What is instrumental support in the context of stress management?

Instrumental support refers specifically to the practical or tangible help provided to an individual facing stressors. This type of support directly addresses the specific problems that are causing stress, such as offering assistance with tasks, providing resources, or helping to navigate challenges. In the context of stress management, instrumental support can include helping someone with their workload, providing financial assistance, or advising on how to cope with a particular stressor in a concrete way.

Understanding this concept is crucial in stress management because it emphasizes actionable support that can alleviate the burden of stressors rather than just addressing the emotional or cognitive responses to stress. This form of support is fundamentally about enabling individuals to tackle the sources of their stress effectively.