Significant Lifespan Factors Impacting Personal Coping Skills
Catherine Manning

Liberty University Abstract

Human beings develop throughout their lifespan, as they make good choices to meet their physical, spiritual and emotional needs. While development is not sequential, it is progressive as the story of life molds and shapes the beliefs and choices of the future. When humans are compared and evaluated, what is it that influences one person to make good choices and another to make bad choices? The ability to adapt and handle times of crisis is a good indicator of a healthy, well-balanced life. It is an indicator that affects almost everyone. It takes skills that mature and develop over time. Are there life experiences that contribute to the positive handling of the stressors of a crisis? Personal experience and pertinent research points to three themes offering positive influence upon crisis adapting skills. First, a religious and spiritual foundation provides the context through which the crisis can be understood, analyzed and managed. Second, a positive, stable family situation allows for the development of the positive self-esteem necessary through which the impact of the crisis upon the individual can be managed. Finally, the satisfaction found in a career or a job can determine perspective and motivation in dealing with problems outside the workplace. Significant Lifespan Factors Impacting
Personal Coping Skills Lifespan developmental psychology (LP) is involved in the study of the individual’s development from conception or birth into old age. One of the assumptions of LP is that significant life events shape and transform the personality, thinking process and behavior of the individual. Lifespan research has expanded over the years, providing observations and analysis of the factors that are shared by many, the acute differences between individuals, and how the individual adapts to the life events (Baltes, Staudinger, & Lindenberger, 1999, p. 472).
Introduction
When examining the development of an individual over a lifetime, many have found it helpful to view the life as a narrative story. The story concept provides the framework to present the flow of the chapters of life. Many see the emergence of the life story at some point in adolescence (Kober, Schmiedek, & Habermas, 2015, p. 260). Studies have shown that in the development of one’s life story three distinct threads begin to emerge in the adolescent years. The first thread, temporal coherence brings together the idea of events of life being related to one another. Causal-motivational coherence is the second thread and it has the individual becoming aware of personal development as life progresses. Finally thematic coherence allows the individual to identify dominant life themes. As these three threads begin to take shape, the individual can begin to interpret life’s events for understanding and analysis (Kober, Schmiedek, & Habermas, 2015, p. 262). To many, coping and development would seem to be as intertwined as a perfectly woven tapestry. Developmental factors that shape the individual’s ability to handle stress include a maturing understanding of what constitutes a trigger for stress, the individual’s deployment of personal and social resources that are available for managing stress, and the individual’s ability to adapt to short and long-term effect of exposure to stressors (Skinner, 1998, p. 357). The purpose of this study is to examine the life events and circumstances of the author to determine if certain events contribute more positively toward the coping and handling of stress. Based on personal experience and a review of pertinent research, it appears that three kinds of experiences can make a positive impact on coping with stressful events. The study will begin with a brief summary of some of the major events in my life. Three themes, a religious foundation, a stable family life and structure, and individual career and job satisfaction, will be examined throughout the story of the lifespan. Upon analysis, it will be shown that these three themes can make a significant contribution to the ability to cope with stress.
Personal Story I was born into a loving, middle-class family. My parents had been married a short while before the birth of two boys, of which I am the oldest. My family was fairly typical with the father playing the role of primary disciplinarian. The relationship between the siblings was very normal: occasional rivalries, significant loyalty which over the years grew into strong friendship, and typical adult comparisons of the two by teachers, coaches and other connected adults. My family had a strong religious heritage in the Roman Catholic tradition of faith. Though not fanatical about our faith, our family was regular attenders of mass, confession and the celebration of the holidays and sacraments. Prayer was emphasized and practiced in the home. My family also emphasized and strengthened their commitment to faith through the enrollment of the children in private Catholic schools from elementary through high school. The Catholic education reinforced Catholic doctrine and principles. The schools assured my parents of a small student to teacher ratio for their children, and instructors who shared the Catholic worldview. Discipline and structure, along with traditional curriculum, provided an education foundation for higher educational pursuits. My undergraduate degree was awarded with a major in psychology. The emphasis on psychology followed a personal interest in human behavior and how people respond to circumstances and individuals. Work on a Master’s degree in trauma and crisis response has been slow, as time and finances would allow. The interest prompted the theme of this study. Following college graduation, I began a marriage commitment that had now reached a twenty-year anniversary. The marriage has produced no children. Instead, time and energy has been poured into raising and training four rescue dogs. Together boating and golfing provide a way of relaxing and renewing the marriage relationship. Opportunity for employment as a specialized healthcare professional arose in Respiratory Therapy. National certification examinations were required, and their passage provided intense disciplined study and incredible pride and satisfaction. Employment opportunities have been found in hospital intensive care and operating rooms, and in outpatient clinics and assisted living centers. The career has provided daily challenges and unique circumstances, as well as the personal satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of people in need. An impactful family event occurred soon after college graduation. The marriage of my parents ended in divorce after twenty-five years of marriage. The divorce brought about tensions over property and financial settlements. It also has made for awkward moments and relationships at holidays and religious settings. In retrospect, strains in the relationship should have been noticed as early as junior high school.
Events, Which Contribute to Positive Crisis Handling In the story of one’s life, are there events, which make a significant positive contribution to the handling of the stressors of a crisis? Can some life events mold the background to provide the skills and experience to better handle and cope with stress? In examining the personal lifespan, this author identifies three thematic experiences of religion, family and career satisfaction that have positively shaped life.
Religious Foundation The faith-based foundation of Roman Catholicism experienced in both the church and school settings are the first factors of significance in dealing with a crisis. How does an individual respond when the crisis is caused by circumstances that are beyond personal control? How does an individual respond when another individual causes the crisis? Not simply seen in a traditional religious context, the personal importance of religion and spirituality seems to be of grave importance in achieving the positive handling of crisis stressors (Schultz, Tallman, & Altmaier, 2010, p. 104). The study by Schultz examined several crisis circumstances across a wide demographic of age, gender, employment status, marital status, educational achievements, religious affiliation, and racial or ethnic identification (Schultz, Tallman, & Altmaier, 2010, p. 107). The crisis triggers included sexual assault, physical harm, infidelity, theft, property damage, slander, and betrayal. The participants self-reported levels to which these items caused distress, both at the time of the occurrence and six months later. Of all of the demographics, the presence of religion and spirituality made the greatest positive difference in the individual’s ability to handle the crisis (Schultz, Tallman, & Altmaier, 2010, p. 112). Why would this be true? Several possibilities come to mind through personal observation. First, religion provides a structure though which the circumstances of life can be interpreted. The structure can be seen in the formality of the Roman Catholic worship experience. The Christian worldview of an Almighty Creator who allows trouble rather than causes it is crucial for explaining why bad things happen to good people. The same Creator who promises to work alongside even in troublesome times (Romans 8:28) provides comfort and context for handling the crisis. Second, religion provides a mechanism through which the individual who has been hurt or wronged by people can handle the offender. Roman Catholicism looks to the forgiveness demonstrated through the life of Jesus Christ as the example to follow. Interpersonal forgiveness is the process through which positive, rather than negative, responses can be given to the offender. Finally, religion provides a way that reconciliation can be achieved between the victim and the offender. Reconciliation does not overlook the transgression. Rather it provides satisfaction for the wrong and establishes a basis for which the possibility of restoration can occur (Schultz, Tallman, & Altmaier, 2010, p. 105). While not every relationship can be restored, forgiveness allows the release of the pent-up hostile feelings that can plague and hinder the progress of personal development and growth. A similar study was conducted to examine how faith factored into a personal health crisis rather than circumstances caused by an individual. People who survived cardiac complications and surgery found that faith-based factors aided their personal outlook and contributed to a speedier, more complete recovery (Ai, Hall, Pargament, & Tice, 2013).

Stable Family Life Another factor positively impacting an individual’s ability to cope with a crisis appears to be a loving, stable family relationship. Research continues to point to the importance of stable familial contexts for healthy and positive development across multiple contexts of the lifespan (Bowers, 2013). Findings point to two key ingredients. First, the stable family environment seems to be vital in forming the positive self-esteem of the individual. A positive self-image is vital for handling the problems of a crisis, and for forming an attitude of hope for the future after the crisis. From personal experience, the religious factor dovetails with the stability of the family. Research that has been gathered over the past decade finds a very clear picture of a consistent self-esteem over the lifespan (Robins, 2005, pp. 160-161). Given the variety of experiences that touch lives, self-esteem – either positive or negative – showed continuity over a variety of demographics. As a whole, the study proved that males and females have the same level of positive self-esteem at about the age of nine. From that point on males figure a higher, more positive self-image than females. Interestingly, both male and female self-esteem peak in their mid-sixties, with both tumbling several points until the eighties when both males and females register about the same level of self-esteem, the lowest in their lifespan (Robins, 2005). The most significant factor contributing to the positive self-image was the stability and love of the family. The study pointed to both the immediate and extended families as having the same positive effect. Other studies look to the birth-order for adding to the self-esteem shaped by the family (Eckstein, 2000). While other factors could intervene throughout life, the image that was cast and shaped in the formative years by the family was rarely altered in an impactful way (Robins, 2005).
Job Satisfaction A final factor contributing to the ability of the individual to positively cope with situations of crisis appears to be the personal satisfaction achieved through the career and employment (Saleem, 2014). According to the study, satisfaction with the job contributed to a positive outlook on life, and the motivation to handle circumstances at the workplace in a positive manner. When circumstances at work were positive, less negativity was carried to the home environment. The lack of stress carried home led to more positive relationships outside of the workplace. This contributed to a more balanced approach to other crises that could arise. The factors that led to a positive outlook and satisfaction with the job were personal motivation to do a good job, wages, reward systems, good interpersonal relationships with co-workers, working conditions, and the actual work itself (Saleem, 2014, p. 142). The research suggests that businesses can improve not only their own branding, they can positively impact the employee’s world outside the workplace. A satisfied employee will market the company in a positive way as both an employer and a product/service provider. The satisfied employee is also more likely to transfer that satisfaction to other areas of life.
Conclusion
Human beings develop throughout their lifespan, as they make good choices to meet their physical, spiritual and emotional needs. While development is not sequential, it is progressive as the story of life molds and shapes the beliefs and choices of the future. When humans are compared and evaluated, what is it that influences one person to make good choices and another to make bad choices (Mottern, 2008)? While any number of choices could be used to analyze the behavior of an individual, the skill in handing times of stress and crisis provides almost universal, broad-scoped criteria. Are there life experiences that provide a significant positive influence upon the skills necessary to handle to stress caused from crisis? Personal experience and pertinent research points to three themes offering positive influence upon crisis adapting skills. First, a religious and spiritual foundation provides the context through which the crisis can be understood, analyzed and managed. Second, a positive, stable family situation allows for the development of the positive self-esteem necessary through which the impact of the crisis upon the individual can be managed. Finally, the satisfaction found in a career or a job can determine perspective and motivation in dealing with problems outside the workplace. Additional research should be given to factors that impact the lifespan in the later years. On a personal level, the author would be concerned about the impact of the divorce of parents after a lengthy marriage upon the future of the adult child. Will the divorce have a negative influence upon his own marriage? Will the divorce have a negative influence on his own self-esteem (Cooper Sumner, 2013)? Another issue for study concerns the stability of the family as well. Is the stability of the family dependent upon having children of your own? Will the impact of a childless family impact the self-esteem of the married couple as they age and face the challenges of dependence without younger family members to provide oversight and encouragement? Will the lack of an extended family affect the decisions that need to be made (Berg, Meegan, & Deviney, 1998)? While some of these issues have yet to be experienced or studied, the suggestion may be made that life events can provide the foundation upon which a personal crisis can be positively handled.

References
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References Continued
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