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ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY OF THAILAND

BBA2001 (411) | HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TERM PROJECT on:

“Beat The Challenge: Effective Ways to Deal With Stress”

SUBMITTED TO:

A. ANANYA PHUNTHASAEN

SUBMITTED BY: PSYCHOSOCIAL

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LIST OF PSYCHOSOCIAL MEMBERS

SAI THIHA TIP (ID-6430049)

KHAING MYAE (ID-6430036)

THANAPAT TOKAMPANG (ID-6410015)

PHANDIN K. (ID-6210223)

AMORNRAT R. (ID-6011029)

UVIN KIM (ID-6411121)

HKUN HPRING (ID-6340010)

SUBMITTED TO:

A. ANANYA PHUNTHASAEN

DATE: 24th September, 2022

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Table of Contents

General Overview About Stress 3

Individual Stress Results 6

Analysis of the Results 7

Related Theories and Concepts  9

Coping Mechanisms 11

References 16
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General Overview About Stress

Stress is a fact of life and wherever we are and whatever we are doing. We

cannot avoid stress but we can learn and adapt to manage it, so we can prevent

ourselves from being managed by stress. Many major changes in our lives such

as going to university, getting married, moving to new jobs, are frequent

sources of stress. It is really important to know ourselves and consider the

causes of stress in our lives. We can minimize the adverse effects of stress such

as depression and hypertension, which makes our hearts beat faster than ever as

blood pressure has been raised. 

So, let’s move on to what stress is defined as in a modern way. Stress is the way

that human beings respond both physically and emotionally to changes,

important events and situations in our lives. Stress is an individual experience

which means that the reaction is based on our perception of that particular event

or situation in our lives. If we view a situation negatively, we will be likely to

experience distress and vice versa when we experience eustress, it means that

we have a positive view of that situation.

Stress can affect our mental health, our physical health and our behaviour that

how we behave in our lives. Sometimes, signs of serious stress are easily

noticeable but sometimes we don’t recognize them and keep going. The
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excessive hormones that our bodies have to produce can lead to many adverse

physical effects like easily getting hard to breathe, panic attacks which means

amplification of the body’s normal response to our stress or excitement, blurry

eyes, fatigue, headache, feeling sick, fainting and so on. 

Distress can also lead to many harmful effects like becoming more difficult to

make decisions, unable to concentrate on the work we are doing, memorizing

skills becoming lower as unable to remember things, easily getting emotional

and leads to serious depression and start to feel alone in the society. Stress can

lead people to think that they are the only one who has to bear everything in this

world and it is hard to breathe and then feels like running out of time.

Teenagers, mostly, high school students and university students also may

experience stress in their everyday life, how it affects their well-being and can

also get benefits from learning how to combat them. Firstly, we want to discuss

the main problems why teenagers experience stress. These problems are

demands of grades from their homes, frustrations or disturbances in their lives,

lowering self-esteem or negative thoughts or feelings on themselves because of

peer pressures, and sometimes unsafe or negative living conditions in their

environments, family financial problems and so on. And even because of the

important events of their lives like separation or divorce of parents, health

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problems of family members and death of beloved ones, moving or changing

schools, etc.

Secondly, stress also affects the well-being of teenagers in a negative way.

When teenagers have too much stress, they will have trouble sleeping and get

only a few hours of sound sleep, which then leads to nervous system problems.

Because of that, they have only low energy, which makes them tired and

exhausted all the time. And consequence of that is difficulty in concentration of

lessons and which then leads to loss of motivation. When teenagers have too

much stress for a long time, it can be bad for their physical and mental health

then leads to anxiety and depression. 

Last but not least, we have to consider how to combat the stress in order to get

rid of being worse. We have to train them to exercise and eat regularly, to

prepare a good sleep routine and make sure that they get enough sleep and to

learn exercises in order to ease our muscles and make our breathing better. The

most important thing for teenagers is to live and fight against stress. For

example, rehearse and practice situations which can cause stress on them

individually, then can learn practical coping skills which can help them combat

against their own stresses in their own ways.

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Individual Stress Results

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Analysis of the Results

The average level of our members is moderate. And the average stress score in

our group is around 16 to 26. Therefore, we are going to talk about the causes of

stress that we have in common. And how our group members deal with it. 

The cause of stress that our members have in common is stress due to education

problems. Most of our members are seriously concerned about the mid-term

examination scores. Because during the stress activity, there is an exam score

announcement period. Our group members were mostly disappointed with the

exam scores because we expected higher scores to get a good grade in every

subject. And another issue is work and project. There are many works and

projects in ABAC. Sometimes those works were assigned closely. So we get

stressed because we need to finish all of them on time. Stress affects us both

mentally and physically. Mentally, we are feeling lost. We don't know what we

should do, and there is something that cannot be fixed. Physically, we are

feeling exhausted. Because we need to deal with a lot of work, so we tried to

finish all of them.

When we are in stress, we try to deal with it by doing many activities. One of

the activities is that we deal with our stress by. entertainment. The reasons are

that it is fun, amusing and gets your mind off of all those annoying tasks you’re
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supposed to be doing each day. We Quickly put ourselves in a better mood by

watching movies, reading books, or playing games. If we are getting enough of

these kinds of activities in our life, then it’s time to make a change. We will feel

better, and our energy levels will rise, and it’s likely we will be more useful in

our life too. Some of the activities that we usually do is watching movies. It has

a cathartic effect, allowing us to experience strong emotions through an activity.

We believe that this can be very beneficial for those who have trouble

expressing emotions, as films may easily prompt the viewers to laugh, cry, or

experience an emotion. Moreover, the other activities is listening to music. It is

a very powerful method to deal with stress because It can set the mood in

certain situations. Music can provide a distraction. Sometimes we need

something to take our mind off of our stresses. Hence, Music can be a great tool

for providing distractions as it absorbs attention and diverts focus. And music

can be a great addition to meditation as it helps to keep the mind from

wandering and helps to provide relaxation. The choice of music will be different

for all of us, as everyone is unique in how music affects us. It will also depend

on the mood we're in at the time. Therefore, music might even be a helpful

distraction to those who are anxious or are experiencing pain. Distractions can

be great for taking the mind off of more difficult situations and making you feel

a lot better.
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Related Theories and Concepts

Ch-7: Stress and Coping: CAUSES OF STRESS 

A major source of confusion, which makes the study of origins of stress difficult

is the tendency to lump all stressors together because they may all result in the

same general reaction called stress. The categorization of stressors would help

alleviate some of these confusions. This classification is based on the external

nature of the stressor upon the fundamental basis or cause of the stress reaction.

The causes of stress may be divided into four general classes: psychosocial,

biological, personality and environmental causes

Ch-9 JOB SATISFACTION

 
Work Situation Perhaps the most important source of job satisfaction is the

work situation.

 The tasks a person performs (for example, how interesting or boring they

are)

 The people a jobholder interacts with (customers, subordinates, and

supervisors) 

 The surroundings in which a person works (noise level, crowdedness, and

temperature) 
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 The way the organization treats its employees (such as the job security it

offers them and whether the pay and benefits are fair). 

 Any aspect of the job and the employing organization is part of the work

situation and can affect job satisfaction. Some of the theories of job

satisfaction that we consider later in this chapter focus on the way in which

specific situational factors affect job satisfaction.

Ch-10: Learning and Creativity

 
Learn to try new things that normally don't do. May be something that always

want to do but never do it. Give award to themself for being stress for a long

time. Also, to give a break for them self. Creativity is the generation of novel

and useful ideas. By novel, we mean ideas that represent new ways of thinking. 

Ch-5: Values

People value come from a variety of sources. For example, family, friends,

music, life events, etc. All of these sources can make people reduce the stress in

different ways. Values do not operate just at a personal level but across other

levels too—groups, organizations, even societies.

Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or

actions. Moreover, it describes the personal qualities we choose to embody to

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guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be; the manner in which we

treat ourselves and others, and our interaction with the world around us.

Coping Mechanisms 

The importance of managing stress

If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-being

at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your

physical health. Effective stress management helps you break the hold stress has

on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive.

Tip 1: Identify the sources of stress in your life

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life.  To

identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and

excuses. Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or

maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.

• What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure).

• How you felt, both physically and emotionally.

• How you acted in response.

• What you did to make yourself feel better.

Tip 2: Practice the 4 A’s of stress management

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Some stressors arise at predictable times: your commute to work, a meeting

with your boss, or family gatherings, for example. When handling such

predictable stressors, you can either change the situation or change your

reaction. 

The four A’s – Avoid, Alter, Adapt & Accept.

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

• Learn how to say “no.”

• Avoid people who stress you out.

• Take control of your environment.

• Pare down your to-do list.

• Alter the situation

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. 

• Be willing to compromise

• Create a balanced schedule.

• Adapt to the stressor

• Reframe problems

• Look at the big picture

• Adjust your standards

• Practice gratitude.

• Accept the things you can’t change

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.

• Look for the upside.

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• Learn to forgive.

• Share your feelings

Tip 3: Get Moving On

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as a

valuable distraction from your daily worries. You’ll get the most benefit from

regularly exercising for 30 minutes or more, it’s okay to build up your fitness

level gradually. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day.

• Put on some music and exercising.

• Walk or cycle to the grocery store.

• Use the stairs rather than an elevator.

• Pair up with an exercise partner and encourage each other as you work out.

Tip 4: Connect to Others

There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human

being who makes you feel safe and understood. In fact, face-to-face interaction

triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the body’s defensive “fight-or-

flight” response. It’s nature’s natural stress reliever so make it a point to connect

regularly and in person with family and friends. Keep in mind that the people

you talk to don’t have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good
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listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep

you from opening up.

Tips for building relationships

1. Reach out to a colleague at work.

2. Help someone else by volunteering.

3. Have lunch or coffee with a friend.

4. Accompany someone to the movies or a concert.

5. Call or email an old friend.

6. Go for a walk with a workout buddy.

7. Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club.

Tip 5: Make time for fun and relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in

your life by carving out “me” time. Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and

bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. 

• Set aside leisure time. 

• Do something you enjoy every day. 

• Keep your sense of humour.

• Take up a relaxation practice.

Tip 6: Manage your time better

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Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin

and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused.

• Don’t over-commit yourself. 

• Prioritize tasks. 

• Break projects into small steps. 

• Delegate responsibility. 

Tip 7: Maintain balance with a healthy lifestyle

In addition to regular exercise, there are other healthy lifestyle choices that can

increase your resistance to stress.

• Eat a healthy diet

• Reduce caffeine and sugar

• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. 

• Get enough sleep

Tip 8: Learn to relieve stress in the moment

The fastest way to reduce stress is by taking a deep breath and using your senses

—what you see, hear, taste, and touch—or through a soothing movement. By

viewing a favourite photo, smelling a specific scent, listening to a favourite

piece of music, tasting a piece of gum, or hugging a pet, for example, you can

quickly relax and focus yourself. Of course, not everyone responds to each

sensory experience in the same way. The key to quick stress relief is to

experiment and discover the unique sensory experiences that work best for you.
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References

https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-health-3145086

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/stress

https://www.healthline.com/health/psychological-stress

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-

problems/stress/signs-and-symptoms-of-stress/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/mental-health-physical-health/

stress-anxiety-depression/stress-in-teens

https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/stress-

and-teenagers
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