Stress Explained:
This explanation is on pages 15-17 in Building Resilience in Children and Teens by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg. Click the image to get a link to the book.
Stress as a Lifesaver
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Our bodies were designed to survive in the jungle when, at any moment, a tiger might leap out of the brush. Imagine that moment. Our great, great ancestor is feasting on berries and basking in the sun. Suddenly he sees a tiger. His brain registers terror before he can bring the danger to consciousness. His nervous system immediately begins firing; hormones surge throughout his body. Some hormones, such as adrenaline, give him the needed initial burst of energy to run, while others spark a cascade to mobilize his body's immediate needs (increased blood pressure and a release of sugar for energy) and prepare for some of its longer-term requirements (replenishing sugar and water).
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The first feeling is one we're familiar with: butterflies in the stomach. That sensation is there partially because blood circulating in his gut to digest food now swiftly shifts to his legs so he can run. In times of rest, muscles use only about 20% of the blood that the heart pumps, while the kidneys and gut each use another 20%. Within an instant of a stressful event, the strenuously working muscles use up to 90% of the blood that the heart is able to pump. Because the heart pumps more vigorously than it did at rest, the muscles are bathed in 18 times more blood than during calm times. In the meantime, the kidneys and gut are only receiving about 1% of the blood during these stressful times. No wonder we don't want to eat during times of extreme stress.
The brain is not an objective choreographer. It is heavily influenced by emotion and passion. Sometimes blood pressure goes up because of a real need, such as the need to run or even to stand up after lying down. At other times, blood pressure goes up because of an intense emotion or stays up in a state of vigilance for a coming crisis.
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Correlation with Poverty
Part of the reason is the increased likelihood is the pervasive presence of daily stress. The number of concerns may feel as if the family is under constant siege, so their blood pressure remains raised, and high blood pressure leads to disease. It is becoming increasingly clear that childhood trauma, also known as adverse childhood experiences, actually generates "toxic" stress that resets one's hormonal response and neuronal connections for a lifetime.
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Emotions play an important role in how we experience stress because the brain is the conductor of this system. The way we think about stress and what we choose to do about it affects the impact of a stressful event.
“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”
- Fred Rogers
Stress & Effects
Building Resilience: 7 Crucial C's
The information below is also in Building Resilience in Children and Teens by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg
Competence
When we notice what young people are doing right and give them opportunities to develop important skills, they feel competent. We undermine competence when we don't allow young people to recover themselves after a fall.
Seven Crucial Cs of Resilience Questions
Confidence
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Do I clearly express that I expect the best qualities (not solely achievements, but also personal qualities such as fairness, integrity, persistence, and kindness) in each of my students?
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When I need to criticize or correct a student, do I focus only on what they are doing wrong or do I remind them that they are capable of doing well?
Control
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Do I help my students think about the future, but take it one step at a time?
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Do I help my students recognize even their small successes so they can experience the knowledge that they can succeed?
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Do I understand that discipline is about teaching, not punishing or controlling?
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Do I use discipline as a means to help my students understand that their actions produce certain consequences?
Web of 7 Cs
The 7 Cs of Resilience is incredibly interrelated. Below is a description of how interwoven they are:
Children need to experience competence to gain confidence. They need connections with adults to reinforce points of competence. They need character to know they should contribute to society, and character is forged through deep connections to others.
Contribution builds character, and further strengthens connections. Children who contribute to their communities gain confidence as they feel more competent. All of this lends them to recognize that they can make a difference and change their environments, which provides a heightened sense of control.
A key coping strategy is turning to people with whom you have a strong connection.