner can be beneficial in a variety of ways. Planning will not only provide you a clear image of what you need to achieve in a day, but it will also keep you from doing different things at different times and in different ways.

Q 8) Describe emotional intelligence.

Ans) The ability to sense, control, and assess emotions is referred to as emotional intelligence (EI). Some academics believe emotional intelligence can be taught and improved, while others believe it is a natural trait.

It's important to be able to express and control emotions, but it's also important to be able to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. Consider a world in which you couldn't tell when a friend was unhappy or when a co-worker was upset. Emotional intelligence is a term used by psychologists to describe this capacity, and some experts believe it is more significant than IQ in terms of overall life success.

Emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill. Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills are thought to be the five main components.

Q 9) Explain various types of Asanas.

Ans) Asanas are divided into several categories, which are briefly detailed below:

1. Padmasana: Padmasana is practiced by sitting straight on the ground with your feet on top of your thighs.

2. Sukhasana: This involves sitting cross-legged. This is an easy asana and like Padmasana, it can be used during meditation.

3. Siddhasana: This is similar to Padmasana but less difficult. In this. you need to sit with your toes tucked in to your thighs.

4. Vajrasana: Vajra is a Sanskrit term that can be translated as ‘diamond’. This involves sitting on one’s heels by placing palms on the knees.

5. Trikonasana: In this asana, you need to stand on the floor with legs apart and then you need to stretch your body to the left in such a way that spine is straight and your body is facing towards front and your arms are perpendicular to the floor, with left hand resting on the floor and right hand straight up.

6. Bhujangasana: Also referred to as cobra pose, in this the person has to lie face down on the floor, with hands on the floor below the shoulder. Then he/ she has to lift his/ her head and chest slowly.

Q 10) Describe emotion focused coping and problem focused coping.

Ans) Emotion-focused coping is a method of stress management that aims to lessen unpleasant emotional reactions that arise as a result of stressor exposure.

Emotion-focused coping can be beneficial or harmful. Talking or writing about their emotions in therapy or journaling, mindful meditation, or distraction with other activities are all positive examples. Suppression of emotions, avoidance, and the use of drink or drugs to dull or avoid feelings are all examples of negative emotion-focused coping.

Problem-focused coping entails determining the cause of a problem in order to either solve or alter it. This sort of coping is closely related to the proactive coping we mentioned earlier. Furthermore, problem-focused coping entails taking charge of the stressful situation, gathering knowledge about it, and assessing the situation's positive and negative elements.

Q 11) Describe the steps in problem solving.

Ans) The following are the steps in problem solution that are discussed:

1. Step 1 - Identification of problem: At this stage focus should also be on what actually is causing the problem.

2. Step 2 - Brainstorming for ideas and solutions: This is the second step in problem-solving process, where, once the problem is defined, the individual can now try and identify possible solutions for the problem.

3. Step 3 - Selecting a solution: Once the individual has possible solutions, he/she can then select a solution that he/ she feels is appropriate to solve the problem.

4. Step 4 - Implementing the plan: Once the problem as well as the solution is identified, it is time to implement the solution and work accordingly in direction of solving the problem.

5. Step 5 - Reflecting on the effectiveness of the solution: During this the individual needs to reflect on whether the solution selected by him/ her has given positive results or not and whether the problem was resolved.