Positive Approaches in Dealing with Life Demands and Stress Management in Adolescence

Vocabulary flashcards covering life demands, family dynamics, education, stress, coping strategies, and brain anatomy based on the lecture notes.

Positive approaches

Facing challenges squarely to gain perspective and manage tasks more effectively.

Family independence quest

Adolescent drive for identity and independence versus parental guidance and protection.

High educational expectations

Clear parental expectations, student goal setting, and diligent effort leading to higher attainment.

Making career choices

When parental career plans clash with the child’s own interests.

Relationship issues

Parental views on priority of relationships vs adolescent involvement in dating.

Communicate openly

Expressing thoughts and feelings clearly with respect to help parents understand growth.

Understand your parents

Recognition that parents are protective and guiding, not merely spoiling fun.

Be responsible

Fulfilling family and relative expectations as a marker of independence.

Time management

Planning, prioritizing, and following a plan to handle school and life demands.

Poor planning and procrastination

Common causes of time management problems, including low achievement motivation.

Peer pressure

Influence from peers; can be positive or negative; strategies include saying no and choosing good company.

Peer conflict

Disagreements arising from differences in background, values, and needs.

Stress

The process of evaluating and responding to threats or challenges, causing mental or emotional strain.

Stressors

Conditions or events that tax coping abilities, including life events, daily hassles, and relationships.

Acute stress

Short-term stress that is the body's immediate response to recent demands; can be positive or negative.

Episodic acute stress

Frequent acute stress; associated with impatience, hurry, irritability, and worry.

Chronic stress

Long-lasting, damaging stress that can impair health and well-being.

Stress management

Approaches to cope with stress; not a one-size-fits-all solution; involves control of thoughts and emotions.

Four A’s (Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept)

Key strategies for managing stress by avoiding stressors, changing them, adjusting responses, or accepting what cannot be changed.

Strategy #1: Get in motion

Physical activity reduces stress via endorphins and distracts from negative thoughts.

Strategy #2: Engage socially

Reach out to others for support; social interaction helps reduce stress.

Strategy #3: Avoid unnecessary stressors

Learn to say no and limit exposure to stressors and unsupportive environments.

Strategy #4: Alter the situation

Express feelings, negotiate, and manage daily life to reduce stress.

Strategy #5: Adapt to the stressor

Adjust standards and expectations to be more realistic.

Strategy #6: Accept the things you cannot change

Acknowledge inevitables and practice acceptance to reduce ongoing distress.

Strategy #7: Have fun and relax

Schedule downtime and enjoyable activities to recharge and cope better.

Strategy #8: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Healthy diet and adequate sleep support stress resilience.

Powers of the Mind

Overview of brain structure: forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.

Forebrain

Largest part of the brain, mainly the cerebrum; controls speech, reasoning, learning, memory, and emotions.

Limbic system

Emotional and memory center within the forebrain, including hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and thalamus.

Hippocampus

Located in the limbic system; key role in learning and memory.

Amygdala

Emotion center; involved in fear and aggression.

Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, and circadian rhythms.

Thalamus

Relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex and aids in signal transmission.

Cerebral cortex

Outer layer of the cerebrum; responsible for higher cortical functions and divided into four lobes.

Midbrain

Between forebrain and hindbrain; coordinates eye movement and processing of auditory information; relays signals.

Hindbrain

Lower brain region containing cerebellum, pons, and medulla, responsible for movement, arousal, and vital life functions.

Cerebellum

Coordinates movement and balance.

Pons

Involved in arousal and the sleep-wake cycle.

Medulla oblongata

Regulates heart rate, breathing, and other involuntary functions.

The four lobes of the brain

Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, and Occipital lobes with distinct functions.

Frontal lobe

Higher-level thinking: problem solving, learning, organizing, attention, memory, planning.

Parietal lobe

Processes touch, pain, temperature; includes kinaesthesia and sensory integration.

Temporal lobe

Processes auditory information; essential for language understanding and memory encoding.

Occipital lobe

Processes visual information and perception of color and movement.

Hemispheres of the brain

Two halves: left and right; often associated with different processing styles.

Left brain characteristics

Language, logic, analytical thinking; roles in reasoning and computation.

Right brain characteristics

Reading emotions, intuition, creativity, and musical abilities.

Left brain

Common roles: scientist, lawyer, engineer, accountant, programmer.

Right brain

Common roles: politics, theater arts, counseling, interior design.

Two thinking styles

Left-brain analytical vs. right-brain creative; both can be developed.