Lesson 4: Coping with Stress in Middle and Late Adolescence Flashcards
defined as a reaction of the mind and body to a stimulus that disturbs the well-being, state of calm, or equilibrium of a person
stress
when is stress helpful and beneficial to individuals
when it is small and sporadic
when is stress destructive to both physical and mental health
when it is in excessive amounts sustained over a lengthy periods
stress is caused by situations that may be life threatening or life changing, such as separation, moving into a new home, or having a new job
stress as a stimulus
situations or events that may be life threatening or life changing
stressors
the way the body reacts to challenging situations
stress as a response
the reactions of the body to challenging situations involve
interactions between the hormones, glands, and nervous system
how does the body react to challenging situations
adrenal gland drives the production of cortisol, which enables the body to produce the energy to gear it toward action
also known as the stress hormone
cortisol
enables a person’s body to produce the energy it needs to gear it toward action
production of cortisol
another response of the body similar to the production of cortisol
release of a substance called neropinephrine
what does neropinephrine
triggers the body’s reaction like increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and respiration
the adolescent’s physical response to stress is
faster than an adult
why is the adolescent’s physical response to stress faster than an adult
the part of the adolescent’s brain (prefrontal cortex) is not fully developed
the part of an adolescent’s brain that assesses danger and directs action during stress
prefrontal cortex
these situations eventually affect the body to wear down fast
prolonged or chronic situations that involve both cortisol and norepinephrine
prolonged or chronic stress often causes
fatigue, aging, illness (low immune system)
when a person experiencing stress takes a step back to look at the situation that is causing the stress, and assesses it
stress as relational
means that when a person allows reasoning to prevail and weigh the relevance or irrelevance of the situation.
assessment
if the relevance is positive in an assessment, the person will
look at the situation is a more positive light
if the relevance is negative in an assessment, this will
produce negative emotions that lead to stress
several points of view about stress
STRESS AS stimulus; response; relational
certain types of stress that can benefit a person
healthy stress
stress that is short and sporadic that can propel a person to a necessary action
eustress
these types of stress can motivate, energize, and spur an individual into fruitful action
stress
bad stress can be transformed into good stress depending on
how an individual assesses the situation
two sources of stressors
external and internal source
stresses that come outside of you like situations, people, and experiences
external stressors
stressors that come from within you, like thoughts that you have that caused you to feel fearful, uncertainties about the future, lack of control over situations, and even your personal beliefs, which include your own expectations
internal stresssors
examples of possible stressors that a high school student faces
school demands and expectations; selecting a school/college course/career; separation anxiety; college; romantic relationships or the lack of it; family demands and expectations; health concerns; demands of social life; bullying;
Quizzes and tests, home works and projects, oral recitation, quarterly and final exams, and grades most especially, epitomize the kind of stressors adolescents have when it comes to studying. Although grades are not the only gauge of what one has learned, it is what the educational system relies on when trying to measure one’s learning capacity. Graduating senior high school students feel the stress more than any other year level. The question that lingers on their minds is whether one will graduate on time or not.
school demands and expectations
Related to the first stressor mentioned is the situation of what will happen after graduation. A high school student who just graduated faces more demanding challenges, and the first of these are the entrance exams to whatever school or university, and the course that they will choose. Deciding on what course to take up in college is another stressor that is similar to taking an entrance examination. Oftentimes, fresh graduates have gone through several aptitude tests conducted in high school to help them define what their interests are and what probable college course fits their interests. Unfortunately, there is need for more relevant information describing the kinds of jobs that are available to college graduates. This is another reason why high school graduates also go through a guessing game as to where and what they will end up doing after college
selecting a school, college course, or career