SEL on Stress and how to manage it. #JanSELChallenge#

Which words describe stress to you?

• constant

• irritating

• uncontrollable

• emotional

• physical

Draw a stick figure. Now draw an arrow to the part of your body that you think stress comes from?

Where would you say causes most of your stress ?

• Home

• School

• Relationships

Do you know what this highlighted part of your body is called?

• thyroid

• brain stem

• hippocampus

• hypothalamus

How do you think this tiny part of your brain causes you stress?

Answer explanation

If you're not sure, take a guess.

Stress is caused when the hypothalamus sends a signal to your kidneys to release stress hormones. This happens when it senses danger. Do you think this can cause your body to have a physical reaction, and if so, what reactions have happened to you.

Answer explanation

Some possible reactions you may have noticed are sweating, sleeplessness, headaches, stomach aches, intestinal issues, acne, being distracted, panic attacks, etc.

Stress affects us in other ways too. Which of these have you experienced?

• sadness

• anger

• frustration

• helplessness

Did you know that guys do not experience stress as much as girls? Why do you think that is true?

• they have nothing to be stressed about

• their bodies don't produce the stress hormone

• they tend to escape from the things that cause stress

• they ask for help

Guys have just as much stress as girls, but they sometimes deal with it by escaping. What would that look like at school, home, or in relationships?

Answer explanation

Think of stressful things such as a project coming due and then come up with a way someone might try to escape it. Girls are also at risk. If your way to escape stress is to pretend like you don't have assignments due, or people mad at you or an important game coming up, escaping isn't the answer.

So, knowing that stress hurts us physically, emotionally and mentally, is there anything we can do about it?

• Yes!

• No!

• I don't know