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Unit 2: Aspects of Personal Development person . There is a common belief that stress is unhealthy, but
discussions among experts conclude that this is not entirely the case.
MODULE 4: Psychologists have agreed that small and sporadic amounts of stress
Coping with Stress in Middle and Late can be helpful and beneficial to individuals , while excessive amounts
Adolescence
of stress sustained over a lengthy period of time can be destructive to
both physical and mental health.
There are several points of view about stress.
Big Question: What is Stress and how does it affect you? //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Reading: STRESS MANAGEMENT
Contents Standards: Dictionary definitions do not quite capture the meaning of
 the concepts about mental health and well-being particularly stress stress as it is seen and experienced in the world of work.
andcoping strategies in middle and late adolescence One of the Webster’s definitions describes it as an “…emotional factor
that causes bodily or mental tension.” A practical way of defining
Performance Standards :
stress is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent-up emotions. If the
 identify his/her own vulnerabilities and plan on how to stay
emotions you experience are pleasant and desirable – joy, elation,
mentally healthy while coping with stress
ecstasy, delight – you usually feel free to let them show. They are
Most Essential Learning Competencies : notsuppressed. Therefore; positive emotions do not usually cause
 Discuss understanding of mental health and psychological well-being stress. Negative emotions, on the other hand, are more often held
to identify ways to cope with stress during adolescence inside. They are hidden. You suffer quietly and you experience stress.
 Identify causes and effects of stress in one’s life Do not confuse positive situations with positive emotions. A wedding,
 Demonstrate personal ways to cope with stress and maintain mental for example, is a positive situation that often brings about the negative
health
emotions of anxiety and tension. So stress can exist in great situations.
Duration :2 weeks
Lesson Title: Coping with Stress in Middle and Late Adolescence
Objectives: Causes and Effects of Stress
At the end of this module, you will be able to: Just as there is great variety in the range of emotions you
1. discuss that understanding stress and its sources during adolescence might experience, there are many possible manifestations of stress –
may help in identifying ways to cope and have a healthful life, in your private life and in your working life. Here are some words that
2. identify sources of your stress and illustrate the effect of stress on describe the emotions associated (as cause and effect) with stress.
your system, and  Anxiety
3. demonstrate personal ways of coping with stress for healthful living  Pressure
 Misery
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  Strain
Overview,  Desperation
Stress is defined as areaction of the mind and body to a  Tension
stimulus that disturbs the well-being, state of calm, or equilibrium of a  Anger

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 Panic friend. Other major causes of stress are problems with drug
 Dejection andalcohol abuse, domestic violence, care of children and elderly
Prolonged stress can be devastating; burnout, breakdown, and relatives, chronic
depression are some of the potential results of long-term, unmanaged mental illness, injury, physical handicaps, even moving to a new home,
stress. By wearing a mask, you may expect to hide stress caused by if you’ve lived in the same place for more than 10 years. The list goes
problems in your personal life and not let them influence your on and on. Managing your personal finances can be another stressful
performance on the job. This will probably not work. The more you try experience. This can be a problem no matter what your income level,
to hold your emotions in, the greater the pressure build-up will be. but it is especially difficult if you must support a family and do not earn
enough to live comfortably. Unpaid bills, unwise use of credit, and
budget limitations can make life difficult.
Everyday frustrations cause stress build-up
From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be A common cause of stress is dealing with life’s transitions
confronted with a succession of stressful situations. Managing to get This is especially true when a person must cope with too
yourself (and possibly a spouse and children) out of bed and ready to many transitions all at once. For example, Ellen has just completed a
face the day can be a challenge to your patience and ingenuity. Driving program in fashion merchandising.
to school or work can be harrowing – especially if you’re running late. She is eager to get started on her new job. Her mother is ill
You may experience frustration in arranging to get the car repaired. and requires care. Her father died a few months ago. Ellen’s new job
You may face conflicts in school or at work, such as coping with requires that she relocate to a town 100 miles from home. The move,
unrealistic a new career, and a change in family relationships may cause excessive
deadlines, equipment failures, or unexpected bad weather. If part of stress for her. Too many changes have arrived at the same time.
your job is selling, you may experience feelings of rejection when most Source: Personal Development for Life and Work, 8th Ed., by Wallace, H.R. & Masters, L.A., 2001.

of your customers say “no.” /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A series of stressful and frustrating experiences throughout Activity 1: WHAT CAUSES YOU TO “LOSE YOUR COOL”?
the day can cause you to lie awake at night in an emotional turmoil – We all have certain things, situations, or people that cause us
unable to get needed rest. You face the next day with less emotional to lose our composure from time to time. Determine what causes YOU
and physical stamina. After another stressful day and another night to “lose your cool” by completing this activity. When you begin to
without rest, you may have even less emotional strength and stability. identify your stressors, you can become skilled at preventing negative
Therefore, stress build-up, if not resolved, continues day after day. consequences. Place an X next to each factor that causes you stress.
There are blank spaces provided so you can add your own.
Problems in our personal life can be devastating ______ being late ______ parents fighting
Surviving the normal, everyday stress described above can be ______ too much homework ______ getting detention
difficult. But far more serious and painful circumstances can create ______ speaking in public ______ your job
long-term stress. More serious stressful circumstances may include ______ babysitting ______ taking tests
separation from loved ones, personal illness, or illness of a loved one, ______ going to the dentist ______ video games
death of someone you care about, or conflict with a spouse or close ______ arguments with friends ______ using a computer

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______ restrictions at home ______ closed-in spaces ______ weight loss suicide ______ hair chewing
______ chores ______ commercials ______ weight gain ______ depression ______nervous
______ lack of sleep ______ interruptions while busy ______ twitches ______ confusion laughter
______ no date for a dance ______ getting an injection (eyelids face) ______ feelings of ______ pacing
______ pimples ______ arguments with parents ______ weakness helplessness ______ lateness
______ physical education class ______ fight with ______ nausea ______ restlessness ______putting things
______ math class boyfriend/girlfriend ______ indigestion ______racing off
______ English class ______ losing ______ excessive thoughts ______not caring
______ other class ______ careless drivers sleeping ______aggressiveness about physical
______ boredom ______ slow drivers ______ overeating appearance
______ rude people ______ loud people ______loss of ______ compulsive
______ no money ______ baby crying appetite overeating
______ no transportation ______ disrespectful children ______ inability to
______ playing on a sports team ______ a friend betrays you sleep
______ not being included in a ______skin
sports team problems
______losing something ______constant
valuable fatigue
Source: Emotional Intelligence Activities for teens 13-18. ______ cold hands
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// or feet
Activity 2: STRESS SIGNALS ______ excessive
Take a look at the warning signs of stress listed below. Write down in sweating
your sheet of paper all of the warning signs that apply to you. ______ chest pains
Physical Emotional Behavioral ______ high blood
______ headaches ______moodchanges ______ smoking pressure
______stomach ______ lack of ______ nail biting ______rapid or
aches concentration ______ tapping difficult breathing
______ dizziness ______ nightmares ______ pulling hair
______ back pain ______ panic attacks ______ grinding hair When you have finished checking your warning signs, discuss your list
______ neck ______ anxiety ______useof alcohol with your mother.
Source: Emotional Intelligence Activities for teens 13-18.
stiffness ______ anger ______ use of
______ ulcer sores ______ irritability medication My Stress Signals
on mouth ______ crying ______ compulsive Write about your stress signals. Answer the following questions:
______ jaw pains ______ thoughts of dieting 1. How do you know that you are stressed?

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2. What stress signals do you have that your partner does There are many effective ways to handle stress. Of course, you can’t
not have? avoid stress—in fact, you wouldn’t want to avoid all stress, because
3. How much stress do you think you are currently under? you’d never grow. However, you can manage your life so that you
4. How are your stress signals different for different types of stressors? survive the emotional down times without allowing stress to engulf
5. What are some ways that you usually remove or reduce the stress you. Also, you can work to eliminate controllable stress factors, such
that cause you physical, emotional or behavioraldifficultie? as running late or not getting enough sleep. But when stress is
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// constant or too great, your wisest option is to find ways to reduce or
Reading: STRESS RESPONSE control it. You need not, and should not, live your life in emotional
Your stress response is the collection of physiological stress and discomfort. Stress can be successfully managed. Here are
changes that occur when you face a perceived threat—when some suggestions that may help.
you face situations where you feel the demands outweigh your
resources to successfully cope. These situations are known as Understand the Causes of Stress
stressors. Understanding why you are under stress is important. This
When your stress response is triggered, a series of changes may seem obvious, but it requires deliberate, conscious effort to
occur within your body. They include: pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you are familiar with
 Redirection of blood away from extremities and instead to major the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of
organs uncontrolled stress. Now you need to try to discover the stressors, the
 The release of cortisol and other hormones, which bring other short- factors of which create the stress in your life.
and long-term changes.
 The stress response is intended to give you a burst of energy so Analyze your Stress Factors and Write Them Down
you’re able to fight off attackers or run away from them effectively. Write down your response to stress. For example, you may
This helped our ancestors, who faced numerous physical write down, “I feel tired most of the time. My lower back seems to
threats, to stay safe. However, now our threats tend to be less ache all through the day and night. I miss deadlines and run behind
physical and more associated with our way of life—a challenge to our schedule.” Analyze stress responses and consequences, and consider
status, a demand for performance, etc. In addition to giving us a set of each item, and ask why. “Why am I feeling tired? Why does my back
changes that may not match our needs as well (it might be more ache? Why do I run behind schedule? Carefully consider each answer,
effective for us to have a burst of mental clarity or wisdom than a because the answers will reveal stressors, such as deadlines, anxieties,
burst of physical strength, for example), the stress response can trying to do so much, managing time or money poorly, or poor health
actually cause harm if it leads to a state of chronic stress—that is, if habits.
our stress response is triggered, and then our body doesn’t go back to
its normal state via the relaxation response. Deal with the Stressors
Source: “What is a stress response?” by Scott, E. (2016) Develop techniques to deal with the causes of stress. The
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// longer you avoid dealing with the stress factors, the more the stress
Reading: KEEP STRESS UNDER CONTROL will build up. If tension comes because you have put off an unfinished

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task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task 2. If you see someone who is stressed out and needs help, what do you do ?
that you have been avoiding out of the way and off your mind.

Activity 4 : ACTION!
Learn to Work under Pressure or Unusual Conditions
When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage  Role-playing session using the following situations, choose 1 only.
1. arguing with parents over the choice of career or course in college
your stress response. Almost everyone, at least at some point, has to
2. choosing a college course or career
meet deadlines, keep several jobs going at once, resolve problems that
3. breaking off from relationship
come up, and do extra work when necessary. However, when the 4. bullying in school
pressure mounts, you can relieve it. Relaxation is key—but most  Assign roles to be played by your mother/father/brother and sister.
people must train themselves to relax when the pressure is on.  No script is necessary.
Some tips to relax when under pressure are the following:  Make sure that the stressors are clearly identified and how the
 Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles tightening individual roles are affecting each other.
up) and take a few deep breaths.  Conclude the situation by selecting a coping mechanism to be
adopted by the main character/s.
 Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and stretch.
 Post it in FB account / or send through messenger
 Take a “power nap.” Lie down and totally relax for a few minutes. RUBRICS
 Find time to do the things you enjoy. Content of the Presentation
 Leave your study area for a while to take a brisk walk. Relevance to the Theme
 Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during break or at Use of the Technical Terms
lunch. Organization
 If possible, look at some peaceful images such as forests, beaches,
etc.
These images can initiate a relaxation response.
 Look up.
 Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes.
Source: The Nemours Foundation, available from kidshealth.org
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Activity 3: MY EXPERIENCE!
1. Write your personal experience about a stressful situation during COVID -
19 and what kind of coping mechanism helped you manage the situation.

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO