Effects of Stress on Health
In psychology, stress is a feeling of strain and pressure. Stress produces numerous symptoms, which vary according to person, situation, and severity. Problems resulting from stress include decline in physical health or mental health, a sense of being overwhelmed, feelings of anxiety, overall irritability, insecurity, nervousness, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, depression, panic attacks, exhaustion, high or low blood pressure, skin eruptions or rashes, insomnia, lack of sexual desire (sexual dysfunction), migraine, gastrointestinal difficulties (constipation or diarrhea), heart problems, and menstrual symptoms. Research indicates that stress may also play a role in the development of tumors.
Research has found that maintaining good health has a positive influence on reducing and coping with stress. Behaviors such as exercise, meditation, deep breathing, good eating habits, and getting enough sleep can help individuals better handle stress. Unfortunately, stress can have a negative impact on the motivation to maintain these healthy behaviors.
Stress and Motivation
A person's motivation to do or accomplish anything changes over time. Motivation tends to wane as initial excitement dissipates. Discouragement and setbacks can chip away at otherwise high levels of motivation, leaving a person feeling defenseless against life's stressors. This stress can be either external (coming from the environment) or internal (coming from personal anxiety). Small amounts of stress may be desirable, beneficial, and even healthy. Positive stress plays a role in motivation, adaptation, and reaction to the environment. Excessive amounts of stress, however, may hinder performance and decrease motivation.
Theories of Motivation
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow attempted to formulate a needs-based framework of human motivation, which he termed the hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, people are motivated by unsatisfied needs. The lower-level needs such as physiological and safety needs have to be satisfied before higher-level needs can be addressed. When an individual becomes overstressed, energy that would otherwise be used for motivational management is shifted to managing stress. The individual no longer feels able to deal with basic physiological needs, because the focus of the stress takes an immediate precedence and the motivational energy is focused on the stressor.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
According to Maslow, one must satisfy lower-level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher-level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level, called self-actualization.
Protection Motivation Theory
The protection-motivation theory (PMT), proposed by Dr. R. W. Rogers, suggests that we protect ourselves based on four factors: (1) the perceived severity of a threatening event, (2) the perceived probability of the occurrence or vulnerability, (3) the efficacy of the recommended preventive behavior, and (4) the perceived self-efficacy. Rogers's theory was based on the work of Richard Lazarus, who looked at how individuals cope with stress. According to PMT, individuals assess a situation or a stressor, and then determine their ability to deal with that situation. Threat evaluation focuses on the actual threat or the stressor, rather than on the impact of that stressor. This demonstrates how the motivational energy is diverted away from management and onto the actual stressor that is threatening the individual. When dealing with a stressor, an individual determines if carrying out recommended actions will remove the threat. Self-efficacy, the final factor in PMT, is the belief in one's ability to carry out the recommended course of action successfully. PMT is one model that explains why people engage in unhealthy practices, and it offers suggestions for changing those behaviors. If an individual feels unable to engage in or maintain healthy behaviors, then the individual is not likely to be motivated to pursue those behaviors.
Managing Stress and Maintaining Motivation
In addition to the benefits of maintaining good health, there are other strategies that help in maintaining motivation and handling stress. Most of these strategies are simple ones that promote personal responsibility and a positive life outlook. Perhaps the most effective strategy, though one that is often difficult to put into practice, is shifting from a pessimistic to an optimistic point of view.
Positive Thinking
Research has found that maintaining a positive outlook on life is one of the most effective ways to manage stress. If a person is living with hope and staying personally accountable, he/she will be able to maintain higher levels of motivation through tough times. Positive thinking and hope help a person maintain high levels of motivation, even when stressful events occur. Elevated excitement and anticipation can also lower the perception of stressors through increases in mental strength and resilience. By focusing on the good and working toward positive goals, a person can become more impervious to life's little problems.
Setting Incremental and Achievable Goals
Finding small ways to reignite the initial excitement of a plan or project, such as reading about or researching a goal, is also effective. Setting small goals and rewarding progress along the way can keep this spirit alive as well. Maintaining motivation through setting small goals and rewarding these accomplishments is an effective way to maintain a positive outlook and good health. The small goals may be related to engaging in healthy behaviors or positive outlook. Positive self-talk, smiling, or a daily ten-minute exercise routine are all things that can help reduce stress.
Maintaining Social Support Systems
Finally, having a good social support system is important in maintaining motivation and managing stress. Surrounding oneself with family and friends can provide encouragement and support through stressful times. A social support system provides encouragement and self-efficacy, helps maintain a positive outlook, and allows an individual to talk about and find ways to deal with the stressor.