What is Stress?

Stress is your body's natural response to any demand or challenge. It is not always bad — in fact, the right amount of stress can help you perform better. The key is understanding the difference between helpful and harmful stress.

Eustress (Good Stress)

Short-term stress that motivates and focuses you. It feels exciting rather than threatening.

• Excitement before a sports game
• The push to meet a deadline
• Nervous energy before a performance
• Starting a new challenge

Distress (Bad Stress)

Prolonged or overwhelming stress that harms your physical and mental health.

• Constant worry about exams
• Ongoing conflict with friends
• Feeling permanently overwhelmed
• Trouble sleeping for weeks

Think of it like a guitar string: Too loose and it won't make a sound (no motivation). Too tight and it snaps (burnout). The right tension produces beautiful music (peak performance).

The Stress Response: Fight, Flight, or Freeze

When your brain detects a threat, it activates the sympathetic nervous system, flooding your body with adrenaline and cortisol. This evolved to help our ancestors survive physical dangers, but today the same system activates for social and academic threats.

Fight

Confronting the threat. May show as anger, arguing, or irritability.

Flight

Escaping the threat. May show as avoidance, procrastination, or withdrawal.

Freeze

Shutting down. May show as feeling numb, "blanking" in exams, or inability to act.

The physical symptoms — racing heart, shallow breathing, sweaty palms, muscle tension, stomach butterflies — are your body preparing for action. These are normal responses, not signs that something is wrong with you.

Common Teen Stressors

Adolescence brings unique pressures. Recognising your stressors is the first step to managing them.

Academic Pressure

Exams, assignments, grades, expectations

Friendships

Conflict, exclusion, changing friend groups

Social Media

Comparison, FOMO, online drama

Family

Arguments, expectations, changes at home

Identity

Who am I? Where do I fit in?

Future Worries

Career, subject choices, uncertainty

Building Resilience

Resilience is not about never experiencing stress — it is about being able to recover and adapt when life gets tough. Resilience is like a muscle: it can be strengthened with practice.

Connections

Build and maintain strong relationships with family, friends, and trusted adults. Having people you can talk to is one of the strongest protective factors against stress.

Self-Care

Prioritise sleep (8-10 hours), regular exercise, healthy eating, and activities you enjoy. These are not luxuries — they are essentials for mental health.

Purpose

Having goals, hobbies, or values that matter to you gives your life direction and meaning. This creates a sense of purpose that helps you push through difficult times.

Problem-Solving

Instead of avoiding problems, break them down into manageable steps. Ask: "What can I control here? What is one thing I can do right now?"

Practical Stress-Relief Techniques

These evidence-based techniques can help you manage stress in the moment and build long-term resilience:

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Systematically tense and relax different muscle groups to release physical tension:

Start with your feet — tense the muscles for 5 seconds
Release and notice the difference for 10 seconds
Move up to calves, thighs, stomach, hands, arms, shoulders, face
Finish by taking 3 slow, deep breaths

Mindfulness (5-4-3-2-1 Grounding)

When you feel overwhelmed, use your senses to anchor yourself in the present:

5

things you can see

4

things you can touch

3

things you can hear

2

things you can smell

1

thing you can taste

Journaling

Writing about your thoughts and feelings helps process them. Try these prompts: "Right now I feel... because..." or "Three things I'm grateful for today are..." or "The thing worrying me most is... and one step I can take is..."

When to Seek Help

Everyone needs help sometimes, and asking for it is a sign of strength, not weakness. Seek help if you notice any of these lasting more than two weeks:

⚠Feeling sad, hopeless, or anxious most of the time
⚠Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
⚠Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
⚠Withdrawing from friends and family
⚠Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
⚠Thoughts of hurting yourself

Trusted Adults

Parents, school counsellor, teacher, coach, or another adult you trust.

Kids Helpline

1800 55 1800
Free, 24/7, for ages 5-25. Call, chat online, or email.

headspace

headspace.org.au
Free mental health support for 12-25 year olds.

Key Vocabulary

Eustress

Positive, motivating stress that helps you perform — like pre-game nerves or deadline energy.

Distress

Negative, harmful stress that is prolonged or overwhelming and damages wellbeing.

Resilience

The ability to recover from difficulties and adapt to challenges — bouncing back from setbacks.

Cortisol

The "stress hormone" released by your adrenal glands. Helpful in short bursts, harmful when chronically elevated.

Fight-Flight-Freeze

The body's automatic survival response to perceived threats, triggered by the sympathetic nervous system.

Mindfulness

Paying attention to the present moment without judgement, often through breathing or sensory exercises.

Knowledge Check

Test your understanding of stress and resilience. Select the correct answer and click "Check Answer".

Question 1

What is the difference between eustress and distress?

They are the same thing Eustress happens at school; distress happens at home Eustress is positive, motivating stress; distress is negative, overwhelming stress Distress is for adults only

Question 2

A student "goes blank" during an exam and cannot think clearly. Which stress response is this most likely?

Fight Flight Eustress Freeze

Question 3

Which of the following is a pillar of resilience?

Strong connections with supportive people Never asking for help Avoiding all stressful situations Pretending everything is fine

Question 4

In the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, what are you using to calm yourself?

Counting backwards from 54,321 Your five senses to anchor yourself in the present moment Thinking about 5 problems, 4 solutions, 3 goals, 2 hopes, 1 dream Running in place for 5 minutes

Question 5

When should you seek professional help for stress?

Only if you are failing school Never — you should always handle it yourself When you feel sad, anxious, or unable to cope for more than two weeks, or have thoughts of self-harm Only adults need professional help

Stress Management & Resilience