1. Managing Stress and Coping with Loss
Chapter 4
Managing Stress and Coping with Loss

2. Lesson 1
Understanding Stress

3. What is Stress? Stress is natural
Reaction of the body and mind to everyday challenges and demands
How stress affects you depends on how you perceive the situation
Perception
The act of becoming aware through the senses
You will react to stress based on experience or a lack of experience
Stress can be positive and negative

4. Causes of Stress Stressor Stressors for Teens:
Anything that causes stress
Real or imagined, anticipated or unexpected
Stressors for Teens:
Life situations
Environmental
Biological
Cognitive (thinking)
Personal Behavior

5. Your Body’s Response to Stressors
Three Stage Response (automatic)
Alarm
Mind and body go on alert
“fight-or-flight’ response
Prepares your body to either defend itself or to flee from a threat
2. Resistance
Your body begins to adapt
3. Fatigue
Exposed to stress too long your body loses ability to adapt

6. Psychosomatic Response
A physical reaction that results from stress rather than from an injury or illness
Some include:
Headache
A weakened immune system
High blood pressure
Bruxism, clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth
Digestive disorders
Mental/Emotional and Social effects include difficulty concentrating, irritability, and mood swings

7. Lesson 2
Managing Stress

8. When Stress Becomes a Problem
The effects of stress are additive…they build up over time
Chronic Stress
Stress associated with long-term problems that are beyond a person’s control
To help manage stress you should learn strategies that help deal with your stress before they build up

9. Stress Management Techniques
Handling Stress and Reducing Its Effects
Practice relaxation techniques
Relaxation Response
A state of calm
Deep breathing, stretching, progressive muscle relaxation
Redirect your energy
Seek support
Avoiding and Limiting Stress
Use refusal skills
Plan ahead
Think positively
Avoid tobacco and other drugs

10. Staying Healthy and Building Resiliency
Get Adequate Rest
Get Regular Physical Activity
Eat Nutritious Foods

11. Coping with Loss and Grief
Lesson 3
Coping with Loss and Grief

12. Acknowledging Loss One way to help begin the healing process
Grieving is a common and natural reaction to any loss that brings on strong emotions
Acknowledging and understanding your grief will help you begin the healing process

13. Expressing Grief Stages of Grief
A variety of reactions that may surface as an individual makes sense of how a loss affects him or her
Denial or Numbness
Emotional Release
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Remorse
Acceptance
Hope
Closure
Acceptance of a loss
Coping
Dealing successfully with difficult changes in your life

14. Coping with Death Receive and show support
Death is one of the most painful losses we can experience
Mourning
The act of showing sorrow or grief
Talking about the person, experiencing the pain of the loss, and searching for meaning
Showing Empathy
Help recall the happy, positive memories
Be a sympathetic listener
Use silence
Don’t rush the grieving process
Community Support
Memorial services, wakes, and funerals

15. Coping with Traumatic Events
Any event that has a stressful impact sufficient to overwhelm your normal coping strategies
Sudden and shocking
Accidents, violence assaults, suicides, natural disasters
Sense of security may be in question, seek support from friends and family and try to resume normal activities