There are actually repief reasons. See Healthy Stress relief through social support Tips. J Streds Res. Coping styles felief in their study included all 14 subscales of the Brief COPE 59 ; including those related to avoidant coping i. Dig Deeper: Coping with Prejudice and Discrimination Being the recipient of prejudice and discrimination is associated with a number of negative outcomes. Eat healthy.

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Managing Stress: From Social Support to Hypnosis

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In the context of acceptance and commitment therapy, being open to accepting feelings, being aware of those feelings, and persisting to change behaviour based on values and goals despite negative feelings, are said to improve psychological flexibility 25 High levels of psychological flexibility are associated with better coping, acceptance, adjustment, and improved wellbeing 2327 During stressful life events, psychological flexibility can protect individuals from negative feelings, allow the person to adjust to negative situations, improve mental health 29and reduce the impact of undesirable psychological outcomes 30 Kroska and colleagues 24 investigated how psychological flexibility contributes to reducing psychological distress during COVID Results of hierarchical regressions showed that high levels of psychological flexibility were protective against psychological distress.

However, despite high levels of psychological flexibility amongst their sample, the impact of COVID related concerns remained a significant predictor of psychological distress.

These results indicate that while psychological flexibility can help reduce psychological distress, it is not enough on its own to completely remove the negative psychological impacts caused by COVID Another relevant point is the possible mediating role of psychological flexibility between COVID related stress and psychological problems In addition to a direct relationship between psychological inflexibility and the development of depression, anxiety, and distress 24323334psychological flexibility also mediates and moderates the negative psychological impacts of COVID related stressors 3435 Specifically, psychological flexibility is protective when an individual can accept their feelings, accept the negative consequences of COVID, and persist in changing their behaviour based on values and goals despite the current circumstances 25 Conversely, when individuals are rigid and unwilling to adapt to social changes, they are likely to be more psychologically inflexible and at risk for high levels of psychological distress and poor mental health and wellbeing.

When an individual is psychologically flexible, the negative impacts of COVID on psychological distress can be mitigated or reduced.

Coping refers to our ability to deal with stressors In the context of this research, we refer to two broad coping mechanisms that are typically implemented by individuals—avoidant coping and approach coping.

Avoidant coping refers to coping behaviours that are maladaptive and include self-distraction, denial, substance use, behavioural disengagement, venting, and self-blaming Avoidant coping styles usually result in an increase in psychological distress and a reduction in psychological well-being and quality of life Approach coping is characterised by adaptive behaviours such as emotional support, instrumental support, positive reframing, planning, and acceptance Avoidant coping strategies often include actions that allow an individual to ignore, get away from, or use distraction to avoid unpleasant thoughts caused by a stressor in their environment.

Avoidant coping is a maladaptive coping strategy that is associated with lower levels of psychological flexibility 39 and has been linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and distress 4041 Leonidou and colleagues 39 investigated the moderating role of psychological flexibility and avoidant coping on the quality of life of individuals with psychosomatic symptoms.

Their results confirmed that there is a negative relationship between psychological flexibility and avoidant coping. Further, avoidant coping strategies were associated with higher levels of anxiety and lower quality of life.

Their study concluded that identifying avenues to reduce the use of avoidant coping strategies could alleviate anxiety-related symptoms. Conversely, some studies have found that avoidant coping strategies can also be useful to cope with stressors For example, emotion-focused coping strategies might include relaxation, forms of escapism, substance use, or ignoring the stressor 4445 These strategies are typically good for short-term relief and can sometimes minimize the emotional reactivity to a stressor and provide an individual relief to think about how to effectively deal with a stressor However, avoidant coping strategies are typically not useful for long-term coping as they do not effectively target the cause of the stress and can lead to maladaptive coping strategies e.

Approach coping strategies include behaviours that allow an individual to focus on finding a solution to environmental stressors. These can include cognitive focussed strategies that involve active coping i.

There is some evidence within the literature that positive coping is associated with higher psychological flexibility, and lower levels of negative psychological outcomes e. Indeed, during the COVID pandemic, approach coping strategies have been associated with lower levels of psychological distress 5455 However, as pointed out in a recent study 58there is a lack of research into the association between psychological flexibility and inflexibility and coping styles.

Rueda and Valls 58 investigated the mediating role of coping strategies between psychological inflexibility and the quality of life of patients with psychological disorders.

Coping styles measured in their study included all 14 subscales of the Brief COPE 59 ; including those related to avoidant coping i. The results showed that participants who engaged in avoidant coping strategies such as denial, venting, behavioural disengagement, and self-blame were also more psychologically inflexible.

Self-distraction was the only avoidant coping strategy not associated with psychological inflexibility. In terms of approach coping strategies, only positive reframing and acceptance were associated with lower psychological inflexibility.

Further, their mediation analyses found that psychological inflexibility indirectly increased anxiety and depression through denial coping strategies i. These results indicate that psychological inflexibility indirectly impacts psychological well-being depending on the type of coping strategy utilised by an individual.

Their results showed that when an individual is psychologically inflexible, they are more likely to use avoidant coping strategies which exacerbate their anxiety, depression, and distress. Dawson and Golijani-Moghaddam 33 investigated how avoidant and approach coping styles mediated the relationship between psychological inflexibility and psychological wellbeing, anxiety, depression, and distress during the COVID pandemic.

Their results identified that psychological inflexibility indirectly increased psychological distress and decreased psychological wellbeing when an individual employed an avoidant coping style. In their analysis, they also found a direct relationship between psychological inflexibility and distress.

These results suggest that psychological inflexibility can result in more avoidant coping styles which further exacerbates psychological distress. Dawson and Golijani-Moghaddam 33 argue that psychological flexibility might not be a coping mechanism but might determine the type of coping mechanism an individual will employ during stressful events.

For example, individuals with high levels of psychological flexibility will employ more approach coping strategies and reduce avoidant coping strategies. On the other hand, individuals with low levels of psychological flexibility are likely to utilise more avoidant coping strategies and fewer approach coping strategies.

In the context of COVID, understanding the association between psychological flexibility and coping mechanisms can better identify ways to protect against COVID related distress. Despite social restrictions, evidence has shown that individuals have continued to maintain and seek social support from friends and family by utilising online services and social media, during the COVID pandemic.

We argue that social support can increase our perception of how well we can cope with the current pandemic, increase psychological flexibility, and improve mental health. The idea that social support is directly associated with psychological flexibility has been understudied—with only one other study using an Omanian sample identifying a positive association between psychological flexibility and social support Psychological flexibility seems to mediate the relationship between COVID stressors and our overall levels of psychological distress.

There are important clinical and therapeutic implications for acknowledging the impact of psychological flexibility during a global pandemic. As the COVID situation is out of the control of the individual, social support and psychological flexibility could be important protective factors that can lead to an increase in adaptive coping mechanisms i.

As social support and psychological flexibility are known to protect against psychological distress caused by negative events; it is plausible that receiving social support from friends and family will contribute to an increase in psychological flexibility, an increase in approach coping mechanisms, a reduction in avoidant coping mechanisms, and a reduction in psychological distress.

This study aims to test a model Fig. It is hypothesised that there will be a direct positive association between COVID concerns and social support. That is, during stressful events, individuals are likely to seek more social support. There will be a direct positive association between perceived social support and increased levels of psychological flexibility.

For psychological flexibility, we hypothesise that high levels of psychological flexibility will be associated with an increase in approach coping strategies and a reduction in avoidant coping strategies.

Finally, we hypothesise that psychological flexibility and approach coping will be negatively associated with psychological distress i. In terms of indirect effects, we hypothesise that COVID concerns will indirectly impact psychological flexibility through social support, psychological flexibility, and coping styles.

: Stress relief through social support

Stress Reduction Techniques	One theory of self-control considers the necessary internal resources in terms of a strength model. Their findings suggest that lower psychological flexibility can result in a higher prevalence of avoidant coping styles which in turn elevate psychological distress. Imagine that someone invites you to a party on Saturday night, but you already have a busy weekend planned. Table 1 shows that stress is negatively correlated with social support and both stress and social support are correlated with depression. However, the reduction of avoidant coping strategies is more important for reducing psychological distress than employing more approach coping strategies. Offer your time.
Connect with Others to Reduce Stress	Find an inspiring song or quote and write it down or screenshot it so you have it nearby. Connect with Others to Reduce Stress Having meaningful relationships can create a sense of belonging. Here are some ways to reduce stress by connecting with others: Reach out to your community, family members, or friends. Make time for cultural, spiritual, or religious activities. Volunteer with organizations that interest you. Giving back to others can help you too. Get outside with others, connect with nature, and explore green spaces. Take Care of Your Body Staying physically healthy can improve you emotional well-being. Here are some suggestions to better improve your health: Get vaccinated for the flu each year. Stay up to date on your COVID vaccines and boosters. Find a COVID vaccine location near you on Vaccines. gov Keep up with regular health appointments. Eat healthy. Have fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low- or no-fat dairy. Limit foods with unhealthy fats, salt, and added sugars. See Healthy Eating Tips. Get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to help you sleep better. Adults need 7 or more hours per night. Move more and sit less. Every little bit of physical activity helps. You can break it into smaller amounts of time, such as 20 to 30 minutes a day. Choose not to drink, or drink in moderation on days you drink alcohol. In addition, social support has been shown to reduce blood pressure for people performing stressful tasks, such as giving a speech or performing mental arithmetic Lepore, In these kinds of studies, participants are usually asked to perform a stressful task either alone, with a stranger present who may be either supportive or unsupportive , or with a friend present. Although these findings are somewhat difficult to interpret, the authors mention that it is possible that females feel less supported and more evaluated by other females, particularly females whose opinions they value. Taken together, the findings above suggest one of the reasons social support is connected to favorable health outcomes is because it has several beneficial physiological effects in stressful situations. However, it is also important to consider the possibility that social support may lead to better health behaviors, such as a healthy diet, exercising, smoking cessation, and cooperation with medical regimens Uchino, Being the recipient of prejudice and discrimination is associated with a number of negative outcomes. Discrimination negatively impacts both physical and mental health for individuals in stigmatized groups. For example, the amplified levels of discrimination faced by Latinx transgender women may have related effects, leading to high stress levels and poor mental and physical health outcomes. Perceived control and the general adaptation syndrome help explain the process by which discrimination affects mental and physical health. Discrimination can be conceptualized as an uncontrollable, persistent, and unpredictable stressor. When a discriminatory event occurs, the target of the event initially experiences an acute stress response alarm stage. This acute reaction alone does not typically have a great impact on health. However, discrimination tends to be a chronic stressor. As people in marginalized groups experience repeated discrimination, they develop a heightened reactivity as their bodies prepare to act quickly resistance stage. This long-term accumulation of stress responses can eventually lead to increases in negative emotion and wear on physical health exhaustion stage. Protecting stigmatized groups from the negative impact of discrimination-induced stress may involve reducing the incidence of discriminatory behaviors in conjunction with protective strategies that reduce the impact of discriminatory events when they occur. Civil rights legislation has protected some stigmatized groups by making discrimination a prosecutable offense in many social contexts. However, some groups e. Moreover, most modern discrimination comes in subtle forms that fall below the radar of the law. For example, discrimination may be experienced as selective inhospitality that the target perceives as race-based discrimination, but little is done in response since it would be easy to attribute the behavior to other causes. Although some cultural changes are increasingly helping people to recognize and control subtle discrimination, such shifts may take a long time. Similar to other stressors, buffers like social support and healthy coping strategies appear to be effective in lowering the impact of perceived discrimination. Although these findings are somewhat difficult to interpret, the authors mention that it is possible that females feel less supported and more evaluated by other females, particularly females whose opinions they value. Taken together, the findings above suggest one of the reasons social support is connected to favorable health outcomes is because it has several beneficial physiological effects in stressful situations. However, it is also important to consider the possibility that social support may lead to better health behaviors, such as a healthy diet, exercising, smoking cessation, and cooperation with medical regimens Uchino, While having social support is quite beneficial, being the recipient of prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors is associated with a number of negative outcomes. In their literature review, Brondolo, Brady, Pencille, Beatty, and Contrada describe how racial prejudice and discrimination serve as unique, significant stressors for those who are the targets of such attitudes and behavior. Being the target of racism is associated with increased rates of depression, lowered self-esteem, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Given the complex and pervasive nature of racism as a stressor, Brondolo et al. Their review is aimed at determining which coping strategies are most effective at offsetting negative health outcomes associated with racism-related stress. Focusing on racial identity refers to the process by which a person comes to feel as if he belongs to a given racial group; this may increase a sense of pride associated with group membership. Brondolo et al. Furthermore, the sense of belonging to his group might alleviate the distress of being ostracized by others. However, the research literature on the effectiveness of this technique has produced mixed results. Put simply, a target of racist attitudes and behaviors can act upon her anger or suppress her anger. As discussed by Brondolo et al. In the end, racism-related stress is a complex issue and each of the coping strategies discussed here has strengths and weaknesses. One reason exercise may be beneficial is because it might buffer some of the deleterious physiological mechanisms of stress. One study found rats that exercised for six weeks showed a decrease in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responsiveness to mild stressors Campeau et al. In high-stress humans, exercise has been shown to prevent telomere shortening, which may explain the common observation of a youthful appearance among those who exercise regularly Puterman et al. Clearly, exercise is a highly effective tool for regulating stress.
How Social Support Contributes to Mental Health	If real life social support is lacking, access to distant friends via social media may help compensate. Hefner, J. To better manage stress, try to prioritize in-person connections over calls, texts, or messaging. Integrating these fields could lead to a broader understanding of each field individually and a better understanding of how social support may impact self-control. Umberson, D. Specifically, psychological flexibility is protective when an individual can accept their feelings, accept the negative consequences of COVID, and persist in changing their behaviour based on values and goals despite the current circumstances 25 ,
Implications of Social Support as a Self-Control Resource	Cobb, Fhrough. Loneliness in Stress relief through social support. Further, sulport coping strategies were associated Syress higher Liver detoxification natural of Ribose and ATP production and lower quality of life. Health Psychol. Although these findings are somewhat difficult to interpret, the authors mention that it is possible that females feel less supported and more evaluated by other females, particularly females whose opinions they value. Stress also negatively affects goal-oriented behaviors Hooker et al. General Psychology Copyright © by OpenStax and Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.
Social Support and Stress Reduction | Introduction to Psychology	Explicit social support means actively seeking advice, assistance, and emotional support from others 16 ; and is associated with a reduction in negative psychological consequences linked to stressful events 6 , 13 , 14 , Openness to experience refers to the willingness to accept pleasant and unpleasant feelings associated with the current circumstances. Information for Specific Groups. The results show that social support facilitates higher levels of psychological flexibility. Keep things low pressure. However, despite high levels of psychological flexibility amongst their sample, the impact of COVID related concerns remained a significant predictor of psychological distress. But start to think of them as potential friends.

Elizabeth Scott, Ribose and ATP production is an author, workshop leader, soclal, and award-winning blogger througn stress management, socila psychology, relationships, and emotional Micronutrient supplementation benefits. Statistics suggest Ribose and ATP production too many of us are under too much stress. When stress makes us want to shut down, having people to turn to might be the key. Social support is critical for mental well-being. We are social creatures, and having people to care for, support us, and share our lives is a source of joy and connection.