Chapter 6

Coping with Stress

in Middle and Late
Adolescence
Objectives:
1. Defining stress
a. Stress as Stimulus , Response
and Relational
b. Healthy Stress
2. Know Your Stressors
3. Coping with Stress
 Defining Stress
> Stress is 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 .

> There is a common belief that stress is

unhealthy, but discussion among experts
conclude that this is not entirely the case.
> Psychologist have agreed that 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.
 Points of
View about
 Stress ….. As Stimulus
> 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 situation or
events are often called
Stressors.
Stress ….. As Response
> As a response, it is the way the body reac
to challenging situations.
> This involves the interactions between the
hormones, glands and nervous system where the
adrenal gland drives the production of cortisol or
better
> The known as “STRESS
adolescent’s HORMONE”.
physical response to stress is faster that of
an adult simply because the part of the adolescent’s brain that
assess danger is not yet fully develop.
Stress ….. As Relational
> As a relational, is when a person experiencing stress
takes a step back to look at the situation that is causing
the stress and assesses.
> Assessment here mean that when the person
allows reasoning to prevail and weigh relevance
and irrelevance of the situation.
> If the relevance is positive, the person will
look at it in a more positive way, and if the
relevance is negative this will produce
 An example of this is Delayed
Flight…

A positive relevance to this

is will have the person
thinking this is one situation
he has no control of , and
there may be a purpose or
reason why it is happening.
A negative relevance will
produce agitation and
impatience, blaming the airline
or whoever is responsible for
the delay, which may result in
Healthy Stress
Stress that is short and sporadic can
propel a person to a necessary action.
These types of stress can
motivate, energize, and spur an
individual into fruitful action.
Example: Speaking in front of an audience is
a healthy stress as it pushes the speaker to
prepare and be an effective speaker.

Bad stress can be transformed into

good stress depending on how an
individual assess the situation. An
adolescents should learn coping
mechanisms to assist in their
development.
Know your Stressors
What are the
different kinds of
Stressors?
1. School Demands
Quizzes, tests, home works,
projects, oral recitation,
quarterly and final exams and
grades most especially
epitomize the kind of stressors
adolescents have when it
comes to studying.
2. Selecting a School, College Course
or Career
Entrance exams, deciding on
what course to take up in
college is another stressors.

This is another reason why high school

graduates also go through a guessing game
as to where and what they will end up
3. Separation Anxiety
High school graduation, to some,
means a temporary ending or
separation from some of their
friends.
Technology might ease the pain of separation by
simply going online, texting, or calling to get
instant connection with someone who is sorely
missed.
4. College Life
The prospect of being by themselves in a new
school in college and meeting and adjusting
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.
 5. Romantic Relationship or the
Lack of it
Adolescence have the 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,
6. Family Demands and
Expectations
To some adolescents, family
ties can be a stressor. The
adolescents is till learning
and yearning for
independence and autonomy,
but parents may not be ready
to relinquish control over
7. Health Concerns
To some adolescents, health may be a problem.
Health problems 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.
8. Demands of Social Life
There is a common thinking
among adolescents that it is
embarrassing to be alone.
That is why the need to
belong is significantly
important for adolescents.
9. Bullying

Being bullied in school can

be stressful and may cause
emotional and psychological
trauma to the individual
Coping is very important mechanism in dealing
with stress. It can help avoiding the damage that
may be brought about by severe or chronic stress to
your health and well-being.
Coping can be problem-focused, when remedies or
solutions are thought of to change the situation to
lesson the stress or emotion- focused, when the
objective is to lessen the emotional impact caused
by the stressful situation.
Coping may also be a combination of both
problem-focused and emotional-focused remedies.
 Here are some examples on how to cope
with stress:
1. Conduct creative imagery problem

2. Seek group or social support

3. Get into relaxation activity like breathing
exercises, physical exercises, meditation, yoga ,
self-hypnosis, reading a good book or listening to
relaxing music.
4. Create a situation where you can feel more relaxed
like quiet environment or a comfortable position, and
project a passive attitude toward the stressor.

5. Learn to manage your time

6. Eat properly by selecting nutritious, healthy

food.
 Additional examples on how to cope
with stress.
1. Seek spiritual growth through prayer and meditation .

2. Have a worthwhile hobby like cross-stitching, singing,

dancing , drawing or collecting items.

3. Have a nice, quiet walk with member of your family

after dinner.
4. Watch movie with friends.

5. Believe in yourself that you are strong and courageous, that

you are capable of overcoming challenges .