STRESSHealth 7

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

BOREDOM

Not feeling challenged causes boredom

Can lead to depression

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)

Case study – page 114-115 Read and discuss questions 1 and 2

In-class assignment