UNDERSTANDI NG STRESS RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO STRESS Responding

UNDERSTANDI NG STRESS RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO STRESS Responding effectively to stress involves the use of multiple strategies to regulate emotions at different time points of a stressful situation EVENT STRATEGIES BEFOR E DURIN G AFTE R

UNDERSTANDI NG STRESS EMOTION REGULATION Emotion regulation is a term used to describe the process by which we manage the experience and expression of our emotions and has three parts: REACTIVITY How easily you react to stimuli with emotion INTENSITY How intensely you feel the emotion RECOVERY How long the emotion persists, or how quickly you “recover” from the emotion

UNDERSTANDI NG STRESS IS STRESS ALWAYS BAD? v. Stress is often thought of as bad, but it can actually be protective and good! v. The human brain is hard-wired to respond to danger. v. The “fight or flight” response is what has helped humans protect themselves from danger throughout evolution. v. Whether the threat is real or perceived, our stress response is activated, which has physiological

UNDERSTANDI NG STRESS GOOD VS. BAD STRESS Performance Exhaustion Relaxed Anxiety/panic/anger Inactive Too little stress Breakdown Optimal Stress Overload Stress Level Burnout

IDENTIFYING STRESS

IDENTIFYING STRESS SIGNS OF STRESS…. . EMOTIONAL Nervousness Oversensitivity Irritability Anger PSYCHOLOGI Rumination CAL Hopeless/ Poor Problemsolving Catastrophizing Difficulty concentrating PHYSICAL BEHAVIOURAL Headaches Muscle tension Fatigue Stomach aches Drug/alcohol use Excessive internet use Self-injury Change in eating habits Difficulty sleeping

IDENTIFYING STRESS PROFILE Psychological/Emotio nal q q q q q Difficulty concentrating Racing thoughts Persistent worry Forgetfulness Difficulty falling asleep due to racing thoughts Low self-esteem Difficulty making decisions Blowing things out of proportion Confusion Unable to let go of unsettling thoughts or feelings SCORE_ __ Physical Behavioral q Headache q Stomach pain and/or digestive problems q Feeling tired q Muscle tension q Jaw clenching or teeth grinding q Difficulty falling asleep due to tenseness q Skin conditions (ex. rash or hives) q Neck or back pain q Change in appetite (increased or decreased) SCORE_ q Rapid heart beat or tightness in chest__ q Nail biting q Constant pacing q Persistent foot tapping or constant fidgeting q Angry outbursts q Frequent crying spells q Avoiding situation that cause stress q Overeating or not eating enough q Fast or abrupt speech q Getting into fights q Poor choices to manage stress (ex. Not eating SCORE_ properly, substance use, selfinjury) __

KEEP IN MIND! Keep in mind, stress in students does not always look like stress! Stressed students may: Be tired, non-responsive Appear to "not care" Be angry or noncompliant Never try to “ramp up stress”

IDENTIFYING STRESS OVERLOAD IN STUDENTS Stress comes and goes for no apparent reason. Feel unable to cope. Can’t seem to relax; feel tense most of the time. Feel a general loss of control. Stress becomes problematic when it interferes with day-to-day functioning

IDENTIFYING STRESS OVERLOAD ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION Struggling with chronic stress can lead to anxiety/depression Anxiety/ Stress Depressio n Anxiety/depression reduces one’s ability to cope

IDENTIFYING STRESS AND UNHEALTHY COPING Non-suicidal self-injury Excessive gaming/internet use Substance abuse Overeating or food restriction Suicide Risk

CONCLUDING COMMENTS CONCLUSION v Understanding and being able to identify the signs of stress is essential for you AND for your students. v Only once you recognize and understand the stress response can you THEN respond effectively!

CONCLUDING COMMENTS THANK YOU! Next step PART II: RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO STUDENT STRESS Nancy L. Heath, Ph. D