In our class you have identified many different stressors (time management, motivation, emotional overwhelm, isolation, economic stressors, food, lack of community, parenting, chronic health conditions, and on).
In community psychology, our goal is to support people navigating stressors. Sometimes we go up stream to try to remove stressors, and sometimes we design or study interventions to help people cope. Turn your CP eye on yourself.
Choose one stressor that impacts your experience at UWB.
1. Describe the stressor briefly. Check your book for a precise definition of stressors. Use the categories in your text to help explain your stressor.
2. Reflect on how it impacts you (emotional feelings, feelings in your body, thoughts, and/or behaviors) when you encounter it. How do you appraise or make sense of this stressor. You can choose to share this or just reflect on your own.
3. Identify at least one coping strategy you employ (or hope to employ) to address that specific stressor. Use concepts from the text to explain the kind of coping or support you use.
4. Identify at least one coping strategy you employ (or hope to employ) to address your stress response (that doesn’t have to be about dealing with the stressor. Use concepts from the video or podcast. Note: Some may recognize that you aren’t directly addressing your stress response. Awareness is important. This isn’t about judgement. Be gentle as you reflect.
5. Now zoom out and consider the role of UWB as a source of support. Aside from removing the stressor, what could our UWB community do to reduce the negative impact of the stressor (what could support you coping with this?)? Think about our environments, our practices, our norms. Feel free to get creative here. You can suggest changes to course structures, protecting time for a coping strategy, or anything can dream up.
