Recognising signs of distress

Introduction

Stress can be overwhelming for young people, and times of change, such as transition, can be particularly stressful moments.  

Stress can feel very different for all of us.  Many of us do not know when we are experiencing stress, anxiety, or tension, and therefore don't do anything about it until it is too late. This can be a problem, as when we don't recognise distress, it can turn into anxiety, which in turn can create responses that become ingrained. This may include things like being hypervigilant, snapping at people, or even shutting down.

Research indicates that most of us have felt anxious at some point in our lives. However, not all of us recognised it at the time.

Watch this video, which is about feelings associated with anxiety. Do any of the feelings described in this video feel familiar to you, or maybe to someone you know?

Think about when you were at school.

  • Would you have known you were experiencing anxiety, stress, or tension when it was happening?
  • What did you do about it?
  • Did you ask for help?
I Am Anxiety