Stress Management
What is the difference between stress and stress management?
Stress is the body and mind’s response to a challenge, while stress management is what you do to cope with and reduce that stress in healthy ways.
You notice your heart is racing, your hands are sweaty, and you feel restless before a test. What emotion might you be experiencing?
Anxious, nervousness, or stressed.
These physical signs are common body clues that help identify how we’re feeling.
You feel overwhelmed before a test and decide to take slow, deep breaths for a minute. What coping strategy are you using?
Deep breathing (a calming or relaxation strategy).
It helps slow your heart rate and calm your body so you can focus and think more clearly.
What is a healthy relationship?
A healthy relationship is one where both people feel respected, safe, supported, and able to communicate openly and honestly.
Myth or fact:
When you take time to be kind to others, or get involved in something bigger than yourself, it can give your own mental health a boost.
Fact.
Small things that don’t take a lot of your own energy can sometimes make a huge difference to someone else. Say “hi” to someone new in the halls, invite someone to sit with you at lunch, hold the door open for someone, and see if it gives you a lift too.
Name three people you can talk to when you're feeling stressed?
You can talk to a trusted adult at home, school, or the community or with a close friend.
Name three different emotions.
Anger, sadness, happiness, fear, surprise, etc.
What is a coping strategy?
A coping strategy is an action or habit someone uses to manage stress or strong emotions in a healthy way. Different strategies work for different people and situations.
What is a boundary in a relationship?
A boundary is a limit you set to protect your emotional, physical, or mental well-being and to communicate what you are comfortable with.
Myth or fact:
Everyone has mental health?
Fact.
Mental health is the health of our minds. Positive mental health is when we feel like our emotions are balanced and we are managing challenges through out our day, even when things get stressful. We take care of our self with self care activities. Poor Mental health can happen from time to time, when we feel overwhelmed or when we are having big feelings. This why its so important that everyone has ways of taking care of their mental health.
You’re not alone, and talking about it can help.
Do you think your mental health could be negatively affected by not getting enough sleep?
Yes! We need sleep. your brain and body recovers while you sleep, a lack of sleep can make it harder to focus, regulate emotions, and handle challenges effectively.
True or False: Your mental health never changes.
False.
Mental health is a state of well-being. Like your physical health, your mental health changes. We all have highs & lows in our mental health. Good mental health allows you to reach your goals, feel good about yourself & cope with life’s ups & downs.
True or False:
Avoiding a problem completely is always an effective coping strategy.
False.
Avoidance can sometimes provide short-term relief, but it often makes stress worse over time because the problem is still there.
Name three ways to manage conflict with a peer in a healthy way?
Listen to each other and hear each others perspective
Compromise
Look for ways to be kind/empathetic
Talk to an adult if needed
Tell the peer how you are feeling using an I statement. Ex. I feel sad when I am left out of the game.
Myth or fact:
If you’re strong, you should be able to handle your mental health struggles on your own.
Myth.
Everyone needs support sometimes. Reaching out to a friend, teacher, or trusted adult is a strong and healthy choice—not a weakness.
What is the chemical in your body that increases when you feel stressed?
Cortisol.
Cortisol is a vital hormone produced by the adrenal glands that acts as a "helper" for the body, managing energy, blood pressure, and immune system responses. Known as the "stress hormone," it helps people react to physical and emotional challenges.
Why is it important to understand your emotions?
Because understanding emotions helps you respond in healthier ways, make better decisions, and communicate your needs more clearly. Our emotion are felt in our body to help us respond to situations, but sometimes they might feel big and doing a distraction strategy might be helpful until the emotion feels less big.
You feel nervous about a presentation and tell yourself, “I’ve prepared for this and I can do my best.” What coping strategy is this?
Positive self-talk.
It helps challenge negative thinking and build confidence before or during stressful situations.
What is peer pressure in relationships?
Peer pressure is when someone tries to influence you to do something you may not want to do.
Myth or fact:
Screentime and social media can negatively impact our mental health.
Fact.
Try to limit screen time. Research has linked social media use with mental health struggles – you’ve probably heard this before. Using social media can cause us to compare ourselves… we do this without noticing, so it can be hard to stop. Many smartphones let you set timers on apps to help you limit how much you use them.
A student is trying to balancing school, sports, and family responsibilities and feels overwhelmed most days. What are TWO effective long-term stress management strategies they could use, and why are they helpful?
Possible answers include:
Time management (planning schedules, prioritizing tasks): helps reduce feeling overwhelmed by organizing responsibilities
Seeking support (talking to teachers, coaches, or family): helps share the load and get guidance
Healthy routines (sleep, nutrition, breaks): helps the body and brain handle stress better
Setting boundaries (saying no when needed): prevents burnout
These strategies help reduce ongoing stress rather than just reacting to it in the moment.
A student gets quiet and withdraws when upset, while another becomes loud and expressive. What does this show about emotions?
People express emotions in different ways.
There is no single “correct” way to show feelings—emotional expression varies from person to person.
You’re feeling overwhelmed and start scrolling on your phone for hours to “escape.” Is this likely a healthy or unhealthy coping strategy—and why?
It depends, but often unhealthy if overused.
Distraction can be okay in small amounts, but avoiding feelings for long periods can stop you from dealing with the issue or feeling better in the long term.
Name 5 qualities of a healthy frienship.
Respectful, supportive, cheers me on, respects boundaries,
Empathetic, Listens, Kind, compassionate
ETC
Myth or fact:
Stress is always bad for you, give two reasons to support your answer.
Myth.
Stress can help motivate you, lets say its before a test and you feel stressed, this can remind you to study. If you are stressed about a tryout it can motivate you to practice. Stress can also help keep you safe from harm. Stress can get too big and this is when it can negatively impact you so having some ways to cope with big stress can help bring it down.