People react to and cope with stress in their lives in a variety of ways. Consider your midterm and final exams as examples. How stressful are these experiences for you? What are the physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions you usually encounter before and during your exams? In other words, what changes do you notice in your body, emotions, behavior, and thoughts? Psychologists recommend several strategies to cope with stress, including emotional, behavioral, cognitive, emotion-focused, and problem-focused methods. Which strategies do you currently use during exam time? Which methods would you consider incorporating in the future?
In a multi-paragraph essay, first describe your physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to the stressor of taking exams, and then discuss two strategies (emotional, behavioral, or cognitive) that you might use to cope more effectively. Be sure to include details from class materials, readings, and research to support your discussion.