2. “Stress is not a state of mind but something
measurable and can be dangerous.”
What is Stress?
First things first, there is two types of stress
negative stress and positive stress. When
faced with a positive stress, taking a
challenge positively your body actually
experiences sympathetic arousal. But being
fearful of the challenge and feeling
threated you would experience constriction
of blood vessels which actually makes the
heart work harder.
3. Give your stress wings and let it fly
away. ~Terri Guillemets
When might you feel stressed?
Sometimes our bodies react to certain
situations the same, when we notice we are
feeling stressed about the same thing over
and over that is what we call a stressor.
There are a few common stressors for teens,
such as School, Parents, A peer group, Lack
of life skills and even personal thoughts.
4. Stress should be a powerful driving force, not
an obstacle. ~Bill Phillips
Stressors
“School is one of the major stresses
reoccurring in my life, my marks right now
will effect my future” says Marcos Malfair a
grade 12 student at Thomas Haney
Secondary School. Stressors can push
somebody over the edge or motivate them
to do their best. In Marcos’ case his stressor
“School” would be considered a positive
stressor and can actually motivate him to
do better.
5. Stress is poison. ~Agavé Powers
Long term effects from positive
stress
Positive stressors are also known as "eustress“ As
we have seen stress can play a negative or
positive role on your life. But a stressor like school
can also effect you in long term. The effects
from eustress can give you motivation and will
allow you to carry that out through your years.
It can be the spark that drives us to achieve
more, to improve the quality of our life, to ask
for a raise, to fight for justice, or simply to go on
a holiday.
6. “When you wake up screaming and you
haven't fallen asleep yet”
Long term effects from
negative stress
Prolonged or severe stress has been shown to
weaken the immune system, strain the heart,
damage memory cells in the brain and deposit
fat at the waist rather than the hips and
buttocks (a risk factor for heart disease, cancer
and other illnesses), said Dr. Bruce. Stress causes
cells and organs to produce hormones that
trigger the production of white blood cells in our
body. Chronic stimulation of the immune system
causes the system to become suppressed
overall, and thus become less effective at
warding off diseases and infections.
7. “My body needs laughter as much as it
needs tears. Both are cleansers of stress.
How can you manage the
stress?
Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman suggested there are two
types of coping responses that occur. Emotion focused and
problem focused. Problem focused targets the causes of
stress in practical ways which tackles the stressful situation.
There are several problem focused techniques such as:
Taking Control – this response involves changing the
relationship between yourself and the source of stress.
Examples: escaping from the stress or removing the stress.
Information Seeking – the most rational action. This involves
the individual trying to understand the situation (e.g. using the
internet) and putting into place cognitive strategies to avoid it
in future. Information seeking is a cognitive response to stress.
Evaluating the pros and cons of different options for dealing
with the stressor.
8. “sleep is such a luxury, which i cant
afford.”
Applying this to your life today
Start the coping process slowly remember
it is ok to feel stress and very common but
its what you do with the stress that really
counts!
Find the right coping method for you
Talk to family or friends about your stress,
and if it gets overwhelming remember
help is a phone call away!
9. An interview with a real student going
through real stress;
Interview
What does stress mean to you? Stress can mean several things to
me, but the first thing that comes to my mind is when you are
feeling overwhelmed by something
A stressor is an agent that causes stress to your body, what would
you say would be some common ―stressors‖ for you? School is one
of the major stresses reoccurring in my life, my marks right now will
affect my future‖
How has stress affected your life in the short term? Positively and
negatively By maturing in a way to control and handle the
negative stress it has actually made a positive effect on me.
Do you think stress has affected your life the same way but in long
term? Yes I do.
When you are beginning to feel the stress climb what is something
you do immediately? I try to relax and make a visual to help me
organize and prioritize.
Over time, stress can increase and begin to add up how do you
deal with this? I set my goals high but my expectations low.
Stress comes about in many different ways and can have different
impacts on people’s lives
10. The money is what made me miserable. I
want to be free of that stress.
Facts about stress
1. Negative stress has been called ―the silent killer‖ and can
lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and
an irregular heartbeat
2. The stress hormone cortisol not only causes abdominal fat to
accumulate, but it also enlarges individual fat cells, leading
to what researchers call ―diseased‖ fat.
3. 75% of the general population experiences at least "some
stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey).
4. Stress also contributes to the development of alcoholism,
obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigarette addiction, and
other harmful behaviors.
11. Is everything as urgent as your
stress would imply?
How can stress deteriorate
your body over time
Negative stress, It can kill you, in fact. A study now
reveals that stress causes deterioration in everything
from your gums to your heart and can make you
more susceptible to everything from the common
cold to cancer. The first clues to the link between
stress and health were provided in the 1930s by Hans
Selye, Cortisol has been considered one of the main
culprits in the stress-illness connection, although it
plays a necessary role in helping us cope with
threats. When an animal perceives danger, a system
kicks into gear: A chain reaction of signals releases
various hormones most notably epinephrine,
norepinephrine, and cortisol — from the adrenal
glands above each kidney.
12. “Reality is the leading cause of stress
amongst those in touch with it.”
There are places to talk about
stress. What you are feeling is
very common! And you are
definitely not alone
Teensguideforstress.blogspot.com
Children’s help phone (1-800-668-6868)
because help is only a phone call away!
13. Citations
McLeod, S. A. (2010). Problem Focused
Coping | Stress. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/prob
lem-focused-coping.html
http://www.news-
medical.net/news/2008/01/09/34154.aspx