How You Can Manage Psychosocial Stress

How You Can Manage Psychosocial Stress Stress Management Print How You Can Manage Psychosocial Stress By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD on November 12, 2019 facebook twitter linkedin Carly Snyder, MD is a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist who combines traditional psychiatry with integrative medicine-based treatments.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Carly Snyder, MD on November 12, 2019 istockphoto   More in Stress Management Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Job Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress Psychosocial stress affects most of us from time to time and can take a significant toll. It is the result of a cognitive appraisal (your mental interpretation) of what is at stake and what can be done about it. More simply put, psychosocial stress results when we look at a perceived social threat in our lives (real or even imagined) and discern that it may require resources we dont have. What Is Psychosocial Stress? Examples of psychosocial stress can include anything that translates to a perceived threat to our social status, social esteem, respect, and/or acceptance within a group; threat to our self-worth; or a threat that we feel we have no control over. All of these threats can lead to a stress response in the body.  These can be some of the most taxing stressors to deal with, as they can make us feel unsupported and alienated.  This can make it more difficult to cope. When psychosocial stress triggers a stress response, the body releases a group of stress hormones including cortisol, epinephrine (or adrenalin) and dopamine, which leads to a burst of energy as well as other changes in the body (see this article on the fight-or-flight response for more.) The changes brought about by stress hormones can be helpful in the short term, but can be damaging in the long run. For example, cortisol can improve the body’s functioning by increasing available energy (so that fighting or fleeing is more possible) but can lead to suppression of the immune system as well as a host of other effects. Decoding Your Fight or Flight Stress Response Epinephrine can also mobilize energy, but create negative psychological and physical outcomes with prolonged exposure. Thats why its important to manage psychosocial stress in our lives so that the stress response is only triggered when necessary. Its also important to learn stress relief techniques to effectively reverse the stress response so we dont experience prolonged states of stress  or chronic stress. There are several ways to manage psychosocial stress, because it involves factors on the outside (what were dealing with) and the inside (our thoughts about it), and can affect multiple areas of our lives.  Here are some strategies that can help. Develop Your Conflict Resolution Skills Conflict is an almost inevitable part of a relationship.  People are going to have disagreements and are going to want different things.  The way we manage conflict can create significant psychosocial stress but if you can work on your conflict resolution skills, that can help at least half of the equation: you can change what you bring to the situation, you can diffuse some of the negativity, and you can model healthier behavior.  This can greatly minimize the stress felt by all involved. Effective Conflict Resolution Skills Focus on Supportive Friends and Avoid Drama If you think about it, you know who you can trust to support you and who you cant.  Simply spending more time with those who make your life easier and minimizing time spent with those who make you feel stressed can cut down on a lot of the psychosocial stress you experience.  It wont cut out all of the drama you experience, but it can stop a lot of it. Try a Shift in Perspective Sometimes we feel angered or threatened by things that dont affect us that much, and the stress we feel as a result isnt necessary.  Changing how you look at something, or just shifting what you focus on can make a difference in your stress levels--it can make something that seems like a big deal feel less so.  When put in a different perspective, everything can feel less stressful. Shift Your Perspective and Change Your Life Find Stress Management Strategies That Work for You Finding ways to manage your overall stress level can help you to be less reactive to psychosocial stress, or any specific stressor.  The key is to find something that works well for you and something that fits well in your life and with your personality.