yparra02Comment on the following text   Health Psychology, is a branch of…Comment on the following text Health Psychology, is a branch of psychology that relies on the main principle that “everything that is physiological is also psychological” ( Intro to Psychology p. 411) This means that your body and mental state are connected. What effects one will in turn affect another. This is a matter of a healthy lifestyle or one filled with illness of the mind and body. One of the components that is linked to either condition is your ability to manage your emotions and the motivations that drive them. Particularly those where stress can occur. Emotions are the mental and physiological feeling that directs our attention and guides our behavior. Similarly  motivation is a driving force that initiates and directs behavior. (Introduction to Psychology, p.410-411) Emotions and motivation involve arousal, opposite of rational behavior, are our experiences of the bodily responses created by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). ( Intro to Psychology p. 410) Changes in our life can affect how we respond mentally and physically to the stressors. College is a change that will surely  test your ability to handle your emotions.One of the biggest threats felt in this environment  is stress. Stress refers to the physiological responses that occur when an organism fails to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats (Selye, 1956) ( Intro to Psychology, p.426) Usually being in college requires more than what life has every prepared you for and managing the obligations of school, personal and a profession life in addition to taking care of family and overall your obligation to your own needs can heighten anyones stress levels. However, there are at least three key ways to combat stress. Tend-and-befriend response is a very common and effective way to handle stress. If you anything like me, the amount of pressure felt brought on by embarking on college, you either want to quit or cry.  Tend-and-befriend response is a healthy way to react to stress. As it “involves activities designed to create social networks that provide protection from threats.” (Introduction to Psychology, p.432) This allows you to create social connections where you can talk to other about your feelings.  These sound very cliche’ but optimism, positive thinking can effect your mood. The idea of expecting positive outcomes can really be helpful when managing stress. Personally, I speak positively about my academic goals and achievements. I assure myself that the outcome will be worth the effort. Reference:Social SciencePsychology