LCRG Research Brief | Girls & Self Care: Coping with Emotions by Laurel School

self-care

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS

A SERIES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY LCRG

“Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.”

by Tori S. Cordiano, Ph.D.

COPING WITH EMOTIONS The term coping is used to describe how people respond to stressful events and manage the emotions caused by these events.1 Children and adults use various coping strategies depending on the stressful event they are facing. For example, some coping strategies work toward managing a stressful situation directly, others aim to help an individual manage the emotions associated with the stressor, and still others serve to helpfully distract an individual from the situation at hand.2 In other words, depending on the situation, it may be helpful for children to use problem-solving skills to address the problem directly, to use relaxation techniques to manage their emotions, or to engage in an activity that might distract them from the stressful situation.3 In addition to learning how to cope with stressful situations, it is also important for children to engage in activities that buffer them against the effects of unavoidable stress. Many of these activities are outlined on the next page.

self-care: COPING WITH EMOTIONS

... girls are more likely than boys to cope through seeking support and expressing emotions

COPING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY One way that girls can take good care of themselves is by getting sufficient physical activity. Not only does physical activity contribute to physical health, it also has numerous benefits for overall psychological health and well-being. Research shows that adolescents who participate in intense physical activity show decreased levels of perceived stress and anxiety.4 However, physical activity does not need to be intense to produce benefits for coping with stress. Both moderate and vigorous levels of physical activity have been linked with higher levels of “mental toughness,” or “grit” in adolescents and adults.5 In addition, low-intensity yoga has been shown to positively affect the body’s reaction to stress by lowering blood pressure and levels of cortisol in the body and improving perceptions of mood, anxiety, and fatigue.6

COPING AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES There are many competing demands for girls’ time and attention, and children and adolescents often complain of not having enough free time. However, leisure time is important for girls of all ages. In children, leisure time often involves play. Unstructured play has many benefits related to coping, creativity, and physical and social-emotional development.7 The creativity developed through play is associated with access to a wider range of coping behaviors to address everyday problems and stressful situations.8 Research also shows that leisure time improves coping and reduces stress in adolescents. Leisure activities such as spending time with family, playing sports, volunteering, or engaging in hobbies are associated with improved coping.9 Unstructured leisure activities, such as hanging out, going to the mall, or watching movies, also appear to play a role in adolescents’ positive coping with stress. Leisure activities are most beneficial when individuals engage in activities that are positive, fulfilling, and of their choosing. Engagement in and positive attitudes toward leisure time have been linked to lower symptoms of anxiety and depression and increased positive feelings.10

COPING THROUGH RELAXATION SKILLS In addition to activities that enhance girls’ general well-being and psychological health, specific coping and relaxation skills are another way of improving overall stress management. Relaxation and coping skills programs teach students about the physiology of stress, how to identify personal stressors, and how to become relaxed using breathing, muscle relaxation, and mindfulness techniques. Programs for middle school and high school students show numerous benefits, including improved academic performance11, lower perceived stress 12, 13, and improved sleep and well-being.14

Fun and easy ways to reduce girls’ stress Many effective ways to reduce stress are easily incorporated into girls’ daily lives. The research literature provides several examples of activities that have been found to increase coping in children facing unusual stressors; these same activities are useful for girls facing any amount of stress: • Participating in dance and movement activities helps school-age girls develop nonverbal ways of expressing emotions and provides opportunities to develop interpersonal connections with others.15 • The process of engaging in expressive art activities, including drama, music, and visual art-making, helps improve girls’ self-expression and awareness of their thoughts and feelings.16 • Access to nature and outdoor spaces can buffer children against the impact of stressful life events by providing opportunities to gather with other girls and to be distracted from stressors or concerns.17 • The practice of meditation holds numerous benefits for girls of all ages, including decreased anxiety, increased self-regulation, and improved self-esteem.18

COPING AND GENDER There are some differences in how boys and girls cope with stress. Research indicates that while boys often use humor to cope with peerrelated stress, girls are more likely than boys to cope through seeking support and expressing emotions.19 Other research shows that girls are more likely than boys to use engagement coping — a term used to describe coping strategies that are directed at a specific stressor and are generally intended to change the situation — to address problems with peers.20 However, girls are also more likely to ruminate on their negative feelings and to self-blame or worry in response to stress.21, 22 It may be especially important to help girls “let go” of some concerns instead of ruminating when stressed.

COPING WITH EMOTIONS

[endnotes]

Lazarus, R.S. (2006). Emotions and interpersonal relationships: Toward a person-centered conceptualization of emotions and coping. Journal of Personality, 74, 9-46.

Spirito, A., Francis, G., Overholser, J., & Frank, N. (1996). Coping, depression, and adolescent suicide attempts. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25, 147-155.

Donaldson, D., Prinstein, M., Danovsky, M., & Spirito, A. (2000). Patterns of children’s coping with life stress: Implications for clinicians. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70, 351-359.

Norris, N., Carroll, D., & Cochrane, R. (1991). The effects of physical activity and exercise training on psychological stress and well-being in an adolescent population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 36, 55-65.

Gerber, M., Kalak, N., Lemola, S., Clough, P.J., Pühse, U., Elliot, C., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Brand, S. (2012). Adolescents’ exercise and physical activity are associated with mental toughness. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 5, 35-42.

Ross, A., & Thomas, S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: A review of comparison studies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16, 3-12.

Ginsburg, K.R., & the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119, 182-191.

Russ, S.W. (2004). Play in child development and psychotherapy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Hutchinson, S.L., Baldwin, C.K., & Oh, S. (2006). Adolescent coping: Exploring adolescents’ leisure-based responses to stress. Leisure Sciences, 28, 115-131.

Cassidy, T. (1996). All work and no play: A focus on leisure time as a means for promoting health. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 9, 77-90.3

Benson, H., Wilcher, M., Greenberg, B., Huggins, E., Ennis, M., Zuttermeister, P., Myers, P., & Friedman, R. (2000). Academic performance among middle school students after exposure to a relaxation response curriculum. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 33, 156-165.

Foret, M.M., Scult, M., Wilcher, M., Chudnofsky, R., Malloy, L., Hasheminejad, N., & Park, E. (2012). Integrating a relaxation response-based curriculum into a public high school in Massachusetts. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 325-332.

Kiselica, M.S., Baker, S.B., Thomas, R.N., & Reedy, S. (1994). Effects of stress inoculation training on anxiety, stress, and academic performance among adolescents. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 41, 335-342.

Wall, R.B. (2005). Tai chi and mindfulness-based stress reduction in a Boston public middle school. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 19, 230-237.

Cohen, S.O., & Walco, G.A. (1999). Dance/movement therapy for children and adolescents with cancer. Cancer Practice, 7, 34-42.

Kim, J.B., Kirchoff, M., & Whitsett, S. (2011). Expressive arts group therapy with middle-school aged children from military families. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 38, 356-362.

Wells, N.M. & Evans, G.W. (2003). Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35, 311-330.

Wisner, B.L., Jones, B., & Gwin, D. (2010). School-based meditation practices for adolescents: A resource for strengthening self-regulation, emotional coping, and self-esteem. Children and Schools, 32, 150-159.

Rose, A.J., & Rudolph, K.D. (2006). A review of sex differences in peer relationship processes: Potential trade-offs for the emotional and behavioral development of girls and boys. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 98-131.

Sontag, L.M., & Graber, J.A. (2010). Coping with perceived peer stress: Gender-specific and common pathways to symptoms of psychopathology. Developmental Psychology, 46, 1605-1620.

Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (2000). Teaching coping to adolescents: When and to whom? American Educational Research Journal, 37, 727-745.

Rose, A.J., & Rudolph, K.D. (2006).

Pryce, T. (2007). Circle time sessions for relaxation and imagination. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Tummers, N.E. (2011). Teaching stress management: Activities for children and young adults. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Cohen, R.P. (2011). 15 minutes outside: 365 ways to get out of the house and connect with your kids. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

Madison, L. (2002). The feelings book: The care and keeping of your emotions. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company Publications.

Culbert, T., & Kajander, R. (2007). Be the boss of your stress: Self-care for kids. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Press.

Sokol, D.D. (2010). Doodle diary: Art journaling for girls. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith.

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.

LaurelSchool.org/LCRG

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Books CIRCLE TIME SESSIONS FOR RELAXATION AND IMAGINATION23 This book, designed for teachers to use in their classrooms, is a guide for teaching children to use relaxation and visualization exercises in a school setting.

TEACHING STRESS MANAGEMENT: ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS24 Teaching Stress Management presents recent research on stress in children and provides empirically-supported techniques for teaching children how to manage stress.

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS Book 15 MINUTES OUTSIDE: 365 WAYS TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS25 This accessible guide offers parents hundreds of ideas for connecting with their children in ways that involve very little planning and require few resources.

RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN Books THE FEELINGS BOOK: THE CARE & KEEPING OF YOUR EMOTIONS26 Part of the American Girl series, this book (designed for ages 8 and up) helps girls understand their emotions and develop positive ways of coping with negative feelings.

BE THE BOSS OF YOUR STRESS27 This book for children ages 8 and up explains the physiology of stress and teaches coping skills to manage stress.

DOODLE DIARY: ART JOURNALING FOR GIRLS28 This interactive journal helps girls get started with artistic expression through journaling and art.

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.

LaurelSchool.org/LCRG

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