WHAT IS STRESS?
Stress is physical, mental, or emotional strain in your life.
Certain situations or experiences cause people stress (but what is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another).
Happy events, such as going to summer camp, can be stressful.
Unhappy events, such as moving to a new place, can also be stressful.
SOURCES OF STRESS
Situations and feelings that cause you to feel stress are called stressors.
Stressors come from many different sources in our lives. Physical stressors
Adolescent stressors
Imaginary stressors
Mental stressors
Boredom
Crisis
Changes
PHYSICAL STRESSORS
Being deprived of food, shelter, and warmth
Injury or illness
Pollution
Noise
Crowded conditions
ADOLESCENT STRESSORS
The process of growing and changing Dealing with new teachers
Having family problems
Managing school work
Issues with friends
Need for independence
IMAGINARY STRESSORS
Thinking about a situation or even that has not happened, like an upcoming class presentation, or fear of an illness.
Butterflies in the stomach
Skin rashes
Stomach aches
Symptoms usually disappear soon after the even has occurred, or once the illness is proven not to exist
MENTAL STRESSORS
Holding yourself to high standards
Attempting to meet parents’ expectations
Concern about performance in school
Trying to please other people
Feeling misunderstood by others
CRISIS
When something terrible occurs without warning Death in family
Parents’ divorce
A fire
An accident
Serious illness
CHANGES
Going to a new school
Moving to a new home or city
Parents getting remarried
Birth of a sibling
Going on a first date
HEALTHY STRESS
The right amount of stress can be healthy and beneficial if it is managed properly.
Stress can inspire you to do better on a test, for example. If you are worried about doing poorly, the stress will cause you to
study more and work harder.
You will get a better grade as a result.
Another example is when stress helps you reach a goal. If you have an upcoming hockey game against a strong team, you may
feel stressed about it.
This will motivate you to practice harder, or play harder, which can help your team win.
UNHEALTHY STRESS
If stress remains for a long period of time, and is not managed properly, it can be unhealthy and harmful.
Your body starts to experience the effects of stress: Headaches
Muscle pains
Sleeplessness
Minor illnesses such as cold, flu, or indigestion
Serious illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or stomach ulcers
Poor eating habits
Poor health habits, such as smoking, drinking, and using drugs
DEALING WITH STRESS
You can never completely avoid stress in your life. The secret is to learn to control it.
Once you accept the things you cannot change, and work hard at the things you can change, you are better able to cope with stress.
To prevent the unhealthy effects of stress, you must figure out how to relieve or reduce stress levels.
There are strategies that can help you cope with stress better.
PHYSICAL STRATEGIES
Maintain your health (exercise, eat well, get enough sleep)
Learn to relax (get a hobby, have a warm bath, try relaxation techniques)
MENTAL STRATEGIES
Think positive thoughts (focus on your strengths, think about what you’ve done well)
Organize your time (sort your tasks from most important to least important, do one step at a time, give yourself enough time to get things done)
Value yourself (don’t blame yourself when things do not go well, learn from your mistakes, do not try to be perfect)
Plan and think ahead (make plans to deal with stressful situations, have a plan B, compromise)
Express your feelings (laugh, cry)
SOCIAL STRATEGIES
Communicate with people (compliment someone, discuss your problems with a trustworthy person, help someone)
Seek new activities (pursue new hobbies and interests, plan something fun to do, spend time with different people)