POINTS TO REMEMBER 3

Summary of the topics covered in chapter 3

Chapter 3: Stress Management Strategies
Stress should never be thought of or presented as a necessary part of one’s life or personality profile. Stress can be effectively managed by following a few simple procedures.

Basic Concepts: Some examples of stressors students typically run away from are: teachers (“if only I had a different teacher”); schools (“if only I were in a different school”); authority (“if only I didn’t have to do what people tell me”) and responsibility (“if only I didn’t have so much work”). We should try to get our students to tell us why these are all unrealistic statements. For example, there is no place they can go where they won’t find authority and responsibility and, even if they escaped from teachers and schoolwork by quitting school, they would just have to substitute a boss and work on a job that might be harder. The basic idea we are teaching here is that stressors are everywhere and nobody can escape them.

More Basic Concepts: Effective stress management requires a holistic approach. The somatic-physiological interventions are used to modify stress directly, and have a direct effect on the stress response. One stressor that can be eliminated from our daily life may reduce the total stress we experience.

Stress Management Strategies: Somatic-physiological stress management strategies produce a direct effect on the body. We begin by training our students in diaphragmatic breathing. By alternately making our muscles tense and relaxed, we learn to recognize the subtle differences between the states, and we also learn to relax all of our muscles. Exercise is also an effective stress coping skill. Stress inoculation combines relaxation (somatic-physiological) with cognitive restructuring (cognitive-psychological) and behavioral rehearsal or role-play (social-behavioral). Meditation, journaling, exercise, proper diet, regular sleep schedule, stable relationships and schedule monitoring can all impact stress levels

Wrapping It Up: For more on stress management for children and youth, refer to: Kaplan, J. (1995). (Chapter 13 - Stress Management Strategies, pp. 449-471) [see references].