PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Stress in Adolescence

rd nd
Febbie Mae L. Juan, RPm 3 Quarter, 2 Semester (S.Y. 2018-2019)

Defining Stress
 A reaction of the mind and body to a stimulus that disturbs the well-being, state of
calm, or equilibrium of a person.
 Small and sporadic amounts of stress can be helpful and beneficial to individuals,
while excessive amounts of stress sustained over a lengthy period of time can be
destructive to both physical and mental health.
Stress as Stimulus, Response and Relational
 As a stimulus, 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. These
events and situations are called stressors.
 Stress as a response is the way the body reacts to challenging situations. These are the
interactions between the hormones, glands and nervous system.
o The adrenal gland drives the production of cortisol or the “stress hormone”. It
enables the person’s body to produce the energy it needs to gear it toward
action.
o Production of norepinephrine triggers the body’s reaction, such as an
increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and respiration, to prepare the
body for action.
o The adolescent’s physical response to stress is faster that of an adult because
the part of the adolescent’s brain, the prefrontal cortex – assesses danger and
directs action during stress – is not yet developed.
o Prolonged or chronic situations that involve both cortisol and norepinephrine
will eventually affect the body to wear down fast and can cause fatigue, aging
and illness caused by low immune system.
 Stress as relational means that a person takes a step back to look at the situation that
is causing the stress and assesses it. It allows the person to weigh the relevance or
irrelevance of the situation.
Healthy Stress
 Short and sporadic stress can propel a person to a necessary action. These stress can
motivate, energize and spur an action.
 Bad stress can be transformed depending on how an individual assesses the situation,

Reference: Personal Development (Ricardo Rubio Santos)

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Stress in Adolescence
rd nd
Febbie Mae L. Juan, RPm 3 Quarter, 2 Semester (S.Y. 2018-2019)

Stressors
1. School Demands and Expectations
2. Selecting a School, College Course, or Career
3. Separation Anxiety
4. College Life
5. Romantic Relationships or the Lack of it
6. Family Demands and Expectations
7. Health Concerns
8. Demands of Social Life
9. Bullying
Coping with Stress
 Coping is very important mechanism in dealing with stress.
 Coping can be problem-focused, when remedies or solutions are thought of to change
the situation to lessen the stress, or emotion-focused, when the objective is to lessen
the emotional impact caused by the stressful situation.
 Coping can be a combination of both problem-focused and emotion-focused:
o Conduct creative imagery of the problem
o Seek group or social support
o Get into relaxation activities
o Create a situation where you can feel more relaxed
o Learn to manage your time
o Eat properly
 In additional, you may also do the following:
o Seek spiritual growth through prayer and meditation
o Have a worthwhile hobby
o Watch movie with friends
o Have a nice, quiet walk
o Assess your stressors and then adjust to the expectations
o Believe in yourself

Reference: Personal Development (Ricardo Rubio Santos)