Tag Archives: health

Societies and Lifestyles

Stress Hardiness

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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.

health and well-being, Societies and Lifestyles

Holmes-Rahe Inventory : Reflection on my score

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After totalling up the major events that I have experienced in my life. Overall, I scored 159 which equates to the implication that there is a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next two years.

At first glance I was quite shocked and felt my heart sink as the thought of having a 50% chance of a major breakdown before I turned twenty was quite distressing. However, when I look at my score there were only a few factors –according to the scale- that contributed to it. On one hand, noticed that I am only 9 points over the score of 150 which would’ve landed me in the category of low amount of life change. And on the other, feel like the scale does not take into account the severity of some of these impacts and does not have any mention of exams or university work.

I feel most of my stress relates to maintaining a work/life balance with the demands of university and the desire to have a social life too. Within the last year, I have begun university which has proved intense and comes with a lot of pressure but I feel I am coping well with the workload at this point and I am continuing to ensure I have social time.

As we head towards exam time, I will have to begin studying more frequently. However, I also plan on taking leisure breaks to alleviate any unnecessary stress. In the past I have dissolved into tears of frustration because of exam stress but I feel that this task has helped me identify the areas I find stressful and given me strategies to avoid this.

 

Societies and Lifestyles

Are Scottish People “unhealthy”?

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Are Scottish people unhealthy? It is a fair question. In a country famed for snacks like shortbread, tablet and deep fried mars bars (disgusting, I know) and drinks like Irn Bru it would be understandable to assume that Scottish people are unhealthy. Studies show 97.5 per cent of Scots are likely to be either cigarette smokers, heavy drinkers, fat, have a bad diet, and never do any exercise. This has gained us the unlucky title of the “Sick Man” of Europe. Our own culture has given us this title.

Perhaps the blame cannot be placed on our culture. The government recognised that Scottish Primary Schools should have two hours per week and two periods per week form S1-S4. But is this enough and does pupils continue to exercise after S4? Perhaps if Gym memberships and diet plans were cheaper more people would indulge in these advantages. Perhaps it has become too convenient for us to rush to fast food restaurants or order take away meals. There are many factors that could have led to Scotland becoming known as the “Sick Man” of Europe. Relating to my previous blog post, the Glasgow effect might come into play here. The Glasgow Effect states that people from deprived areas of Glasgow and surrounding areas suffer from poor health and early death.

However, is it fair to generalize and say Scottish people are unhealthy? Personally, I don’t think so. It is impossible to say all Scottish people are unhealthy. In my small hometown alone there are at least four Gyms and weekly weight watchers meetings as well as numerous woodland walks and access to a running track. Even gaming consoles, namely the Nintendo Wii, has exercising games such as Wii Sport and Wii fit. So, is there any reason for Scots lacking in exercise? Maybe not.

Therefore, I don’t think that one can say for definite that Scottish people are unhealthy as it is just another generalisation like all Scots wear kilts and chase haggis. For me, it is impossible to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer but I do believe as a nation we can become more healthy if we cut down on cigarette smoking, binge drinking and eating fatty/unhealthy foods and exercise more often.