Unit 2: Brain Maintenance

Student Guide Lesson 4

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1. What are 5 things to note about stress? (Slide 2)

● Stress affects everyone and their experiences can be very different.

● Not all stress is bad

● long-term stress can harm your health

● There are ways to manage stress

● If you feel overwhelmed by stress, ask for help from a healthcare professional

2. Not all stress is bad. (Slide 3)

● Not all stress has negative effects.

● When the body tolerates stress and uses it to overcome fatigue or enhance performance, the
stress is positive, healthy, and challenging

3. Stress may help you “get the heck outta there” (Slide 4)
Stress is positive when:
● it forces us to adapt and strengthen our adaptation mechanisms

● warns us that we are not coping well

● signals to us that a new lifestyle is needed

● moves us toward a new, healthier situation

4. What is stress? (Slide 5)

● Stress is how the brain and body respond to any demand or challenge

● Stress can affect your health

● It is important to pay attention to how you deal with stress and major stressors, so you know
when to seek help

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 5. Stress and the Triad (Slide 6 – narrator provides answers)
● Amygdala processes the “threat”. The “threat” in the scenario is that there might be a
pop quiz tomorrow. The amygdala sends the information to the cortex for processing.
● The nucleus accumbens and the amygdala begin their negotiation (pop quiz or party).
The nucleus accumbens which is responsible for reward says “party, party, party!” and
sends that to the cortex.
● The cortex receives the possibility of a pop quiz as the threat and the party as the
rewarding and fun thing to do. The cortex must prioritize and hopefully concludes that a
bad grade is a worse threat than the reward of a party, which results in you choosing to
study.

6. What are the various levels of stress? (Slide 7 – narrator provides answers)
● Positive

● Tolerable
- Serious, temporary stress responses, buffered by supportive relationships
● toxic (as known as chronic stress)
- Keeps the stress response activated and often there is a lack of protective relationships

7. What is acute stress? (Slide 9)

● Acute (short term) – a traumatic event, a shocking, scary or dangerous experience that can
affect someone emotionally and physically

8. What is the acute stress response (fight or flight)? (Slide 11)

● Fight – you take action

● Flight – you avoid the situation

● The sympathetic nervous system prepares you for fight or flight

- Heart rate increases
- Blood flow shifted to muscles
- Blood glucose rises

9. What are physical symptoms of the stress responses in action? (Slide 12)

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 ● Pupils dilate

● respiration quickens; bronchial tubes dilate

● perspiration begins

● Heart rate increases

● Muscles tense and may tremble

10. What is chronic stress? (Slide 13)

Chronic (long term) – is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of
time in which an individual perceives they have little or no control

11. What are some of the effects from a chronic stress response? (Slide 14)

● Chronic, long-term stress, is more constant than acute stress

● Body never receives a clear signal to return to normal functioning

● Remaining in an alert state is disruptive body systems

● May cause serious health problems such as:

- heart disease
- high high pressure
- diabetes
- Mental disorders (depression or anxiety)
- other illness

12. Sustained stress during childhood and adolescence changes the brain (Slide 15)
● Loss of connections in the cortex and hippocampus and an increase of connections in the
amygdala can cause the amygdala to send exaggerated warning signals to the cortex.
● The overall effect of chronic stress on the young brain can lead to stronger more emotional
responses to minor stressors and poorer judgment.

13. What are six ways to cope with stress? (Slide 17)
● Be observant by recognizing the signs of your body’s response to stress

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 ● Talk with your doctor – Start the conversation about stress with your doctor if it’s affecting
your ability to function.
● exercise regularly

● Find a relaxing activity that you enjoy

● set goals and priorities

● Stay connected with your family and friends and others that provide you emotional support
and help.

14. Select your 5 favorite stress management strategies. (Slides 18-19)

● Listen to Music
● Talk to friends
● Exercise
● Eat comfort food
● get more sleep.

15. What is a key strategy to deal with exam stress? (Slide 20)
Proper Sleep

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