The relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance of the individual

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Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsyubynskyi State Pedagogical University

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND STRESS RESISTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Svitlana Yurchuk practical psychologist, Higher Vocational School 41

of Tulchyn, postgraduate of Psychology and Social work department,

Yaroslav Lyashch Student of Department of Psychology and Social Work

Анотація

У статті розглядається взаємозв'язок емоційного інтелекту та стресостійкості особистості. Сучасний світ динамічний, мінливий і сповнений невизначеності. Це призводить до підвищення психоемоційного напруження, що робить актуальним вивчення факторів, які допомагають людині успішно адаптуватися до стресових умов. Одним із таких факторів є емоційний інтелект розвиток якого дозволяє легше розуміти власні емоції, навчитися контролювати власну поведінку, набути вміння конструктивного виходу із проблемних ситуацій та вміти будувати конструктивні стосунки у суспільстві на основі емпатії. Здатність людини адаптуватися до стресових умов стає все більш важливою в сучасних умовах, де психоемоційного напруження стрімко зростає. Стресостійкість - психологічна характеристика особистості, яка дозволяє їй успішно справлятися з труднощами, не втрачаючи самовладання та працездатності. Розвиток емоційного інтелекту сприяє покращенню соціальної адаптації, логічного мислення, емпатії, ефективної комунікації та набуття навичок розв'язання конфліктів, що позитивно впливає на формування стресостійкості. Емоційний інтелект можна характеризувати як здатність відслідковувати власні емоції та емоції інших людей, диференціювати їх та користуватися отриманою інформацією для врегулювання стресових ситуації та конфліктних питань. Дослідження вчених доводять, що розвиток емоційного інтелекту впливає на успішність людини у різних сферах життя та уміння успішно долати ситуації стресу. Даніель Гоудман, який популяризує поняття ЕІ у своїй книзі «Емоційний інтелект», розкриває п'ять його складових: самосвідомість, саморегуляція, мотивація, емпатія та соціальні навички. Він вивчає взаємозв'язок емоційного інтелекту з успіхом у різних сферах життя включаючи психічне здоров'я, особисті стосунки та роботу. Ключовим фактором успіху у будь якій сфері є уміння адаптуватися до мінливості умов. Стресостійкі люди більш гнучкі та відкриті до нових ідей, що дозволяє їм знаходити нестандартні рішення та використовувати нові можливості. Американські психологи Джон Майер та Пітер Саловей, які спеціалізуються на емоційному інтелекті, психології особистості та соціальній психології. Їхні роботи зробили значний внесок у розуміння того, що таке емоційний інтелект, як він впливає на наше життя, і як його можна розвивати. Вчені розробили та описали першу модель емоційного інтелекту, яка включає в себе чотири компоненти сприйняття емоцій, розуміння емоцій, використання емоцій та управління емоціями. Ще одна американська дослідниця Сьюзен Коулман вивчала вплив емоційного інтелекту на навчання, стосунки, психічне здоров'я у дітей та підлітків та виявила, що він є важливим фактором для розвитку здорових стосунків, успішного навчання та подолання труднощів. Мартін Селігман, який досліджує позитивну психологію Розробив концепцію "навченої безпорадності", яка пояснює, як люди можуть втрачати стійкість перед стресом. Дана концепція описує стан при якому людина втрачає мотивацію та здається, коли стикаються з труднощами. Цей стан може виникнути, коли є відчуття втрати контролю над ситуацією, затрачені зусилля не приносять очікуваного результату, ситуацій невдач стає врази більше ніж ситуацій успіху. І як наслідок проявляються ознаки апатії,втрачається інтерес дот життя та будь якої діяльності, мотивація до діяльності та самооцінка знижуються виникає песимізм та підвищена тривожність. Основними його ідеєю в подоланні стресу є навчання людей, як брати на себе відповідальність справлятися із труднощами, розвивати позитивне мислення та ЕІ.

Уміння долати стрес з допомогою розвитку емоційного інтелекту допоможе стати людині у будь якому віці успішнішою та адаптивною у ситуаціях невизначеності, які можуть виникати, як у повсякденному житті так і у професійній сфері діяльності. Незважаючи на те, що існує ряд досліджень, присвячених вивченню взаємозв'язку емоційного інтелекту та стресостійкості, залишається багато питань, які потребують поглиблення вивчення даної теми. Оскільки наша країна перебуває в умовах війни суспільство відчуває безліч негативних наслідків. Вплив посттравматичного стресу відслідковуються у всіх верствах населення, тому актуальність дослідження емоційного інтелекту та стресостійкості значно зростає та є життєвою необхідністю.

Ключові слова: емоційний інтелект, стрес, ситуація невизначеності, подолання стресу, тривога, напруження, дистрес, копінг-стратегії.

Annotation

emotional intelligence stressful condition

The article examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance of the individual. The modern world is dynamic, changing and full of uncertainty. This leads to an increase in psycho-emotional stress, which makes it important to study the factors that help a person successfully adapt to stressful conditions. One of these factors is emotional intelligence, the development of which makes it easier to understand one's own emotions, learn to control one's own behavior, acquire the ability to find a constructive way out of problematic situations, and be able to build constructive relationships in society based on empathy. A person's ability to adapt to stressful conditions is becoming more and more important in modern conditions, where psycho-emotional stress is growing rapidly. Stress resistance is a psychological characteristic of an individual that allows him to successfully cope with difficulties without losing self-control and work capacity. The development of emotional intelligence contributes to the improvement of social adaptation, logical thinking, empathy, effective communication and the acquisition of conflict resolution skills, which positively affects the formation of stress resistance. Emotional intelligence can be characterized as the ability to monitor one's own emotions and the emotions of other people, to differentiate them and to use the information obtained to resolve stressful situations and conflict issues. Research by scientists proves that the development of emotional intelligence affects a person's success in various spheres of life and the ability to successfully overcome stressful situations. Daniel Goodman, who popularizes the concept of EI in his book "Emotional Intelligence", reveals its five components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. He studies the relationship of emotional intelligence to success in various areas of life including mental health, personal relationships and work. A key factor for success in any field is the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Stress-resistant people are more flexible and open to new ideas, which allows them to find non-standard solutions and use new opportunities. American psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey, who specialize in emotional intelligence, personality psychology and social psychology. Their work has made a significant contribution to understanding what emotional intelligence is, how it affects our lives, and how it can be developed. Scientists have developed and described the first model of emotional intelligence, which includes four components of emotion perception, emotion understanding, emotion use, and emotion management. Another American researcher, Susan Coleman, studied the impact of emotional intelligence on learning, relationships, mental health in children and adolescents and found that it is an important factor in developing healthy relationships, successful learning and overcoming difficulties. Martin Seligman, who studies positive psychology, developed the concept of "learned helplessness", which explains how people can lose resistance to stress. This concept describes a state in which a person loses motivation and gives up when faced with difficulties. This condition can arise when there is a feeling of loss of control over the situation, the efforts made do not bring the expected result, there are more failures than successes. And as a result, signs of apathy appear, interest in life and any activity is lost, motivation for activity and selfesteem decrease, pessimism and increased anxiety arise. His main idea in overcoming stress is to teach people how to take responsibility for coping with difficulties, develop positive thinking and EI.

The ability to overcome stress through the development of emotional intelligence will help a person at any age to become more successful and adaptive in situations of uncertainty that may arise, both in everyday life and in the professional sphere of activity. Despite the fact that there are a number of studies devoted to the study of the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance, there are still many questions that require further study of this topic. Since our country is in a state of war, society is experiencing many negative consequences. The impact of post-traumatic stress is observed in all strata of the population, therefore the relevance of the study of emotional intelligence and stress resistance is growing significantly and is a vital necessity.

Key words: emotional intelligence, stress, situation of uncertainty, overcoming stress, anxiety, stress, distress, coping strategies.

Formulation of the problem

Overcoming stress through the development of emotional intelligence is relevant and important for building constructive forms of communication and mastering strategies for getting out of conflict situations. To investigate this issue, we plan to analyze empirical and theoretical studies of domestic and foreign scientists and determine whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance of an individual. It is important to justify the practical significance of the development of emotional intelligence for increasing the stress resistance of the individual. Generalization of scientific data on the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance.

The purpose of the article is to study the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress resistance of an individual.

Outline of the main material

Stress is an integral part of life, arising in response to events that disturb the balance of the body and require the mobilization of its resources. This condition can manifest itself in different ways: from extraordinary behavior to restraint or even asymptomatic. It is the unpredictability and difficulty of control that make stress such a common cause of problems, suffering and failure. The fast pace of modern life, constant emotional stress and haste make people more prone to stress. Hans Selye, a Canadian endocrinologist, emphasized that stress should not be feared, because it is an integral component of life. Stress is a non-specific reaction of the body to any influence (stressor) that occurs in extreme or difficult conditions. This concept was introduced by Hans Selye in 1936 [5]. However, it is important to learn how to properly respond to stressors in order to minimize their negative impact on our health and well-being.

The psychodynamic direction of stress research is based on the theory of Sigmund Freud, who identified two types of anxiety and worry: signal and traumatic.

Alarms have a protective function that warns of the possibility of a real danger to health or life. It mobilizes the body's resources to overcome the threat. Traumatic anxiety arises as a result of the influence of unconscious, internal sources. It is rooted in past traumatic events that are stored in the mind. Freud believed that the typical causes of traumatic anxiety are the suppression of sexual urges and animal (aggressive) instincts.

Freud associated the symptoms of this condition with the term "psychopathy of everyday life". Conflict theories explain the causes of tension with social aspects. According to these theories, people as members of society are forced to obey its laws and rules. This can lead to internal conflicts, frustration and stress.

Prevention of stress in the psychodynamic approach includes creating successful conditions for self-development, freedom in choosing actions and life positions, as well as fair distribution of economic benefits. Structures that take care of low-income and poor people also play an important role.

The topic of stress is studied by psychologists, physiologists, sociologists and doctors. It has been proven that the cause of stress is cardiovascular disease, thoughts indicating oncology, as well as neuralgia and depression. Psychologists emphasize the importance of fighting stress.

Social and cultural factors play a significant role in understanding and researching stress. This scholarly paraphrase describes key theories and models that address stress from a sociocultural perspective.

The theory of the role of social phenomena focuses on the influence of social roles, expectations and norms on the perception of stress. Life change theory examines how various life events, such as job loss, divorce, or the birth of a child, can lead to stress. The evolutionary theory of social development explains how evolutionary processes have influenced the perception and response to stress in a social context.

The model of physiological stress by H. Selye was modified by B.P. Dorrenwend to include the concepts of adaptive and maladaptive responses to stress [5].

R. Lazarus emphasized the importance of cognitive assessment, i.e. perception and interpretation of stressful factors by a person. Threat assessment and assessment of resources to overcome stress are key components of R. Lazarus's theory. Different theories and models of stress complement each other, providing a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Modern studies investigate the connection between stress and various psychosomatic diseases. Hans Selye, in his work "Stress without Distress", he described stress as a physiological reaction to various factors. All living things can be mechanisms for maintaining an internal rhythm (homeostasis). The body reacts to irritation. Strong stimuli lead to a loss of balance, activating protective and adaptive functions. During stress, the body goes through several stages of struggle and adaptation. The duration of the stage depends on the strength and duration of the stressor, as well as on the psychological and physiological properties of the person. Reserves of organizations to eliminate the effects of stress are limited. In turn, their fatigue leads to diseases and even to life-threatening situations. H. Selye described three stages of the general adaptation syndrome in his work: anxiety, resistance and exhaustion.

The first of them is the stage of anxiety. It happens as soon as a stimulus appears. It is characterized by a decrease in the body's resistance level, a violation of certain vegetative and somatic functions. The body mobilizes its own forces, which is manifested in the self-regulation of protective processes. When these responses are effective and the anxiety is reduced, the body returns to its normal state. Such shortterm stresses are called acute stress reactions.

The second stage is resistance. Which turns on during prolonged exposure to a stressor. At the same time, there is a need to support the body's protective reactions. At this stage, there is a significant decrease in the adaptive reserves of functional systems against the background of responding to external causes of stress.

The third stage is the stage of exhaustion. It arises as a result of a violation of the mechanisms of protective adaptation during the body's intense struggle with the strong and long-term effect of stressors. The reserves of adaptation are significantly reduced and the body's resistance is followed by them. All this can cause morphological changes in the body.

Individual sensitivity to stress is also important. The strength of a person's reaction to stress depends not only on the stress factor itself, but also on the intensity, duration and unexpectedness of the stres sful situation, which affect the severity of the consequences for health. It is also determined by a person's personal qualities, character traits (optimistic, resilient and self-confident people overcome stressful situations more easily).

From a cognitive point of view, individual perception and interpretation of a stressful situation affects emotional response and coping strategies. The presence of social support also plays a significant role, as people who have strong social ties to family and friends are better able to cope with stress. Mastering relaxation techniques, a healthy lifestyle, and the ability to manage time help a person effectively cope with stress.

However, prolonged exposure to stress can lead to serious health consequences, including: disorders of the cardiovascular system. weakening of the immune system, there is a threat of exacerbation of chronic diseases and lead to deterioration of the course of existing diseases, such as diabetes or asthma. Prolonged stress is a risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders and depression. There are many methods of combating stress, which can be divided into several categories: lifestyle changes - healthy sleep, regular physical activity, proper nutrition and rejection of bad habits - the basis of resistance to stress. Relaxation techniques - yoga, meditation and deep breathing practices help calm the mind and body. Using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that helps people change negative thoughts and behavior patterns that can increase stress. Also, the formation of the ability to use time effectively can help avoid feeling overtired and rushed, which are common causes of stress. And of course social support.

There are two types of psychological stress: informational and emotional. Informational stress occurs when a person cannot cope with an excessive flow of information, cannot make the right decisions in a short time, especially when he assumes great responsibility for the consequences of these decisions.

Emotional tension arises in situations of threat, danger, insults, etc. Its various forms (impulsive, inhibitory, generalized) affect mental processes, cause emotional disorders, change the motivational structure of activity, and also disrupt motor and speech behavior.

Emotional tension is the most relevant for a modern person. Modern life often causes negative emotions, which leads to constant overexcitation of the brain and accumulation of tension.

At a subconscious level, our body continues to perceive stress and react automatically without realizing it. Most importantly, small, momentary but often repeated stresses can have irreversible effects on the body, as their physiological effects often "accumulate", research says [1]. Stressors cause emotional stress. The range of stressors that significantly affect the development of mental (emotional) stress is quite wide. These include physical stressors that they have (as a result of psychological processing of their actions), and psychological individual significance, as well as situations in which the feeling of danger is associated with the forecast of future, conflict situations, social or economic situations, uncertainty, expectations, even unlikely stressful events" [5]. This means that stressors can be actions or situations that the brain evaluates as negative if there is no way to avoid or avoid them.

A person cannot live without stress. The presence of stress (in a broader sense) confirms the vital activity of a person, and overcoming them, in addition to purely physiological survival, affects the development and formation of personality, self-esteem, character, etc.

If a person can be in a state of effective mobilization, stress fulfills its useful and adaptive role. It helps a person to use his reserve capabilities, trains the body, increases resistance to stress, deepens life experience, expands the repertoire and amplitude of emotions.

This type of stress is also called "eustress".

However, when a stressogenic factor (or their combination) continues to influence and exceed the adaptive resource of the individual, causing irresistible maladaptive emotions: anxiety, irritation, anger, up to exhaustion, breakdown ("distress").

This inevitably leads to neuroses, and later to various physical diseases.

Emotional stress requires a mechanism for combining cognitive processing of emotional experiences with the goal of objectification and practical application. This integrative system of cognitiveemotional skills possesses emotional intelligence (EI).

Emotional intelligence is the ability to process emotional information, understand emotions, use and regulate them to make decisions[8]. The emotional reactions of the environment to the actions of the individual have an impact on the emotional sphere and shape its self-attitude and self-esteem. The foundations of a realistic self-perception and self-acceptance are laid in the early stages of ontogenesis, determined by the initial acceptance of the child by the parents[1]. It is advisable to develop emotional intelligence in teenagers, who are distinguished by high sensitivity and flexibility of all mental processes, as well as a deep interest in the sphere of their inner world. Currently, programs, trainings and coaching for adults with the aim of improving and applying emotional intelligence in the professional activity of a specialist are particularly popular[2]. EI consists of four components: emotion identification-recognition, verbalization, and emotion differentiation. The use of emotional potential when we can arbitrarily manage emotions, which helps to solve tasks and use any mood in practical activities. Understanding the complex of emotions, the connection between them, the transition from one emotion to another, their causes and predicting their formation. Emotion management, which involves awareness, regulation and control of emotions, reducing the intensity of negative emotions, solving emotionally charged problems without holding back negative emotions. Emotional intelligence can be both intrapersonal (related to the individual) and interpersonal (related to interaction with other people) [9]. EI components have significant potential to protect against stress because they correspond to basic coping tasks such as minimizing negative affect, patience, adaptation, regulation, maintaining positive self-esteem, emotional balance, and social connections [5].

Empirical research by Ukrainian scientists N. V. Kovrig and S. Derevyanko confirm the connection between emotional intelligence and personality traits that protect against stress and adaptation.

N. V. Kovriga: claims that the level of emotional intelligence is related to the types of behavioral reactions to stress:

- low EI: reactive behavior, "emotional neutralization".

- average level of emotional intelligence: understanding of emotional situations, production of "egocentric" reactions.

- high emotional intelligence: non-situational nature of reaction to stressors.

S. Derevyanko notes in his studies that with a high level of emotional intelligence, the realization of abilities occurs through the rationalization of emotional experiences and the development of "egocentric" reactions ("rational egocentrism").

With a low level of EI, a focus on overcoming (neutralization) of emotions is monitored due to excessive concentration on problems ("emotional neutralization").

Having considered the physiological component, we can note that the path of an emotional reaction is as follows: sensory signals go to the thalamus, and then to the amygdala (fast path), then the signal from the thalamus goes to the neocortex (slow path). The amygdala "programs" the emotional response before the neocortex. The role of the amygdala (continued) plays a central role in the stress response system [10]. The neocortex can "seize" control over emotional reactions even when it recognizes that there is no threat.

It is activated not only by fear, but also by other emotions such as anger, joy and surprise. Reaction to stress and the hormonal cascade: excitation of the cerebral cortex and the limbic-reticular system leads to the release of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine stimulates the sympathoadrenaline system, which leads to the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, which leads to the release of corticosteroids. Corticosteroids help the body adapt to stress.

Errors in this mechanism, such as feedback, can lead to adrenal exhaustion. The question of whether EI is sufficient for the prevention of psychosomatic diseases remains open. Studies show a link between high EI and fewer psychosomatic problems.

In his work, O. V. Moroz investigated the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on the coping strategies that people use in stressful situations. He found that people with a high level of EI more often use adaptive coping strategies, such as: search for social support, planning, positive reframing, humor [4]. People with a low level of EI more often use maladaptive coping strategies, such as: avoidance, denial, abuse of psychoactive substances, aggression. The scientist's research shows us the close connection between EI and stress resistance. People with a high level of EI cope better with stress because they: understand their emotions, can manage them, know how to use their emotions to overcome difficult life situations. Research by O. V. Moroz confirms that EI is an important factor that affects the coping strategies that people use in stressful situations. People with high EI are more likely to adopt adaptive coping strategies that help them cope better with stress.

Conclusions and Prospects for Further Research

Having studied the empirical and theoretical studies of domestic and foreign scientists, we determined that emotional intelligence and stress resistance of the individual are closely interrelated. The modern world, which is dynamic, changing and full of situations of uncertainty, requires the study of factors that help a person to successfully adapt to stressful conditions. We determined that a person's ability to adapt to stressful situations is provided by the following components of emotional intelligence: the ability to understand, control and use emotions. It is the development of emotional intelligence that makes it possible to develop such a feature of a person's character as stress resistance.

References

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