Learning activity – What causes me distress?
We know that positive stress, or eustress, arises from situations that can be challenging, but also leave us with a feeling of enjoyment. This may include winning a game, sharing your thoughts in front of people you don't know, or meeting someone new. On the other hand, distress is negative, and can be harmful to the way we think and feel.
In the attachment, complete the following:
- Consider activities that lead to eustress and distress in the context of school transitions.
- Write down some ways you can support students, and yourself, to self-regulate and manage emotions.
Activity
The purpose of this activity is to reflect on what stress can do to us, both physically and mentally. Consider activities you have participated in, or things you have done recently, that have led to productive stress (eustress) or bad stress (distress) and write them down in the attachment.
Think about how you feel doing things that cause you Eustress, and things that cause you Distress.
What is the difference?
Stress does not have to be bad. The video resources below can help you think about the difference between productive and destructive forms of stress.
There's good stress and bad stress
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How stress affects your body
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Understanding stressors can also clarify what we can and cannot tolerate, which can help you to talk to students about their experiences during transition.