PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

UNIT 2: ASPECT OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Strain
MODULE 5 : Coping with Stress in Middle and Late ✓ a severe or excessive demand on the strength,
Adolescence resources, or abilities of someone or something
BIG QUESTION : What is Stress and how does it affect you? • Desperation
✓ a state of despair, typically one which results in rash or
Objectives: At the end of this module, you will be able to: extreme behavior
1. discuss understanding of mental health and psychological ✓ showing extreme urgency or intensity especially
well-being to identify ways to cope with stress during because of great need or desire
adolescence, ✓ loss of hope

2. identify causes and effects of stress on your system, and • Tension

✓ inner striving, unrest, or imbalance often with
3. demonstrate personal ways to cope with stress and maintain physiological indication of emotion
mental health. ✓ a feeling of nervousness before an important or difficult
event
Reading 1 : STRESS MANAGEMENT
• Anger
Dictionary definitions do not quite capture the meaning ✓ a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility
of stress as it is seen and experienced in the world of work. One • Panic
of the Webster’s definitions describes it as an “…emotional factor ✓ sudden extreme anxiety and fear that may cause
that causes bodily or mental tension.” A practical way of defining irrational thoughts or actions
STRESS is the feeling one gets from prolonged, pent-up ✓ it may include rapid heart rate, flushing ( a hot, red
emotions. If the emotions you experience are pleasant and face ), sweating, and trouble breathing
desirable – joy, elation, ecstasy, delight – you usually feel free to
let them show. They are not suppressed. Therefore; positive • Dejection
emotions do not usually cause stress. NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, ✓ the feeling of unhappy, disappointed, or without hope
on the other hand, are more often held inside. They are hidden. ✓ sad and depressed state
You suffer quietly and you experience stress. Do not confuse ✓ lowness of spirit; sorrow; grief
positive situations with positive emotions. A wedding, for
example, is a positive situation that often brings about the Prolonged stress can be devastating; BURNOUT,
negative emotions of anxiety and tension. So stress can exist in BREAKDOWN, and DEPRESSION are some of the potential
great situations. results of long-term, unmanaged stress. By wearing a mask, you
may expect to hide stress caused by problems in your personal
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF STRESS life and not let them influence your performance on the job. This
Just as there is great variety in the range of emotions will probably not work. The more you try to hold your emotions in,
you might experience, there are many possible manifestations of the greater the pressure build-up will be.
stress – in your private life and in your working life. Here are some
words that describe the emotions associated (as cause and EVERYDAY FRUSTRATIONS CAUSE STRESS BUILD-UP
effect) with stress. From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you
• Anxiety • Strain • Anger may be confronted with a succession of stressful situations.
• Pressure • Desperation • Panic Managing to get yourself (and possibly a spouse and children)
• Miser y • Tension • Dejection out of bed and ready to face the day can be a challenge to your
patience and ingenuity. Driving to school or work can be
• Anxiety harrowing – especially if you’re running late. You may experience
✓ a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause frustration in arranging to get the car repaired. You may face
you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid conflicts in school or at work, such as coping with unrealistic
heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress deadlines, equipment failures, or unexpected bad weather. If part
of your job is selling, you may experience feelings of rejection n
• Pressure
✓ pressure can mainly be defined as the force exerted when most of your customers say “no.”
per unit area A series of stressful and frustrating experiences
✓ you experience pressure when you worry about living
throughout the day can cause you to lie awake at night in an
up to your own or other people's expectations
emotional turmoil – unable to get needed rest. You face the next
• Misery day with less emotional and physical stamina. After another
✓ a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or stressful day and another night without rest, you may have even
discomfort less emotional strength and stability. Therefore, stress build-up,
✓ a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress if not resolved, continues day after day.

Source : Personal Development Reader by Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines, First Edition, 2016
PROBLEMS IN OUR PERSONAL LIFE CAN BE • interruptions while busy • slow drivers
DEVASTATING • getting an injection • loud people
Surviving the normal, everyday stress described above • arguments with parents • baby crying
can be difficult. But far more serious and painful circumstances • fight with boyfriend/girlfriend • disrespectful children
can create long-term stress. More SERIOUS STRESSFUL • losing • a friend betrays you
CIRCUMSTANCES may include separation from loved ones, • careless drivers
personal illness, or illness of a loved one, death of someone
you care about, or conflict with a spouse or close friend.
Other MAJOR CAUSES OF STRESS are: STRESS SIGNALS
1. problems with drug and alcohol abuse,
2. domestic violence, Take a look at the warning signs of stress listed below.
3. care of children and elderly relatives, PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL
4. chronic mental illness,
• headaches • mood changes • smoking
5. injury,
• stomach aches • lack of • nail biting
6. physical handicaps,
• dizziness concentration • tapping
7. moving to a new home, if you’ve lived in the same place • back pain • nightmares • pulling hair
for more than 10 years. • neck stiffness • panic attacks • grinding hair
The list goes on and on. • ulcer sores on mouth • anxiety • use of
• jaw pains • anger alcohol
MANAGING YOUR PERSONAL FINANCES can be
• weight loss • irritability • use of
another stressful experience. This can be a problem no matter
• weight gain • crying medication
what your income level, but it is especially difficult if you must
• twitches (eyelids, face) • thoughts of • compulsive
support a family and do not earn enough to live comfortably. dieting
• weakness suicide
Unpaid bills, unwise use of credit, and budget limitations can • hair chewing
• nausea • depression
make life difficult. • nervous
• indigestion • confusion
• excessive sleeping • feelings of laughter
A COMMON CAUSE OF STRESS IS DEALING WITH LIFE’S
• overeating helplessness • pacing
TRANSITIONS
• loss of appetite • restlessness • lateness
This is especially true when a person must cope with
• inability to sleep • racing thoughts • putting
too many transitions all at once. For example, Ellen has just
• skin problems • aggressiveness things off
completed a program in fashion merchandising. She is eager to
• constant fatigue • not caring
get started on her new job. Her mother is ill and requires care. about
Her father died a few months ago. Ellen’s new job requires that • cold hands or feet
• excessive sweating physical
she relocate to a town 100 miles from home. The move, a new appearance
career, and a change in family relationships may cause • chest pains
• compulsive
excessive stress for her. Too many changes have arrived at the • high blood pressure
overeating
• rapid or difficult
same time.
breathing
WHAT CAUSES YOU TO “LOSE YOUR COOL”?
We all have certain things, situations, or people that
cause us to lose our composure from time to time. Determine Reading 2 : STRESS RESPONSE
what causes YOU to “lose your cool” by completing this activity.
When you begin to identify your STRESSORS, you can become Your STRESS RESPONSE is the collection of physiological
skilled at preventing negative consequences. changes that occur when you face a perceived threat—when
• being late • boredom you face situations where you feel the demands outweigh your
• too much homework • rude people resources to successfully cope. These situations are known as
• speaking in public • no money STRESSORS.
• babysitting • no transportation
• going to the dentist • playing on a sports team When your stress response is triggered, a SERIES OF
CHANGES OCCUR WITHIN YOUR BODY. They include:
• arguments with friends • not being included in a sports team
• Redirection of blood away from extremities and instead to major
• restrictions at home • losing something valuable
organs
• chores • parents fighting
• lack of sleep • getting detention
• The release of cortisol and other hormones, which bring other
• no date for a dance • your job
short- and long-term changes.
• pimples • taking tests
• physical education class • video games • The stress response is intended to give you a burst of energy
• math class • using a computer so you’re able to fight off attackers or run away from them
• English class • closed-in spaces effectively.
• other class • commercials

Source : Personal Development Reader by Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines, First Edition, 2016
This helped our ancestors, who faced numerous physical threats, III. DEAL WITH THE STRESSORS
to stay safe. However, now our threats tend to be less physical Develop techniques to deal with the causes of stress. The
and MORE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR WAY OF LIFE—a longer you avoid dealing with the stress factors, the more the
challenge to our status, a demand for performance, etc. In stress will build up. If tension comes because you have put off an
addition to giving us a set of changes that may not match our unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the
needs as well (it might be more effective for us to have a burst of task that you have been avoiding out of the way and off your
mental clarity or wisdom than a burst of physical strength, for mind.
example), the stress response can actually cause harm if it leads
to a state of chronic stress—that is, if our stress response is IV. LEARN TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE OR
triggered, and then our body doesn’t go back to its normal state UNUSUAL CONDITIONS
via the relaxation response. When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage
your stress response. Almost everyone, at least at some point,
has to :
Reading 3 : KEEP STRESS UNDER CONTROL • meet deadlines,
• keep several jobs going at once,
THERE ARE MANY EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HANDLE STRESS. • resolve problems that come up, and
Of course, you can’t avoid stress—in fact, you wouldn’t want to • do extra work when necessary.
avoid all stress, because you’d never grow. However, you However, when the pressure mounts, you can relieve it.
can MANAGE YOUR LIFE so that you survive the emotional
down times without allowing stress to engulf you. Also, you Relaxation is key — but most people must
can work to ELIMINATE CONTROLLABLE STRESS TRAIN THEMSELVES to relax when the pressure is on.
FACTORS, such as running late or not getting enough sleep. But
when stress is constant or too great, your wisest option is to find
ways to reduce or control it. You need not, and should not, live SOME TIPS TO RELAX WHEN UNDER PRESSURE:
your life in emotional stress and discomfort. STRESS CAN BE
SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED. • Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles
tightening up) and take a few deep breaths.
Here are some suggestions that may help. • Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and
stretch.
I. UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES OF STRESS • Take a “power nap.” Lie down and totally relax for a few
Understanding why you are under stress is important. This minutes.
may seem obvious, but it requires deliberate, conscious effort to
• Find time to do the things you enjoy.
pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you are familiar
• Leave your study area for a while to take a brisk walk.
with the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of
uncontrolled stress. Now you need to try to discover the • Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during break or
stressors, the factors of which create the stress in your life. at lunch.
• If possible, look at some peaceful images such as forests,
II. ANALYZE YOUR STRESS FACTORS AND WRITE beaches, etc. These images can initiate a relaxation response.
THEM DOWN • Look up.
Write down your response to stress. For example, you may • Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes.
write down, “I feel tired most of the time. My lower back seems to
ache all through the day and night. I miss deadlines and run
behind schedule.” Analyze stress responses and
consequences, and consider each item, and ask why:
a. Why am I feeling tired?
b. Why does my back ache?
c. Why do I run behind schedule?

Carefully consider each answer, because the answers will

reveal stressors, such as :
1. deadlines,
2. anxieties,
3. trying to do so much,
4. managing time or money poorly, or
5. poor health habits.

Source : Personal Development Reader by Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines, First Edition, 2016