So how do we cope with stress?
We all cope, it is the nature of life lets look at the coping process, which can be applied to any situation in life, not just at work. There are 3 stages to this:
- Primary appraisal
- Secondary appraisal
- Coping
Primary Appraisal.
This is when you are initially confronted by a stressor, or a stressful situation. At this stage you need to decide how you will deal with this from past experiences that you may have had, or as you feel it should be dealt with. If the situation is not seen as threatening then the coping process ceases, the body starts to return to normal. This is a process by where the brain deciphers information and decides in a matter of milliseconds whether or not it is a threat. Unfortunately sometimes there is a quicker route whereby the brain creates the physical response before it actually realizes that it is a threat. A good example is a horror film, you jump because the brain has reacted to quickly, but soon tells you that it is a film and therefore does not need to continue on its path toward fight or flight. If however the brain perceives the threat as real, the next stage of the process begins.
