CHAPTER I

Introduction

A. Background of the Study

Stress is defined as the physical pressure and strain that result from

demands or changes in the environment. Stress is the subjective feeling

produced by events that are uncontrollable or threatening. It is important to

realize that stress is not in the situation; stress refers to how people respond to a

particular situation. Stress arises whenever there is a change in the body that

requires us to readjust. Conflict, frustration and anxiety can all lead to stress. But

any kind of change even a positive one, causes stress, because we have to adapt

to a new environment. (McMahon, 1990)

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. It is relative to the

individual what is terribly difficult for one person can make another person feel

interested and alive. (McMahon, 1990)

Unbeknownst to many, there are two types of stress: the eustress and the

distress.

Eustress is the “good stress” that gives beneficial effect on health,

motivation, performance and emotional well-being while distress is the “bad

stress” that is nonproductive and causes problems. (Ragland, 1989)

Stress is a complex concept. It can be routine stress at home, at school

and at work and might be fairly begin individually, but collectively they could

create great strain. Different things cause stress in different people. It is also a

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part of every student’s daily life. From the very start until the college life,

different styles of education and its diverse demands cause stress. A student’s

life is subjected to different kinds of stressors, such as the pressure of academics

with an obligation of success, uncertain future and difficulties envisaged for

integration into the system. Students face social, emotional and physical and

family problems which may affect their health, lifestyle and academic

performance. (Ragland, 1989)

It is important to remember that regardless of the source, most of the

stress that students experience can be viewed as serving positive ends. Stress is

not always the same as distress. Stress can be experienced in positive events as

much as the negative. Stress that the students feel as they start exams that they

have prepared for is much different than the stress felt by students who haven’t

taken their time to study. (Ragland, 1989)

While stress is often talked about in negative terms, a healthy or

moderate level of stress motivates one to talk, develop new skills, achieve

performance and fulfill one’s potential. Stress is a part of life and learning how to

anticipate, recognize and successfully manage stress is an important life skill.

(Merki, 1989)

B. Significance of the Study

The stress experienced by most adolescents prompted the researcher to

conduct this study. The results of this study are of great help to the following:

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 Students. They will know further what stress is and its impact on their

health, lifestyle and academic performance. By learning so, they may be able to

differentiate eustress from distress and formulate strategies on how to cope with

stress.

Community. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge giving

additional learning not only to adolescents but also to parents, teachers and

etcetera.

C. Statement of the Problem

This study entitled, Stress among Adolescents and Its Impact on

their Health, Lifestyle and Academic Performance aims to answer the

following questions:

1. What are the causes of eustress and distress among adolescents?

2. What are the impacts of stress to the health of adolescents?

3. What are the effects of stress to the lifestyle of adolescents?

4. What are the results of stress to the academic performance of adolescents?

5. How can adolescents increase eustress and decrease distress?

D. Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined to help the readers have a better idea

about this study.

Academic Performance. It refers to the level of schooling you have

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 successfully completed and the ability to attain success in your

studies.

Adolescents. It is a transitional phase of growth and development between

childhood and adulthood.

Behavior. The way in which someone conducts oneself or behaves.

Health. The general condition of the body.

Lifestyle. The typical way of life of an individual.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A mental health condition that’s

triggered by a terrifying or stressful event—either experiencing or

witnessing it.

Psychosis. A serious mental illness characterized by defective or lost contact

with reality often with hallucinations or delusions.

Schizophrenia. A mental disorder that is characterized by disturbances in

thought, perception and behavior by a loss of emotional

responsiveness and extreme apathy and by noticeable deterioration

in the level of functioning in everyday life.

Stress. It is feeling very worried or anxious about something.

Stressor. It i s something that makes you worried or anxious.

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 CHAPTER II

Presentation of Data

A. The Causes of Eustress and Distress among Adolescents

1. Academic Stress

The pressure to perform better academically is one of the mostcommon

causes of high school distress. Students feel pressure in completing daily

classwork and assignments, finish projects and study for exams. In addition to

the quest for good grades, adolescents may also participate in activities that give

extra points such as sports, student government, contests and clubs. This kind of

pressure is good when it encourage adolescents to get better grades at school

but the added pastimes may contribute to stress and anxiety if the activities are

competitive and require scheduling that cuts into study and relaxation time.

(Christopher, 2018)

a. Unhealthy Competition

Competition among peers in school is common. Students usually indulge

in healthy competition in academics, sports and outside-the-school activities.

Competition is good and healthy as long as it only encourages them to perform

better and improve their grades. But if it gives rise to negative feelings like

jealousy and resentment, it just adds to the current academic stress. (Gongala,

2017)

b. Poor Time Management

A common complaint that adolescents make is that they “don’t have

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time” for anything. There is never enough time for breakfast, for school work or

household chores. Poor time management is another cause of stress among

teens. They get easily distracted by technology and media, which eats up most

of their time. Before they realize, they are left with little time to finish what

needs to be done. The result — a stressed-out teenager. (Gongala, 2017)

2. Physical Stress

Physical changes can also be a cause of stress among adolescents. They go

through some emotional and physical changes which can leave them confused

and stressed. Not knowing what is happening to their body and why they feel a

certain way during puberty can be a cause of such tension. Also, excessive strain

on the body can leave them tired and mentally stressed. (Heit, 1987)

3. Social Stress

Social life is paramount for teenagers and they could have a persistent need

to be accepted by their peers by being in the popular ‘groups’, attending parties

and hanging out with their friends. They could give more importance to friends

than family. (Gongala, 2017)

a. Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a social stressor, where teenagers have a need to be

accepted by their peers and are motivated to try new things such as drinking,

smoking and doing drugs. They are under constant pressure to dress in a certain

way, speak the teen lingo and be ‘cool.’ More often than not, all this implies that

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teenagers have to put aside their true selves and pretend to be someone they

are not, which can be a very stressful experience. (Heit, 1987)

In that process, they create an accepted social image and are under

constant pressure to maintain it. Trying to strike balance between their image

and a created one is not an easy task and can be very stressful. (Heit, 1987)

In addition, problems with friends, being bullied and romantic

relationships can also be a cause of stress among teenagers. (Heit, 1987)

4. Stress Due to Family Problems

Anything that affects the family impacts the teenager directly. Unreasonable

expectations by parents, marital discord between parents, illness of a family

member or strained relationship between siblings are all factors that can affect

an adolescent. (Christopher, 2018)

a. Financial Problems

Money isn’t something that worries only the adults. Teenagers are more

stressed about finances because that cannot do much about it. Studies show that

kids from low-income families deal with poverty-related stress almost all of the

time and become troubled teens. (Larsen, 2000)

b. Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry is yet another family problem that can stress an adolescent.

Differences between siblings are normal but if it goes up a few notches and turns

into war, it can be stressful for both parties involved. Teenagers may develop

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feelings of jealousy and hatred for their younger siblings who get more attention

from the parents. (Larsen, 2000)

5. Traumatic Events

Dealing with traumatic events like accidents, sickness or death of a loved

one, physical or mental abuse can have a very severe impact on a teenager.

Death can create a sense of loss and fear of losing everyone and everything,

adding stress to the pain. (Kane, 1987)

6. Romantic Relationships

Boys and girls, especially in high school, often worry about not having a

boyfriend or girlfriend, when ll their friends do. Expectations from the partner,

getting too little or too much attention from the partner and the confusion

caused due to budding sexual feelings are just a few things about romantic

relationships that can get them stressed. (Christopher, 2018)

A. The Impacts of Stress to the Health of Adolescents

1. Physical Health

High levels of stress could lead to physical symptoms that could have a

negative effect on students’ performance. These signs and symptoms include:

 frequent headaches

 trembling of lips

 low energy

 upset stomach

 chest pain

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  insomnia

 frequent colds

 dry mouth

 elevated blood pressure rapid or mumbled speech

(Merki, 1987)

2. Mental Health

Stress is connected to mental health conditions such as:

 depression

 anxiety

 psychosis

 schizophrenia

 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Larsen, 2000)

B. The Effects of Stress to the Lifestyle of Adolescents

1. Behavior

Stress not only affects our health but also our lifestyle. It is everywhere and

sometimes, it defeats us that we do what we normally don’t do. The common

effects of stress on our behavior are:

 overeating

 drug and/or alcohol abuse

 angry outbursts

 tobacco use

 social withdrawal

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  exercising less often (Getchell, 1987)

C. The Results of Stress to the Academic Performance of

Adolescents

1. Poor Grades

a. Memory Loss

Memory is vital to students’ academic success and forgetfulness is one of

the symptoms of being stressed. When students are unable to recall necessary

details to answer questions, this could lead to poor exam results and limited

participation in activities. (Stupart, 2015)

b. Lack of Concentration

A high level of stress reduces students’ ability to concentrate on their

studies. Consequently, it makes it difficult for them to memorize facts for tests.

Even more, poor concentration could limit students’ ability to think critically or at

optimal levels when they write their papers or during tests. (Stupart, 2015)

c. Constant Worry

Stress is characterized by persistent daily worry and restlessness. When

students are constantly worried, this takes the focus off important tasks to be

completed at school. Because of excessive worry about different problems,

students might find it difficult to fall asleep. Consequently, the work they

complete could be mediocre or they could miss assignment deadlines. Thus, they

could end up failing. (Christopher, 2018)

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 d. Self-defeating Thoughts

Adolescent students who are experiencing stress, are likely to be

consistently thinking about the adverse situation that they find themselves in.

they could also be constantly focused on their failures and weaknesses. These

self-defeating thoughts affect how they feel and how they behave. This results in

lack of confidence i their abilities which hinders them from performing to their

highest potential and succeed in school. (Stupart, 2015)

E. The ways Adolescents can Increase Eustress and Decrease

Distress

To keep the eustress coming and the distress at bay,

 During ordinary times, maintain a program of strong personal

wellness

 Be sure to include regular physical activity

 Cultivate high self-esteem

 Maintain a positive attitude toward stressors – view them as

opportunities for growth

 Manage time wisely

 Take on tasks only within your limits

 Practice assertiveness to maintain your limits

 Monitor your body for the early warning signs of too much

stress

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 Release tension by crying, laughing, talking with friends or

willing yourself to relax

 When stress becomes intense, identify which stressors you can

control, and

 If stress becomes unmanageable, seek help. (Sizer, 1997)

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 CHAPTER III

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

A. Summary

Stress is defined as the physical pressure and strain that results from

demands or changes in the environment. It is important to realize that stress is a

response to the perceived demands in same situation. Eustress is the “good

stress” that gives beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance and

emotional well-being while distress is the bad stress” that is nonproductive and

causes problems. Stress can be experienced in positive events as much as the

negative. While stress is often talked about in negative terms, a healthy or

moderate level of stress motivates one to talk, develop new skills, achieve

performance and fulfill one’s potential. Stress is part of life and learning how to

anticipate, recognize and successfully manage stress is an important life skill.

B. Conclusion

Stress is basically one of the human emotion and reactions that they have

in response to special events or in some challenges. In this era of uncertainty, it

seems that everyone is under more pressure. Due to the negative impact of

stress on students’ life, such as poor academic performance and the general

health status, putting effective measures in place is necessary to their academic

success and general life. Keep in mind that nothing can eliminate stress. The

only thing to do is to manage it to prevent it from taking over our lives and learn

how to transform distress into the beneficial stress.

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C. Recommendations

This study entitled Stress and Its Impact on Their Health, Lifestyle

and Academic Performance gives recommendations for adolescents in

managing stress.

1. One should find time to relax so as to avoid stress.

2. Enough sleep and exercise is an important remedy to stress

management.

3. Good eating habit should be a priority of students in relation to stress

management.

4. Pray to God.

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