Coping with Stress In Middle

and Late Adolescence

S tres s
•Stress is defined as a reaction of the mind
and body to a stimulus that disturbs the
well-being, state of calm, or equilibrium of a
person.
• Ps ycholog is ts ha ve a g ree d tha t s ma ll a nd
s pora dic a mount of s tres s ca n be he lpful a nd
bene ficia l to individua ls but exce s s ive a mount
of s tres s s us ta ine d ove r a leng thy pe riod of
time ca n be de s tructive to both phys ica l a nd
menta l he a lth.
S tres s a s S timulus , Res pons e , a nd
Rela tiona l

• S tres s a s a s timulus is ca us e d by s itua tions tha t

ma y be life-threa te ning or life-cha ng ing s uch a s
s e pa ra tion, putting it to a ne w home , or ha ving a
ne w job. This s itua tion or eve nts a re ofte n ca lled
s tres s ors .
• Stress as a response is the wa y the body rea cts to cha lleng ing
s itua tions .
- This involves the inte ra ction betw e e n the hormone s g la nds a nd
ne rvous s ys te m whe re the a drena l g la nd drives the production of
cortis ol or bette r know n a s “s tres s hormone ”. The production of
cortis ol ena bles a pe rs on’s body to produce the ene rg y it ne e ds to
g e a r it tow a rds a ction.
- Anothe r res pons e of the body is the relea s e of a s ubs ta nce ca lled
norepine phrine which trig g e rs the body’s rea ction s uch a s a n
increa s e he a rt rate , hig he r blood pres s ure, a nd res pira tion to
prepa re the body for a ction.
• S tres s a s rela tiona l is when a person experiencing stress
takes a step back to look at the situation that is causing the
stress and assesses it.
(Assessment here means that when the person allows reasoning to
prevail and weigh the relevance or irrelevance of the situation)

-If the relevance is positive, the person will look at the

situation in a more positive light.
-If the relevance is negative this will produce negative
emotions that may lead to stress.
Hea lthy s tres s a re certa in type of s tres s tha t ca n benefit
a pers on. S tres s tha t is s hort a nd s pora dic ca n propel a
pers on to a ne ce s s a ry a ction. Thes e type of s tres s ca n
motiva te , energ ize, a nd s pur a n individua l into fruitful
a ction.

Exa mple: S pe a king in front of a n a udience a s it ca us e s

the s pe a ke r to prepa re a nd be a n effe ctive s pe a ker.

- Ba d s tres s ca n be tra ns formed into g ood s tres s

de pe nding on how a n individua l a s s e s s es the s itua tion.
S tres s ors of Middle a nd La te Adoles ce nts
Two s ource s of s tres s ors

Exte rna l s tres s ors - a re thos e tha t come outs ide of you like
s itua tions , pe ople, a nd expe rience s .
Inte rna l s tres s ors - or thos e coming from within you, like thoug hts
tha t you ha ve tha t ca us e you to be fea rful, unce rta inties a bout the
future, lack of control ove r s itua tions , a nd eve n your pe rs ona l
beliefs which include your ow n expe cta tions .
Here a re s ome s a mples of pos s ible s tres s ors a
hig h s chool s tude nt fa ce s :
• S chool Dema nds a nd Expe cta tions
- Quizzes a nd te s ts , home w orks a nd proje ct, ora l recita tion
qua rte rly a nd fina l exa ms , a nd g ra de s es pe cia lly epitomize the
kind of s tres s ors a doles ce nts ha ve whe n it come s to s tudying .
• S e lecting a S chool, Colleg e , Cours e , or Ca ree r
-A hig h s chool s tude nt who jus t g ra dua te d fa ce s more de ma nding
cha lleng e s a nd the ir firs t of the s e a re the entra nce exa m to
wha te ve r s chool or univers ity, a nd the cours e tha t the y will
choos e .
• S e pa ra tion Anxiety
-Hig h s chool g ra dua tion, to s ome , mea ns a te mpora ry ending or
s e pa ra tion from s ome of the ir friends . The re is a pos s ible
s ce na rio tha t bes t friend mig ht move to a nothe r pla ce to s tudy or
to move to a nothe r s chool.
• Colleg e Life
-The pros pe ct of being by the ms e lve s in a ne w s chool in colleg e
a nd mee ting a nd a djus ting to ne w pe ople is a nothe r ca us e of
s tres s for g ra dua ting s e nior s tude nt. The unfa miliarity of a ne w
environme nt ca n bring s tres s to a doles ce nts a s the y s e t the ir foot
in colleg e .
• Roma ntic Rela tions hips or the Lack of It
-Adoles ce nts ha ve a te nde ncy to fee l a w kw a rd whe n the y a re not
in a s pe cia l rela tions hip with s ome one . S ome how ha ving a n
intima te rela tions hip is a s ta tus s ymbol tha t s a ys one is g ood
looking , inte res ting , a nd a ttra ctive .
• Fa mily de ma nds a nd expe cta tions
-To s ome a doles ce nts fa mily ties ca n be a s tres s or. The
a doles ce nt s till lea rning a nd yea rning for inde pe nde nce a nd
a utonomy, but pa rents ma y not be rea dy to relinquis h control ove r
the ir “ba by”. This is why conflicts s e ts in.
• Hea lth Conce rns
-To s ome a doles ce nts , he a th ma ybe a problem. Hea lth problems
ma y run g a mut of va rieties , s uch a s unw a nte d preg na ncy, HIV a nd
othe r s e xua lly tra ns mitte d dis e a s e s , unhe a lthy lifes tyle s uch a s
poor ea ting a nd s lee ping ha bits tha t ofte n lea d to lifetime
dis e a s e s , a nd s o on.
• Dema nds of s ocia l life
-The re is a common thinking a mong a doles ce nts tha t it is
emba rra s s ing to be a lone . Tha t is why the ne e d to belong is
s ig nifica ntly importa nt for a doles ce nts .
• Bullying
-Being bullied in s chool ca n be very s tres s ful a nd ma y ca us e
emotiona l a nd ps ycholog ica l tra uma to the individua l expe riencing
it.
Coping is a very importa nt mecha nis m in de a ling with
s tres s . It ca n help in a voiding the da ma g e s tha t may be
broug ht a bout by s evere or chronic s tres s to your he a lth
a nd well-being . Coping ca n be problem-focus e d, whe n
your beliefs or s olution a re thoug ht of to cha ng e the
s itua tion to les s e n the s tres s , or emotion-focus ed, whe n
the objective is to les s e n the emotiona l impa ct ca us e d by
the s tres s ful s itua tion. (Feis t a nd Ros e nberg 2012)
Coping ma y a ls o be a combina tion of both problem-focus e d a nd
emotiona l-focus e d reme dies . Here a re s ome exa mples :
• Conduct crea tive ima g e ry of the problem - look a t the s tres s a s
rela tiona l s itua tion whe re you ca n a s s e s s a nd cha ng e the wa y
you look a t the s tres s ful s itua tion.
• S e e k g roup or s ocia l s upport - ta lk to pe ople you know a nd trus t,
s urround yours e lf with friends who ca n offe r you s ince re
unde rs ta nding a nd empa thy. Ta lk to a n a dult a nd s ha re your
thoug hts a nd fee ling s .
• Get into rela xa tion a ctivities like brea thing exe rcis e s , reg ula r
phys ica l exe rcis e , medita tion, yog a , s e lf-hypnos is , rea ding a
g ood book, or lis te ning to rela xing mus ic.
• Crea te a s itua tion whe re you ca n fee l more rela x like a quiet
environme nt or a comforta ble pos ition, a nd proje ct a nd pa s s ive
a ttitude tow a rds the s tres s or.
• Lea rn to ma na g e your time a na lyze - how much time you’re
s pe nding for s tudying , for being online , for te xting or ca lling , for
wa tching tv, a nd s e e whe re you a re s pe nding more time.
• Ea t prope rly by s e lecting nutritious he a lthy food. Ea t reg ula rly
a nd a void s kipping mea ls .
In a ddition to the coping mecha nis ms s ug g e s te d,
you ma y a ls o wis h to do the follow ing :
• S e e k s piritua l g row th throug h pra ye r a nd medita tion
• Ha ve a worthw hile hobby like cros s -s titching , s ing ing , da ncing ,
dra w ing , or collecting items
• Ha ve a nice quite wa lk with a membe r of your fa mily a fte r dinne r
• Believe in yours e lf tha t you a re s trong a nd coura g e ous , tha t you
a re ca pa ble of ove rcoming the cha lleng e s tha t you a re fa cing
a nd tha t a ny s tres s ful s itua tion will bring out the bes t in you a nd
will ma ke you s trong e r