BILINGUAL CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Anxiety & Happiness

Issue No.1 | Nov 11th 2021

STRESS has been noticing by many people these days since everyone experience it time to time, especially students and adults.
WHAT IS STRESS? HOW IS THIS RELATED TO THINKING-FEELING-BEHAVIOUR? IS THERE ANYWAY TO REDUCE STRESS?

What is STRESS? Learning - Memory

Stress is described as any form of
change that causes physical,
emotional, or psychological strain.
Stress is your body's reaction to
anything that requires your attention
or action. To some extent, everyone
endures stress. However, how you
respond to stress has a significant
impact on your general well-being.
Learning and memory are closely
related concepts. Learning is the
acquisition of skill or knowledge,
while memory is the expression of
what you've acquired. If you acquire a
new skill or knowledge slowly and
laboriously, that's learning. If
acquisition occurs instantly, that's
making a memory.
Stress can cause acute and chronic
changes in certain brain areas which
can cause long-term damage. Over-
secretion of stress hormones most
frequently impairs long-term delayed
recall memory, but can enhance
short-term, immediate recall memory.
This enhancement is particularly
relative in emotional memory.

Stress - Learning - Memory

 Stress
FAQ about stress Simply put, a situation arises, and we have thoughts about
the facts of that situation; those thoughts trigger feelings, and
based on those feelings we engage in behaviors which in
1) What parts of the brain are involved in memory? turn impact the situation (either positively or negatively), and
Stress? the cycle continues.
Answer: What are the most vital parts of the brain for thinking
Memory: There are three areas of the brain and feeling?
involved in explicit memory: the hippocampus,
The largest part of the brain,
the neo-cortex and the amygdala. the cerebrum initiates and
Stress: The main parts of the brain that are coordinates movement and
responsible for our reactions to stress include the regulates temperature. Other
HPA, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. areas of the cerebrum enable
speech, judgment, thinking and
2) Why do I get stressed when I study?
reasoning, problem-solving,
Answer: Stress occurs naturally in college students, emotions, and learning

who are overwhelmed balancing multiple classes with

work schedules and extra activities. Studying proves
How can we reduce stress?
another monster conducive to stress, and some
Mindful Self - Compassion
students choose to turn to unhealthy ways of coping: Why mindful self-compassion?

alcohol, drugs, overeating. More life stastication

Less stress
Protects against depression, suicidality
Thinking - Feeling - Behavior Increased well-being
Higher resilience after hardships
More responsibility
Less procrastination
Procrastination is actually often rooted in a fear of failure

“The way we think about something affects the way we

feel about it. Our thoughts and feelings influence our
behaviors, choices, and ultimately, outcomes.” - Adapt to
life "Thoughts, feelings and behaviors".
Connected to our thoughts and feelings are behaviors.
Behaviors are our actions or the ways in which we
present ourselves to others.

What is mindful self-compassion?

“Self-compassion involves the capacity to comfort

and soothe ourselves, and to motivate ourselves with
encouragement, when we suffer, fail, or feel
inadequate" - Chris Germer, co-founder of the
Mindful Self-Compassion Center
 Self - Kindness
Self-kindness means being warm
and sympathetic toward ourselves
when we struggle, fail, or feel
insecure, rather than ignoring our
sorrow or shaming ourselves.
Common Humanity Mindfulness
Common humanity is the understanding Mindfulness is a non-judgmental,
that unpleasant feelings are part of the receptive mind state in which one
human experience, that suffering is observes thoughts and feelings as they
universal. We are connected not only by
are, without trying to suppress or deny
the joys in our lives, but in our struggles,
them. We cannot ignore our pain and
heartaches, and fears. Therefore, by
improving our self-compassion, we feel compassion for it at the same time
enhance our ability to feel compassion for
others

What part of the brain would be involved with What part of the brain would be involved with
thinking of those words?
emotions?
Broca's area is located in the front part of the
Three brain structures appear most closely linked
left hemisphere of your brain. It has an
with emotions: the amygdala, the insula or insular
important role in turning your ideas and
cortex, and a structure in the midbrain.
thoughts into actual spoken words.

Reflect on Yourself
1. Create a list of sentences to tell to yourself when you're feeling blue/stress/depressed/...
2. Put those sentences into the grid below.
3. Tell yourself those wonderful sentences until day 30 and see the differences from the 1st day

For example:
Day 1: It's ok to make mistake! I'm just
a human after all.
Day 2: It's another wonderful day and
I can be happy to be alive!
Day 3: Eventhough today it's abit
tough, I can keep going because I
believe in myself.
Day 4: *make a weird upbeat sound*
You can do this! You can do this
Day 5: I don't care those hating
comments! I am FABULOUS!