Bend Without Breaking

12/17/20

This is our last class and I hope you learned some new coping strategies on how to overcome stress and fear!

Let’s learn how to manage stress:

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/stress-management

Stress management:

Coping:

• perceived control
• optimism/humor
• social support

Management of Stress

• exercise 20-30 min daily
• meditation
• religious faith/belief
• cognitive flexibility

Things you do to manage stress practice self care:

watch funny movie, humor, deep breaths, thinking and planning ahead so you don’t have to rush, nature, counting down to focus, art, hobbies, music, reading book/self help, podcasts on healthy behavior, meditate, gratitude, pet you pets, talk to a love one, join connections lunch, do the PE, watch a movie, make time to read, listen to things that make one not sad, 

12/10/20

Next term there is a class at this time called “You are not alone.” We are all unique people who experience life differently, but we all feel the same emotions.  In this new class we will share our Up’s and Down’s, our emotional goals and progress and support each other.  This is not group therapy. It is a way for us to see and understand that the challenges we go through might be similar and you are not the only person who feels a certain way.

Just like emotional strain in our brains and heart can make us feel sick (psychosomatic), you can also reverse this and us the power of relaxation to heal yourself.  Watch and listen to this video and see if you feel better afterwards:

Last class we learned how too much stress will cause problems in your body.  Today we will learn how it affects our behavior.

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/behavioral-effects-of-stress

Depression – learned helplessness, hopelessness, difficulty using your coping mechanisms

Anger – Fight, type A personality (reactive)

Anxiety – Flight, avoids or denies problems

Addiction – numbing emotions, substances or habits

12/3/20

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/responding-to-stress

Negative physical responses to feeling too much stress:

Heart – high blood pressure and heart disease

Metabolism – trouble with too much sugar in your blood

Reproduction – may make it hard to have children

Immunity – may make your body defenses work too hard or get tired

11/19/20

Don’t believe all of your thoughts.  Remember to breathe, notice your stories and decide if they based on worry or anxiety.

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/responding-to-stress

How I feel when I’m stressed:

overwhelmed, feel like too much is happening and you can’t control it, hot, mind starts thinking of stories that make it worse, body feels uncontrollable, worried about what is going to happen, heart beats fast (out of control), rapid shallow breathing, sweaty, blush, shaky, knotted stomach, cough, twitch, feel like you are going to throw up, shut down, withdraw, lizard brain, headache, exhausted, not hungry

11/12/20

Let’s start with a 10 minute mindfulness meditation:

What stressors do you experience in your life?  Make a list of about 5.  Pick one and

First decide: 

            Irrelevant – it doesn’t matter to me, not in danger

            Benign or positive – it will benefit me

            Stressful or negative– it is harmful, threatening or challenging

Then Decide “How prepared am I”

            Harm –what damage has already been caused

            Threat – what future damage can be caused

            Challenge – what tools do I have to overcome

Stressor is somebody not listening – problem solving

Telling someone that you don’t feel listened to, take a deep breath, talk to someone who can listen, get someone else’s help to mediate, improve your own communicate, write you communication, decide if they have listening skills, develop your empathy with that person, improve your communication to be clear and really say what you mean, don’t make excuses

We have been watching Kahn academy video series on stress and how it affects you.  Continue watching the next one to see how your body responds to stress.

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/responding-to-stress

11/12/20

What stressors do you experience in your life?  Pick one and

First decide:

            Irrelevant – it doesn’t matter to me, not in danger

            Benign or positive – it will benefit me

            Stressful or negative– it is harmful, threatening or challenging

Then Decide “How prepared am I”

            Harm –what damage has already been caused

            Threat – what future damage can be caused

            Challenge – what tools do I have to overcome

11/5/20

Lets do some breathing!

Review the video we saw last week (link is below) and then watch the next video on stressors.

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/stressors

4 different kinds of stressors

Significant life change – passing away, going to college, pandemic, marriage, having a child, moving, changing schools, puberty, aging

Catastrophic stressors – pandemic, wild fires, fires, poor air quality, economic and political unrest, tornados etc.Hurricanes and floods, tsunami

Daily Hassles – late assignments, bad grades, chores, bus is late or early, other people, small things that go wrong, public speaking, pandemic

Ambient Stressors –   crowded places, noise, pollution, pandemic, election, environments that make you uncomfortable, 

10/29/20

Go to the Think, Be, Do workbook and go to page 17.  Review the scenarios and think problem solve solutions.

Think Be Do Student Workbook

Stressors. let’s discuss some highs and lows and specific stressors in your life. Brainstorm potential stressors

Stress – a threat or challenge (stressor) that makes you feel a physical and emotional response (stress reaction)

procrastination, deadlines, losing a friend, losing a parent, losing a relationship that is important, anxiety, depression, mental health issues, health, money, health, Covid-19, election, parenting, life, finding out you are late, changes in schedule, change, teen pregnancy, unexpected challenges, people’s negative opinion, meeting new people, starting new things, spelling errors, talking to groups, impatient drivers,  others stress, barking dogs, post traumatic stress reactions, people who use drugs, people who are not taking care of themselves and put it on us, other expectations, people who expect more from you, people who don’t understand what you go through, school environment, learning new things, bad dreams, negative fantasies, being judged, people thinking they know you when they don’t, social events, crowded events, bills, hunger, hot or cold, discomfort,

https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/stress/v/what-is-stress

Assess Stress

First decide:

            Irrelevant – it doesn’t matter to me, not in danger

            Benign or positive – it will benefit me

            Stressful or negative– it is harmful, threatening or challenging

Then Decide “How prepared am I”

            Harm –what damage has already been caused

            Threat – what future damage can be caused

            Challenge – what tools do I have to overcome

10/22/20

Have you seen your inspiration quote over the week and has it helped?  Did you use any of the strategies we’ve talked about when feeling stressed or anxious?

Review downward and upward spirals and reflect where you are now.

Watch the video about mindfulness:

Practice mindfulness meditation for five minutes by watching this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmFUDkj1Aq0

Go to the Think, Be, Do workbook and go to page 17.  Review the scenarios and think problem solve solutions.

Think Be Do Student Workbook

10/15/20

What Mantra or inspirational quote did you choose?  Create a sign that you can see to remind you to use it.  

What three activities did you try to help reduce stress in your life?  What worked and didn’t work?

When feeling stress or fear about a future event ask yourself, “Am I missing out on my present moment to worry about a future that may or may not be a problem?”

Look at page 16 and review the downward spirals and upward spirals.  Recognize when you are entering a downward spiral and use strategies to change the spiral.

10/8/20

Next week – create mantra and/or inspirational quote

Practice the idea in promoting self care, over the next week try at least 3 of the promising practices in the sheet below. Create some sort of reminder to use them when you need it.

Practices for Promoting Self Care

Look through the sheet, read it, decide what works for you and then explore the resource links on the right hand side.

Below is  a downloadable copy of the student workbook.  

10/1/20