Almost everyone has felt this way. Stress is a normal reaction to the challenges we face in our lives.
By learning to understand stress and how it makes us feel and behave we can learn how to manage it.
When you can manage your stress, it will improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Take a moment to think about the last time you felt stressed, or saw somebody else who was stressed.
Now see if you agree or disagree with these statements.
When you learn to manage stress, you’ll feel better.
When you learn to manage stress, you’ll feel better.
It can improve your performance and increase your focus and attention. Later in this program, we’ll learn about “Eustress” – this is normal psychological stress, which has positive effects.
Stress is also our bodies way of staying safe. When you encounter something that gives you a fright – like a big dog barking at you on the way to school – a special part of your brain called the hypothalamus – sets off an alarm system in your body. The body responds by sending out lots of chemical messages like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones give you the energy, reflexes and speed you need to keep yourself safe. This is called the flight or fight response.
Stress is a common, everyday part of life! Everyone feels stress from time to time
Stress is a common, everyday part of life! Everyone feels stress from time to time
Some people get stressed very easily, while others don’t get stressed very often.
Sometimes when we get stressed it’s our bodies’ way of letting us know we care about something a lot. For example if we are stressed about a netball game it’s because we want to play well and win.
Eg: One person might feel really upset and teary when they are stressed while another might feel irritated.
Eg: One person might feel really upset and teary when they are stressed while another might feel irritated.
Hopefully at the end of this program you will have some ideas of what stress looks like for you.
When your body reacts to stress, the changes it goes through are called signs and symptoms.
Everybody has different signs and symptoms of stress. Knowing the signs and symptoms of stress for your body, can help you to manage your stress.
The ways your body changes when you are stressed are sometimes easy to recognise, but sometimes they are harder to spot. For example, some people clench their jaw when they are stressed, but they don’t realise they were doing it until their jaw becomes sore. Other people experience their heart beating really fast, or they’re starting to sweat and turn red. These signs and symptoms are easier to notice.
Having strategies and techniques to support yourself when you’re feeling stressed or anxious is really important.
Being aware of how you respond to stress can also help you choose the strategy that will work best for you, or the situation you’re in.
You will respond best to stress relief activities that help calm you down.
You will respond best to stress relief activities that are stimulating and energising.
As we move through the next steps, you’ll learn more about things you can do both in the moment, and every day, to support your mental health and wellbeing.
When others are stressed, especially close family and friends, it can make you feel stressed too. If you notice someone around you is stressed, make sure you take extra good care of yourself so you avoid becoming too stressed.
Even if you don’t get stressed very often, knowing how to support others who are stressed can help to build a supportive community.
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