COPING WITH STRESS

Imagine having a really strong body, and being on top shape of your physical health. You do
not experience any form of illness. You feel like you could ably handle any physical task ahead
of you. Maintaining that mental image in your thoughts, imagine as well that the quality of
your relationship with your family and friends is poor, you feel that your life seems to lack
direction, and you constantly experience negative emotions. The scenario presents a picture
of physical health that is almost perfect, but psychological health and well-being that needs
addressing.

Stress appears to be unavoidable in the present time; in school, at home, while surfing the
internet, and even in planning for a relaxing day with friends, stress seems to find a way to
creep into our lives. The impact of stressful events may vary, and different factors may cause
it such as the time the stressful event occurred, the mood a person was in, the number of
preexisting stressors in one’s life, and the perceived impact of an event on a person’s life.
Needless to say, stress is very common even among adolescents and it is agreed to be a major
burden in teenage life. Teenagers can benefit from learning and understanding about what
stresses them and thus eventually develop stress management skills or find ways to positively
cope with the seemingly never-ending negative events that they continue to endure.

WHAT IS 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.
WHAT ARE STRESSORS?

The stimulus that triggers the stress response is called a stressor. Stressor can have different
forms and sizes, and can be categorized as follows:

1. Catastrophes: These large-scale events that affects people from large areas and can be
natural or manmade. Examples: natural disasters, war, and terrorist attacks, etc.

2. Significant Life Changes: These are personal experiences that forces an individual to make
a huge changes in his or her personal life. Example: having a child, graduating in college,
moving to a new home, etc.

3. Daily Hassles: These are everyday inconveniences and encounters of an individual. They
are small but repetitive or episodic. Example: running late in school, being stuck in traffic,
forgetting your keys after going outside, etc.

4. Ambient Stressors: These are stressors that run in the background. Meaning, we do not
normally think of them, but they trigger a stress response without us knowing. Example:
pollution, crowd, noise, etc.

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WHAT STRESSES SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS?

The common sources of stress are centered on the

two most important domains of adolescent namely,
home and school.

1. Break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend

2. Increased arguments with parents, and
between parents
3. The pressure of expectations from self and others
4. Change in parents’ financial status
5. Serious illness or injury of a family member
6. Pressure at school from teachers, coaches,
grades, and homework
7. Relationships with family and friends

HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT YOUR BODY?

The HPA Axis

Source: https://biologydictionary.net/hpa-axis/

What goes on inside our bodies when we experience stress? The physiological mechanisms of
stress are extremely complex, but they generally involve the work of two systems—the
sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When a
person first perceives something as stressful (Selye’s alarm reaction), the sympathetic nervous
system triggers arousal via the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands.

Release of these hormones activates the fight-or-flight responses to stress, such as accelerated
heart rate and respiration. At the same time, the HPA axis, which is primarily endocrine in
nature, becomes especially active, although it works much more slowly than the sympathetic
nervous system. In response to stress, the hypothalamus (one of the limbic structures in the
brain) releases corticotropin-releasing factor, a hormone that causes the pituitary gland to
release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

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The ACTH then activates the adrenal glands to
secrete a number of hormones into the bloodstream;
an important one is cortisol, which can affect
virtually every organ within the body. Cortisol is
commonly known as a stress hormone and helps
provide that boost of energy when we first
encounter a stressor, preparing us to run away or
fight. However, sustained elevated levels of cortisol
weaken the immune system.

In short bursts, this process can have some favorable

effects, such as providing extra energy, improving
immune system functioning temporarily, and
decreasing pain sensitivity. However, extended
release of cortisol—as would happen with prolonged
or chronic stress—often comes at a high price. High levels of cortisol have been shown to
produce a number of harmful effects. For example, increases in cortisol can significantly
weaken our immune system (Glaser & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2005), and high levels are frequently
observed among depressed individuals (Geoffroy, Hertzman, Li, & Power, 2013). In summary,
a stressful event causes a variety of physiological reactions that activate the adrenal glands,
which in turn release epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. These hormones affect a
number of bodily processes in ways that prepare the stressed person to take direct action, but
also in ways that may heighten the potential for illness.

When stress is extreme or chronic, it can have

profoundly negative consequences. For example,
stress often contributes to the development of
certain psychological disorders, including
posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive
disorder, and other serious psychiatric
conditions.
Additionally, we noted earlier that stress is linked to
the development and progression of a variety of
physical illnesses and diseases. For example,
researchers in one study found that people injured
during the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center
disaster or who developed post-traumatic stress
symptoms afterward later suffered significantly
elevated rates of heart disease (Jordan,
MillerArchie, Cone, Morabia, & Stellman, 2011).
Another investigation yielded that self-reported
stress symptoms among aging and retired Finnish
food industry workers were associated with
morbidity 11 years later. This study also predicted
the onset of musculoskeletal, nervous system, and endocrine and metabolic disorders
(Salonen, Arola, Nygård, & Huhtala, 2008). Another study reported that male South Korean
manufacturing employees who reported high levels of work-related stress were more likely to
catch the common cold over the next several months than were those employees who
reported lower work-related stress levels (Park et al., 2011). Later, you will explore the
mechanisms through which stress can produce physical illness and disease.

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WHAT IS OUR BODY’S PATTERN OF REACTION TO STRESS?

Even if you know the physical effects of stress, you may be unaware of the different stages of
stress, known as general adaptation syndrome (GAS). When you understand the different
stages of stress and how the body responds in these stages, it’s easier to identify signs of
chronic stress in yourself.

GAS is the three-stage process that describes

the physiological changes the body goes
through when under stress. Hans Selye, a
medical doctor and researcher, came up with
the theory of GAS. During an experiment with
lab rats at McGill University in Montreal, he
observed a series of physiological changes in
the rats after they were exposed to stressful
events.

With additional research, Selye concluded that

these changes were not an isolated case, but
rather the typical response to stress. Selye
identified these stages as alarm, resistance,
and exhaustion. Understanding these different
responses and how they relate to each other
may help you cope with stress.

1. Alarm reaction stage

The alarm reaction stage refers to the initial symptoms the body experiences when under stress.
You may be familiar with the “fight-or-flight” response, which is a physiological response to
stress. This natural reaction prepares you to either flee or protect yourself in dangerous
situations. Your heart rate increases, your adrenal gland releases cortisol (a stress hormone),
and you receive a boost of adrenaline, which increases energy. This fight-or-flight response
occurs in the alarm reaction stage.

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2. Resistance stage

After the initial shock of a stressful event and having

a fight-or-flight response, the body begins to repair
itself. It releases a lower amount of cortisol, and your
heart rate and blood pressure begin to normalize.
Although your body enters this recovery phase, it
remains on high alert for a while. If you overcome
stress and the situation is no longer an issue, your
body continues to repair itself until your hormone
levels, heart rate, and blood pressure reach a
prestress state. Some stressful situations continue for
extended periods of time. If you don’t resolve the
stress and your body remains on high alert, it
eventually adapts and learns how to live with a
higher stress level. In this stage, the body goes
through changes that you’re unaware of in an
attempt to cope with stress.

Your body continues to secrete the stress hormone and your blood pressure remains elevated.
You may think you’re managing stress well, but your body’s physical response tells a different
story. If the resistance stage continues for too long of a period without pauses to offset the
effects of stress, this can lead to the exhaustion stage. Signs of the resistance stage include:

• Irritability
• Frustration
• poor concentration

3. Exhaustion stage

This stage is the result of prolonged or chronic stress.

Struggling with stress for long periods can drain your
physical, emotional, and mental resources to the
point where your body no longer has strength to
fight stress. You may give up or feel your situation is
hopeless. Signs of exhaustion include:

• Fatigue
• Burnout
• Depression
• Anxiety
• decreased stress tolerance

The physical effects of this stage also weaken your

immune system and put you at risk for stress-related
illnesses.

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COPING STRATEGIES AND PERSONAL WAYS OF COPING WITH STRESS

What differentiates the reaction of people to

environmental stressors is their coping style.
Coping is the way people try to deal with
problems, including the problem of handling the
typically negative emotions stress produces.

1. Broad Dimensions of Coping

a) Problem-focused Coping
• Dealing with the actual problems posed
by a stressful situation
• Objective and geared toward fixing
what is out of order Graphics by pch.vector | Freepik

b) Emotion-focused Coping
• More subjective as it considers the difficulties challenging the feeling states of the
individual
• Aims to comfort and soothe the stressed person
• Puts immediate importance on reducing distress and re-establishing calmness or
peace rather than resolving the issue or problem
c) Avoidance Coping
• Happens when one would rather ignore the stressors or fantasize being in a different
non-stressful circumstance either of which does not solve the issue or truly bring about
true relaxation
• Refusal to accept and deal with the stressor which unfortunately prolongs and even
possibly worsens the problem

2. Personal Ways of Coping with Stress

a) Tackle the problem

• People who are able to cope by actively
trying to fix problems tend to be
emotionally healthier. Some tips in
talking problems include breaking the
work into small pieces and doing one
small piece at a time; and making a list
of what you need to do. This will help
you sleep better because you don’t
have to worry about whether you can
do everything. Timelines and setting
deadlines also help.

b) Create a stress journal or include the topic in your personal journal

• A stress journal can help you keep track of and identify the regular stressors in your life.
In your journal, you can also identify ways that you deal with them. Each time you
begin to feel stressed out, note it down in your journal. As you keep a daily log,
patterns and common themes may begin to form. Some questions worth exploring
are the following:
▪ What caused your stress?

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 ▪ How did you feel, both physically and emotionally?
▪ How did you respond to this?
▪ What did you do to feel better?
▪ List down what worked and what did not.

c) Develop a “stress relief toolbox”

• You can come up with a list of healthy ways to relax and recharge. You can try to
implement one or more of these ideas each day, even if you are feeling good just to keep
the stress level in check. Examples of what you can add to your toolbox: go for a walk,
sweat out tension with a quick workout, play with a pet dog or cat, read a book for an
hour, take a 30-minute nap.

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Edited By: Mr. Erwin John E. Resurreccion