Christymol A.B.

I B.Ed. Social Science

What is stress?

 Stress is the bodies reaction to challenge which could be anything from outright physical
danger to asking someone for a date or trying out for a storts team.
 The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific
hormones.
 A part of the brain called the hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of
the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream.
 This physical response to stress kicks in much more quickly in teens than in adults
because the part of the brain that can calmly assess danger and call off the stress response,
the prefrontal cortex, is not fully developed in adolescence.
 The stress response prepares a person to react quickly and perform will under pressure. It
can help teens be on their toes and ready to rise to a challenge.
GOOD STRESS VERSUS BAD STRESS

 We all experience both “good stress” and “bad stress.”

 Good stress: is that optimal amount of stress that results in our feeling energized and
motivated to do our best work. Good stress encourags us to develop effective coping
strategies to deal witha our changes, which ultimately contributes to our resilience.
 Bad stress: occurs when our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed by the stress and we
donot function at our best. The same evevt can affect children and adults in very
intividual ways- one persom my see a carnival ride as thrilling and another my see it hass
a major stressor. Stress can become distress when we are unable to cope or when we
believe that we do not have the ability to meet the challenge..
Causes of adults stress

 School pressure and career decisions.

 After-school or summer jobs
 Dating and friendships
 Pressure to wear certain types of clothing, jewelry or hairstyles
 Pressure to experiment with durgss, alcohol or sex
 Pressure to be a particular sice of bodyshape (with girls, the focus is often weight: with
boys, it is usually a sertain muscular or athletic physique)
 Family and peer conflicts
 Being bullied or expose to violence or sexual harassment
 Effects of stress

 Increased compliants of headache, stomachache, muscle pain and tiredness

 Shutting down and withdrawing from people and activities
 Increased anger and irritability
 Crying more often and appearing teary- eyed
 Feelings of hopelessness
 Chronic anxiety and nervousness
 Difficulty concentrating
How do you overcome stress

 Spent time together. Try to spent time anlone with your audult each week.
 Learn to listen.
 Be a role model
 Keep an eye on sleep
 Teach work management skills
 Stock up on helthy foods
Some solutions of stress

 Talk about problems with others.

 Take deep breaths, accompanoed by thinking or saying aloud”i can haldle this”
 Get proper sleep
 Practice consistent, positive discipline.
 Set small goals and break tasks in to smaller, manageable chunks.
 Exercise and eate regular meals.
 Visualize and practice feared situations.
 Lower unrealistic expectations.
 Schedule breaks and enjoylable activities.
 Give up on the idea of perfection, both in yourself and in others. Give yourself permition
and cultivate the ability to learn from mistakes.