Course Code: CORE8

Course Title: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Course Type: CORE
Pre-requisite: NONE
Co-requisite: NONE
Quarter: 1st
Course Topic: COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE AND LATE
ADOLESENCE
Module: #5 Week: 5
Course Subtopic: Stress and Its Sources during Adolescence
Effects of Stress to Adolescents
Course Description: This course makes senior high students aware of the
developmental stage that they are in, for them to
better understand themselves and the significant
people around them as they make important career
decisions as adolescents. The course addresses a key
concern in personal development. Personal
reflections, sharing and lectures help reveal and
articulate relevant concepts, theories, and tools in
different areas in psychology.
Course Outcomes (COs) and Relationship to Student Outcomes
Course Outcomes SO
After completing the course, the student must a b c d
be able to:
2. Make a list of ways to become responsible D I R
adolescents prepared for adult life and
manage the demands of teen years.
* Level: I- Introduced, R- Reinforced, D- Demonstrated

COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESENCE

STRESS AND ITS SOURCES DURING ADOLESCENCE

By: Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter (2014)

Stress is the body‘s reaction to a challenge, which could be anything from

outright physical danger to asking someone for a date or trying out for a sports
team. The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system
and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to
produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into
the bloodstream. The hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood
pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to
large muscle groups, pupils dilate to improve vision, and the liver releases
stored glucose to increase the body‘s energy. This physical response to stress
kicks in much more quickly in teens than in adults because the part of the
brain that can calmly assess danger and call off the stress response, the pre-
frontal cortex, is not fully developed in adolescence.

The stress response prepares a person to react quickly and perform well under
pressure. It can help teens be on their toes and ready to rise to a challenge.
The stress response can cause problems, however, when it overreacts or goes
on for too long. Long-term stressful situations, like coping with a parent‘s
divorce or being bullied at school, can produce a lasting, low-level stress that
can wear out the body‘s reserves, weaken the immune system, and make an
adolescent feel depleted or beleaguered.

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S.Y. 2020-2021 Page | 1
We all experience both ―good stress‖ and ―bad stress.‖ Good stress is that
optimal amount of stress that results in our feeling energized and motivated to
do our best work. Good stress encourages us to develop effective coping
strategies to deal with our challenges, which ultimately contributes to our
resilience. Bad stress occurs when our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed by
the stress and we do not function at our best. The same event can affect
children and adults in very individual ways—one person may see a carnival
ride as thrilling and another may see it as a major stressor. Stress can become
distress when we are unable to cope or when we believe that we do not have
the ability to meet the challenge. The solution is to adapt, change, and find
methods to turn that bad stress into good stress.

SIGNS OF STRESS IN ADOLESCENT ARE EVIDENT IN THEIR EMOTIONS,

BEHAVIOR, THINKING, AND BODY
By: Raising Children Network (Australia) (2020)

Changes in behavior as adolescence when stressed consist of:

 not want to take part in activities she usually enjoys, refuse to go to
school, or not do as well at school
 seem nervous or anxious
 sleep too little or too much
 eat more ‗comfort food‘ than usual, or eat less
 drink more caffeine products, or take over-the-counter painkillers, use
alcohol or other drugs, or gamble
 behave aggressively.
Changes in emotional as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
 be cranky, moody, cry or feel sad, down or hopeless, feel that ‗nothing is
going right‘, or have emotional ‗ups and downs‘ for no obvious reason
 worry about missing out on what his peers are up to
 find it hard to relax or switch off, especially from social media.
Changes in physical as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
 feel sick – for example, she might have headaches, shoulder pain,
stomach aches or jaw pain
 get frequent colds or infections
 lose or gain weight
 have panic attacks, dizzy spells, fast breathing or pins and needles
 have changes in her period.
Changes in thinking as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
 finding it hard to concentrate and stay focused
 having trouble remembering things, organising, planning or making
decisions
 making snap decisions or errors in judgment.

COMMON TRIGGERS OF TEEN STRESS

By: Smith, Kathleen PhD, LPC

All teens are different and stress can be triggered by a number of factors. The
results of the Stress in America Survey show that there are some common
sources of stress in the teen population. The best way to understand how your
teen processes stress and where the stress stems from is to engage in open and
honest communication about stress. It‘s important for parents to normalize the
concept of stress and empower teens to utilize adaptive coping strategies.
Consider these potential sources of stress for teens:

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Academic Stress
From grades to test scores to applying to college, adolescent experience high
levels of school-related stress. Many adolescent worry about meeting academic
demands, pleasing teachers and parents, and keeping up with their
classmates. Poor time management skills or feeling overwhelmed by the
amount of work can play into academic stress as well.

Social Stress
Adolescent place a high value on their social lives. They spend the majority of
their waking hours among their peers, and finding and keeping their tribes can
include stress at times. Bullying and subtle instances of relational aggression
are clear sources of stress on teens, but learning to manage healthy conflict
and work through romantic relationships are no easy tasks for the developing
teen. Peer pressure is an additional stress during the teen years. In an effort to
establish and maintain friendships, teens can engage in behavior outside of
their comfort zones to appease their peers.

Family Discord
Stress trickles down, and anything that impacts the family can affect the
adolescent. Unrealistic expectations, marital problems, strained sibling
relationships (including sibling bullying), illness in the family, and financial
stress on the family can all trigger a spike in adolescent stress.

World Events
School shootings, acts of terrorism, and natural disasters worry parents, but
they also trigger stress for adolescent. Adolescent are often privy to the 24-hour
news cycle, and hearing bits and pieces of scary news, both domestic and
abroad, can leave adolescent wondering about their safety and the safety of
their loved ones.

Traumatic Events
Death of a family member or friend, accidents, sickness, or enduring emotional
or physical abuse can have a lasting impact on adolescent stress levels. It‘s
also important to note that teen dating violence affects approximately 10% of
teens.

Significant Life Changes

Like adults, adolescent experience stress due to significant life changes.
Moving, starting a new school, and changes in the makeup of the family
(including divorce and blended families) can trigger stress for adolescent. Not
knowing how to cope with big changes is overwhelming and can be confusing
for the developing adolescent.

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 EFFECTS OF STRESS TO ADOLESCENTS

The Stress Effect

Photo By: Streamline Meditation

Here is a chart based on the stress effect. This can be a summary for the
above paragraphs along with more insight on the topic.

PERSONAL WAYS OF COPING STRESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

By: Nevada Learning Academy (2020)

Everyone is affected by stress at one time or another and it an feel

overwhelming. With the right tools, as an adolescent you can learn to manage
stress before it takes a toll on your health. Managing daily stress an also lead
to a more overall positive outlook on your life and well-being.

Move your body

Physical activity is one of the most effective stress busters. That doesn‘t mean
you have to go for a jog if you hate running. Find activities you enjoy and build
them into your routine such as yoga, hiking, biking, skateboarding or walking.
The best types of physical activities are those that have a social component.
Whether you‘re into team sports, or prefer kayaking or rollerblading with a
friend or two, you‘re more likely to have fun — and keep at it — if you‘re being
active with friends.

Get enough sleep

Between homework, activities and hanging with friends, it can be hard to get
enough sleep, especially during the school week. Ideally, adolescents should
get nine hours a night. Most teens, though, are getting less. According to APA‘s
Stress in America Survey, teens say they sleep an average of just 7.4 hours on
a school night. That‘s unfortunate, since sleep is key for both physical and

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emotional well-being. To maximize your chance of sleeping soundly, cut back
on watching TV or engaging in a lot of screen time in the late evening hours.
Don‘t drink caffeine late in the day and try not to do stimulating activities too
close to bedtime.

Strike a balance
School is important, but it‘s not everything. When you plan your week,
schedule time to get schoolwork done, but also schedule time to have fun.
When it‘s time to enjoy yourself, try not to worry about school or homework.
Focus on having fun.

Enjoy yourself
Besides physical activities, find other hobbies or activities that bring you joy.
That might be listening to music, going to the movies or drawing. Make a point
to keep doing these things even when you‘re stressed and busy.

Let yourself shine

Spend some time really thinking about the things you‘re good at, and find ways
to do more of those things. If you‘re a math ace, you might tutor a younger
neighbor who‘s having trouble with the subject. If you are a spiritual person,
you might volunteer at your church. If you‘re artistic, take a photography class.
Focusing on your strengths will help you keep your stresses in perspective.

Talk through it
It‘s so much easier to manage stress when you let others lend a hand. Talk to a
parent, teacher or other trusted adult. They may be able to help you find new
ways to manage stress. Or they may help put you in touch with a psychologist
who is trained in helping people make healthy choices and manage stress.

HOMEWORK 2:
TEEN STRESS TEST

Instructions: Take a stress test by visiting the link below.

https://www.mhankyswoh.org/Uploads/files/pdfs/Stress-
TeenStressTest_20130813.pdf

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Name: _____________________________ Grade &Section: ________________

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 SELF-ASSESMENT

Encircle
your
Answer

FORM
Read each statement and check ( ) the box that reflects your work today.

Name: Date:
Section:
Strongly
Disagree Agree
Agree

1. I found this work interesting.

2. I make a strong effort.
3. I am proud of the results.
4. I understood all the instructions.
5. I followed all the steps.
6. I learned something new.
7. I feel ready for the next assignment.
www.ldatschool.ca/executive-function/self-assessment/

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Reference Book:
Unlimited Books: Angelita Ong Camilar Serrano- DBA Personal Development

Online Refrence:
 Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter (2014),
Managing Stress in Teens and Adolescents
Retrieved from: A Guide for Parentswww.bradleyhospital.org › managing-
stress-teens-and-adolescents-gui..
 Raising Children Network (Australia) (2020), Teen stress: tips to
reduce stress –
Retrieved from: Raising Children Networkraisingchildren.net.au › pre-
teens › stress-anxiety-depression › stress-i...
 Smith, Kathleen PhD, LPC (2018), 6 Common Triggers of Teen Stress –
Retrieved from: Psycomwww.psycom.net › common-triggers-teen-stress
 Raising Children Network (Australia) (2020), Teen stress: tips to
reduce stress –
Retrieved from: Raising Children Networkraisingchildren.net.au › pre-
teens › stress-anxiety-depression › stress-i...
 Nevada Learning Academy (2020), Teens and Stress
Retrieved from: http://nvlearningacademy.net/students-parents/student-
wellness/mental-health/

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