Stress and the Brain
Stress only affects our bodies, not our brains
what is false?
True or false. Stress is normal
True. It can alert us to danger, motivate us and give us signs we need to change
Actions we take to deal with stress, problems or uncomfortable emotions.
What are coping strategies?
True or False. It is better to breathe from your chest rather than your belly
False. your belly. It can be helpful to imagine a balloon inflating and deflating in your belly as you inhale and exhale
Two examples of green thoughts
What are
I can do it.
I am good enough
I tried my best and that's what matters.
I can handle this. I am strong
I've been in this situation before and I got through it
Stress goes all the way back to when we were cave people to signal danger or threats
What is true?
True or false. Everyone experiences stress in the same way
False. Some people get stressed in a situation while others do not. Some people might get a headache and others might get sick to their stomach
A way for your body to become calmer by tensing and then releasing our muscles.
What is progressive muscle relaxation
Two ways to practice physical self-care
What are
diet
exercise
sleep routine
regular visits to doctor/dentist
good hygiene
Thoughts that are negative and unhelpful. They make us feel worried and scared.
What are red thoughts?
The names of the three different stress responses
What are fight, flight and freeze?
One healthy and one unhealthy coping skill.
What are
healthy: deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, journaling, exercise, talking to someone...
Unhealthy: using substances, making reckless decisions, bottling up/ ignoring your feelings
Identifying your own needs and taking steps to meet them.
What is self care?
Two ways to practice social self-care.
What are
spending time with family
spending time with friends
taking care of the relationships in your life
Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries
Effective conflict management
two components that make up our wellness
What are
physical
mental/emotional
social
spiritual
Two physical impacts of cortisol or adrenaline
What are
faster heartbeat
rapid breathing
increase in blood pressure
sweating
sensations in stomach, head chest, legs or hands
A coping skill that can be healthy and unhealthy
Exercise. It can be healthy but if we become obsessed it can be unhealthy
Spending time alone: It can be healthy but if we are isolating ourselves, it can be unheealthy
Doing things you enjoy: it can be fun and healthy but if we ignore our commitments, it can be unhealthy.
Recognizing our strengths while acknowledging our limitations as opportunities to grow.
What is self-awareness?
Two ways to practice mental/emotional self-care
What are
journaling
talking to a counsellor, mental health professional
crying
taking time to be by yourself
singing
two components that make up our wellness
What are
physical
mental/emotional
social
spiritual
one reason it is important to know how stress affects our brain
What is
helps us know the difference between real danger and something that is stressful but not life or death
helps us learn coping skills so that we can send a message to our brain that we are okay
helps us calm down so we can make better decisions instead of poor ones when we are in stress response/ survival mode
True or False? Everyone has the same coping skills
What is False. Everyone's response to stress is different so it is important that our coping skills reflect this. It is important that we practice coping skills that work for you
Examples include 5-4-3-2-1 , running water over yours hands and focusing on where you are right now
What are grounding techniques?
Two ways to practice spiritual self care
What are
Meditation
Yoga
spending time in nature
joining a spiritual or religious community
practicing spiritual beliefs like prayer
Two benefits of learning a new coping strategy
what are
develop better strategies to deal with stress
decrease length and intensity of stress response
help us maintain healthy relationships
help us make better decisions
promote relaxation, healthy lifestyle, overall wellness