Stress
Management
Amanda Countryman
Clinical Health Psychology, University of Miami
Developed in conjunction with the Heart Smart University of Miami
Research Team and the Miami Science Museum
What is stress?

Bodies response to change

Acute vs. Chronic

Common sources of stress
Family difficulties
 School stress
 Job stress
 Financial difficulties
 Relationship problems

What is stress?

Fight or flight
 Prepares
 Feeling
 What
us for quick action
goes away once stressor passes
it feels like
 Sweaty
palms or dry mouth
 Knots in your stomach
 Heart beating fast
What is stress?

The bodies’ stress response:
 Hypothalamus,
pituitary, and adrenal glands are
activated
 These release stress hormones
 These increase heart rate and breathing and give
you a burst of energy
 Also control other body processes
www.cdc.gov/bam
Class Discussion

How can stress be both good and bad?

What do you think are the biggest stressors for
teens your age?

What have been big stressors for you?
 How
did you feel?
 What was your body doing?
What do the statistics say?

Most common sources of stress for teens:
 School/work
(78%)
 Parents (68%)
 Romantic relationships (64%)
 Friends' problems (64%)
 Younger siblings (64%)
Chandra, A., & Batada, A. (2006). Exploring stress and coping among urban
African American adolescents: The Shifting the Lens Study. Prev Chronic Dis, 6.
What do the statistics say?

Most common ways boys dealt with stress:
25% avoided or refused to deal with their stress
 23% tried to distract themselves away from their
stress
 17% sought support
 35% actively tried to reduce their stress


When it came to the girls:
19% avoided or refused to deal with their stress
 14 % tried to distract themselves away from their
stress
 22% sought support
 45% actively tried to remove or reduce their stress

Chandra, A., & Batada, A. (2006). Exploring stress and coping among urban African American
adolescents: The Shifting the Lens Study. Prev Chronic Dis, 6.
How does stress make you feel?

Give some examples
How does stress make you feel?





Angry, afraid, excited
Hard to sleep
Aches in head, neck, back
Leads to overeating, drinking, or other bad
habits
Sometimes might not feel it all
Chronic Stress
and
the Heart
Chronic Stress and the Heart

Chronic stress can cause:
 Increased
heart rate
 High blood pressure
 Abnormal heart rhythm
 Chest pain
 Difficulty breathing
(JAMA, October 10, 2007—Vol 298, No. 14)
What Does Research Say?

If you are under stress, your blood pressure goes
up, you may eat too much, and you may exercise
less.
 But…Physical
activity can lower stress and protect
teenagers against the harmful health effects of
obesity.

While a little bit of stress is ok, lots of stress over
time can wear on your body and cause physical
symptoms, like illness and fatigue.
 But…A healthy
diet and exercise can help you feel
less stressed.
(Health Psychology, Annual Review of Psychology, Krantz, 1985)
What Does Research Say?


Constant stress can affect your blood pressure.
One study found that adolescents with more
long-term, negative life events had higher levels
of blood pressure than adolescents with shortterm, negative life events.
But…Talking to friends or family can help you
get through the tough times and lower your
stress.
(Brady, Matthews Ann Behav Med 2006, 31(1):80–88)
How do you deal with stress?

Give some examples
Some Helpful Hints


Although life can be stressful, eating right will
help you feel healthy, be more productive and
hopefully less stressed.
Even by exercising and eating right, you can't
fight stress without rest. You need time to
recover from exercise and stressful events
(like tests!).
More Helpful Hints


Simple things like eating breakfast, laughing
with friends, and working out can help make
stress more manageable.
Sugary energy drinks may seem to help you
get through the day, but they often give short
boosts of energy and leave you feeling even
more tired as the day goes on.
More Helpful Hints

There are different ways to relax and deal with
stress. For example:
 clear your mind by going for a walk or imagine
positive things.
 try meditating, reading a book, or listening to
music.
 enjoy it!
Stress-O-Meter Quiz

Follow the link to find out your personal stress
profile:
http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_stress
ometer.html
Stress Diary Example
Date and
Time
What Caused
Me Stress
How I Felt
Arguing with
my friend
What
Happened
What actions did
you take to try to
relieve your stress
at the time?
When did you
feel stress? What
was happening?
4/7/2011
(10:30 am)
What I Did
About It
Frustrated,
angry, hurt
Went for a
walk while
listening to
music
I felt more
relaxed and
ready to work
it out with my
friend.
http://www.bam.gov/teachers/activities/stress_frazzled.pdf
Take 5 Minutes to “De-stress”

Step 1. Assume a comfortable position.
Loosen any tight clothing, close your eyes and
be quiet.

Step 2. Assume a passive attitude. Focus on
yourself and on achieving relaxation in specific
body muscles. Tune out all other thoughts.
Take 5 Minutes to “De-stress”

Step 3. Tense and relax each muscle group as follows:













Forehead
Eyes and nose
Lips, cheeks and jaw
Hands
Forearms
Upper arms
Shoulders
Back
Stomach
Hips and buttocks
Thighs
Feet
Toes
Take 5 Minutes to “De-stress”

Step 4. Focus on any muscles which may still
be tense. If any muscle remains tense, tighten
and relax that specific muscle three or four
times.

Step 5. Fix the feeling of relaxation in your
mind. Resolve to repeat the process again.
Questions?