Understanding Adolescent Stress

• This module is designed to help you cope with stress experienced during middle and late adolescence and understand its sources.
• The focus will be on identifying the causes and effects of stress in one's life, helping in stress management and problem-solving.
• The goal is to identify the causes and effects of stress and enumerate the sources of stress and determine its effects.

What's In

• Stresses in life can lead to unwanted emotions such as anger, frustration, and nervousness, resulting in physical, mental, and emotional tensions.

What Is Stress?

• Stress is a simple reaction to any input that disturbs physical and mental balance and is present in everyone's life.
• Causes of stress for students include peers, examinations, portfolios, returning to study, poor time management, bullying, overcrowding, and noise.
• Further causes include meeting deadlines, difficulty organizing work, various tasks, leaving assignments late, adjusting to senior high life, parents/home problems, balancing family/school, and relationship difficulties.

Good Stress (Eustress) and Bad Stress (Distress)

• Eustress is positive stress, while distress refers to negative stress.
• Eustress can motivate, provide excitement, and revitalize performance.
• Good stress can result from promotion, a first date, academic success, commendations, acquiring new items, holidays, passing exams, reunions, starting a business, allowances, and social activities.

Bad Stress

• Bad stress happens when stressors burden you, hindering problem-solving.
• Chronic stress results from feeling a lack of control and can cause anxiety.
• Bad stress examples include death, job loss, unmet deadlines, hospitalization, illness, sleep problems, abuse, neglect, bankruptcy, separation, peer conflict, appearance, bullying, sexual abuse, trauma, dropping out, lack of resources, being left out, emotional/family problems, and reprimands.
• According to Essel and Owusu's 2017 research, environmental, academic, and personal factors cause stress among students, with worries, class workload, and financial problems being key elements.
• Environmental stress arises from changes in living environments, such as moving or dealing with roommates.
• Academic stress relates to school responsibilities and academic load.
• Physical stress involves health issues that can worsen due to the stress.
• Stress can cause headaches, stomach upset, high blood pressure, chest pain, and sleep problems.
• Emotional stress includes depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, and low self-esteem.

Effects of Stress

• Stressors pile up and affect behavior and too much affects mood, behavior, action, performance, and relationships.
• Examples of positive effects of stress include motivation, positive effects, morale boost, health benefits, performance increase, and responsibility.
• Bad effects of negative stress include depression, aggression, suicidal thoughts, fighting, gambling, substance abuse, early marriage, peer pressure, fatigue, irritability, withdrawal, and changes in sleep/eating habits.
• Signs of stress in teens/adolescents include increased complaints, crying, withdrawal, anger/irritability, hopelessness, anxiety/nervousness, changes in habits, lack of concentration, and experimentation with harmful substances.

Overcoming Stress

• Share problems with friends and family.
• Think positively.
• Relax with exercise.
• Prioritize tasks.
• Get enough sleep.
• Think positive thoughts.
• Face fears.
• Expect positive outcomes.
• Focus on what is controllable and release the uncontrollable.
• Lower standards reasonably, engage in enjoyable activities.
• Accept yourself, identify strengths, and remember your unique purpose.