COPING WITH STRESS
IN MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESCENCE
Types of Stress
• Acute Stress: (Fight or flight)
The body prepares to defend itself.
• Chronic Stress:
The cost of daily living. Left uncontrolled this stress
affects your health- your body and your immune system.
• Eustress:
Stress in daily life that has positive connotations
• Distress:
Stress in daily life that has negative connotations
WHAT ARE THE COMMON
SOURCES OF STRESS???
ACTIVITY 1:
• In your journal notebook, write at least 10 things that
makes you stressed and your stress relievers. For
example,
• ~10 THINGS THAT MAKES ME STRESSED~
• ~10 THINGS TO DO TO COPE WITH MY STRESSED~
Example of Stressful Situations
1. Your parents announced that your whole
family has to immediately transfer for good
to another country. For you, this means,
among others, withdrawing from school,
leaving your friends and moving to a new
and unfamiliar culture.
2. Your boyfriend/ girlfriend broke up with
you because of a third party. Soon, the two
will get married. Since the third party is
also your friend, they want you to be at
their wedding.
Example of Stressful Situations
3. You have just finished encoding your report which
is already due in an hour. You are about to feed it to
the printer when suddenly brownout occurred.
4. You come to your class thinking that it is a regular
school day just to find out that it is the first day of
your major examination.
5. It is your first day in college as freshman. You have
been in class for 30 minutes when you realized that
you are in a wrong classroom. You have to attend
your true class for that time, else you will not be
given a class card.
EFFECTS OF STRESS
• Physical/Behavioral (physiological and behavioural)
• Racing heart
• Cold, sweaty hands
• Headaches
• Shallow or erratic breathing
• Nausea or upset tummy
• Constipation
• Shoulder or back pains
• Rushing around
• Working longer hours
• Losing touch with friends
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight changes
• Cognitive (or Thoughts)
• Forgetting things
• Finding it hard to concentrate
• Worrying about things
• Difficulty processing information
• Negative self-statements
• Emotional (or Feelings)
• Increased irritability or anger
• Anxiety or feelings of panic
• Fear
• Tearfulness
• Increased interpersonal conflicts
COPING WITH STRESS
• Reframing – focus on the good not the bad; think
in terms of ‘wants’ instead of ‘shoulds’. It’s best
if our thinking is related to our goals. For
example, “I want to read and understand this
chapter in Chemistry so I do well in my lab
practical” instead of “I have to read this difficult
chapter in Chemistry”.
• Challenging negative thinking – stopping the
negative thoughts we may have about a situation
or ourselves. Examples of negative thoughts
include expecting failure, putting yourself down,
feelings of inadequacy - a thought such as
“Everyone else seems to understand this except
me.”
• Positive self-talk – using positive language and
statements to ourselves. These are sometimes
referred to as positive affirmations; they are
useful for building confidence and challenging
negative thoughts. For example, “I can do this or
understand this” or “I’ll try my best”. These
work best when they are realistic and tailored to
your needs and goals.
• Cost-benefit analysis – Is it helping me to get
things done when I think this way?
• Keeping perspective – when under stress it is easy to lose
perspective; things can seem insurmountable. Some
questions to ask yourself: Is this really a problem? Is this
a problem anyone else has had? Can I prioritise the
problems? Does it really matter? “Look on the bright
side of life!” - Cultivate optimism.
• Using imagery/visualisation –imagining yourself in a
pleasant or a successful situation to help reduce stress.
One way to use imagery is as a relaxation tool; try to
remember the pleasure of an experience you’ve had or a
place you’ve been. The more senses you involve in the
image the more realistic, therefore the more powerful.
This strategy is often combined with deep breathing or
relaxation exercises.
• Physical exercise – aerobic exercise is the most
beneficial for reducing stress. It releases
neurochemicals in the brain that aid
concentration. For some people, even a short
walk is sufficient to relieve stress.
• Relaxation – from simple relaxation such as
dropping the head forward and rolling it gently
from side to side or simply stretching, to more
complex progressive relaxation exercises.
Progressive relaxation involves tensing and
releasing isolated muscle groups until muscles
are relaxed. There are also tapes and books
available on this topic.
• Breathing – from simple deep
breaths to more complex
breathing exercises related to
relaxation and meditation
• Smile and Laugh - gives us energy
and helps to lighten the load;
relaxes muscles in the face.
• Time management – specific strategies such as
clarifying priorities, setting goals, evaluating how
time is spent, developing an action plan,
overcoming procrastination and organising time.
These help us to cope with the numerous
demands placed upon us, often a source of
stress.
• Social Support/Friends – encourage the
development and nurturing of relationships.
• Seek Help – to help us cope with unmanageable
stress. Supports for students in College include
the Student Health Centre, Student Counselling
Service, College Tutors.
Healthy ways to relax and
recharge
• Go for a walk.
• Spend time in nature.
• Call a good friend.
• Sweat out tension with a good workout.
• Write in your journal.
• Take a long bath.
• Light scented candles.
• Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
• Play with a pet.
• Work in your garden.
• Get a massage.
• Curl up with a good book.
• Listen to music.
• Watch a comedy.
UNHEALTHY WAYS OF COPING WITH
STRESS
• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Overeating or under eating
• Zone out for hours in front of TV or computer
• Withdrawing from friends, family and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing prob
lems
• Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry
outbursts, physical violence)
ACTIVITY 3:
• Poster Making (1/8 illustration board) with cover
• Theme:
• “A positive step for a new beginning towards
Stress”
CRITERIA FOR GRADING:
ATTRACTIVENESS - 20%
RELEVANCE - 50%
CREATIVITY - 30%
100%
A SONG THAT SOOTHES
Not everyone is musically inclined but one thing is for sure, you
have been moved by a song. Think of a song that you would like to
listen to when you are under stress and write down your most
favourite part of the lyrics below.
SONG TITLE:_________________________________
ARTIST: ____________________________________
FAVOURITE PART OF THE LYRICS:
1. I like this part of the song
because_________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_______________________________________
2. Listening to this song makes me feel
__________________because_______________________
________________________________________________
_________
3. Listening to music when under stress helps
me_____________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_____________
QUIZ
PART 1:
THE FRUIT AND THE WORM
Ask the students to identify what kind of fruit they
would be.
Ask them to draw that fruit on the paper.
Tell them to imagine a worm and try to draw it
around the fruit.
Ask them to draw as many worms as they wish
depending on the stressors that they experience.
Tell them to illustrate the same fruit with worms
inside.
Let the students explain through writings their
understanding and conclusion on the activity.
QUIZ
PART 2-ESSAY
1. How does the knowledge of stress and its sources
facilitate a healthful life during adolescence?
2. Why is it important to determine the sources of
stress and its effects among adolescents?
3. At present, what do you think is your biggest
stressor? How do you cope with it?
4. What is the significance of learning how to cope
with stress?
5. Which kind of coping strategy do you think best
fits you? Why?
