Chapter 3 Managing Stress PDF

CHAPTER 3 Managing Stress 1 What Causes Stress? 2 How Stress Affects Your Body 3 Stress and Individuals @Building Health Skills Practicing Health...

CHAPTER 3 Managing Stress 1 What Causes Stress? 2 How Stress Affects Your Body 3 Stress and Individuals @Building Health Skills Practicing Healthful Behaviors Managing Your Time 4 Coping With Stress Hands-On Activity Progressive Relaxation GO ONLINE PearsonSuccessNet.com r TEENS Talk Stressed Out Preview Activity Have Sources of Stress Changed Over the Years? Complete this activity before you watch the video, I. Make a list of the top five e aryday problems that cause stress in your daily life. 2, Interview one or two adults and ask them to recall the top five everyday probkms they faced in high scbool- 3. Write a paragraph that compares ttæ problems you listed with the probkms the adults listed. Based on this compari- son, would you say that of everydwyi stress have WRITING ss  What Causes Stress? Objectives Describe what causes a person to experience Warm -Up StteSS. Myth People should try to avoid all Identify four general situat;ons that can lead to stress. types of stressors- Fact Stress is a normal part of life that you cannot avoid. Sometimes Vocabulary stress can have a positive outcome. stress custress WRITING You are invitcd to a friend's distress birthday party What ab0Jt this situation stressor could cause you to expcricncc stress? catastrophe What Is Stress? It is morning and you are fast asleep. Suddenly, your alarm clock early sounds. You sit up quickly, open your eyes, and jump out of bed. As you react to the ringing alarm, you experience stress. Stress is the response of your body and mind to being challenged or threatened, You experience stress when situations, events, or people make demands on your body and mind. Most people think of stress as a negati'. e experience, but stress can be positive as well. Stress is positi'.e when it helps you escape from a dangerous situation, promotes your personal growth. or helps you accom- plish your goals, Stress is sometimes called eustress. Negative stress is sometimes called distress. Think about something you hase accomplished lately—perhaps you did wellon a test or your team defeated a tough opponent in soccer, You may remember the feelings you experienced before and during the o nt. Do you think you performed better as a result of the stress? At rtu-xlerate levels, stress can actually impro.e your ability to Con- ccntrate and perform at your best. Beyond that howoer, it begins to take a negative toll on performance. Suppose that you were scheduled to take yout dtner s test next week. Feelings Ofstress might assure that you practice during the week- On the day of the test, your nenuusness might make you more alert behind the wheel. But what if you experience over- whelming stress during the test? You might find it difficult to concentrate and you might make mistakes that cause you to fail the test. Chapter 3 The Many Causes of Stress An event or situation that causes stress is called a stressor. A ringing alarm clock is one example of a stressor. Other stressors in your life may be a difficult homework assignment or an argument with a friend. "Iltese events make demands on your body and mind, Four general types of major fife changes, catastrophes, everyday problems, and stressors are environmental problems. Major Life Changes Do you remernbcr how you felt on your first day of high school? Were you excited? Were you nervous? Perhaps you experienced both emotions at the same time. You had to adjust to new surroundings, new people, and increased expectations. Starting high school is an example of a major life change. So is graduating from high school. Major life changes are stressful because it takes energy to adjust to a new situation. A major life change may also threaten your sense of secu- rity or your self-esteem. The more major life changes 'you experience in a year, the more Stress you are likely to feel, figure I lists some major life changes. Notice that the list includes positive changes as well as negative ones. Vsrhile Szing accepted to the col- lege of your choice is indeed a positive e.cnt. it can be just as stressful as a negatixt es.rnt, such as having a parent Jose a job. It is important to real- ize that change, both positive and negative. is in itself stressful. Listthree major life changes you experienced Your Life during the past five years. Major Life Changes Graduating from high school Experiencing death of a parent a. Going through parents' divorc Experiencing remarriage of parent Having a newborn sister or brother Having a serious illness Moving to a new school district Fa;ling a grade Being accepted to co!lege Brcaking up with boyfriend or girlfriend Having parent lose his or her job "CURE A major tile change may be [corning you were odoptcd related to hedthv family, empkyrnent, friendships, or education. Not making thc team aassry lng Which of the life changes Being eLected to student government listed would Ossify as posjtr.*? Being recognized for an achievement Leaving home for co:lege or a job Managing Stn ss 57 CO ONLINE Catastrophes Maier life changes are an expected patt of life; other PearsonSuccessNct.com highly stressful events are uncxpcctcd, A catastrophe (kuh TAS truh fee) For: Mare on stress is an event that threatens lisses and may destroy property. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes ate catastrophes, So are violent crimes, terrorism, and war. A person who experiences a catastrophe may deal with the psychological effects fur years after the event. Reading about a catastrophe or seeing images on television can also cause stress. Everyday Problems Some common stressors are of the most minor, but frequent. eseryday events. These common stressors are some- times called *hassles." I lassles include misplacing your keys. missing your bus, or having too many homework assignments on the same day. While such problems seem minor, they contribute greatly to your overall feel- ing of stress. This is bccausc hassles occur day in and day out. Can you remember a day in the past month that was free of hassles? Conflict—disagreements with family members, friends, or others-—is another common source of stress, Some high school students experience more conflict than they did when they were younger or disagree oser issues that are more serious, Ilow you dress, what music you listen to, what friends you sec—these are all possible sources of conflict and stress. For many people, the pressure to succeed is a major source of stress. They don't want to fail and they don't want to disappoint their families, their friends, or themselves. You can feel this pressure any time there is competition—in class at a swim meet, playing chess, or in a debate. Not knowing what you will do once you leaie school can also be stressful. What everyday problems did you experience Your Life today that were stressful for you? "CURE 2 Foe some wartnq n line to buy a ticket can stressful, Avoid Waiting in Lite Purchase tickets in advance. C/fferent time of day. Wait a whife to see a new release. Chapter 3 Environmental Problems Conditions in your immediate surroundings affect your level of stress each day, Suppose. fur example, that you commute to school un an overcrowded subway or bus, Yout level of StreSS might be quite high by the time you arrive at schi»l. If you then have to hunt for a book in a messy locker. your level of stress will continue to rise, A major stressor that occurs all around you but is often overlooked is noise- People who live near airports show Signs Of high stress levels due to the noise Of airplanes taking off and landing. Living near an elevated commuter rail or a busy highway can have a similar effect. Iii ing in unsafe or crowded conditions also tends to increase feelings of stress. So does living where the air qual- ity is poor or where litter collects on sidewalks- "Veather conditi'.ms can also contribute to Stress. During a heat wave or a long spell of freezing temperatures, people may feel increased stress. This may be because they feel cooped up indi»rs. Or theymay be stressed because they cannot afford to keep the temperature indixjrs as cool or as warm as they might like it to be, Adding something attractive to the neighborhood can help to tedi.xe stress. These teens are painting a mural. Section 1 Review Health and Community Noise Pollution Does your commumty have any regulations related to noise? tf so, do the Key Ideas and Vocabulary regulations vary with time of day Of locat'on? What is stress? Explain ho ev stress can be both Sources of noise that might be regulated are positive and negative, radios. car exhausts, po vver lawnmowers, and 2. When do people exgerience stress? blastirxg for construction. Write a r raph 3. What is meant by the term stressor? summarizing your findings. 4 List the four general types of stressors and give an example of each type. 6. Classifying Explain why getting your driver's Gccnsc could be classified as a major Efe charge. Critical Thinking 7. Comparing and Contrasting How is a catastrophe S. Applying Concepts List five stressful experiences similar to a major life change? 1-10%' is it different? that you have faced in the past two weeks. Next to exh, note whether it was a positive or a negative experience for you. GO ONLINE PearsonSuccessNet.com Audio Summary Sectk.*t 3.1 Managing Stn ss 59 Section 2 How Stress Affects Your Body Objectives List in order the three Stages of body's Warm -Up response to stress. Health Stats Is there a relationship stress and the risk Identify four ems of of catching a cold? early warnirg signs for Prolonged Stress and Risk of Colds stress. 4.0 Describe the relationship between stress and illness, 3-0 Vocabulary fight-or-flight response 20 1.0 6-24 DuraOon ot stress (months) Wk111NC Predict why being in a prolonged stressful situation might increase likelihood of gettirg a cold. Stages of Stress Yuu you see a large dog that isn't on a are walking in a par k, Suddenly, The dog is growling, I low do you react? Instantly, your mind sites leash, up the situation. You recogni7Æ that the dog could be a threat to your safety. When you percene something to be a threat. your body springs into action. Your body's response isn't under your control-—itss automatic. All stressors trigger the same stress response. However, the intensity of the response The body's response to stress occurs in three will sary. stages—the alarm stage, the resistance stage, and the exhaustion stage. Alarm Stage During the alarm stage, your body releases a substance called adrenaline (uh uh lin} into your bli»d, Adrenaline causes many immediate changes in your bCK3y, as shown in Figure 4. Your heart beats faster. your breathing speeds up. and your muscles tense. Your atten- (ion narrows as you focus on the stressor, These changes prepare you to either *fight the stressor or *take flight" and escape. Thus. this initial reaction of the body to stress is called the fight-or-flight response. This response probably helped early humans survive. T(X3ay, your body still reacts to any stressor with the same set of changes even when fight-or-flight is not a useful response. 60 Chapter 3  Fight-or-Flight Response Flow of blood to brain increases, open wfde, Lump forms in throat as muscles contract Heart rate and blood pressure increase- Breathhg rate increases. More sugar released Ho.v of Nood to digestive into blood. Ability ot system reduced, Ogesto t slows, blood to clot increases. Mote stortuch acid produced. Adrerulne released into bkxxi- ot blood to skin reduced- Muscles tense. More energy S',eeating increases. produced by ceils, Resistance Stage Sometimes you can deal with a stressor quickly, During the alarm stoge, You find the keys you thought were lost or you know the answers to the adrenaline triggers many changes in the body. For example. extra questions on a quiz. li. however. you are unable to successfully respond to sugar released into your bkxxi a stressor during the alarm stage, your body moves into the resistance combines with oxyqcn tn bcxiy cells to qve you a burst of energy. stage. During this stage, your bcxåy adapts to the con tinued presence of the Interpreting Diagrams List two stressor. You may think you are no longer stressed because the symptoms boos functms that speed up from the alarm stage disappear, i lowever, the work that your body does during the aldtm stage. List two that slow dcym. during the resistance stage uses up a lot of energy. As a result, you may become tired. irritable. and less able to handle any added stress. Exhaustion Stage The third stage of the stress response is the exhaustion stage. Your body can no longer keep up with the demands placed on it, Your physical and emotional resources are depleted. The exhaustion stage docs not occur with each stress response. If it did, your body would wear out. Exhaustion OCCUIS only if a stress.or con- tinucs for a long time—usually weeks, months, or even years. People may reach the exhaustion stage when they experience extreme stress that is beyond their control—such as a death of a family member. Managing Stn ss 61  Behavorial Changes Signs of Stre Physical Changes Muscle tension Overeating or hardly eating at all Headoche Sleep problems Upr,ct stomach Hurrying; talking fast Pounding heart Withdrawing from Shortnev, of breath relationships Increased sweating Reckless behavior Skin rash Changes in Thinking Emotional Changes Unable to concentrate Irritablc Negative thinking Angry Exccssivc worrying impat;ent Self-criticism Nervous Critical of others Increased crying FIGURES some coenmon wamtnq of strew. They inckJde phtys'cal changes. Recognizing Signs of Stress emoticns, thoughts. and If you have tried to concentrate on a task after a stressful day, then you know that stress can interfere with your ability to focus and think Clearly. people are distracted, they risk injuring themselves and others. A driver may not notice that a Fdestrian has stepped into the crosswalk. Or the pedestrian may not notice the car. Reducing the risk of injury is one reason to reduce your level Of StteSS, Another reason is to prevent the effects of prolonged stress on your body, Before you can deal with stress. you must recognize the warning signs. Tlte warning signs of stress include changes in how your body functions and changes in emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. As you look over the list of warning signs in Figure 3, think about how you act and feel when under stress, Begin your own personal list of warning signs by selecting items from Cigure 5 that apply to you. Add other changes you associate with being stressed. The next time you experience some of the warning signs on your list, you will know that you are under stress. next step is to try to identify the stressor you are facing. Sometimes this task is easy becaus.e the source oi the stress is obvious; for example, a close friend is moving away, Noticing patterns can help yvu identify a stressor. Perhaps you always show signs of stress when you hasen't had enough sleep. Vsrhen it is difficult to pin down the source of your Stress. try recording yout activities and responses in a journal. Don't ) CO ONLINE get discouraged. It may take time for a pattern to emerge. By recogniz- PearsonSuccessNct.com For: More on hmv to ing the warning signs eatly as possible and by identifying stressors, recogrue stress you may be able (o present some of the more Serious effects of Stress, What warning signs of stress do you routinely Your Life experience? 62 Chapter 3 Stress and Illness or prolonged stress can affect your health, Stress can certain illnesses, reduce the body's ability to fight an illness, and make some diseases harder to control, Stomachaches A astomachache* can occur in your stomach, small intestine, or large intestine. Stress disrupts the mos.ement of food through the digestive system, "Ilte may move too quickly or slowly, You might experience gas, cramps, diarrhea (dy uh BEE uhj, or constipation, Stress also increases the amount of stomach acid. Doctors used to think that excess acid attacked the lining of the stomach and caused open sores, called ulcers, to form. Then researchers found bacteria in the stom- ach that could cause ulcers. When medicine was to kill the bacteria. the ulcer healed, Current thinking is that excess acid makes it more likely that an ulcer will form and makes it more difficult for an ulcer to heal. Asthma Asthma (AZ muhl is another illness for which stress can be a trigger. An asthmatic attack happens when the air passages of the respi ratory system narrow, making it difficult to breathe. During an attack. the 37.6% - female teens person coughs. wheezes. and gasps for air. These symp toms usually can be controlled by medication that is inhaled. But it helps if people with 213% mate asthma recognize which stressors can trigger an attack. report having Headaches Stress can trigger headaches. each week Tension in the muscles around your scalp, face, and neck may produce an aching or pounding sensation in pur head. A type of headache called a migraine (MY grayn) lx gins when blood 'oesscls in the brain and scalp narrow, which limits the supply of oxygen to the brain, blood sessels must then open wide to increase the flow of oxygen. This stretching of the blood vessels causes the painful throbbing ofa migraine, If you suffer from frequent headaches, you may want to keep a diary to determine what factors trigger the onset ofa headache, In addition to stress, certain foods, such as chocolate or large amounts of cafe feine. can trigger headaches- FIGURE 6 This illustrates the pain associated with a migraine headache. Managing S.tn ss 63  Lowered Resistance to Disease immune system protects 'Ille your body from discasc through a complex process irnolving many spe- ciali"ßd cells. When you speak of fighting off the flu or a cold, your immune system does the fighting. your immune system functions well, you are better able to resist some of the illnesses to which you have been exposed. Scientific research has shown that, during the alarm stage, some parts of your immune system may function better than usual. lowever. prolonged stress can present the immune system from func- tioning well. If your immune system is weakened, you may minor illnesses such as colds, more often- For people with diseases such as cancer, a weakened immune system makes it harder to con- trol the disease. Heart Disease Some effects of frequent or prolonged stress donst show up until later in life. Remember that during the alarm stage, your heart beats faster, Your blood narrow and your blood pressure rises. Your heart must work harder to keep blood flowing through your body, Stress that is frequent Ot prolonged can cause damage to the muscle fibers in the heart. Prolonged stress can also damage the linings of blood 'sess.els, which are under increased pressure. Because high blood pressure has no obvious syrnptoms and often goes undetected, it is sometimes called the "silent killer." Reducing stress is one of the ways that people can lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of FIGURE 7 Prolonged stress can weaken heart discasc and stroke. y«xjr itnmune system, makes it tutder to fight Off a cold oe flu. Section 2 Review Health at Home Warning Signs of Stress Ask a few friends and trusted adults if they can tell when you are under Key Ideas and Vocabulary stress. Ask them to describe the warnirg signs that 1. What are the three stages of the stress response? In you exhibit. i"ite a paragraph about what you what order do they occur? WRITING Z Why is the body's response during first Stage of stress called the fight-or-flight response? 6. Applying Concepts Explain how changes that 3. Describe four ways that you can recognize when occur during the alarm stage couki help you you are under stress, escape from a threatening situation, 4. What is the relationship stress and illness? 7. Making Judgrnents A dcxtoe with a patient who complains about stomach pains is likely to do a Critical Thinking series ot tests to determine the Why might S. Relating Cause and Effect Why is it important to the doctor also ask about the patient's mental and identify signs of stress early? emotional health? Chapter 3 GO ONLINE PearsonSuccessNet.com Audio Summary Sect'on 3.2 Stress and Individuals Objectives Explain how individuals War»f-L/p can have different responses to the same Quick Quiz How many of the following statements accurately describe how you think oe behave? stressor. O I need to be the best at everything I do. Describe t.vo ways that personality affects stress. @ tf I something doesn't go as planned. feel like a failure. Identify resibence. be key futor in O i tend to expect the worst in most situatk)ns. Vocabulary optimism O i want to be liked by everyone. pessimism @ i really enjoy competition. perfectionist resilience WRITING Re.'ie v your rcsøonscs, Then explain why you might be more or less EkcYyto be under stress thon others. Responses to Stress Vary Your teacher walks into class and says. "Okay. everyone. put away your books. are going to a surprise quiz now." I low would you react? Now look around the classroom and imagine your classmatess reactions. Would their reactions be the same yours? Your teacher's announcement might bring on a wide tange of reactions—mild stress, extreme stress, confidence, and indifference are just some reactions you could predict- does one person remain calm when faced with a stressor while another becomes anxious and tense? The answer to this question points out an important fact about stress—it is a highly personal experience. How you react to a stressor depends on how you assess the situation. As you assess the situation, you are answering two important questions: IS this situation a threat to my well-being? Do I haie the necessary resources to meet the challenge? Time. energy. skills. and experience are resources- Situations that cause the most distress are those in which you answer to the second question, You might see a surprise quiz as a threat if you need to maintain a certain grade to be eligible to play on a team. li you did pooi ly on previ- ous quires, you might not bc confident of doing well on this one. Your past experiences ha.e a lot to do with how you respond to new situations. Managing Suvss 65  Player A is... Player B is... Confident Uncertain Eager Hesitant Calm Nervous Focused Distracted Optimistic Pessimistic "gure 8 Persorøity can affect how two people respor«i to the same situation, Predi«tlng Hcv.v Stress and Personality could these players' thoughts ytd Your personality also has a lot to do with how you respond to stressors. teelings attect their ability to For example. a friend imites you to a party. The only person that you will Fform? know at the party is your friend. I low you respond to the situation will depend on your personality. If you are outgoing and confident. you might look forward to the opportunity to meet new people. lowe'.er. if you are shy, you rnight feel threatened by the thought of meeting so many strangers. Your personality influences your assessment of a situation. Optimism and Pessimism Carla and Joan play on a softball team, Their team is about to face the best team in the league. Carla is looking forward to the challenge. She likes competing against the best opponents. Her response reflects her optimism. Optimism is the ten- dency to focus on the aspects Of a situation. Joan is threatened by the situation- She assumes that she will play poorly and that the other team will win by a wide margin. I ler response reflects her pessimism. Pessimism is the tendency to fix-us on the negative and expect the worst. Aiming for Perfection A perfectionist is a person who accepts nothing less than excellence. If you are a perfectionist about your appear- ancc, for example, you may spend hours getting ready to go to school. If you are a perfectionist about your work, you may spend hours agonizing over each sentence in a paper and still not be satisfied. Because perfectionists set goals that are impossible to attain, they are never satisfied with what they have accomplished. This can lead to a vicious cycle Of trying harder, not tx.'ing satisfied, and trying harder Still, "There arc ways to break the cycle and reduce your stress. GO ONLINE Accept that you cannot be perfect, Pearson Success&et.com For: More on stress and Take pride in the things you do well, persorglrty Don't focus on your mistakes. Are the goals that you set for yourself easy to Your Life reach, difficult to reach, or impossible to reach? Chapter 3 Resilience Some people seem to tolerate high levels of stress. They tend to Oew stressful csents as challenges rather than as threats, For example, they might view the loss of a job as an opportunity to pursue a new carccr. Also, they believe that they are in control—that they can influence the outcome of a stressful event. Essen stress-hardy people will face a catastro- phe or major life change that they are unable to control. They need to find a way to adapt to an extremely distressful situation, ability to reccm- r. or "bounce back.' from extreme or pro- longed stress is called resilience, Many factors contribute to resilience. The key factor in resilience is having the support of family and friends. These relation»hips offer encouragement, reassurance, and People with resilience share other characteristics. They know their strengths and confidence in their abilities, OGURE9 People a They make realistic plans and take the Steps to carry out those plans, group buddle- to encouroge ore member o' the group oe the They have good communication and problem-solving slills, group as a whole. They are able to recognize and control their feelings. They recognize that change is a normal part of life- They are able to put life changes in perspective, In the next section, as you study ways to cope with stress. you will learn how to build your resilience. Health at School Section 3 Resilience Interview a guidance counselor, school nurse, or social vorker Ask the person you Key Ideas and Vocabulary interview to describe those factors that make it I. Why might fi.so individuals have different easier for a student to recover from an extremely responses to the same stressor? stressful situation. Summarize what you learn in a WRIIINC. 2. How dc.*S personality affect a person's response to paragraph. stress? 3. Define the term resilience- 4. What is key factor in determining whether a 6. Predicting Impatience is a comrnon personality person has resibence? trait. Predict hoe' impatience could affect a person's level ot stress- Critical Thinking 7. Classifying AfterKenny completes his math S. Applying Concepts The weather report says there he checks his answers to see they is a 50 percent chance of rain. How might your make sense. Based solely on this behægiore do you optimism or pessimism affect ho'" you interpret think Kenny is a perfectionist? Explain. this report? ONLINE PearsonSuccessNet.com Audio Summary Secoon Managing Stn ss 67  Practicing Healthful Behaviors Managing Your Time La Building Health Skills - Managing Your Time O Track how you spend that was assigned two weeks ago. He planned your time. to do his math homework in the morning, but Use a Sheet from a daily planner that is dn idcd into 15-minute blocks or then slept through his alarm. In his haste this make your own version on ruled morning, José left his gym clothes at home. paper, Prepare a sheet for each day of Running toward the school as the bell rang, the week. José felt anxious and tense. Mark all your scheduled activities on José needs to manage his time better. A the grid, beginning with your classes good time manager completes daily tasks and at school. Include other actis. ities that still finds time to relax, Follow these steps to you attend on a regular schedule, such as religious classes or team practice. better manage your time, Use the grids to track how you currently spend your "free" time- M 02dy 800 Hiø$oee 1000 Science t200 Lunch Make a dally "To Do" list. Before you go to bed. make a list of the tasks you need to do the next day. Include tasks that you know you have to do, such as homework and chores, along with tasks that you would like to do. Break lung-range tasks. such as term papers and projects, into smaller, more manageable tasks. This makes it easier to fit these tasks into your schedule,  Prioritize your tasks. Am I avoiding a task because am afraid to Rate each task according to this scale. fail or "take a mistake? You can waste a lot of time worrying about a task. If you just A sery important B somewhat important begin doing the task. you may realize that C — not very important it is not as diiiicult as you thought. Is this the right time to do this task? For example, if yout math homework is chal- ro 00 List lenging» don't it until late at night Do math homework when you are tired. 00 tsund Am I being distracted by phone calls or instant Outline his messages? Tell your friends when it is okay to Organize CDs c contact and when you need time to con- Call grandmother centrate on homework or chores. Watch c hotø Get permiøøun lip igned O Plan your day. Practice the Skill Assign anamount oftime for each task. Make a practice of allowing more time for a txsk than you think it will require. 1. for cne week, keep track of how ycxu spend Use copies of the grids you made in Step I your time each day. Decide whether or not to schedule your tasks. you are spending your time wisely Are there tasks that you can eliminate? Are there Do not schedule too many tasks each day. tasks that you can do more quickly? Allow some time for unplanned events, 2. During the second week, make a "TO DO" list each day. Break dov. n complex activities Try to do "A" tasks before you do "B" tasks. into a set of simpler tasks Assign a specific. and "B * tasks before you do tasks, even realistic amount of time for each task- if a "C" task is easier- 3. use the A-B-C scale to prioritize your tasks O Monitor your progress. and then decide vhich tasks each of the available time periods. Do your you do in At different points during the day. ask "AM tasks first each day, follwaed by o B" yourself," Is this the best use of my time?" If and tasks. your answer is no, consider these questions: 4. tf you are having trouble finishing your tasks, Am doing a task because an A" task ask yoursetf the questions from Step 5- seems overwhelming? If so, break the "A" task S. At the end of the week, report to your class into smaller steps that can be done in Jess on how helpful the time management than fifteen minutes. process has been for you. can you do to improve your skills? Managing Stn:ss 69  4 Coping With Stress Objectives Identify ways to control stress. reduce tension, and charge the way you think War»g-Vp Dear Advice Line. about stresson. Explain why building When have to speak I in front of a group, resibence is important. I panic. I begin to sweat and my heart Describe the value of pounds. My mouth gets so dry that it s hard to speak. there anything t can seckir.g support from others when you arc do about thie problem? under stress. WRITINC What advke would you offer to someone who is afraid of speaking in public? Vocabulary mental rehearsal Take Control of Stress Many people tend to think that all stress is out of their control. This is not true, You can do many things to keep stress under control, In a sense, everything you do to maintain your health is a way to manage stress. It is important to distinguish between stressors that you can control and those that you cannot, You cannot control natural disasters or major life changes such as the death ofa grandparent. adults in your family control your physical environment. They decide where you live and who lives with you, There are, howoer, many stressors in your life that you can work to change. These stressors tend to be the everyday problems. For example. suppose you were in danger of failing math. i'dhat could you do? You could ignore the problem and pretend not to be worried or you could confront the problem and devise a plan to improve your grade. Your plan might include asking a friend for help, cutting down on other activities to focus more on math, and paying closer attention in class. li you direct your energy toward those things that are within your power to change, you may be surprised to see what a difference you can make. Two techniques that can help you keep stress under control are time management and mental rehearsal. 70 Chapter 3 Time Management Do you often wish (here were more hours in the day? Do you tend to put things off until the last minute? If you answered yes to these questions. you may not be managing your time effectively,Poor time management is one of the biggest contributors to The Building lealth Skills on pages 68—69 can help you Learn to use stress. time more productively. Not only will you get more done each day. but you will also feel more in control of your life. As a bonus, you might also end up with more time for fun and relaxation. Mental Rehearsal Suppose you have a big esent coming up. such as a solo in a concert. If you are worried alx»ut your performance, you might use a technique known as a mental rehearsal to help you prepare. In a mental rehearsal, you practice an event without actually doing the event. mind as you imagine yourself event takes place in your performing at your You might rehearse every aspect of the esent best. a few times over until you feel confident that you can perform it as imag- ined, Of course, a mental rehearsal doesn't replace the need to actually practice for an e.ent. Athletes often use mental rehearsal while preparing for a competi- lion. 'filis technique helps athletes stay focused on their performances during highly stressful times. You also can use mental rehearsal to pre- pare for a difficult consersation with a family member or a friend, Si'hcn you first try this technique, it may bc difficult to kccp your mind focused on your rehearsal- You might find that you are easily dis- tracted by outside events- With practice. though, you will improve your ability to focus and put all distractions aside. "GORE to Time wasters keep Have you used mental rehearsal before an event? you trom making the best use ot Your Life so, did help your performance? If it the time you have to study. Evaluathg Which example do you thnk costs you the most time? other exampk s would you add to the bst? Time Wasters Playing video games Talking on the phonc Watching TV Listening to music Daydreaming Worrying Not having a plan Not following instructions Not being able to concentrate Agreeing to do too many things Using social media Managing Stn ss 71  Reduce Tension Even when a stressor isn't under your control, there are things you can do to reduce the stress. VVhen you recognize warning signs of stress, such as muscle tension or restlessness, you need to find a way to telie.e the tcn sion. Two strategies that can help you relieve tension are physical activity and relaxation. methods wot k by altering the physical state of your body, Physical Activity Bicycling, taking a walk, playing the drums— these are some ways to release tension when you are under stress- By doing something physically active, you provide your body with a healthy outlet for built-up energy, At the same time, you shift your focus from your problems to the task at hand. This gises your mind a chance to relax. too. do not have manage to be an athlete to use physical activity to stress, activities you choosc don't have to bc competiti'€r sports, and you don't have to be the best at them. Instead, select activities that you enjoy, If you enjoy an activity, you are more likely to do it on a regular basis. Try to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. That way, you will always hase a way to work off the day's tension. Relaxation The goal of relaxation techniques is to give your mind and body a rest. you are relaxed, you may be awake and alert, but you are not responding actively to stressors. You may relax your mind by reading a taking a nap, listening to music, or doing something cre- atiu , such as playing the guitar. You can relax tense muscles by taking a hot shower or bath. stretching. or having someone mxssage your neck- Deep breathing is a relaxation method that offers quick relief from stress. Take a few deep breaths in a row. Slowly breathe in as much air as you can through your nose. I lold the air in fur a few seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen as you inhale. Your abdomen should expand more than your chest- you breathe deeply. you take in more oxygen. which helps your body to function better, "CURE getng actree imprm es fitness. pro ddes an outlet for excess energy, and takes your mind ott gyol/ems- 72 Chapter 3 Hands-On Activity Progressive Relaxation You can ue,c progrcssivc relaxation to rclcasc Think and Discuss the tcnsion that builds up in your muscles, O Compare how you felt before doing this Try This activity to how you felt after doing the O Sit quietly in a comfortable chair or lie progressive relaxation. down and close your eyes. Make sure that O Think back to what you learned about the your arms and legs are uncrossed. alarm stage of your bodVs response to stress. O Tighten each muscle group your body, in Why do you think progressive relaxat;on is an effective stress-reduction technique? hold for 10 seconds, and relax. Follow the order in the bulleted lists- O List some times during a typical week when O tense all the muscles in your whole Finally, it would be relaxation. helpful to use progressive body. Hold for 10 seconds and relax. Hands-On Activity: Progressive Relaxation Wrinkle your forehead. Raise your shouldcrs Tighten your stotnach Try to make your eyebrows up to your cars, muscles. touch your hairline. Bend your elbows and Tighten your hip and Close your eyes. as tcnsc your upper arms, buttock muscles. tightly as you can. Tightly clench your fists. Form a frown with the Squeeze your legs together. Gently arch your back. Curl your tocs under corners of your mouth. tightly asyou can, The Importance of Happiness Recall that happiness is one of the primary emotions that are expressed by people in all cultures. Yet hap- piness is more than just a pleasant uni«rsal emotion—it may be one Of the keys to a healthy life. VVhat is happiness? It is the perception of your own well-being and the belief that your own life is worthwhile. There is growing scientific evidence that happiness can actually make you health- ier and may help you live longer. If make you healthier. you need to know what makes happiness can you happy, Scientists have shown that a positi.e attitude and being invoÅed with activities that you find rewarding can result in happiness. iVhat probably won't make you happy, according to current studies. are money and material things. Sometimes happiness results from activities you do by yourself, such as going for a walk or volunteering for a good cause. or from activities you do with other people. such as dancing, singing, or playing games, What makes you happy? Did you identify things Your Life that you do by yourself or with other people? Managing Stn ss 73  Change Your Thinking Do you tend to overreact to uncxpcctcd o nts or worry a lot about the P) GO ONLINE future? Sometimes you can reduce your les.el of stress by changing the PearsonSucce«sNet.com For. More on coping veith way you think about stressors. One way to change your thinking is to stress replace negative thoughts with positive ones. You can also use humor in some stressful situations- Avoiding Negative Thinking 'Illink back to the last time you were in a stressful situation. What thoughts were going through your mind? Were you thinking things like " I ill be able to do this." or E tvryone will think I'm stupid," or "I'm not as good as the others? For many people, negative thoughts like these accompany stressful situations. Of course, such negative thinking only increases a person's stress level. With negative messages running through the person's mind, it becomes almost impossible to succeed. Ilow can you stop yourself from thinking negati'.e thoughts when you are under stress? One way is to monitor your internal conversations closely and substitute positive or realistic thoughts for negati'.e thoughts. Fur example. instead oi thinking "I'll neser be able to do this: you might think, more positively, clone things like this before." Another way to eliminate negatiu thinking is to act as a "coach" while you think about an upcoming stressful event- As you do a mental rehearsal of the event. give yourself positive messages such as e You can do it," 'Illis will boost your self-confidence, which will help you during the actual event- Humor Finding humor in a situation can be an effective way to deal with Stress, I lave you laughed at yourself after doing something that was not really funny, such as slipping on a wet floor or saying something embarrassing in front of a group of people? If so. you probably realized that your laughter helped to your feelings of stress. If you use humor carefully, it can be an effective tool for managing stress. lumor allows you to deal quickly with a stressor and keep it in the proper Frspcctive. But don't use humor to cot.x r up your true feelings, HCURE 12 Humor cm be an Also avoid laughing at serious situations. Remember that making fun of effectieeway to ease tension ard yourself is different than making fun of other people's problems. grovide rebcf from strew lit 74 Chapter 3 Build Resilience The strategies discussed so far for coping with stressmay not be sufficient for dealing with all types of stressors. You need to build your resilience to help you deal with extreme or prolonged stress. Elhe strategies listed belowcan help you increxse your resilience. Pick the approaches that you think will work best for you, IÅen the most resilient person in the world will be unhappy or worried some of the time. I loweser, knowing these strategies Can help you *bounce bacr from setbacks in your life. Take Care of Yourself Exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. Find time for acti',i- ties you enjoy, your general health is good, you are better able to deal with stressful situations- Build a Support System good relationships with family, friends, and other people who will care for and listen to you. Take Action Decide what needs to be done and act on your decision. Set short-term goals that you unow you can accomplish. "CURE A library can Help Somebody Volunteer to work on a proiect in your community a quiet pixe to get from the hasec s of school or help a friend with a problem. and home. Confide in Yourself Sometimes it is t€» difficult to talk with others about your feelings, You can confide in yourself by writing about stressful e.ents in a iournal. Go Easy on %ursclf something bad happens, your response to other stressors may be more intense. So cut yourself a little slack- Put Things in Perspective 1-00k beyond a difficult situation to a time when things will be better, i"'lten you talk about bad times, remem- ber to talk about the good times in your life, too. Find a Hassle-Free Zone Find someplace where you can feel free from stress—your home, a relative's house, a community center, or the library, Stick to Your Routines During a maior life change. keep to daily routines. such as a nightly conversation with a friend, Where are some places you can go to feel free Your Life from stress? Managing Stn ss 75  Reach Out for Support i'dhat if you try many of the stress-management tech- niques described in this chapter and nothing seems to work? Sometimes the stress in your life becomes too for you to handle on your own, At those times, you may want to ask someone to help you with your problems. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to, Sharing your problems can help you see them more clearly. Just describing your concerns to someone else often helps you to understand the problem better. Many people are willing to listen and lend support if you ask, a parent or other adult relative a teacher or a coach or a religious leader a school counselor or nutse a or friend FIGURE 14 Sturnq a problem With person you choose to may not be able to help talk to someone you trust can hap you to better understand the prodem. lust talking yvu with pur specific concerns, But be or she may able ab«xjt problems can often t*ip to refer you to someone who can. reduce your stress- At some time in your life, you may want or need sorne kind of counseling. Many specialists are available to work with people who need help coping with stress. Some specialists are trained to help you identify the stressors in your life and learn constructive strategies for coping with them. Health at Home Section 4 Building Resilience Lc ok at the fist of strategies for building resilience on page 75. Describe specific Key Ideas and Vocabulary ways that you could use four ct the strategies to Listseven techniques you can use to cope help manage your stress. WRIJINC, with stress: a. two techniques that help you take control 6. Making Judgments 00 you think the saying b. three strategies to help relieve tension "Don't sweat the small stuff" is good advice for c. two ways to change your thinking coping with stress? Why or why not? 2. What are some ways you can relax? 7. Applying Concepts Your best fret-ds father just 3. Why is it important to build resilience? Your friend is worried that his family lost his job. might have to move to a different city. How could 4. How can seekirg the support of others help when you are uoder stress? you help your friend through this stressful time? Critical Thinking 5. Relating Cause and Effect Explain how relaxation techniques help to reduce stress. 76 Chapter 3 c.o ONLINE PearsonSuccessNet.com Audio Summary Sect'on 3 a Chapter 3 TEENS TalkO Stressed Out What did yau learn from At a Glance the video about desing with the stress in your Irfr? Section 1 What Causes Stress? Key Ideas Vocabulary stress (56) You exmricnce when situations, events, or stress eustress (S6) people make demarwds on your boOy and mind, distress (56) four general types of stressors are major Me stressor (57) catastrophes, everyday problems, and catastrophe (58) envirmmental problems. Section 2 How Stress Affects Your Body Key Ideas Stress can trigger certain illnesses, reduce the The body's response to stress OCCUfS in three bcxfi/s to fight an illmss, make some stages—the alæm stage, resistance stage, ard diseases hardcr to control. the exhaust'on stage. The warning of stress ir clude in how Vocabulary pur body functions and changes in emotions, fight-or-flight response (60) thwghts. and behaviors Section 3 Stress and Individuals Key Ideas Vocabulary optimism (66) Ho wyou react toa stressor depends on your pessimism (66) assessment of the situ&on. perfectk»nist (66) Your personahty nfluences your assessment resilience (67) 01 a situation. The key factor in resifence is having the support of family and friends. Section 4 Coping With Stress Key Ideas You necd to build yvur resilience to deal with T',vo technques that can help you keep stress under extreme or prolongcd stress, control are tirne mr.agement and mental rehearsal. Sharing your problems can help YUJ see them strategies that can help you relieve tension more ckariy- just describing your concerns to when you are stressed are physical activity and often helps you to understand the relaxation. problem better. 0m way to thinking is to replace negative thoughts with positiee You can also Vocabulary use hurnor in some stressful situations. mental rehearsal (71) Managing Stn:ss 77 Chapter 3 Review ) CO ONUNE PearsooSu«essNet€om Reviewing Key Ideas For: Chapter 3 review activity Section 1 Section 4 i. A good friend is in the hospital with a serious 14. Stressors that you can control tend to be illness. This stressor can be classified as a- catastrophes. a- an everyday problem- b. major life changes- b. a major life change. c. everyday hassles. c. a catastrophe. d. environmental problems. d. an environmental problem. 15. Explain the prcxess of mental rchcarsal can 2. Explain how stress can be a positive expcricnce, help you stress, 3, Why are major life changes stressful? 16. When is it important for a person who is stressed to reach out fot support? 4. Critical Thinkb' g 00 you think that adolescence is an especially stressful time? Explain. 17. Critical A be detector measures changes in a person's heart rate and breathing Section 2 rate. How might changes in these body functions indicate that a person is lying? S, The Stage when yout body adapts to the continued presence Of a stressor is a. e. alarm stage. exhaustion stage, b. resistance stoge, d, adaptation stage. 4 Building Health Skills 6. List six thirgs that happen to your body during 18. Advoc cy You have a friend who is invotved in so the fight-oc.ft;ght response- many activities that he no longer has time for you. 7, Explain the relationship between stress and the he complains that Lately. "can't think straight onsct of an asthmatic attack, anymore-" Use an e-mail to offer some advice to your friend. 8, What effect can prolonged stress have on your immune system? 19. Making Decisions A prcxiuct called "Stress Vrtamins" claims to " replace essential vitamins that 9. Critical Why do you think that sleep arek:yst during times of stress." I-love would you problems are a useful sign ot stress? decide whether or rot to buy the vitamins? Section 3 20. Setting Goals Make an action plan to you reduce the stress Of test-takings Apply strategies 10, What is the statement negcr bc abk to do you learned for coping with stress. Put your plan this" an example of? into action a week before your next test and a. aiming for pcrfcction monitor your After the test, adjust your b. negatige thinking action plan, if necessary. WRITING c. optimism d, resilience As you assess a stressful situation, what two gereral questions are you answering? Health and Community 12. How does having the support of family and friends Volunteering Helping others is one way to build contribute to resilience? resibence. Descrit* something you COUkl do for 13. Critical Researchers have compared one hour eöCh week to help yout%ler students the lcvel of stress in different sports. They found learn with irdividual sports, such as gymnastics, can cause more stress than team sports, such as baskctbalL Why do you think this Urffcrcncc exists? 78 Chapter 3 Standardized Test Prep Math Practice Reading and Writing Practice The groph shows how listening to musk affects the Reod the passage. Then answer Questions 2S-28. heart rotes of surgery patients, Group A listened to the music of their choice during and after surgery. Group B did not. Use the graph to answer Questions 21—24. When people rely heavily on technology, they may become victims of technostress. With cell phones 100 and instant messaging, people expect to be able to reach someone at any time and at any place—at work. in the car, at home. This constant stimulation 60 and interruption can be stressful, So can having a computer crash when are facing a dcadlinc, 40 This situation is ironic, Technology is designed to 20 make people more productive—able to more in the same amount of time- But technostress one