Mental Health and

Understanding Stress
• Mental health
• -includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-
being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also
determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and
make choices.
• Factors that contributes to mental health problems:
• Biological factor, such as genes or brain chemistry.
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse;
• Family history of mental health problems.
• Emotional health
• -it means you’re aware of your emotions. You can deal with them, whether
they’re positive or negative. Emotionally healthy people still feel stress, anger,
and sadness. But they know how to manage their negative feelings.
• Ways to improve or maintain good emotional health
• Be aware of your emotions and reactions.
• Express your feelings in appropriate ways.
• Think before you act.
• Manage stress
• Strive for balance.
• . Take care of your physical health.
• Connect with others.
• Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if
the
• statement is wrong.
• _____1. Set attainable health goals.
• _____2. Seek advice to overcome problems.
• _____3. Change your plan if you get frustrated.
• _____4. Accept self, others and life’s disappointments.
• _____5. Attend only to your own work, even in doing group
work.
• _____6. Take responsibility for something you did wrong.
• 
• Kinds of Stress
• Stress
• -is defined as the physiological (or physical) and emotional
responses to a significant or unexpected change or
disruption in one’s life (Payne, et al., 2005).
• It may also refer to “what you feel when you react to
pressure, either from the outside world (school, family,
friends) or from yourself i.e. wanting to fit in, wanting to do
well in school.
• Stressor
• -refers to the things that make a person stressed.
• 1.Eustress
• -refers to a positive and healthy response of the body from a stressor.
• It produces good effects to one’s well-being. For example, a person,
who studied for long hours then tool and got an outstanding grade in
the exam, may feel happiness and enjoyment.
• 2.Distress
• -refers to a negative reaction of the body towards a given stressor. It
may cause problems in health, alter the mood and emotions, and even
affect the way a person woke up late for work, he or she may feel anger
and disappointment.
• Stress is normal and inevitable. Everyday we experience different kinds
of stress. Some are good and some are not, that no one is spared from
experiencing stress because it is part of our lives.
•COMMON AREAS OF STRESSOR THAT
AFFECT STRESS

• Common stressors that affect adolescents:

•Schools, Parents, Peer groups, Lack of life
skills
• Directions: Read the following situations. Draw a smiling face ( 😊 )if
you consider it as a source of eustress and a sad face ( ☹) if it causes
distress.
• _______1. Choosing a gift for a friend _____6. Losing your money
• _______2. Arguing with a classmate ______7. Getting a birthday
surprise
• _______3. Going to a new place ______8. Attending a party
• _______4. Having a new born sibling ______9. Witnessing a tribal
dance
• _______5. Getting a failing mark ______10. Watching a traditional
play.
• TRUE OR FALSE Directions: Write TRUE if the statement expresses the feelings
of anxiety or stress, and FALSE if otherwise.
• ______1. Moving to a new school. ______6. Develop useful coping
abilities.
• ______2. Having negative thinking. ______7. Having a failing grade in
school.
• ______3. Eating too much or too few. ______8. Acquire assertiveness training
skills.
• ______4. Discover relaxing workouts. ______9. Breaking up with
boyfriend/girlfriend.
• ______5. Lessen pessimistic self-talk. ______10. Regular exercise and eating
balance diet.
•