Coping with
Stress in Middle
and Late
Adolescence
Personal Development
Objectives:
1. Recognize the sources of one’s stress;
2. Illustrate the effects of stress on one’s
system; and
3. Identify personal ways of coping with
stress for healthful living.
Activity: Write the emotions in the box that you
identify with:
ANXIOUS STRESSED WORRIED
FEARFUL LOW LONELY
OVERWHELMED HELPLESS FRUSTRATED
GUILTY ANGRY
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
What did you do about
it?
What did you feel?
What would you do
differently in the
future?
What were your
thoughts?
• It is the reaction of the mind
STRESS and body to stimulus that
causes tension on the well-
being and disturbs the state of
calm or equilibrium of a person.
• Stress is now understood as a
way of life crisis (Masih &
Gulrez, 2006) affecting any
individual regardless of their
developmental stage (Banerjee
& Chatterjee, 2016).
Stress According Psychologist
• Beneficial Stress
• Destructive Stress
Three (3) Views about Stress
• Stress as STIMULUS
• Stress as RESPONSE
• Stress as RELATIONAL
Three (3) Views about Stress
• Stress as STIMULUS - caused by
situations (which often called stressors)
that may be life threatening or life
changing.
• Examples: Car accident, breakup with
boyfriend or girlfriend, and separation
from loved ones.
Three (3) Views about Stress
• Stress as RESPONSE - This is the aspect of stress
emphasized by Selye (1956), the way the body reacts
to challenging situations. It involves the interactions
between the hormones, glands and nervous system
where adrenal gland drives the production 7 of cortisol
(produces energy to an action) and release
norepinephrine (triggers the body’s reaction; increased
heart rate, higher blood pressure,) or better known as
“stress hormone”.
Three (3) Views about Stress
• Stress as RELATIONAL - Lazarus and Folkman's (1984)
definition of stress reflects very clearly this way of
thinking. - Assessment here means that when a person
allows reasoning to prevail and weigh the relevance or
irrelevance of situation. Example of this is a flight
delay.
Healthy Stress
It can motivate,
energize, and
produce fruitful
actions.
Two sources of Stress
1. External Stressors
– comes from the outside of you like certain situations
and people. Example: Major life changes, such as death of a
loved one. Work or school.
2. Internal Stressors
– coming from within your thoughts that caused you to
feel fearful about the future and personal beliefs, which
include your own expectations. Example: Negative self-talk,
Unrealistic expectations.
Some possible sources of stress for
teenagers includes:
1 . School demands (test and homework) and frustrations .
2 . Negative thoughts and feelings about themselves .
3 . Change in their bodies.
4 . Problems with friends and/or peers at school.
5 . Unsafe living environment or neighborhood .
Some possible sources of stress
for teenagers includes:
6 . Separation or divorce of parents .
7 . Chronic illness or sever problems in the family.
8 . Death of a loved one.
9 . Moving or changing schools .
1 0 . Taking on too many activities .
Some possible sources of stress for teenagers
includes:
11. Family financial problems
12. Moving to new home and school
13. Dating
14. Too high parental and school expectations
15. Sports and extracurricular activities
Some possible sources of stress for teenagers
includes:
16. Job Hunting
17. Social backwardness
18. Too many things to do
19. Not achieving something that you really wanted
20. Thinking about future
Some possible sources of stress for teenagers
includes:
21. Dealing with sexual feelings
22. Worrying about neighborhood or world
problems
23. Feeling guilty
Fight
• Aggressiveness
• Toughness of body
• Stomp, kick
Stress Responses • Anger, rage
• Knot in stomach, nausea, vomiting
Flight
• Restless legs and feet
• Feeling trapped
• Anxiety/ adrenaline
• Wide eyes
• Tense
Freeze
• Feeling numb
• Heart pounding
• Sense of dread
• Pale skin
• Holding breath/ restricted breathing
Teens can handle stress with the following behaviors
and techniques:
1. Exercise and eat regularly
2. Avoid excess caffeine intake which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation
3. Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco
4. Learn relaxation exercise (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation technique).
5. Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in polite firm and
not overly aggressive or passive ways: (“I feel angry when you yell at me”, “Please
stop yelling”)
Teens can handle stress with the following behaviors
and techniques:
6. Rehearse and practice situations which cause stress.
7. Learn practical coping skills
8. Decrease negative self-talk: challenge negative thoughts about yourself with
alternative neutral or positive thoughts.
9. Learn to feel good about doing a competent or good enough job rather than
demanding perfection from yourself and others.
10. Take a break from stressful situations.
11. Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.
