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
High school graduation, to some, means a temporary ending or separation from some of their friends. There is a possible scenario that a best friend might move to another place to study or move to another school. Technology might ease the pain of separation by simply going online, texting, or calling to get instant connection with someone who is sorely missed.
separation anxiety
The prospect of being by themselves in a new school in college and meeting and adjusting to new people is another cause of stress for graduating senior students. The unfamiliarity of a new environment can bring stress to adolescents as they set their foot in college.
college life
Adolescents have a tendency to feel awkward when they are not in a special relationship with someone. Somehow, having an intimate relationship is a status symbol that says one is good looking, interesting, and attractive
romantic relationships or lack of it
To some adolescents, family ties can be a stressor. The ado- lescent is still learning and yearning for indépendence and auto- nomy, but parents may not be ready to relinquish control over their “baby.” This is why conflict sets in
family demands and expectations
There is also rebellion in the mind of adolescents, to go against the norm and to set their own norms that may not be agreeable to the parents
family demands and expectations
There are still some parents who think they know better than their children and so they decide for them on critical issues. An example is what course to take in college. Parents who believe that there is no future in music or designing career can overrule a highly creative and sensitive adolescent who may wish to take up music or designing arts. Encouragement to take up another course, like the one that may be similar to one or both parents, for example, medicine, usually happens.
family demands and expectations
Parental expectations are difficult to meet, especially if these counter one’s self-identity
family demands and expectations
To some adolescents, health may be a problem. Health prob- lems may run a gamut of varieties, such as unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, unhealthy lifestyles such as poor eating and sleeping habits that often lead to lifetime diseases, and so on.
health concerns
There is a common thinking among adolescents that it is embarrassing to be alone. That is why the need to belong is signi- ficantly important for adolescents.
demands of social life
a very important mechanism in dealing with stress
coping
it can help in avoiding the damages that may be brought about by severe or chronic stress to your health and well-being
coping
coping can be
problem-focused or emotion-focused
when remedies or solutions are thought of to change the situation to lessen the stress
problem-focused coping
when the objective is to lessen the emotional impact caused by the stressful situation
emotion-focused coping
examples of both problem-focused and emotional-focused coping remedies
conduct creative imagery of the problem; seek group/social support; get into relaxation activities; create a situation where you can feel more relaxed; learn to manage your time; eat properly
look at the stressor as a relational situation where you can assess and change the way you look at the stressful situation
conduct creative imagery of the problem
talk to people you know and trust, surround yourself with friends who can offer you sincere understanding and empathy. talk to an adult and share your thoughts and feelings
seek group or social support
activities like breathing exercises, regular physical exercise, meditation, yoga, self-hypnosis, reading a good book, or listening to relaxing music
get into relaxation activities
a situation like a quiet environment or a comfortable position, and a project a passive attitude toward the stressor
create a situation where you can feel more relaxed
analyze how much time you are spending for studying, for being online, for texting or calling, for watching TV, and see where you are spending more time. If you spend one hour for studying or doing homework but you spend two hours watching TV and fours hours visiting social networking sites, then you can immediately tell that there is definitely an imbalance in your priorities and time management. Setting your priorities is important when managing time. As a student, your priority is your studies.
learn to manage your time
select nutritious, healthy food. eat regularly and avoid skipping meals
eat properly
stress may be both good and bad, depending on the
acuteness and length of time it persists
the human organism’s way of bringing itself back to a state of equilibrium, which is the healthy state
coping
the healthy state
equilibrium
stress may be the events or situations that are life changing and very challenging.
stress as stimulus
stress causes the body and the brain to secrete hormones and chemicals that are manifested physically, and which may drive a person to a certain behavioral direction in dealing with the stress.
stress as response
stress is seen as a situation that a person interacts with. The person can assess whether the situation is relevant or not, and if the relevance is positive or negative.
stress as relational
a way for a person to deal with stress in a healthy, acceptable manner.
coping
necessary to avoid psychological trauma and mental diseases
coping
this consists of our everyday stresses and is considered as good or positive stress because of the benefits it brings to people who experienced it.
eustress
this is a form of negative stress that is experienced when the situation or event encountered is threatening or overwhelming and one’s ability to cope is inadequate
distress
help improve work performance,
increase motivation and energy, excite
an individual.
eustress
decrease work performance,
cause anxiety and worry, can cause
mental, physical and health
consequences, unpleasant feeling.
distress
types of stressors
bioecological; psychointrapersonal; social INFLUENCE; technostress
Biological and
ecological factors
such as sunlight,
gravitational pull,
electromagnetic
fields,
environmental
toxins, solar
radiation, noise
pollution, etc.
Bioecological
Influence
They involve some
personality
constructs like
thoughts, beliefs,
values, attitudes,
and opinions.
Stress happens
when any of them
are violated.
Psychointrapersonal Influence
Influence by
social causes
such as financial
insecurity,
violation of
human rights,
technological
advances,
lifestyle behavior,
peer pressures,
etc.
social influence
Devastating
emotions caused
by the outpouring
amount of
information from
online technology
like identity theft,
internet gambling,
distractions of
emails and text
messages, etc.
technostress
deal with the stressors directly in
practical ways
problem-focused methods
ways of problem-focused methods
seeking social support and anticipatory coping
talking and discussing the problems
Seeking social support
anticipate the symptoms and feelings of stress and we can do something to avoid them.
anticipatory coping
used when a person has no capacity to deal with the source of the problem
emotion-focused methods
ways of emotion-focused methods
defense mechanism, reappraisal, arousal reduction
pretending it’s not happening.
defense mechanism
take another look of the situation and change the way they feel.
reappraisal
the person is less aroused, feels less stressed, like in meditation.
arousal reflection
refers to a state of well-being in which the individuals
realizes one’s own abilities and potentials, scopes adequately with the
normal stresses of life, display resilience in the face of extreme life events,
works productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a positive
contribution to the community.
mental health
what republic act refines mental health
RA 11036
