Psychology Paper Needed

B. Identify at Least 5 of Your Personal Stressors and 5 Daily Hassles

C.Using the information gathered last week in the 8 Stress Scales completed, write a 3-5 page self-reflection paper that includes the following sections:

1. Discuss your scores on each of the above scales and write a couple of brief statements about what that score means for you. Were you surprised by the score(s)? Did the results of the scales resonate with your perception of your stress level?

A.

2. Incorporating information from your text and other academic sources, provide a summary of your stressors and life hassles.

A.

3. Incorporating information from your text and other academic sources, provide a summary of what you might do to reduce your stress.

A.

4. Discuss the issue of personal stress as it relates to psychological well-being. Relate your own results and thoughts about your experience with these scales to the information provided in the text and other academic sources.

Section 1: My Scores in the Stress Scales

To gain insight into my current state of stress, I completed eight different scales. First, there was the ‘Stressed Out’ scale. It helped me assess my general stress levels. I got a score of 28. Considering that the average score for men is 12.1, the score I got means that I am relatively stressed. Second, there was the ‘Susceptibility to Stress’ scale. It helped me find out how susceptible I am to stress and the factors, which contribute to it. I got a score of 12. This score means that I am not susceptible to stress in the context of things like lifestyle and health behaviors. Third, there was the ‘Response to Stress’ scale. I got a score of 61. This score means even though I have a high likelihood of psychophysiological illness, there are no immediate threats to my physical health due to how I respond to stress.

Fourth, there was the ‘Type A or Type B’ scale. It helped me find out my personality type. The results showed that my personality is ‘Type A.’ This result means that I am prone to stress. This is because people with this personality have characteristics that make them vulnerable to stress, for instance, they are impatient, ambitious, competitive, and highly organized, among others. Fifth, there was the ‘Coping with Stress’ scale. It helped me identify the types of strategy, which I use to cope with stress. It assesses strategies based on whether they are problem-focused (active-behavioral), avoidance-focused, or emotion-focused (active-cognitive). For the active-cognitive category, I got an average score of 2.27. For the active-behavioral category, I got an average score of 2.53. For the avoidance category, I got an average score of 2.13. These results mean that when coping with stress, I am more likely to focus on problem-solving strategies.

Sixth, there was the ‘Multidimensional Health Locus of Control’ scale. It was divided into three classes. The first class measured my internal health locus of control. I got a score of 25. The second class measured ‘powerful others’ health locus of control. I got a score of 17. The final class measured the chance of health locus of control. I got a score of 8. These results mean that I have a feeling of having personal control over my health. Seventh, there was the ‘Locus of Control’ scale. It helped me gauge my sense of control in personal achievement situations. I got a score of 60. This score means I have a great sense of an internal locus of control. Finally, there was the ‘Life Orientation Test’ scale. It helped me assess my optimism levels and expectations with regard to the favorability of future outcomes. I got a score of 16. This score means that I have average optimism regarding my circumstances. Overall, I was not surprised by these scores because they reflect my current levels of stress based on what I am currently going through in life. Thus, the results of the scales resonated with my perception of my stress level, which is generally high.

Section 2: Summary of My Stressors and Life Hassles

According to Serido, Almeida, and Wethington (2014), before one can experience stress, he/she must first encounter a stressor. A stressor can either be acute or chronic. Regardless of the type of stressor, if left unchecked, it may result in a person having a lot of stress beyond his/her control. Stress adversely affects a person’s wellbeing with regards to his/her relationships, energy levels, mood, work performance, and health. Therefore, it is vital for a person to know his/her stressors because such knowledge will enable him/her to know about any impending stress, and how to effectively cope or reduce it.

In this context, my stressors include my music career, college, maintaining weight standards, religion, and fatherhood. I can categorize them as chronic stressors because they all persist over an extended period. My life hassles include financial, future security, inner concern, mental health, and acceptance. I can also categorize them as chronic stressors because they all persist over an extended period. All the major worries in life that I have are either directly or indirectly related to these stressors and life hassles. Identifying them is the first step in ensuring that I can effectively handle stress and ensure that inevitable stress does not adversely affect my physical and psychological wellbeing (Serido, Almeida, & Wethington, 2014).

Balancing between my music career and college is quite stressful because each of them requires a huge proportion of my time. My fatherhood duties further exacerbate this situation because I have to spend quality time with my child and cater to her needs adequately. As I worry about all these, I also have to think about my short-term and long-term financial plans to ensure that I am stable enough to handle all my responsibilities. The stress that comes with thinking about these issues adversely affects my mental wellbeing. Therefore, I believe this exercise is vital in gaining more insight into my status in order to come up with effective coping mechanisms.

Section 3: Summary of Actions I Can Take to Reduce My Stress

There are several actions, which I can take to reduce my stress. First, I can start exercising regularly. According to Dishman and O’Connor (2009), exercise allows the body of an individual to release feel-good hormones such as endorphins that help one relax whenever he/she is stressed. Second, I can organize my daily routines better. Often, I feel overwhelmed by the numerous tasks, which I have to do and the deadlines that I have to meet. This normally occurs due to poor management of my time. Therefore, I will try and organize my schedules so that I utilize my time more effectively to avoid stress. Third, I can take up breathing exercises. This is vital for short-term stressors. (Dishman and O’Connor (2009) assert that stress adversely affects the way one breathes, which in turn impacts his/her body and mind. Thus, breathing exercises can alleviate my short-term stress. Fourth, I can ensure that each week, I take time off from all my responsibilities to unwind. I can engage in my hobbies during these periods to ensure that my mind gets time to relax. Finally, I can learn how to meditate. Goyal et al. (2014) assert that meditation is an evidence-based intervention that helps in the management of stress and promotion of mental wellbeing.

Section 4: Personal Stress in Relation to Psychological Well-Being

The results I got from the eight stress scales gave me insight into my personal stress on a daily basis. For starters, I can now confirm that I am relatively stressed due to my work-life responsibilities. The results showed that my personality is ‘Type A,’ which is characteristic of stressed people like me. Additionally, I have average optimism regarding my circumstances. Thus, the significant level of pessimism that I may have may also adversely impact my stress levels. According to Iwanaga, Yokoyam, and Seiwa (2000), high responsibility, as opposed to job demands, is a reason behind the increased stress responses in people’s lives. This is applicable to my case because I have a lot of responsibilities to meet. I have to juggle between my music career, college, and fatherhood. It becomes very stressful to balance all these responsibilities, and my psychological well-being is affected as a result.

Nevertheless, I am not susceptible to stress in the context of things like lifestyle and health behaviors. More so, even though I have a high likelihood of psychophysiological illness, there are no immediate threats to my physical health due to how I respond to stress. The results showed me that I have a feeling of having personal control over my health. I have a great sense of an internal locus of control. When coping with stress, I am more likely to focus on problem-solving strategies. Due to my ability to tackle my problems head on, I believe this is why my stress has not overwhelmed me so far.

References

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368.

Dishman, R. K., & O’Connor, P. J. (2009). Lessons in exercise neurobiology: the case of endorphins. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2(1), 4-9.

Iwanaga, M., Yokoyama, H., & Seiwa, H. (2000). Effects of personal responsibility and latitude for type A and B individuals on psychological and physiological stress responses. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 7(3), 204-215.

Serido, J., Almeida, D. M., & Wethington, E. (2014). Chronic stressors and daily hassles: Unique and interactive relationships with psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45(1), 17-33.