Coping With Stress

How do I cope with stress?

There are several things that you can do to help yourself cope.

What are the signs of stress?

Stress can affect you physically. Your body is designed to be able to cope with stresses such as danger, illness and emergencies. This is called your ‘fight or flight’ instinct, where hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol gear your body up to cope with immediate stressful situations. For example if you accidentally step into the road when a car is coming, adrenaline will pump around your body enabling you to jump out of the way of the car. This is your “flight” instinct coming into play in a short lived stressful situation. Your body is less able to cope with a longer lasting pressure and this may result in you feeling tired, you may experience a loss of appetite and you may have difficulty sleeping.

Stress can affect you mentally as well as physically. You may find it hard to concentrate on your work; you may get easily frustrated or get angry easily. You may get depressed.

Talking helps, feeling alone makes it harder.

Coping with stress: 4 basic ways to handle stress effectively.

• 1. Show your feelings: Talk to a good friend, your Parent/Carer, a Teacher or you can talk to Jan your School Counsellor. Try writing a poem or write lyrics for a song. If you prefer draw a picture to express how you feel.

  2. Nurture Yourself: Have a special treat, spoil yourself and indulge yourself. Have a bath, a drink of chocolate, read a magazine or listen to some music. Pamper yourself.

  3. Problem Solve: Make a list of all the things that are causing you to be stressed. eg not knowing when school work has to be handed in, not managing your time, then make a plan to sort it out. When planning ahead ensure you include some nurturing time. Put jobs in order of importance and try to plan ahead. This can help sort things out in your head. Don’t put it off, take control.

  4. Actively get distracted: Take time to do something you enjoy, walk the dog, play some music, and do some sport.

If you have a stressful event to get through, make sure you reward yourself at the end.

When to get help?

Sometimes stress gets on top of you, especially when the situation causing the stress goes on and on and the problems just seem to keep building up. You can feel trapped, as if there is no way out and no solution to your problems. If you feel like this, it is important to get help.

Signs that stress is getting too much and that you should get help:

• You feel that stress is affecting your health.

• You feel so desperate that you think about stopping school, running away or harming yourself.

• You feel low, sad, tearful, or that life is not worth living.

• You lose your appetite and find it difficult to sleep.

• You have worries, feelings and thoughts that are hard to talk about because you feel people won’t understand you or will think you are ‘weird’.

• You hear voices telling you what to do, or making you behave strangely.

• You are using drugs or alcohol to block out stress.

Who can help?

It is important that you talk to someone you trust and can help you like:

• a close friend

• parents, a family member or family friend

• a school nurse, teacher or school counsellor

• a social worker or youth counsellor

• a priest, someone from your church or temple.

• Some people may find it easier to talk to somebody on the phone.