Encountering Stress as

Part of the Adolescence

 • discuss that understanding
stress and its sources during
adolescence may help in
identifying ways to cope and
have a healthful life;

MELC • identify sources of one’s stress

and illustrate the effect of
stress on one’s system; and
• demonstrate personal ways of
coping with stress for
healthful living.
 STRESS

❖ Stress is the body’s reaction to change or any kind of demands

or threat.
❖ It can either be positive or negative
❖ The stimulus that triggers the body to respond is called a
stressor.

2023-2024 Encountering Stress as Part of the Adolescence 3

 TYPES OF STRESS

❖ Acute stress. Stress that lasts for a short period of time. It is

also known as flight or fight response.
Example:
• Having an argument
• Taking an examination
• Getting lost in new place
• Running late in school
• Rushing a deadline
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 TYPES OF STRESS

❖ Chronic stress. Stress that lasts for a long period of time. It

comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable
situation.
❖ Example:
• Death of loved ones
• Health problems
• Money problem
• Dysfunctional family

2023-2024 Encountering Stress as Part of the Adolescence 5

 UNDERSTANDING STRESS

❖ Not all stress comes from things that happen to around us.
Much of our stress response is self-induced.
❖ Stress can destroy a persons’ health and school performance.
❖ It is easy to cope up with stress if we know its source and its
effects.

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 SIGNS OF STRESS

❖ Physical - constant fatigue and weight changes are some

examples.
❖ Cognitive - lack of focus and forgetfulness are some examples.
❖ Emotional/Behavioral - change in eating and sleeping habits are
some examples.

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Sources of Stress and
Its Effects
 SOURCES OF STRESS

❖ Personal problems. It revolves on the power of your mind. It

relates to how we think, rationalize and make meanings of our
problems or worries.
• Causes: examinations, grades in school, parents’ expectations,
homesickness, conflicts with intimate partners, thoughts of
future.

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 ❖ Social Issues. This relates to our interaction, socialization, and
communication with the people around us. It can be about
our relationship with our parents, friends, teachers, and
classmates.
• Causes:
• Discrimination in race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual
orientation.
• Living in a noisy neighborhood, crime, and safety concern.

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 ❖ Traumatic or significant events. It revolves around the critical
incident and significant events in our life.
• Causes: robbery, rape, accidents, natural disaster, violence,
death of loved ones, moving to another place

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 EFFECTS OF STRESS

❖ Our body response if we are in a stressful situation, it is called

a “fight or flight” response.
❖ The nervous system releases hormones that is why our heart
beats faster, our breathing gets faster, our muscle are tensed,
and we become sweaty.
❖ If you are stressed for a short period of time, you can notice
some physical changes: headache, fatigue, difficulty in sleeping,
difficulty in concentrating, upset stomach, irritability.

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 EFFECTS OF STRESS

❖ When stress is not properly handled, it can lead to some

serious health conditions.
❖ Some of the health problems are depression, heart disease,
abnormal heartbeat, high blood pressure, changes in appetite
or weight, persistent back and neck pain.

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Coping Techniques
 Benefits Of Managing Stress

Here are the benefits that we can get if we know how to

manage stress:
• Sleep better
• Control our weight
• Get sick less often
• Be in a better mood
• Get along better with family and friends

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 Personal Ways To Cope With Stress

1. Plan and prepare

2. Relax
3. Get active
4. Eat healthy food
5. Stay positive
6. Get support

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 PLAN AND PREPARE

❖ Plan your time. Think ahead about how you are going to use
your time. Write a to-do list and figure out what’s most
important – then do that thing first. Be realistic about how
long each task will take.
❖ Prepare yourself. Prepare ahead of time for stressful events
like a job interview or a hard conversation with a loved one.

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 RELAX

❖ Relax with deep breathing or meditation. Relaxation exercises

should be a regular part of your day. Deep breathing and
meditation are two ways to relax your muscles and clear your
mind.
❖ Relax your muscles. Stress causes tension in your muscles.
Try stretching or taking a hot shower to help you relax.

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 GET ACTIVE

❖ Get active. An exercise routine helps reduce anxiety, and it

also helps you endure the stress you cannot avoid.
❖ Find positive ways to reduce stress and negative feelings.
Positive distractions such as listening to music, reading a book,
exercising or watching a movie can help renew you so you
can refocus on meeting challenges in your life.

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 FOOD AND DRINK

❖ Eat healthy. Give your body plenty of energy by eating

healthy foods – including vegetables, fruits, and lean sources of
protein.
❖ Avoid using alcohol and drugs to manage your stress. If you
choose to drink, drink only in moderation. Avoid numbing
your unpleasant feelings with alcohol or drugs.

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 STAY POSITIVE
❖ Recognize your strengths. Recall the ways you have
successfully handled past hardships, such as the loss of a loved
one, the end of a relationship or a serious illness. Draw on
these skills to meet current challenges. Trust yourself to solve
problems and make appropriate decisions.
❖ Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic and positive
outlook can enable you to see the good things in your life and
can keep you going even in the hardest times.

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 GET SUPPORT
❖ Keep connected. Social support is a key factor in helping
people to successfully survive tragedy. It is okay to reach out
to ask others for support or just to spend time with you. Tell
your friends and family if you are feeling stressed. They may
be able to help.
❖ Get help if you need it. Stress is a normal part of life. But if
your stress doesn’t go away or keeps getting worse, you may
need help. Over time, stress can lead to serious problems like
depression, anxiety, or PTSD.

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 Journal Entry #4: My Stress Signal
❖ Write about your stress signals. Answer the following
questions:
1. How do you know that you are stressed?
2. How much stress do you think you are currently under?
3. How are your stress signals different for different types of
stressors?
4. What are some ways that you usually remove or reduce the
stress that cause you physical, emotional or behavioral
difficulties?
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thank you