Theresa Emminizer - Keeping Calm and Focused: Stress Management

Published in 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Editor: Elizabeth Krajnik

Designer: Michael Flynn

Photo Credits: Cover, p. 21 FatCamera/E+/Getty Images; cover, pp. 1, 38, 1012, 14, 16, 1820, 2224 (background) TairA/Shutterstock.com; p. 4 Sabphoto/Shutterstock.com; p. 5 Bettmann/Getty Images; p. 6 Aaron Amat/Getty Images; p. 7 Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock.com; p. 9 Letizia Le Fur/ONOKY/Getty Images; p. 10 Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock.com; p. 11 Diego Cervo/Shutterstock.com; p. 13 Lapina/Shutterstock.com; p. 14 Ryzhkov Photography/Shutterstock.com; p. 15 Dreams Come True/Shutterstock.com; p. 17 HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images; p. 18 Courtesy of the Library of Congress; p. 19 Skolkokrasok/Shutterstock.com; p. 22 V.S.Anandhakrishna/Shutterstock.com.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Emminizer, Theresa.

Title: Keeping calm and focused: stress management / Theresa Emminizer.

Description: New York : PowerKids Press, 2020. | Series: Spotlight on social and emotional learning | Includes glossary and index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781725302068 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781725302259 (library bound) | ISBN 9781725302167 (6pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Stress management--Juvenile literature. | Stress management for teenagers--Juvenile literature. | Stress management for children--Juvenile literature. | Stress in adolescence--Juvenile literature. | Stress in children-Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC RA785.E46 2020 | DDC 155.9042--dc23

Manufactured in the United States of America

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CSPK19. For further information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932.

CHAPTER one

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is a state of tension, or a feeling of nervousness that makes it hard to relax. Its also a state of worry caused by problems or demands, things that require your attention, in your life. Stress affects your feelings, mind, and body. Sometimes it can give you a stomachache, make you feel upset, and make it hard for you to sleep. Stress is usually your bodys way of telling you that youre overwhelmed, or have too many things to deal with, and something needs to change.

Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood wrote: 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.

Stress is a normal part of life. But if we dont learn to cope, or deal, with it in a healthy way, stress can make it hard to think clearly, feel well, and enjoy life. Its impossible to cure stress or make it go away completely. However, you can learn positive ways to cope with it that will make you feel more in control.

CHAPTER two

IDENTIFY YOUR STRESSORS

The first step to coping with stress is to figure out whats causing it. Take a moment to reflect on whats going on in your life. Is there something going on thats making you feel uncomfortable or unhappy? Can you identify a situation in which you feel worried or frustrated?

Sometimes stress is caused by situations at home.It can be very stressful when parents argue.

Sometimes stressors, or things that cause stress, are temporary. This means they dont last a very long time or forever. You might be worried about a big test coming up. With temporary stressors, the feelings of discomfort usually go away after the stressful event is over. Other stressors are chronic, or continue for a long time or return often. Are you trying to juggle schoolwork, swim practice, violin lessons, and sleepovers with friends? You might have too much going on! When youre constantly active, your mind and body dont have time to relax.

CHAPTER three

ASK FOR HELP

You might not be able to figure out whats causing your stress. Maybe you arent worrying about a single event or feeling too busy. Thats OK! Sometimes just going about our daily lives is enough to make us feel stressed.

No matter whats causing your stress, the most helpful thing to do is tell someone about it. The simple act of sharing your feelings can help relieve some of the pressure thats been building up inside you. When you talk about your feelings, you start to understand them better. Talk to someone who makes you feel comfortable and safe. It could be a friend, a parent, a teacher, or a counselor. It might be hard, but theres no reason to feel upset. Everyone experiences stress. Those people might have ideas about how to handle it.

Youre not alone! Stress is something that all people deal with. Talking about it can help.

CHAPTER four

TAKE A BREAK

If youre able to identify the situations that cause you to feel stressed, make an effort to avoid or remove yourself from them. Maybe watching the news makes you feel upset about whats going on in the world around you. Take a break! Turn off the TV or go into another room where you dont have to watch or listen to it.

You probably wont be able to avoid all the situations that cause you stress. But making small changes where you can will help make you feel more in control.

Maybe you feel competitive or frustrated when you see or hear that one of your classmates is getting better grades than you. Take a break! Stay out of conversations about grades if you can. If you feel overbooked, see if you can cut back on some of your activities. If you have a friend who has a bad attitude and always complains, stay away from them for a while! Try to distance yourself from the people, situations, and things that make you feel upset.

CHAPTER five

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

You wont be able to take a break from everything that causes you stress. Maybe you hate going to the doctors office and feel very worried and uncomfortable every time you have to go in for a checkup. Luckily, there are exercises that can help you cope when youre faced with an unavoidable stressor.