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
Writing, Drawing, Paining, Dancing, Music, Theater
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
Negative Stress
Two ways to practice physical self-care
What are
diet
exercise
sleep routine
regular visits to doctor/dentist
good hygiene
Name 3 stressors common among teenagers
School demands and frustrations; Negative thoughts or feelings about themselves; Changes in their bodies; Problems with friends and/or peers at school; Unsafe living environment/neighborhood; Separation or divorce of parents; Chronic illness or severe problems in the family; Death of a loved one; Moving or changing schools; Taking on too many activities or having too high expectations; Family financial problems
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
Positive Stress
Eustress
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
How can talking to someone be used as a coping skill?
Talking to someone can give you opportunity to express thoughts and feelings and release tension rather than bottling them up.
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.
Something that causes stress
Stressor
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
To deal with challenges of everyday life
Cope
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