COPING STRESS IN MIDDLE

AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

 DEFINING STRESS
 STRESS is defined as a reaction of the mind and body to
a stimulus that disturbs well-being, state of calm or
equilibrium of a person.
 There is common belief that stress could be unhealthy,
but discussions of experts concluded that that is not
entirely the case.
 Small and sporadic stress can be beneficial but excessive
amounts sustained over a period of time can be
destructive to both physical and mental health.
 There are several points of view about stress…
 STRESS AS A STIMULUS, RESPONSE,
AND RELATIONAL
 Aside from being a reaction (a response), stress is also a
stimulus, as well as a relational condition between
persons and the situation they are in (Feist and
Rosenberg, 2011).
 AS A STIMULUS
 Stress is caused by a situation that may be life-
threatening or life changing, such as separation, moving
into a new home, or having a new job. These situations
or events are called as stressors.
 AS A RESPONSE
 Stress is the way the body reacts to challenging
situations. This is the interactions between the hormones,
glands and the nervous system where the adrenal gland
drives the production of cortisol or better known as
“stress hormones”.
 Cortisol enables a person’s body to produce the energy it
needs to gear it into action.
 Norepinephrine is also produced. This hormone triggers
increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, respiration,
to prepare the body for action.
 .Due to the prefrontal cortex of adolescents, which
assesses danger and direct actions during stress, being
not yet fully developed, adolescents tends to be faster in
physically responding to stress than adults.
 Prolonged or chronic situations that involve those
hormones can eventually affect your body to wear it
down fast.
 That’s why chronic stress cause fatigue, aging and
illness cause by low immune system.
 AS A RELATIONAL
 It happens 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, this will make a person think
positively
 However, negative emotions can be produce if the
former becomes the opposite. This caused stress.
KNOW YOUR STRESSORS
 School demands and expectations
 Selecting a school, college course, or career

 Separation anxiety

 College life

 Romantic relationships of the lack of it

 Family demands and expectations

 Health concerns

 Demands of Social life

 Bullying
HOW TO COMBAT STRESS?
 TO GOD BE THE GLORY         