Transcript Teenage Stress - Waterloo Region District School Board

Teenage Stress
“I’m So Stressed”
40% !!!!!!!!
of ALL Teenagers
say they experience
mild or severe stress
in their life
It’s how they handle
the stress that will
determine how
healthy they are
STUDENT STRESS RATING SCALE
The following are events that occur in the life of a college student. Place a check in the left-hand
column for each of those events that has happened to you during the last 12 months.
___ Death of a close family member - 100 points
____ Jail term - 80 points
____ Final year or first year in college - 63 points
____ Pregnancy (to you or caused by your) - 60 points
____ Severe personal illness or injury - 53 points
____ Marriage - 50 points
____ Any interpersonal problems - 45 points
____ Financial difficulties - 40 points
____ Death of a close friend - 40 points
____ Arguments with your roommate (more than every other day) - 40 points
____ Major disagreements with your family - 40 points’
____ Major change in personal habits - 30 points
____ Change in living environment - 30 points
____ Beginning or ending a job - 30 points
____Problems with your boss or professor - 25 points
____ Outstanding personal achievement - 25 points
____ Failure in some course - 25 points
____ Final exams - 20 points
____ Increased or decreased dating - 20 points
____ Changes in working conditions - 20 points
____ Change in your major
____ Change in your sleeping habits - 18 points
____ Several-day vacation - 15 points
____ Change in eating habits - 15 points
____ Family reunion - 15 points
____ Change in recreational activities - 15 points
____ Minor illness or injury - 15 points
____ Minor violations of the law - 11 points
Score: _________________
INTERPRETING YOUR SCORE
 Less than 150 points
: relatively low stress level in relation
to life events
 150 - 300 points
: borderline range
 Greater than 300 points : high stress in relation to life events
 Note: From Girdano, D.A., Everly, G. S., Jr., & Dusek, D. E.
(1990). Controlling stress and tension (3rd edition),
ENnglewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Stress – Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMq
DoqE
WHAT IS STRESS?
 Stress is your mind and body’s response or
reaction to a real or imagined threat, event or
change.
 The threat, event or change are commonly
called stressors. Stressors can be internal
(thoughts, beliefs, attitudes or external (loss,
tragedy, change).
 May feel tension, frustration, worry,
sadness, or withdrawal
Identifying Stressors
 Situations that make you feel stress are called
stressors
 Not everyone reacts the same way to the same
stressors
 Recognizing what stressors make you
experience stress is the first step in controlling
your stress
 ACTIVITY:
 Take a moment to think about what type of
day you have had? How many stressors –
mild or major have you encountered today?
EUSTRESS
Eustress or positive stress occurs when
your level of stress is high enough to
motivate you to move into action to get
things accomplished.
DISTRESS
Distress or negative stress occurs when
your level of stress is either too high or too
low and your body and/or mind begin to
respond negatively to the stressors.
RECOGNIZING STRESS SIGNALS
 Symptoms could be:
Physical such as headaches or upset
stomach
Changes in sleep or eating patterns
 You need to learn the ways in which your body
signals you that you are experiencing stress, so
that you can recognize it and deal with it before
it makes you ill
 ACTIVITY
 What signals does your body send you that
you are under stress?
STAGES OF STRESS
Stages of Stress
1. Alarm Stage
2. Resistance Stage
3. Exhaustion Stage
1. ALARM STAGE
As you begin to experience a stressful
event or perceive something to be
stressful psychological changes occur in
your body. This experience or perception
disrupts your body’s normal balance and
immediately your body begins to respond
to the stressor(s) as effectively as
possible.
EXAMPLES
 Cardiac - increased heart rate
 Respiratory - increased respiration
 Skin - decreased temperature
 Hormonal - increased stimulation of
adrenal genes which produce an adrenal
rush.
2. RESISTANCE STAGE
During this stage your body tries to cope
or adapt to the stressors by beginning a
process of repairing any damage the
stressor has caused. Your friends, family
or co-workers may notice changes in you
before you do so it is important to examine
their feedback to make sure you do not
reach overload.
EXAMPLES
 Behavior indicators include: lack of
enthusiasm for family, school, work or life
in general, withdrawal, change in eating
habits, insomnia, hypersomnia, anger,
fatigue.
 Cognitive Indicators include: poor problem
solving, confusion, nightmares, hypervigilance.
RESISTANCE STAGE
MORE EXAMPLES
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Emotional indicators include:
tearfulness
fear
anxiety
panic
guilt
agitation
depression
overwhelmed.
3. EXHAUSTION STAGE
During this stage the stressor is not being
managed effectively and the body and
mind are not able to repair the damage.
EXAMPLES
Digestive disorders, withdrawal,
headaches, tension, insomnia, loss of
temper, skin disorders etc..
Who Causes us stress ?
Parents
Teachers
Coaches
Brothers/Sisters
Friends
Oneself
Environment
Others???
RESPONDING TO STRESS
 E+R=W
 Many times when we experience stress, we don’t stop to
think about how we handle it.
 We respond to stress based on habits and patterns that
we have developed over time
 Some habits are healthy, and others are unhealthy
ACTIVITY
 Identify an unhealthy response to stress. Think of a
stressful situation in which you respond with this
negative habit. Think of a healthier alternative to
handle this stressor!
How do most teenagers escape stress?
 Listen to Music
 Talk to Friends/Family
 Watch Television
 Physical Activity
 Yoga
 Meditation/Relaxation Breathing
 Seek Solutions…….Do You?
 Seek Support
“I’m really depressed”
Depression is more severe than stress
and it lasts longer (at least 2-3 weeks)
21
days
Feel hopeless
Feel sad
Feel alone
Worry
Withdrawal (from your friends and family)
How do teenagers escape depression?
 Become indifferent-avoid people
 Exhibit anger at those around them
 Become aggressive, yell, fight,
complain
 Drink
 Smoke
 Sleep
 Cry
 Attempt suicide
Stressed/Depressed
Where do you go?
 Teachers
 Pastor
 Physician
 Coach
 Relatives
 Parents
 Friends
I’M IN CONTROL - DISTRESS RELIEF STRATEGIES
Feeling good about yourselves can be an effective buffer against stress. Eliminate unnecessary worries.
PHYSICAL
1. Relax neck and shoulders
2. Take a stretch
3. Get a massage
4. Exercise
GET MENTAL
5. Count to 10
6. Control your thoughts
7. Fantasize
8. Congratulate yourself
9. Ignore the problem if appropriate, after evaluation
10. Perform self maintenance
11. Talk to a counselor
GET SPIRITUAL
12. Meditate
13. Pray
14. Remember your purpose
USE YOUR BODY AND MIND TOGETHER
15. Take a break
16. Get hug therapy
17. Try progressive relaxation
18. Try yoga
19. Try aroma therapy
20. Laugh
DEVELOP NEW SKILLS
21. Prioritize daily tasks
22. Learn something
23. Practice a hobby
LEARNING TO HANDLE CONFLICT
There are 3 types of conflict
Internal Conflict – conflict within yourself
Interpersonal – conflict between two people
Inter-group – conflict between members of one
group and another group
3 METHODS TO HANDLE STRESS
1. Avoidance
2. Confrontation
3. Resolution
Avoidance
Confrontation
Resolution
Cry
Quit
Pout
Back stab
Give in
Deny
Use humour
Stop speaking to
person
?
Yell
Fight
Accuse
?
Talk
Get a mediator
Compromise
Share ideas
?
USING “I” STATEMENTS 
1.
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I feel… (state the feeling)
When you…(state the person’s behavior)
Because…(state the effect it has on you)
I want…(state what you want to happen)
(ie) I feel hurt and angry… when you tell other
people something I told you in confidence…
because it is embarrassing and it made other
people angry with me… I want you to promise
that when I tell you something in confidence
that you will not tell a single person.”
Resiliency: is the ability to recover from
disappointment, difficulty, or a crisis.
• External factors: include your family, your
school or community, and your peers.
• Internal factors: are the ones you have control
over.
• Positive values: demonstrate positive values through
your words and actions.
• Social dependency: you have empathy and
friendship skills. It also means you can resist negative
peer pressure and resolve conflicts nonviolently.
• Positive identity: indicates positive self-esteem and a
sense of purpose.
Resiliency Simplified…
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Recognize your symptoms of stress
Use relaxation techniques
Exercise
Time management
Watch your diet
Get enough sleep and rest
Help others
Take time outs – vacations, mental breaks
Give in occasionally
Tackle one thing at a time
Don’t try to be perfect
Have some fun – laugh lots and enjoy life!
How to be Resilient…
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Get Together
Talk with your friends and, yes, even with your parents. Understand that
your parents may have more life experience than you do, even if it seems
they never were your age.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
When something bad happens in your life, the stresses of whatever
you're going through may heighten daily stresses. Your emotions might
already be all over the map because of hormones and physical changes;
be prepared for this and go a little easy on yourself, and on your friends.
Create A Hassle-Free Zone
Make your room or apartment a "hassle-free zone" - not that you keep
everyone out, but home should be a haven free from stress and
anxieties.
Stick To The Program
During a time of major stress, map out a routine and stick to it. You may
be doing all kinds of new things, but don't forget the routines that give you
comfort.
Take Care Of Yourself
Be sure to take of yourself - physically, mentally and spiritually. And get
sleep. If you don't, you may be more grouchy and nervous at a time when
you have to stay sharp.
Resiliency cont…
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Take Control
Bad times make us feel out of control - grab some of that control back by taking
decisive action.
Express Yourself
Tragedy can bring up a bunch of conflicting emotions, but sometimes, it's just too
hard to talk to someone about what you're feeling. If talking isn't working, do
something else to capture your emotions like start a journal, or create art.
Help Somebody
Nothing gets your mind off your own problems like solving someone else's. Try
volunteering in your community or at your school, cleaning-up around the house or
apartment, or helping a friend with his or her homework.
Put Things In Perspective
The very thing that has you stressed out may be all anyone is talking about now.
But eventually, things change and bad times end. Learn some relaxation
techniques, whether it's thinking of a particular song in times of stress, or just
taking a deep breath to calm down. When you talk about bad times, make sure
you talk about good times as well.
You can learn resilience. But just because you learn resilience doesn't mean
you won't feel stressed or anxious. You might have times when you aren't
happy - and that's OK. Resilience is a journey, and each person will take his
or her own time along the way. Resilience can help you be one of the people
who've "got bounce."