There are many factors that can contribute to poor health. Upon reading the Pengilly & Dowd (2000) article on Stress Hardiness I discovered the main 5 factors that can negatively impact a person’s health: Normative and non-normative transitions, lack of social support, loneliness and lack of human contact.

Firstly, normative life transitions which are major life events that are predictable such as moving house, moving in with a partner and retirement. These changes, since they were planned or expected, cause some stress but does not cause long term damage as opposed to non-normative transitions. These are life events which are unpredictable for example unemployment or divorce. These events can have a massive impact on a person’s life and can cause increase stress levels which can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease. Another factor that can negatively affect someone’s health is a lack of social support. Having a person when they need someone to talk to can be extremely beneficial and lower stress levels. This can be a family member, friend, colleague, support/religious group or a professional. If someone does not have that support, then they will not receive encouragement and will increase the pressure they put on themselves. This can cause low self-confidence and depression which can lead to a low life expectancy. This links to the next factor: loneliness. Following the lecture, we determined that being alone and being lonely can mean two different things. Being alone does not mean one is lonely, it means one is by one’s self. However lonely means a person a person feels alone even though they could be surrounded by people. This can have a negative effect on a person and lead to risky behaviours such as alcohol and drug abuse and can lead to metal illnesses such as depression. The final factor I am going to discuss is lack of human contact which is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. This can vary from a hug or a simple pat on the back and can reduced blood pressure and stress levels. If someone is lacking in human touch, then they cannot receive the advantages.

However, in the lecture we discussed methods to cope with the stress including exercising, getting enough sleep, balancing your time well and developing close relationships with positive people. These can all be carried out daily and can contribute to a healthier, less stressful lifestyle.