Stress Management By: Jean Collado Rowan University Student Intended Audience: High School Students/Teenagers Stress Management

What is Stress Stress is situations in our everyday life that trigger physical and emotional reactions. The situation or event that causes our stress to trigger is called the stressor.

Main Stressors in our lives School Family Work Sports Friends Money Relationship Physical Appearance Unsafe Environment

Affects OF Stress not being treated Stress can affect our Physical, Emotional and Behavioral health. Stress can also Affect 3 major Body Systems If stress is not treated properly it could result into server illness, depression, as well as poor lifestyle decisions

three major Body Systems Affected By Stress Central Nervous System Endocrine System Immune System Click For More Information About the Three Systems

Symptoms of excess stress Physical Symptoms Emotional Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms Headaches Depression Crying Dry Mouth Fatigue Social Isolation Excessive Perspiration Irritability Harsh treatment of Others Frequent Illness Trouble with Memory Disrupted Eating Habits Grinding of Teeth Anxiety Problems Communicating Pounding Heart Impulsiveness Increase use in tobacco/drugs and Alcohol High Blood Pressure Edginess Sexual problems

Healthy Tips on manage stress Avoid needless stress Modify the situation Adjust to the stressor Make time for fun and relaxation Implement a healthy lifestyle Accept the things you can’t change

Avoiding needless stress Learn how to take control of your environment If there are certain things in your life that cause you stress like grocery shopping, the news, driving on packed highways, find other ways to go about them Avoid Hanging out with people who stress you If you know an individual stresses you out, find a way to fix your relationship or don’t hang out with that person. Learn your Limits and Know how to say “no” If you know you have too much responsibilities to take care of, don’t accept any more.

Avoiding needless stress Be able to mange a to-do list for yourself with your main priorities on top. When you are creating your to do list make sure your most important items are taken care of first In a study presented by Alexander Hafner and Armin Stock in the “Journal of Psychology”, they were able to determine that time management was the #1 stressor in teens.

Continue Most teens can not balance- Making time for their friends and family Doing school work a job parties or social events Sports teams Overall expectations Lastly Ovoid the small things that might stress you out If sports, religion or politics stress you out, than you must ovoid them.

Modify the situation Become more assertive If something is bothering you, step up and take care of your problem Be able to express your feeling If you have a disagreement with an individual instead of keeping your emotions bottled up, speak up and tell them how you feel. If you tell them how you feel the problem would less likely reappear.

modify the situation Be able to mange your time correctly Planning ahead and taking control of your time can easily reduce a lot of stress in everyone’s lives. Make sure you are able to give and take You have to find multiple ways to compromise with others, being able to compromise and getting along with others can reduce a lot of stress.

adjust to the stressor If you can’t ovoid or change the stressor, changer yourself Be able to adjust your attitude, feeling and expectations of the stressor Be able to focus on the positives in life Don’t let stress bring you down, always think about the positive of the situation

Make time for fun and Relaxation Find ways to spend time with the important people in your life Being able to reconnect with the people you care about can help you forget and relieve your stress Find a fun activity you like to do and do it on a daily basis. Maintain a sense of humor Being able laugh at the little things in life can help your body keep of stress. Hahahhaha! Hahahhaha!

Make time for fun and Relaxation Set a aside a time of the day where you can simply relax and recharge your batteries without any responisibites. WAYS TO RELAX Go for a walk Go out and enjoy nature Write in your journal. Call a good friend. Get a massage. Watch a comedy. Spend time in nature. Play with a pet Take a long bath. Listen to music. Light scented candles. Nap.

Develop a healthy lifestyle Begin to eat a healthier diet Well-norished individuals are capable to handle stress better than those who do not eat right. Take part of a daily exercise program Being able to exercise on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes a day can easily reduce a lot of stress. Get enough sleep Getting the right amount of sleep will recharge your mind and body and will result in less stress throughout your day.

Accept the things you can’t change Don’t waste your time stressing about the things you can not control Only Focus all of your energy on things that you have control of Be willing to forgive and forget Understand the fact that not everyone is perfect and that everyone makes mistakes.

Ways not to Cope with stress Smoking Overeating or under eating Spending hours in front of the TV or computer Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities Sleeping too much or too little Procrastinating Taking out your stress on others who care about you.

Drug /alcohol abuse and stress People tend to think that drugs and alcohol help you cope with stress. However its does not help at all! The only thing that drug and alcohol do is help you forget about the stressor for a brief moment They basically just pause the stress for a few hours but the stressor will still be there once you sober up

Get help! GET HELP TODAY! If you, or anyone you know has any problems dealing with stress please contact the Penn Program For Mindfulness in Philadelphia. At Penn Program For Mindfulness, people have the opportunity to reduce their stress by being part of an effective stress reduction program taught by Penn’s professional instructors Contact Info Email = stress.management@uphs.upenn.edu Call 800-789-PENN Web Page http://www.pennmedicine.org/stress/offerings/pub-stress-mgmt/locations.html

Take control of your stress Make sure you are able to follow these helpful stress management tips and before you know it you will be stress free and enjoying life.

Work Cited Melinda Smith, M.A. and Robert Segal, M.A. , . "Stress Management How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress ." last updated December 2011. n. page. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm>. Häfner, Alexander, and Armin Stock. "Time Management Training And Perceived Control Of Time At Work." Journal Of Psychology 144.5 (2010): 429-447. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.