Supporting adolescents in times of stress

Jessica Garisch & YWS Team

© Youth Wellbeing Study

Overview

• How to recognise stress?• “Just in case Plan”• Relaxation (Body)• Unhelpful thoughts (Mind)• Expressing feelings (Emotion)• Managing behaviour (Behaviour)• Some potentially useful website

How to recognise stress… Not manageable

e.g. losing a loved one, extreme disaster, etc.

Manageable : e.g. Moving house, health problems On-going relationship conflict Exams etc.

How do you know when you have reached your limit? Mood changes Poor sleep Poor eating habits Negative self-talk Spending less time doing things you enjoy

Knowing Early Warning Signs (EWS)• What our your child’s/rangatahi’s EWS?

– Environmental: exam stress? noise?– Thought patterns: noticing more negative self-talk?– Behaviour: withdrawn?

• Having a discussion about EWS and how you talk about this/manage as a family– I’ve noticed that when ‘Agro’/ ‘Jethro’ (name for stress/irritability) is around

(externalising the conversation) certain things happen…. Do you agree? (check their understanding) …what are we gonna do about that (create a shared/agreed plan)…? How can I support you in this?

– Going through a model of stress (e.g. pressure cooker model) + identifying factors relevant for them (and other members of your family – we don’t experience stress in isolation!)

Pressure Cooker Model (of Stress/Anger/Emotions)Relaxation?Exercise?Sport?Hot bath?

“They’re trying to make me look stupid”

“I can’t do this anyway, so why try?”

Talk things through?Write things down? Sing?Joke?

Arguments/ relationship breakdownPhysical IllnessExamsPoor sleep

“Just In Case Plan”• Used in relapse prevention in therapy• Helpful for everyone!• Can include

– What I’m like when I’m well…• Social? Active? Regular sleeping patterns?

– What helps keep me well?• Activities• People to be around• Things to avoid

– What I’m like when I start to get stressed…• Wake regularly at night? Start skipping meals?

– What helps when I’m stressed• Talking to X? Taking the dog for walks?

– Who can remind me of these helpful strategies• Make an agreement + plan when things are going well (if possible)

– Who can help me notice my EWS – what can they say when they notice?• (as above)

– Contact details of support people, agencies, etc.

Relaxation• Breathing techniques

– Diaphragmatic breathing– “Belly breathing” “Bubble breathing”

• Progressive Muscle relaxation– Tense and relax you muscle groups one-by-one

• Meditation• Mindfulness• Visualisation (e.g. of calm scene)• (Noticing tension – part of EWS)• What do you find helpful?

Unhelpful thoughts• Unhelpful ways of thinking

– Mindreading– Jumping to conclusions– All or Nothing thinking

• Challenging unhelpful thoughts– What is the evidence of this thought? What’s the evidence

against this thought?– Is this a style of thinking I’ve fallen into? Does it represent

an unhelpful thought pattern (see above types of thinking)– What might a friend say? – Is this a helpful thought?

Expressing Emotion• Letting the ‘lid’ off/ releasing steam (see ‘pressure cooker’)• Encouraging emotion language in your home• What is the culture of emotional expression in your home? • Mood diary (monitor positive and negative triggers)• Thankfulness journal • Mood shifters

– Movies/ YouTube clips– Photos– Quotes

Managing Behaviour• What types of unhelpful behaviours does your child

or rangatahi engage in when stressed?• Reward systems:– Praise desired behaviour/ effective stress management– Praise insight when they choose to engage in healthy

behaviours even thought they don’t feel like it.

• Engage in discussion– Does this behaviour help them? In the short term? In the

long term? What life goals or values does it get in the way of (if the behaviour is unhealthy)?

Self care• Self care box • Important factors for self care– (balanced) Exercise– (balance) Food – Sleep hygiene– Limits/set boundaries– Being able to say no – Assertiveness

• When….. (you follow me when I’m angry)• I feel… (even angrier!)• I would like…. (you to give me space to calm down..)

Websites• The Low Down is a website that helps young people understand and deal with

depression. You can check them out at www.thelowdown.co.nz Urge - www.urge.co.nz

• The Word - www.theword.org.nz

• Embrace the future is a website that helps to educate young people in strategies and skills which promote and sustain resiliency and positive mental health. You can check them out at http://www.embracethefuture.org.au/

• Fostering Resilience prepares young people for both good and challenging times. You can check it out at http://www.fosteringresilience.com

• The Resilience Research centre provides research looking at how young people and families cope with different challenges. You can find out more information at http://resilienceresearch.org/

• SPARX website provides an e-therapy programme, offers a mood quiz to help young people identify depression, and has information on where to get help. Website: www.sparx.org.nz Ph. 0508 4 SPARX (staffed by professional counsellors 12 hours a day, daily).

• Questions? Comments?• Please take copies of available resource sheets• Like to receive our e-newsletter?• http://www.victoria.ac.nz/psyc/research/youth-and-wellbeing-study

• Thanks for listening