Self Management Project by Akomah Dompreh

Identifies a personal (real life) stressful situation :

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 14:36:48 UTC

Juggling my academic coursework on my own; studying without a teacher for the AP Chemistry and Reading test in May, and taking the SAT with after-school commitments all add to the stresses of my life.

List 5 ways that this stressful situation made you feel

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 14:37:26 UTC

Lonely - Taking the AP Lang and Chemistry test being one of the two people I know taking it does make me feel alone. Also studying for the test without a teacher even though I’m taking the class makes me feel alone.
Tired/Lazy - Every Time I don’t study for the AP Chemistry, Reading, and SAT makes me feel lazy and not putting in enough effort. It also drains the life out of me. Watching an AP Chemistry video will put me right to sleep. I stay up till 10 or 11 pm studying for my academic course making me tired and having early mornings.
Inadequate - Sometimes when I study for my academic courses it makes me feel inadequate. Like what I am doing when it comes to studying is not enough. Outside of studying for various tests, I feel inadequate academically because I am preparing for college and feel like I haven’t done enough.
Accomplished - When I study each unit for AP Chemistry I feel like I did something. With AP Chemistry I am learning the material and applying it. Studying my academic coursework makes me feel like I’m doing something for my future.
Educated - Studying for my academic coursework makes me feel educated because I am learning more and more and genuinely understanding things. I consider myself blessed to know more academically than my peers.

Investigates & lists 7 examples of teen stress :

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 14:44:26 UTC

Academic problems: Teens with dropping grades could be a sign that the teenager needs a tutor or something more complex like something occurring in the classroom or self-sabotaging.
Poor self-control: People make good and bad choices, but when teens start to lose their proper sense of judgment by themselves or with friends, parents should take a closer look.
Lack of sleep: Teenagers need around nine hours of sleep at night, but on average they are found to get 7.5 hours. Teens' lack of sleep caused by many factors contributes to many negative effects.
Divorced parents: Divorced parents sometimes lead teens to adjustment difficulties, academic difficulties, and disruptive behavior.
Lack of support: Teens who feel like they have to rely on themself rather than their parents or other adults often do things in their lives on their own.
Moving: The change associated with moving could cause teens to adjust issues and feel left out.
Poor diet: Teens not eating well and feeding their bodies with enough nutrients can cause them to be more tired and fall asleep more.

Investigates & Analyzes 10 positive ways to manage stress:

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 14:50:43 UTC

Exercise: For teens, any kind of exercise has been seen to lower stress and improve your mood.
Listening to music: Listening to relaxing music sometimes helps teens unwind from stressful situations
Practicing a hobby: Engaging in an exercise that brings you joy can take your mind off stress and reduce it in teens
Go for a walk: Going for a walk is a great way to manage stress because it lets you escape the situation
Breathe: When you feel overwhelmed and stressed breathing is beneficial for you to remove stress.
Practice Gratitude: Gratitude helps you realize the things in life that you should be grateful for. It is a way to build your mood up again.
Laugh: There is science behind laughter to manage stress
Reach out to others: To manage stressful situations it is beneficial to talk to someone to help you manage it.
Eat well: If you eat well your body will reflect it in teens and adults.
Eliminating stressors: Teens that figure out healthy and efficient ways to remove stress from their lives and step away from it lower the stress in their lives.

Identifies 4 local school and community resources

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 14:53:58 UTC

Some school resources that help with stress are counselors, trusted teachers, study planners and organizational guides, and support and study groups. Four additional community resources to manage stress are the national suicide hotline, connecting with friends, connecting with your local church or faith-based group, and yoga communities.

Implement one of the positive ways to handle stress and provide a reflection on its effectiveness:

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 15:02:32 UTC

Going for a walk is a method used to deal with stress and one I have recently implemented. Going for a walk does help with the personal stressors in my life because it allows me to think on my own and by myself. Going on a walk paired with music helps me feel more relaxed and at ease. Walking alone also provides an avenue for me to talk to myself allowing me to relieve some stress.

Investigates & Analyzes 10 negative ways to manage stress:

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 15:05:24 UTC

Criticizing yourself: In teens criticizing yourself can lead to adverse mental health problems. When it becomes a daily habit it can drain our self-esteem or lead to tendencies to seek perfection.
Chewing your fingernails: Teens tend to chew their nails when they need to regulate their emotions but doing this doesn’t benefit the teen.
Drinking alcohol: Alcohol has the power to calm people down and make them feel more relaxed in the moment but that can lead to alcoholism
Smoking weed or any other hard drugs: Doing hard drugs when stressed can lead to addiction, poor habits, and bad decision-making skills
Eating too much: Eating too much when stressed for teens will lead to bad eating habits and relationships with their food and obesity issues.
Eating too little: Eating too little will lead to anemia and a bad relationship with food.
Becoming violent: Becoming violent or aggressive is not a proper way to deal with stress because other people don’t deserve to be harmed because of the difficulties you are facing in your personal life.
Isolation: Teens tend to isolate themselves when they face stressful situations instead of reaching out to others.
Sleep too much: When sleeping too often when stressed it leads to higher rates of depression.
Relying on OTC medicine: Relying on over-the-counter medicine is a negative way to deal with stress because they promise some form of relief but they provide no permanent solutions

Investigate and analyze 10 effects of stress (Physical, Behavioral, Psychological, General health):

akomahdompreh — 2023-12-01 15:09:08 UTC

Depression: If stress continues in a prolonged and excessive manner it can contribute to anxiety and mood disorders including depression.
Anxiety: Stress can take a toll on your mental health and cause anxiety.
Weight gain: Stress tends to produce adrenaline and affects appetite and sometimes your body urges you to replenish the energy lost.
Muscle tension: Muscle tension is almost a reflex of stressful situations and the body worries about injury and pain
Irritably: During stressful situations, teens might find it more difficult to manage their emotions and so they can become overwhelmed and irritable.
Racing thoughts: Teens tend to have racing thoughts containing worries and regret and general replays of past events.
Constant worrying: This is an effect of a stressful situation.
Angry Outbursts: Anger can lead to stress-related problems including insomnia, digestive problems, and headaches.
Low mood: Teens emotions tend to dip on days when they are stressed
Headaches: Sometimes when your head is pounding stress is behind it. Because it is difficult to present during physically stressful situations teens tend to get headaches.