What is Stress?
The Biology of Stress
Mental Wellness
Study Tips
It's Exam Time!!
100
Is all stress bad?
No! Stress is normal, and can help us to be motivated and successful.
100
What type of information does the amygdala process? What can we do to prevent the amygdala from triggering a stress response in the brain?
The amygdala is the structure in the brain that processes sensory information and emotions. Recognize when we are starting to feel stressed.
100
Name three things about exam time that you can control:
- How much you've studied - Your study technique - Your study space - Your thoughts - Your breathing - Your support system (friends, teachers, parents)
100
Why is cramming not an effective study method?
Start studying early. The earlier we start to study, the longer our brains have to convert short term memory to long term memory.
100
Is it better to study all night or to get a good night's rest before an exam?
Getting a good night's sleep is the best thing you can do to help increase your mental clarity. Research shows students who sleep 8 hours the night before are 3 times as likely to figure out a math problem than those who do not sleep 8 hours.
200
What types of situations can cause stress?
- Time pressures - Homework and exams - Relationships and dating - Friends, peer pressure, teasing - Bullying - Times of change or transition - High expectations - Having more responsibilities
200
What hormone is released by the body during the "fight or flight" response that causes your heart to beat faster, breathing to speed up, and blood to flow to your muscles and lungs?
Adrenaline
200
Name three things about exam time that you CANNOT control:
- The day and time of the exam - The questions on the exam - That you have a final exam - The difficulty of the exam - Who wrote the exam It is important to recognize the things we can and cannot control about a situation, and to focus on the things that we can control about a situation and to "let go" of the things that we cannot.
200
How do you learn best? Do you like to see things first or read about them? Do you like to listen to people talk? Or do you like to do hands-on things?
Know your learning style! Everyone learns differently. If you know how you like to learn the best, you can plan your study sessions to suit you best. Try to remove distractions like your phone, TV, or social media away from your study space.
200
Reframe this negative thought into something more positive: "I'm never any good at taking tests"
It is important to recognize negative thoughts, and to stop them in their tracks. Replace those negative thoughts with positive ones that are practical and true. Staying positive and focusing on your strengths will help boost your confidence and perform better on test day. "I've studied hard, and I know the material. I can answer this question" "I can do this!"
300
What are some physical and mental signs of unhealthy stress?
PHYSICAL SIGNS - Sweating - Headaches - Feeling unwell - Feeling tired or exhausted - Rapid heart rate - Tense muscles MENTAL SIGNS - Worrying - Indecision or being unable to make a decision - Trouble controlling your emotions - Trouble thinking clearly - Thoughts of running away
300
The "fight or flight" response is a short term stress response. Is there such a thing as a long term stress response?
YES! After the body has released the first bout of epinephrine, our brains release a second hormone called cortisol. Cortisol keeps the stress response activated for an extended period of time.
300
How many hours of sleep does the typical teenager need?
Up to 9 hours! Get your beauty rest!
300
You've studied for two hours straight. Your brain is starting to feel tired. What do you do?
Take a break! Most people concentrate well for about 45 minutes. Try taking 5-15 minute study breaks in between. Make sure to come back to study after your break is done!
300
You are in the middle of writing your exam, and you find the test to be much more difficult than you expected. You start to feel more and more anxious until you are unable to think. Your hands start to feel sweaty, and your heart starts to speed up. What do you do?
Take a moment for yourself. Close your eyes, and take a couple of deep, relaxing breaths. Think of something that makes you happy. Re-frame your thoughts. When you are ready, open your eyes and focus on answering just one question on the test.
400
Why is it important that we learn how to manage our stress?
We are all going to feel stressed in our lives, it's unavoidable. But if we learn how to keep our stress at manageable levels, we will lead much happier and productive lives. We can even learn how to use our stress to our advantage.
400
How does having an over-extended stress response for a long amount of time affect our long term health?
Elevated cortisol levels are linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, and impaired immune function (which means we get sick more often). It also negatively affects our mental wellness and quality of life.
400
What happens if you drink too much coffee, tea, energy drinks or cola?
Caffeine can give you a boost of energy in the short term, but too much can make you feel anxious, not able to focus, jittery, and will affect your ability to sleep.
400
I don't know how to study for this exam. What do I do?
ASK FOR HELP. Ask your teacher about what you should focus on for the exam. Ask your friends how they are studying for their exam. Try a couple of different study techniques and see what works best for you.
400
"I don't know the answer! What do I do??"
Skip the question, and move on. Answer the questions that you do know. It will help boost your confidence. After you've answered all of the "easy" questions, return to the harder questions and answer the best you can. If you still don't know the answer, take a guess!
500
Yay! You've finished your exam! Now what?
REWARD YOURSELF! You've done a great job, so it is important to celebrate, no matter the results are of the exam. Remember that we all make mistakes, but it doesn't matter that we've made a mistake, it matters how we learn from them. How will you reward yourself after the exam?
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