Mental Health Unit
 Stress is the reaction of the body and mind
to everyday challenges and demands
 Perception is the act of becoming aware
through the senses.
 Stressor is anything that causes stress
 Psychosomatic response is a physical
reaction that results from stress rather than
from an injury or illness
 Chronic Stress is stress associated with
long-term problems that are beyond a
person’s control.
 Stress is the reaction of the body and mind
to everyday challenges and demands. You
may feel stress when you are running late or
taking a test. You may feel stress when you
are playing in a key game or arguing with a
friend. Is it important to deal with stress in a
healthy way.
 Perception is the act of becoming aware
through the senses. One way to deal with
stress is to change how you perceive what
causes your stress. Try not to make
something worse that it is.
 Stress is not good or bad. It can have a
positive effect. It can motivate you to do
well. It can give you extra energy to reach
your goals. You may play better when you are
in a stressful game. Stress can also have
negative effects. You may lose sleep after you
argue with a friend. You may be worried
about a test that you do not do well on.
 A stressor is anything that causes stress.
There are five general areas of stress.
 -Biological stressors: These may be
illness, disability, or injury.
 -Environmental stressors: These may
be poverty, pollution, crowds, noise, or
disaster.
 -Thinking stressors: These may be the
very you perceive a situation or how it
affects you.
 -Personal behavior stressors: These
may be using tobacco, alcohol, or other
drugs
 -Life situation stressors: These may be
the death of a pet, the divorce or parents,
or trouble with your peers.
 The nervous system and the endocrine
system are active is the body’s response to
stress. This is automatic. Here are the three
stages of response:
 Alarm is the first stage. Here are the stages
of the “fight or flight” response:
 Adrenaline is released from the adrenal
glands causing the following physical
response Your pupils dilate and you begin to
sweat.
 Your heart rate and pulse quicken and
your blood pressure rises.
 Alarm is the first stage. Here are the stages
of the “fight or flight” response:
 You breathe fast but less blood flows to
your internal organs and skin.
 More blood flows to your muscles and
the brain. Muscle tension increases.
 Blood sugar, fats and cholesterol are
released in the body for energy.
 Resistance is the next stage. Here is what
happens during this stage:
 a. Your body can perform at a higher level
of endurance for a short while.
 b. Your ability to fight or attack is greater.
 c. You can run faster and farther than
usual.
 . Fatigue is the third stage. Here is what
happens when the stress occurs over time:

a. Physical fatigue is when the muscles
work hard for a long period of time.

b. Psychological fatigue comes from
worry, overwork, depression, or feeling
overwhelmed.

 . Fatigue is the third stage. Here is what
happens when the stress occurs over time:

c. Pathological fatigue is tiredness
from overworking the body’s disease
defenses.
 Stress can affect your health
 Physical Effects: A psychosomatic response
is a physical reaction that results from stress
rather than from an injury or illness. Here are
some stress-related health problems.
 Headache: Many headaches relate to
tension. Muscles in the head and neck get
tight. Stress may also trigger migraine
headaches.
 Asthma: Stress can trigger an asthma
attack. The bronchioles constrict. The
person may cough and wheeze or fight to
get air.
 High Blood Pressure: Stress can
increase cholesterol levels, which block
arteries.
 Weak immune system: You may be
prone to more colds or flu.
 Mental/ emotional and social effects.
Stress can affect daily activities and
relationships with others. Here are some
effects.
 Difficulty paying attention: It is hard to
focus. You may feel that you will fail.
 Mood swings: Teens may have more
mood swings. The may strain
relationships.
 Risk of substance abuse: Some people
say stress is the reason they started
smoking or drinking. Substance use
actually increases stress.
 Chronic Stress is stress associated with
long-term problems that are beyond a
person’s control. It can cause upset stomach,
headaches, trouble sleeping, and anxiety.
Here are some of the ways to deal with the
effects of stress:
 Engage in Physical Activity: Physical
activity helps to calm you down by
releasing Endorphins- feel good chemicals
of the brain.
 Look for support among your friends
and family: Talk about what is bothering
you. “Venting” can release some of the
stress and relieve the physical symptoms.
Get it off your chest!
 Find a hobby or activity that relaxes
you: Learning something new can refocus
the mind lowing stress.
 Avoid using tobacco, alcohol, or other
drugs: Use of substances (especially as a
crutch to deal with stress or other pain)
can lead to addiction.
 You can manage stress by changing the way
you react to a stressor. Here are some other
ways to manage stress:
 Plan ahead: Decide what steps to take.
Here are some ways to deal with stress at
school:
 Study a little at a time each night
leading up to a test.
 Highlight key points.
 Take a few deep breaths before starting a
test, and again if you start to stress during
the test.
 Answer all the questions you are sure of
first, then go back to the questions you
skipped and give an educated guess.
(Sometimes the test itself will answer a
question you did not know!)
 If you finish a test with time left, read
back through the test to make sure you are
confident in your answers and did not
forget/ mark and answer incorrectly.
 Get plenty of sleep: Lack of sleep can
affect you attention. As a teen, you need 8-9
hours of sleep a night. Turn off the
electronics an hour before going to bed to
lower the brain activity. This will make you
fall asleep faster.
 Get regular exercise: Your body can build
up nervous energy, which can make it
harder to concentrate while in class. Release
that energy through physical activity.
 Eat nutritious food: Eat regular meals,
limit “comfort” foods, and limit caffeine.