Coping with

Stress in
Middle and
Late
Adolescence
 Objectives…
 To UNDERSTAND stress, its nature and effects
in one’s life;
 To IDENTIFY the sources of one’s stress and illustrate
the effects of stress on one’s system.
 To CLASSIFY the different signs of stress in different
aspects - physical, emotional, behavioral, and mental
 To CREATE a plan to stay mentally healthy during
adolescence and fight stress.
• To DEVELOP self-awareness and self-confidence by
accepting positive feedbacks from other people.
Stress cannot be
avoided but it can
be managed.

Stress is a fact of
life - it need not be
a way of life!
 What is Stress?
“The reaction people may have
when presented with demands
and pressures that are not
matched to their knowledge
and abilities and which
challenge their ability to cope.”
(World Health Organisation)

"Stress is the non-specific

response of the body to
any demand.“ (Hans Selye)
Stress is an individual’s
response to a disturbing
factor in the
environment, and
consequence of such
reaction.

Stress involves
interaction of the person
and environment.
The physical or
psychological demands
from the environment that
cause stress are called
STRESSORS.

They create stress or the

potential for stress when an
individual perceives them as
representing a demand that
may exceed that person’s
ability to respond.
How an individual experiences
stress depends on:

 the person’s perception of the

situation,

the person’s past experience,

the presence or absence of

social support,

individual differences with

regard to stress reactions (Don
Hellriegel, et. al., 2001)
Stress can manifest itself in both
a positive way and a negative way

Eustress is the term used to

describe positive stress. It is
positive when situation offers an
opportunity to one to gain
something.

Example:
Excitement about a big game/performance
It is negative when stress is
associated with heart-disease,
alcoholism, drug abuse, marital
breakdowns, absenteeism, child
abuse and a host of other social,
physical, organizational and
emotional problems.

Example:
Worry over tests, homework,
relationships, getting into college…
 Other kinds of Stress
 Acute Stress - A response to an immediate perceived
threat, either physical, emotional or psychological.

 Chronic Stress - A state of ongoing physiological

arousal from stressors with such frequency that the
body does not have a chance to relax.

Burnout - A state of overwhelm, emotional listlessness

and depression due to prolonged levels of high stress,
usually related to excessive workplace or lifestyle
demands.
What does not constitute stress?

 Stress is not simply anxiety or

nervous tension.

 Stress need not always be damaging.

 Stress is not always due to overwork

but may also result from having too
little to do.

 Stress cannot be avoided.

 Stress is body’s biological response

mechanisms but the body has limited
capacity to respond to stressors.
Stress Response –
Fight / Flight Response

Human beings had to be able

to react swiftly when
confronted with a threat to
life. This is known as the
Fight / Flight response.

The stress response is designed to ensure that

the body can take appropriate survival measures
whenever a Fight / Flight situation might occur.
The action is swift and happens
entirely at an unconscious level.

The response is designed to be

short term with adequate
time given for the body to
recover.
The “fight or flight response” is our
body’s primitive, automatic, inborn
response that prepares the body
to react to perceived threat.

Originally discovered by Harvard physiologist Walter

Cannon, this response is hard-wired into our brains and
represents a genetic wisdom to protect us from danger.
This response is determined by our own subjective
interpretations and perceptions of day to day events /situations.
 NEGATIVE OUTLOOK CONFUSED PRIORITIES

UNCERTAINTY
PERFECTIONISM

Internal
Stressors FEAR

UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

THWARTED AMBITIONS

POOR SELF-CONCEPT
 COLLEGE AND EDUCATION
BEREAVEMENT

External
Stressors

LIFE CRISIS EVENTS

RELATIONSHIPS
Benefits of the Stress Response
 Sharper focus
• Greater strength
• More speed
• Greater determination
• Faster decision making
• Better short-term judgement
This improves our capacity to improve our performance
in challenging situations where we find ourselves under
pressure. It is important to remember that the stress
response is really only beneficial in the short term. We
need to experience a certain amount of pressure to spur
ourselves into action and not remain lethargic.
 Physical
Headaches Breathlessness
Indigestion Palpitations
Tiredness Aches and pains
Twitching Nausea
Backache Weight change

Behavioural Psychological
Sleep problems Anxiety
Eating pattern changes Indecision
Increased drinking Working below par
Increased smoking Difficulty concentrating
Loss of sexual interest Difficulty in absorbing new
Breakdown in relationships information