Learning Activity Sheet (LAS) for Personal Development

Name of Learner:
Section: Date: __________________

Personal Development Activity Sheet 5

COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE
MELC 9-10-Week 5
I. Learning Competency with Code
By the end of this Learning Activity Sheet, you should be able to
1. Identify causes and effects of stress in one’s life. (EsP-PD11/12CS-If-5.2)

2. Demonstrate personal ways to cope with stress and maintain mental health. ( EsP-PD11/12CS-Ig-5.3)
II. Background Information for Learners
Stress
A practical way of defining stress is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent up emotions. If the
emotions you experienced are pleasant and desirable, you usually feel free to let them show. They are not
suppressed. Therefore; positive emotions do not usually cause stress. Negative emotions, on the other hand are
more often held inside. They are hidden. You suffer quietly and experience stress. A positive situation can bring
also a negative emotion just like in a wedding for example, it can bring anxiety and tension to the persons
involve. So stress can exist ion great situations.

Stressors
A stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event seen
as causing stress to an organism.

Causes and Effects of Stress

Just as there is a great variety in the range of emotions you might experience, there are many possible
manifestations of stress- in your private life and in your working life. Here are some words that describe the
emotions associated as cause and effect of stress.
 Anxiety * Tension
 Pressure * Anger
 Misery * Panic
 Strain * Dejection
 Desperation
The more you try to hold your emotions in, the greater the pressure build-up will be.
Everyday frustrations cause stress build-up
From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be confronted with a succession of stressful
situations. Managing to get yourself out of bed and ready to face the day can be a challenge to your patience and
ingenuity. Going to school or work can be harrowing especially if you are running late. A series of stressful and
frustrating experiences throughout the day can cause you to lie awake at night in an emotional turmoil- unable
to get needed rest. You face the next day with less emotional and physical stamina. After another stressful day
and another night without rest, you may have even less emotional strength and stability. Therefor; stress build-
up, if not resolved, continues day after day.
Stress Response
Your stress response is the collection of physiological changes that occur when you face a perceived threat-
when you face situations where you feel the demands outweigh your resources to successfully cope. When your
stress response is triggered, a series of changes occur within your body. They include:
 Redirection of blood away from the extremities and instead to major organs
 The release of cortisol and other hormones, which bring other short and long term changes. Cortisol is
considered as one of the stress hormones.
 The stress response is intended to give you a burst of energy so you’re able to fight off attackers or run
away from them effectively.

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 The stress response can cause harm if it leads to chronic stress- that is if our stress response is triggered and
then our body doesn’t go back to its normal state via the relation response.
Keep stress under control
There many effective ways to handle stress- in fact, you wouldn’t want to avoid all stress, because you’d
never grow. However, you can manage your life so that you can survive the emotional downtimes without
allowing stress to engulf you. When stress is constant or too great, your wisest option is to find ways to
reduce or control it. You need not, and should not live your life in emotional stress and discomfort. Stress
can be successfully managed. Here are some suggestions that may help.
1. Understand the causes of stress- Understanding why you are under stress is important. This may seem
obvious, but it requires deliberate, conscious effort to pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you
are familiar with the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of uncontrolled stress. Now you
need to try to discover the stressors, the factors that create stress in your life.
2. Analyze your stress factors and write them down- Write down your response to stress. For example,
you may write down” I feel tire most of the time. My lower back seems to ache all through the day and
night.” Analyze stress responses and consequences, and consider each item, and ask why.” Why I am
feeling tired?” “Why does my back ache?” Carefully consider each answer because the answers will reveal
stressors that causes your stress.
3. Deal with the stressors- Develop techniques to deal with the cause of stress. The longer you avoid
dealing with stress factors, the more the stress will build-up. If tension comes because you have put off an
unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task that you have been avoiding out of the
way and off your mind.
4. Learn to work under pressure or unusual situation- When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to
manage your stress response. Almost everyone, at least in some point, has to meet deadlines, keep several
jobs going at once, resolve problems that come up and do extra work when necessary. However, when the
pressure mounts, you can relieve it, relaxation is the key.

III. Directions / Instructions

Answer the following exercises to test your comprehension. Follow the instructions for each
Exercise/Activity and write legibly. Write your answers on this activity sheet. When you’re done, check the
answer key to see how well you did.

IV. Exercises / Activities

Exercise # 1: “WHAT CAUSES YOU TO LOSE YOUR COOL”?
We all have certain things, situations or people that cause us to lose our composure from time to time.
Determine what causes you to lose your cool by completing this activity. When you begin to
identify your stressors, you can become skilled at preventing negative consequences. Place an X
to each factor that causes you stress. There are blank provided so you can add your own. Copy
and answer.

___ Being late _______ parents fighting ______taking tests ____chores

___ homework _______ Speaking in public ______ babysitting ____ video games
___ boredom ______ no date in a Prom _____ no money _____ arguments
______Math class _______ rude people ______ closed-in spaces ___pimples
______ restrictions at home _____careless drivers _______loud people ____losing
______ _______ ______ _______
Exercise # 2.

Performance Task A: Stress signals

Take a look at the warning signs of stress listed below. Identify what are you feeling if you are
under stress. Put an X on the side of a signal that applies to you. Copy and answer.

Physical Emotional Behavior

Headache Mood changes smoking
Stomach ache Anger Nail biting
Dizziness Anxiety Tapping
Back pain Depression Pulling hair

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 Chest pains Confusion Hair chewing
Cold hands and feet Lack of concentration overeating
Weakness Aggressiveness Use of alcohol
Nausea Crying lateness
Rapid breathing Thoughts of suicide Not caring about physical
appearance
Weight loss Irritability Grinding hair
Weight gain Panic attacks Putting things off

Performance Task B. My stress signals (Essay)

1. What do you think are the advantages of knowing your stress signals?
2. How can stress become a learning ground to an individual?
3. As an adolescent, what advice can you do to avoid stress build-up?

V. References for Learners:

Deped Personal Development Textbook, pages 29-34
VI. Answer Key
Exercises 1-2 answers may vary
Score Content
4 Answer is
appropriate to the
question. Content is
factually correct.
Rubric for Scoring the Essay
Organization Development Use of Language
Clear sense of Develops each Uses technical or scientific
order. Begins with point with may terminology appropriately and
a thesis or topic specific details. correctly. No major grammatical
sentence. Answers question or spelling errors.
Supporting points completely.
are presented in a
logical progression.

3 Answer is May lack a thesis Each point Accurate word choice. No more
appropriate to the sentence, but supported with than 2 major errors and a few
question. Content points are some details and minor errors.
may have one or presented in a evidence. All
two factual errors. logical progression. important points
included.
2 Content relates Logic of argument Sparse details or Ordinary word choice; use of
peripherally to the is minimally evidence. scientific terminology avoided.
question; contains perceivable. Points Question only Some serious errors (but they
significant factual presented in a partially don’t impair communication).
errors. seemingly random answered.
fashion, but all
support argument.

1 Content unrelated Lacks clear Statements are Limited vocabulary; errors impair
to question. organizational unsupported by communication.
plan. Reader is any detail or
confused. explanation.
Repetitious,
incoherent,
illogical
development.

Prepared by: GLESIE G. ALHOMLANY

CHRISTOPHER DAWN ALOVA
(Subject Teachers)