The document discusses stress, its causes and effects. It defines stress as the reaction to challenges and demands and notes that learning to manage stress is important for health. It identifies five categories of potential stressors: biological, environmental, cognitive, behavioral, and life situations. When stress is perceived as a threat, the body enters an alarm stage of heightened alertness, followed by a resistance stage of enhanced endurance or a fatigue stage. Stress can lead to both physical and mental/emotional effects. The document outlines various techniques for managing stress, such as physical activity, relaxation, social support, planning, and healthy behaviors.

2.  Stress: the reaction of the body and mind to
everyday challenges and demands.
 Learning how to manage stress is an
important part of staying healthy.
 Perception: the act of becoming aware
through the senses
 One way to manage stress it to change how
you perceive and react to events that cause
it.
 Stress is not necessarily good or bad, it can
have positive and negative effects.

3.  Stressor: anything that causes stress.
 People, objects, places, events, and situations
are all potential stressors.
 Five general categories of stressors:
 Biological: Illness, disabilities, or injuries
 Environmental: Poverty, pollution, crowding
 Cognitive: Perceive a situation, how it effects
you
 Personal Behavior: Negative reaction in the body
by using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
 Life Situations: Death, Divorce, Relationships

4.  When you perceive a situation or event to be
a threat, your body begins a stress response.
 There are three stages:
 Alarm: Body and mind go on high alert.
“Fight-or-flight response” Either defend
itself or flee
 Resistance: Body adapts to the rush created
by alarm and reacts to stressor. Body is able
to perform at a higher level of endurance
 Fatigue: Tired feelings takes over. Physical,
psychological, pathological

5.  Stress can sometimes lead to psychosomatic
response—physical reaction that results from
stress rather than from an injury or illness
 Physical effects:
 Headache
 Asthma
 High blood pressure
 Weakened immune system

6.  Mental/Emotional and Social effects
 Difficulty concentrating
 Mood swings
 Risks of substance abuse
 Chronic stress: stress associated with long
term problems that are beyond a person’s
control
 What can you do to help with stress?
 Physical activity, support, hobby, avoid risk
behaviors

7.  First step to managing stress is identifying
the causes of the stress
 Life events---Parents, major illness, moving
 Physical stressors--- physical injury, lack of
rest, drug use
 Daily hassles—deadlines, conflicts, too many
responsibilities
 Stress Management Techniques: skills that
help an individual handle stress in a
healthful, effective way.
 Redirect your energy, relax and laugh, keep a
positive outlook, and see out support

8.  You can manage stress by changing the way
you perceive or react to the stressor.
 Plan ahead
 Get adequate sleep
 Regular physical activity
 Eat nutritious food---limit “comfort” foods,
caffeine
 Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs

9.  The teen years bring new pressures, challenges,
and responsibilities that can sometimes seem
overwhelming.
 Anxiety: condition of feeling uneasy or worried
about what may happen
 Symptoms:
 Feelings of fear or dread
 Perspiration, trembling, restlessness
 Rapid heart rate, lightheadedness, shortness of
breath
 Perfectionist’s anxiety: comes from believing
that nothing he or she does will be good enough
 This type of anxiety can lead to frustration and
unhappiness.

10.  Stress-management techniques, such as
redirecting your energy or doing relaxation
exercises, can be used to reduce the day-
today anxieties of life.
 Engage in physical activity and getting
support from family and friends

11.  Nearly everyone experiences the occasional
sad mood that lasts for a few days
 However, if these feelings are prolonged it
can indicate a more serious condition know
as depression.
 Depression: Prolonged feeling of
helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness
 Two types of depression
 Reactive: response to a stressful event
(death of a friend)
 Major: medical condition requiring treatment

12.  Depression is a common emotional problem
among teens, however, the symptoms can
sometimes go unnoticed.
 Many young people don’t act sad or seem
outwardly different to their family and
friends.
 Symptoms of depression
 irritable or restless mood-withdrawal from
friends and activities that were previously
important of enjoyable-change in appetite or
weight-feelings of guilt or worthlessness-and
a sense of hopelessness.

13.  Many people experience a few of these
symptoms once in a while.
 It is not normal to experience several of
them at the same time for two weeks or
more.
 What to do? It is very treatable
 Talking with supportive people
 Getting more physical activity
 Seek help from a counselor, school
psychologist or other health care professional