Module 5: Coping with Stress in Middle and Late - Often depletes energy

Adolescence
- Short term or long term
What is stress?
- Decreases overall performance
o the psychological perception of pressure, on
the other hand, and the body’s response to it - Perceived outside coping mechanisms

o Stress is part of growing up. You may feel - Can lead to physical illness or mental fatigue
pressure in everything you do, both at home
and school. Sources of Stress

Physical Stressors
o You experience stress when you respond to
stressors that you perceive to exceed your • Heat
capabilities. • Cold
• Noise
o Stress at some point can be life threatening
• Fire
depending on how one manages stress to
• Traffic
escape from the harm it can cause.
• Violence
o There definition of stress, people have • Own Illness
different ideas, but most common is physical, • Poor classroom conditions
mental emotional strain tension
Social Stressors

• Social economic and political situations

• Family
• Job and career
• Interpersonal and environmental stressors
What is a stressor?
Psychological Stressors
-Is an event, person, or object that causes the
stress. It is any environmental condition that • These are events and stimuli that cause one
places a physical or emotional demand on the to experience psychological stress.
person.
Interpersonal skills refer to our ability to get along
Other words for stressor: with others. People with strong interpersonal
skills are often more successful in both their
professional and personal lives.

Career is the pursuit of a lifelong ambition or the

general course of progression towards lifelong goals.
Job is an activity through which an individual can
-It’s not the stress that kills us; it is our reaction earn money. It is a regular activity in exchange of
to it- payment. Requirements usually require special
learning that includes individualized components
2 TYPES OF STRESS:
that develop abilities beyond that which training is
1. EUSTRESS capable of. Education or Special training may or may
not be required Risk taking A career may not mean
- stress that challenge and motivate you to find stability of work as it encourages one to take risks.
creative solution to your concern. The risks are often internal and therefore planned. A
job is “safe”, as stability of work and income is there.
-Challenges positive reaction However shifting priorities, especially in resource
jobs, can abruptly change the demand and require
2. DISTRESS relocation which is an unstable factor. Risks may be
- Stress becomes overwhelming and leads to a completely external. Time Long-term Short-term
sense helplessness and exhaustion. Income Varies depending on value to society or to
some other entity. Non-monetary benefits may be
-negative higher. Salary is more common. Varies by demand.
More likely to be wage. Contribution to society May
Positive have high value as social change/progress
- Energizes Frustration - It occurs when one’s strivings are
thwarted by obstacles that block progress toward a
- Generally short term desired goal.
- Can improve performance - The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially
because of inability to change or achieve something
- Believed within coping mechanism

- Generally feels unpleasant

Conflicts - Is the simultaneous occurrence of two or Coping involves managing difficult situations,
more important but incompatible needs or motives. exerting efforts to solve your problems, and striving
to master or reduce the stressful effects of these
- A state of disagreement or disharmony between situations. In order to cope successfully, attitude
persons or ideas described as the state of plays a key role. ~Santrock, 2012
disagreement or misunderstanding, resulting from
the actual or perceived dissent of needs, beliefs, Your behaviour in dealing with stressful situations is
resources and relationship between the members of your coping strategy. ~ Sevilla, 2006
the organization.
Problem-focused Emotion-focused
Pressures - Stress may not only stem from conflicts ◦ Refers to facing the ◦ Refers to responding
and frustrations. Somehow it comes from the situation squarely in an emotional way
pressures especially on achieving such goals or on and exerting efforts ◦ Focusing on pain
how to balance the self towards a certain to solve the problem triggers emotional
environment with different people and circumstance. ◦ Has been linked to reaction, which in
effective adjustment, turn influence our
- He burden of physical or mental distress/he and this includes actions. This way of
use of persuasion, influence to make someone do enhancing the coping actively
something: following skills, (1) makes use of defence
study skills, (2) time mechanisms such as
Symptoms of Stress
management, (3) rationalization,
Cognitive Symptoms problem-solving projection, and
skills, and (4) displacement.
• Memory problems support group.
• Unable to concentrate
• Poor judgement
• Seeing only the negative Study Skills
• Being anxious
• Worrying constantly ◦ Study skills are enhanced by boosting your
motivation to study
Emotional Symptoms
◦ To get motivated means clarifying your goals
• Moodiness
◦ Being self-efficient will help you sustain your
• Irritability or short temper
motivation
• Agitation or restlessness
• Feeling of being overwhelmed ◦ Studies show that the efforts you exert are
• Sense of loneliness or isolation generally related to your achievements
• Unhappiness
◦ Academic success is attained by improving
Physical Symptoms your concentration or your ability to focus on
what you are doing
• Body aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation ◦ What you want to be, what kind of life do
• Nausea you want to lead? This are the questions
• Chest pain that help you to see your goals and
• Rapid heartbeat motivates you to strive
• Frequent colds
Tips to improve your time management skills:
Behavioural Symptoms
◦ Monitor your time. Monitoring your time is
• Eating more or less essential to be successful in managing it. You
• Sleeping too much or too little can use a fixed commitment calendar to do so.
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating ◦ Plan your activities using a schedule, and
• Neglecting responsibilities protect it as much as you protect your goals.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking When unplanned appointments and tasks
cigarettes, taking illegal drugs, playing pop, you need to assess if your schedule still
computer for several hours allows you to do them. If not, tactfully say
• Having nervous habits such as nail biting and “no”.
pacing restlessly
◦ Increase your efficiency so that you finish
Procrastination is a challenge we have all faced at your tasks in less time.
one point or another. For as long as humans have
been around, we have been struggling with delaying, ◦ Tackle one task at a time so that you do not
avoiding, and procrastinating on issues that matter to get overwhelmed.
us.
◦ Group similar tasks together so that the
fluidity of doing so facilitates efficiency.
 ◦ Make use of your down time. Do things that make you happy - Besides physical
activities, find other hobbies or activities that bring
Time management is very important in coping you joy. That might be listening to music, going to the
because if you manage your time well, you may be movies or drawing. Make a point to keep doing these
able to make your life less stressful. things even when you are stressed and busy.
Problem-solving Skills- The key to a good problem Talk to someone - It is so much easier to manage
definition is ensuring that you deal with the real stress when you let others lend a hand. Talk to a
problem – not its symptoms. parent, teacher or other trusted adult. They may be
able to help you find new ways to manage stress. Or
they may help put you in touch with a psychologist
who is trained in helping people make healthy
choices and manage stress.

Support Group

◦ Having a support group will help you cope

with stress

◦ They guide you to attain personal well-being

◦ Support groups bring together people who

are going through or have gone through
similar experiences.

◦ A support group provides an opportunity for

people to share personal experiences and
feelings, coping strategies, or firsthand
information about diseases or treatments.

Friends, parents, or any person that is very important

to your life whom you can ask for support during
difficult times.

Suggestions for coping with stress according to

APA:

Get some sleep - Between homework, activities and

hanging with friends, it can be hard to get enough
sleep, especially during the school week. Ideally,
adolescents should get nine hours a night. To
maximize your chance of sleeping soundly, cut back
on watching TV or engaging in a lot of screen time in
the late evening hours.

Focus on your strengths - Spend some time really

thinking about the things you are good at and find
ways to do more of those things.

Engage in physical activity - Physical activity is one

of the most effective stress busters. That does not
mean you have to go for a jog if you hate running.
Find activities you enjoy and build them into your
routine such as yoga, hiking, biking, skateboarding or
walking.