Stress and Anxiety
What is stress?
The body and mind's response to a challenge or change.
A student is anxious about starting a new job and gets a bad headache. Is this a sign of anxiety in their body, in their feelings, or in their behavior?
Body
What is the name of the body's response to a challenge that prepares it to face the challenge, move away, or pause?
The fight, flight, or freeze response
How can movement help when you feel stressed?
Movement can help your body release tension.
Name one person a student could talk to about stress or anxiety.
A parent, guardian, teacher, coach, relative, therapist, or trusted friend.
What is anxiety?
Worry or fear about what might happen.
Name one physical sign of stress or anxiety.
A fast heartbeat
Tense muscles
Trouble sleeping
In the fight, flight, or freeze response, what does "freeze" mean?
Your body pauses in response to the challenge.
Name 2 things that people often do that are unhealthy coping strategies.
Use alcohol or drugs
Hurt themselves or others
Pretend the problem doesn't exist
Keeping a worry a secret
Name two signs that it may be time to ask for help with worry or stress.
Lasts a long time
Feels too big to handle
Affects sleep or school
Stops you from doing things you usually enjoy
When does anxiety become problematic?
When it lasts a long time and feels hard to control.
Name one feeling that may be a sign of stress or anxiety.
Worry
Irritability
Feeling overwhelmed
In the fight, flight, or freeze response, what does "flight" mean?
Your body gets ready to run away from a dangerous situation.
What does coping mean?
Coping means using a helpful action to handle a difficult feeling or situation.
If a student asks one trusted adult for help but that person is unavailable, what should they do?
Keep telling trusted adults until someone listens.
Give one example of a situation that might cause stress and one that might cause anxiety.
A big test can cause stress; worry about starting a new job can cause anxiety.
Name one behavior that may be a sign of stress or anxiety.
Avoiding activities
Having trouble focusing
Pulling away from others
During the fight, flight, freeze response, name two changes that might happen to your body.
Your heartbeat may speed up
You may breathe quickly
A student is worried about a large assignment and does not know where to begin. What strategy could help them get started?
Break the task into small steps, choose one small step to start with, and then decide what to do next.
When should someone call or text 988?
When they are having thoughts of hurting themselves or others.
How does stress often differ from anxiety in its cause and how long it lasts?
Stress usually comes from a specific challenge and often fades when the challenge is over. Anxiety can last even when there is no clear cause.
A student has tense muscles, feels irritable, and avoids activities. Identify which sign is in the body, which one is in feelings, and which one is in behavior.
Tense muscles are a body sign
Irritability is a feeling
Avoiding activities is a behavior
How can stress sometimes help someone before a game or presentation?
Stress can help the person pay attention and get ready for the challenge.
A student feels tense about a busy week, has been staying up late on a device, and is avoiding talking about the problem. Name three healthy strategies that could help address the different parts of the situation.
Use movement to help release tension
Take a screen break to make time for sleep
Talk to a trusted adult or friend rather than keeping the worry secret.
What should someone do if they feel like they are in immediate danger of harming themselves or others?
Call 911 or go to an emergency department with an adult.