Stress Toolkit for Children and Young People
Stress is a natural part of every young person’s life. Stress is any change, internal or external, positive or negative, to which a young person must adapt; simply, stress is anything that causes physical and/or mental wear and tear on the body and mind.
Children and young people’s stress is usually related to everyday experiences, worries and challenges at school, home, in the community and within their peer group. For example, young people may experience stress resulting from bullying, name calling, social isolation, not getting what they want, body image, academic difficulties, and unsafe neighbourhoods.
While each student will respond to and resolve stress differently, the impact of ongoing and/or unresolved stress can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability, poor concentration, aggression, physical illness, fatigue, sleep disturbance and poor coping skills such as tobacco, drug and/or alcohol use.
Therefore, young people, like adults, can benefit from learning and practicing stress management skills. Students who develop stress reduction skills learn how to feel and cope better without hurting themselves or others. Identifying and acknowledging the causes of stress and expressing feelings about them are usually the most effective tools students have to reduce stress, in addition to learning practical stress reduction skills.
The attached Stress Toolkit is designed to teach children and young people a variety of practical and fun stress reduction techniques.
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