Stress Basics
What’s one quick way to calm down during stress?
Deep breathing or mindfulness.
What is a positive affirmation?
A positive statement you tell yourself to encourage or motivate.
What’s one quick way to calm down during stress?
Deep breathing or mindfulness.
Name one positive influence on health.
Family, teachers, friends, role models.
What’s one healthy coping strategy for stress?
Talking to a friend, exercising, listening to music.
Name one difference between eustress and distress.
A: Eustress = positive/motivating stress; Distress = negative/harmful stress.
How can exercise help reduce stress?
It lowers stress hormones and boosts endorphins.
Give an example of an affirmation before a test.
“I am prepared and ready for this test.”
Name one negative influence on health.
Peer pressure, unhealthy ads, junk food choices.
What’s one unhealthy coping strategy people sometimes use?
Smoking, overeating, avoiding problems.
What is one physical symptom of stress?
A: Headache, sweating, upset stomach, or fast heartbeat
What’s one long-term strategy for managing stress?
Journaling, regular sleep, healthy eating, staying organized.
Why does positive self-talk improve mental health?
It replaces negative thoughts and builds confidence.
How can social media influence your health choices?
It can encourage trends, products, or behaviors (positive or negative).
What does resilience mean?
The ability to recover quickly from challenges or setbacks.
Name two emotional effects of chronic stress.
A: Anxiety, irritability, sadness, or trouble focusing.
Why is time management important for stress reduction?
It prevents last-minute panic and creates balance.
What happens in your brain when you repeat affirmations?
It creates new positive thought patterns over time.
Why is peer pressure sometimes hard to resist?
Because people want to fit in or be accepted.
Why is it important to ask for help with mental health?
It gives support, guidance, and prevents problems from getting worse.
Why can stress sometimes be helpful?
A: It motivates us to act, focus, or perform better.
How can media and advertising influence teens’ health choices in both positive and negative ways? Give one example of each.
Positive: Promotes exercise programs, healthy eating, mental health awareness.
Negative: Encourages junk food, unrealistic body image, vaping/alcohol use.
Why does negative self-talk often feel more powerful than positive self-talk, and how can affirmations help rewire your brain over time?
Negative self-talk feels stronger because our brains naturally focus on threats or mistakes (“negativity bias”).
Repeating affirmations creates new positive thought patterns in the brain through practice and consistency, making positivity feel natural over time.
Compare the influence of peer pressure and media on teen health. Which one do you think is more powerful today, and why?
Peer Pressure: Direct influence from friends (risk-taking, skipping homework, trying substances).
Media: Constant exposure (social media trends, body image, unhealthy products).
Students must argue which is more powerful → strong answer shows reasoning with real-world examples (e.g., TikTok challenges vs. pressure from friends).
Name two community resources or people who can help.
Counselors, teachers, doctors, hotlines, trusted adults.