STRESS, RECUPERATION AND COPING WITH STRE SS

Distress is defined as a subjectively unpleasently tinged stress, as o pposed to eustress whose emotional concomitant is felt positively. Als o inertia, physiological and behavioural changes representing an integ ral part of the stress reaction differ in dependence of whether distre ss or eustress are being concerned. To understand the mechanism of pos sible injury of the organism by chronic stress is referred to Alien's psychosomatic model of stress. It also works as a starting point bf ex plaining different strategies that can be used for coping with stress so that the negative effect of the stress on the organism is minimized . Methods aimed at influencing the stressor, at changing cognitive eva luation, at the sphere of physiological reactivity, as well as at quan titative approaches focused at decreasing the activation level by mean s of relaxation techniques even qualitative approaches whose principle lies in the change of distress into eustress are presented. This posi tive stress has got lesser inertia and fades away comparatively faster than distress that is subjectively accompanied by negative tension; T hus in a very effective way, the recuperation processes can be affecte d, and - by - means of that the course of the stress reaction. In this sense, for example, the relaxation/activation method can be used. Whe n compared to relaxation methods, this approach is more convenient bec ause the resulting effect is much more intensive and outlasting for te ns of hours.