CAUSES OF TEENAGE STRESS

1. Homework and school

2. Expectations and pressure
3. Social relationships
4. Extra-curricular commitments
5. Life challenges
6. Lack of time

SIGNS
1. You can't sleep.
2. Fatigue
3. Tired, headache, stomach ache
4. Irritable
5. Trouble concentrating
6. Avoiding school
7. Not with yourself
8. Not eating very well
9. Staying in room
10. Usually out with friends

Stress- to describe negative situations, but is actually not bad for a person
Stressor- anything that brings feeling of stress

TWO TYPES OF STRESS

1. Eustress / positive stress
- Motivates
- Short-term
- Perceived within our coping abilities
- Exciting
- Improves performance
2. Distress
- Anxiety or concern
- Short or long term
- Perceived outside our coping abilities
- Feels unpleasant
- Decreases performance
- Lead to mental and physical problems

When facing stress, certain chemicals (hormones) in the body are released which trigger
changes in the body namely:
1. Blood pressure may rise
2. Heart may pound
 3. Tense stomachWorse concentration
4. Worse concentration
5. Worse forgetfulness

Stressors include:
1. Adapting to constant, rapid change
2. Worrying on finances and economy
3. Handling a major life event
4. Handling more than 1 major life event
5. Juggling many roles and responsibilities
6. One challenging situation to another without relaxing
7. Overwhelmed by technology

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF STRESS

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Emotional
4. Behavioral

REDUCING, PREVENTING, AMD COPING UP STRESS

1. Identify the sources of stress
2. Look at how you currently cope stress

Unhealthy ways of coping up stress

1. Smoking
2. Drinking too much
3. Overeating or undereating
4. Zoning out in front of TV or computer
5. Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
6. Using pills or drugs to relax
7. Sleeping too much
8. Procrastinating
9. Filling up every minute to avoid facing problems
10. Taking out stress on others

Learning healthier ways to manage stress

It requires change to manage stress, either the situation or your reaction should be changed.
- "No size fits all" in coping up stress
- Choose what makes you calm and in control

Healthy ways to relax and cope up stress

1. Go for a walk
2. Spend time in nature
3. Call a good friend
 4. Good workout to sweat out tension
5. Write in your journal
6. Long bath
7. Light scented candles
8. Savor coffee or tea
9. Play with a pet
10. Walk in garden
11. Massage
12. Curl up with a good book
13. Listen to music
14. Watch comedy

DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS

1. Change the situation
- Avoid the stressor
- Alter the stressor
2. Change your reaction
- Adapt to the stressor
- Accept the stressor
3. Make time for fun and relaxation and adopt a healthy lifestyle

DISCUSSION #8
Family Structure
The traditional family structure is considered a family support system which involves two
married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring. However, this two-
parent, nuclear family has become less prevalent, and alternative family forms have become
more common. The family is created at birth and establishes ties across generations. Those
generations, the extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, can all hold
significant emotional and economic roles for the nuclear family.

Different kinds of family structures:

Nuclear family - a family unit consisting of at most a father, mother and dependent children. It is
considered the "traditional" family.

Extended family- a family consisting of parents and children, along with either grandparents,
grandchildren, aunts or uncles, cousins etc.

Step families - two families brought together due to divorce, separation, and remarriage.

Single parent family - this can be either a father or a mother who is singly responsible for the
raising of a child. The child can be by birth or adoption. They may be a single parent by choice
or by life circumstances. The other parent may have been part of the family at one time or not at
all.

Adoptive family- a family where one or more of the children has been adopted. Any structure of
family may also be an adoptive family.

Bi-racial or multi-racial family- a family where the parents are members of different racial identity
groups.

Trans-racial adoptive family- a family where the adoptive child is of a different racial identity
group than parents.

Blended family- a family that consists of members from two or more previous families.

Conditionally separated families - a family member is separated from the rest of the family. This
may be due to employment far away, military service, incarceration, hospitalization. They
remain significant members of the family.

Foster family- a family where one or more of the children is legally a temporary member of the
household. This temporary period may be as short as a few days or as long as the child's entire
childhood. .

Gay or lesbian family- a family where one or both of the parents' sexual orientation is gay or
lesbian. This may be a two-parent family, an adoptive family, a single parent family or an
extended family.

Immigrant family- a family where the parents have immigrated to another country as adults.
Their children may or may not be immigrants. Some family members may continue to live in the
country of origin, but still be significant figures in the life of the child.

Migrant family- a family that moves regularly to places where they have employment. The most
common form of migrant family is farm workers who move with the crop seasons. Children may
have a relatively stable community of people who mov at the same time or the family may know
no one in each setting. Military families may also lead a migrant life, with frequent relocation,
often of short notice..

Family Legacies

No matter who we are, where we live, or what our goals may be, we all have one thing in
common, a heritage. That is a social, emotional and spiritual legacy passed on from parent to
child. Every one of us is passed a heritage, lives out a heritage, and gives a heritage to our
family. It's not an option. Parents always pass to their children a legacy... good, bad or some of
both.
The emotional legacy- in order to prosper, our children need an enduring sense of security and
stability nurtured in an environment of safety and love.

The social legacy- to really succeed in life, our children need to learn more than management
techniques, accounting, reading, writing and geometry. They need to learn the fine art of relating
to people. If they learn how to relate well to others, they'll have an edge in the game of life.

The spiritual legacy - is overlooked by many, but that's a mistake. As spiritual beings, we adopt
attitudes and beliefs about spiritual matters from one source or another. As parent's we need to
take the initiative and our faith to our children.

The emotional legacy- sadly many of us struggle to overcome a negative emotional legacy that
hinders our ability to cope with the inevitable struggles of life. But imagine yourself giving warm
family memories to your child. You can create an atmosphere that provides a child's growth. It
will require time and consistency to develop a sense of emotional wholeness, but the rewards
are great. A strong emotional legacy:
1. Provides a safe environment in which deep emotional roots can grow.
2. Fosters confidence through stability.
3. Conveys a tone of trusting support.
4. Nurtures a strong sense of positive identity.
5. Creates a "resting place" for the soul
6. Demonstrates unconditional love.