14 DAY TRIAL // Back in the 1970s, the general conception was that stress was a killer, and that people needed to avoid it at all costs. But an expert managed to change that idea, showing the it can be beneficial to us, if only we treat it as a challenge.
Salvatore R. Maddi, a professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California in Irvine (UCI), showed that stress can boost creativity in people who are used to working under pressure, and who do not shy away from fighting hard to overcome problems.
The scientist has been involved with studying all consequences of stress in humans for the better part of the last 30 years. His interest in the issue was aroused when a former student showed him a book arguing that people should avoid stress no matter what.
“It just didn't make sense. So I decided to study how people respond to stress,” the expert says. In investigations he conducted over the years, the scientist was able to identify features that make certain people more resilient to stress than others.
This allowed him to develop a series of specialized training methods that encourage hardiness under pressure, which he then went on to teach to firefighters, police officers, corporate executives, and a host of other people who wanted to become more resilient to its effects.
“In an era in which a Jet Blue employee captured widespread media attention by getting angry with a passenger, grabbing some beer, popping an evacuation slide and walking away from his job, we are reminded of the importance of understanding the complex relationship between personality and stress management,” adds UCI social ecology dean Valerie Jenness.
The current economic climate offers stress researchers the perfect opportunity to study this aspect of life in people of all ages and ranks, from college freshmen to seniors who have long since retired.
According to Maddi, one of the main things that people need to realize about stress is that it is unavoidable. There is literally no way for someone to live without experiencing the smallest amount of stressful feelings.
“From the time you're pushed out of your mother's womb, you're dealing with change, and that's the definition of stress,” the expert explains. So why not try to work with that, rather than against it, he asks.
“College students experience a lot of change – they're away from home for the first time and facing all these new social and academic pressures,” Maddi explains.
“You need to accept that life is stressful and do the hard work to turn stress into an advantage, rather than bemoan the absence of easy comfort and security,” he adds.
The UCI professor also gives some advice to those who experience a lot of stress on a daily basis. “No matter how bad things get, if you're committed, you stay involved and give your best effort rather than pull back,” he argues.
“If you exert control and tend to perceive yourself as in charge, you try to influence the outcome of events rather than lapse into passivity. And if you believe change is normal, you're more able to treat it as simply a challenge,” Maddi adds.
“Together, these three attitudes provide the courage and motivation to turn stress from a disaster into a growth opportunity,” he concludes.