Coping Stress in Middle and

Late Adolescence
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.
 3 points of view about stress
Stress as a stimulus, stress is caused by situations that may be life-
threatening or life-changing, such as separation, moving into a new home, or
having a new job.

Stress as a response is the way the body reacts to challenging situations.

This involves the interactions between the hormones, glands, and nervous
system where the adrenal gland drives the production of cortisol or better
known as "stress hormone”. Another response of the body similar to the
production of cortisol is the release of the “norepinephrine”, which triggers
the body’s reaction.

Stress as relational 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
 Knowing Your Stressors

There are two sources of stressors, internal and external (Stress Management, 2016).

 External stressors are those that come outside of you like situations, people, and
experiences.

 Internal stressors are those coming from within you, like thoughts that you have that
caused you to feel fearful, uncertainties about the future, lack of control over
situations, and even your personal beliefs, which include your own expectations.
 Here are some samples of possible stressors a senior high school
student faces:

 School Demands and Expectation

 Selecting a School, College Course, or Career
 Separation Anxiety
 College Life
 Romantic Relationships or the Lack of It
 Family Demands and Expectations
 Health Concerns
 Demands of Social Life
 Bullying
Coping with Stress

Coping may be also combination of both problem-focused and emotional-focused remedies. Here
are some examples
 Conduct creative imagery of the problem
 Seek group or social support
 Get into relaxation activities
 Create a situation where you can feel more relaxed like a quiet environment or a
comfortable position, and project a passive attitude toward the stressor like telling your
stressor, which may be a person or a situation, that you are confident you are more powerful
and can calmly overcome it.
 Learn to manage your time
 Eat properly
In addition to the coping mechanisms suggested previously, you may also wish to do the following:
1. Seek spiritual growth through prayer and meditation.

2. Have a worthwhile hobby like cross-stitching, singing, dancing, drawing, or collecting items.

3. Watch a movie with friends.

4. Have a nice, quiet walk with a member of your family after dinner.

5. If the stressor is one of your expectations, assess it and see if it is doable and realistic or not. Then,
adjust the expectations to what you are capable of doing one step at a time.

6. Believe in yourself that you are strong and courageous, that you are capable of overcoming the
challenges that you are facing, and that any stressful situation will bring out the best in you and will
make you stronger.

7. We tend to worry about something in the future that has not happened yet. Worrying over such things
can zap your energy and make you feel miserable. Tell yourself not to worry needlessly because you do
not know what will happen in the future. Start worrying if there is a reason to worry once the situation
arises, not before it does.