Stress

Stress-a combination of a new or possibly threatening situation and your body’s natural response to it.

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Stressor- Anything that causes stress

Eustress- positive stress, promotes growth and accomplishment, improves your concentration, and helps you to perform your best.

Distress- negative stress, disrupts concentration, can’t perform your best.

Types of stress

Arguing with a brother, sister or friend

Moving to a new home or school

Getting glasses or braces

Worrying about height, weight, or appearance

Homework

Death of a close friend or family member

Teachers

Separation or divorce of parents

Failing classes in school

Common Stressors for Teens

The stress response is your bodies response to stress. It is also called ‘fight or flight’ response.

The Stress Response

1. The alarm stage:

. Adrenaline is released

. Become more alert and pupils dilate

. Heart beats faster and you breathe faster

. Fight or flight response- body either fights the stressor or takes flight and escapes

Fainting goat video

The Stress Response

2. Resistance stage:

. Body tries to recover from alarm stage

.continues to function at a higher than normal level.

. Body uses up a lot of energy in this stage, so you may become tired and irritable and less able to handle other stress

. Body becomes worn out and is no longer able to fight off the stressor

. Become more suceptible to illness

. Occurs when stressors continue for a long time or stress is uncontrollable like death or divorce.

Exhaustion stage

1.Heart disease

2.High blood pressure

3.Inability to sleep

4.Fatigue (extreme tiredness)

5.Quick to temper

6.Weakened immune system

7.Depression

8.Ulcers

9.Hives

10.Acne

11.Extreme weight gain or loss

Prolonged and repeated distress can cause serious health problems such as:

Personalities react differently to potentially stressful situations

*Type A

*Type B

Personalities and Stress

Tends to be rushed and competitive.

Able to accomplish things in a short amount of time.

Desire to succeed helps them accomplish goals.

Become frustrated with themselves if they can’t accomplish something

Type A Personality

Less competitive

Less concerned about accomplishments

Calmer, less likely to feel stressed

Less likely to develop stress related illnesses

May cope with stress by ignoring it

Type B Personality

• Few people are entirely type A or type B.

• Most people are a combination of the two and may depend on the situation or environment

Positives and Negatives

A Perfectionist is a person who accepts nothing less that excellence

Characteristics:•May take things too far•Never satisfied with what they have accomplished•This can lead to a vicious cycle of trying harder•Often have trouble meeting deadlines and taking risks for fear of failure•They suffer from high levels of stress

Perfectionist

1. The first step is to accept that no one is perfect.

2. Take pride in the things you do well

3. Don’t focus on your mistakes

The result is a lower stress level and an increased level of satisfaction

Perfectionism isn’t an easy cycle to break

Attributes How to Overcome:• Monitor your internal

conversations closely and substitute negative thoughts with positive or realistic thoughts

• Coach yourself through an upcoming stressful event

• Increases stress level

• Almost impossible to succeed

Negative Thinking-Finding the negative or bad in a situation

• Deep Breathing

• Meditation

• Visualization

• Write in a journal

• Talk it out

• Prioritize

• Get organized

• Exercise

• Listen to music

• Progressive Relaxation

Healthy Stress Management Techniques

5.Relax your muscles

6.Get enough rest

7.Slow down your breathing

8.Prioritize – arrange items in order of importance

9.Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more

1.Working out (exercise)

2.Meditate

3.Time management – is making appropriate choices about how to use your time

4.Assert yourself

Ways to Reduce Stress Stress management is the ability to handle stress in healthy ways.

In your notes make a list of 10 things you need to accomplish in the next week.

• Remember to include practice, homework, chores, and social activities

• Now rewrite your list putting the most important things or the things that will take the most amount of time first.

• I have made an example on the next page of my week schedule and reason for why I placed certain items with more importance.

Time Management

Priority List

1.Fill the gas tank (if I don’t do this first I will be stuck somewhere)

2.Pay bills (I don’t want any late fees)

3.Respond to emails (parents and students need answers)

4.Go grocery shopping (my cupboards are getting a little low)

5.Write the test for Friday (I need to get this done but I have a little bit of time before Friday)

6.Change three loads of laundry (need to get this done so I can pack for the camping trip)

7.Pack for the camping trip

8.Make the dentist appointment for kids (I have a lot of time to get this done – it doesn’t have to be done in the next week)

9.Watch TV (I can always DVR)

First List

• Go grocery shopping

• Make a dentist appointment for the kids

• Write test for Friday

• Change three loads of laundry

• Fill the gas tank

• Pay bills

• Pack for camping trip

• Watch TV

• Respond to emails

Time Management

Quick Check

1.___ is a combination of a new or possibly threatening situation and your body’s natural response to it. 2.A ___ is anything that causes stress 3.The flight-or-fight response, also known as the ___ ___, is the body’s reaction to a stressor. 4.Give three examples of stress management tools. 5.Is all stress bad? Explain your answer. 6.___ is a form of negative stress and ___ is a form of positive stress.

1. Stress

2.Stressor

3.Stress response

4.Any of the following are appropriate:

•Time management

•Prioritize

•Meditation

•Breathing control

•Exercise

•Get enough rest

•Communication

•Be Assertive

5. Not all stress is bad. Some stress is positive and helps you perform better at certain activities such as tests and sports

6. Distress, eustress

Answers