Lesson 1

What Is Stress?

Purposes:

1. To introduce what is stress?

2. To introduce causes of stress

3. To teach relaxation technique - stretching exercise

Content

What is Stress?

Teacher begins the class by describing to the students the following picture. "You are walking down a dark alley at night, all alone, and you forget your glasses. On the half way, you spot a big figure carrying a club and straddling your path. What do you feel?"

When we encounter a threat, our heart beats faster and our body prepares itself to handle the situation either stand ground and fight or run away. Walter Cannon described this as the "fight-or-flight response", which is our physiological response to stress. McNerney (1974) stated that "stress is your body's physical, mental and chemical reactions to circumstances that frighten, exercise, confuse, endanger or irritate you.(p.2)

Hans Selye specified the changes in the body physiological that resulted from stress. In his book "The Stress of Life", he summarized stress reactivity as a three-phase process which is called the general adaptation syndrome:

    (1) Alarm Reaction

    This is the first reaction when body deals with stress. There is intense mobilization of biochemical resources (a readiness and call-to-arms of the body systems) on recognition of stressor. If the stressor is sufficiently strong, death may result when the body resistance diminishes.

     

    (2) Stage of Resistance

    Resistance ensues if continued exposure to the stressor is compatible with adaptation. The bodily signs characteristic of the alarm reaction have virtually disappeared and resistance rises above normal. If we are continually exposed to stress, body resistance will follow and make adaptation. Eventually, resistance rises above normal and the bodily signs of the alarm reaction disappear.

     

    (3) Stage of Exhaustion

    The body has adjusted to the stressor when we are exposed to prolonged stress. However, if the stressor is too strong, death may result.

Causes of Stress

An event or condition that triggers a stress reaction is called stressor. It can be:

(1) Biological: e.g. heat, cold, hunger, tiredness.
(2) Psychological:
e.g. depression, threatened, negative self-esteem.
(3) Developmental:
 e.g. entering school, searching jobs, getting married, death of significant others.
(4) Environmental: e.g. noise and air pollution, lack of resources, lack of space
(5) Interpersonal: e.g. poor relationship with friends or teachers, changes of social relationship.
(6) Sociological: e.g. cultural gap, role expectation, and changes of social value or economic status.
(7) Philosophical: e.g. use of time, purpose of life.

Relaxation Technique - Stretching Exercise

Teacher can introduce a relaxation technique - stretching exercise to students, starting with the head, the neck, the back, the shoulders and then the legs. It can be accompanied with soft music.

Class Activities

1. Students fill out the 'You and your mental stress questionnaire' to assess their stress level.
2. Teacher explains the scoring system and its relationship with stress.
3. Teacher explains the meaning of stress.
4. Students can write down five personal stressors, and discuss them on the class.
5. Teacher can summarize the students' sources of stress.
6.Practise stretching exercise.

Teaching Materials

1. You and your mental stress questionnaire

2. Literature: Common stressors faced by Hong Kong Students

3. Illustrated pictures: full index: 1,2,3,4,22

Back

Lesson 2: Stress Psychophysiology

Lesson 3: Stress Intervention: Intrapersonal

Lesson 4: Stress and Performance & Stress Intervention: Interpersonal

Please click here to download Stress Management text. (MS Word).