Archives September 2021

The 3 stress responses are fight, flight or freeze. When we experience stress, our body goes into a state of alarm and this is what causes these three responses.  Stress is normal part of life as we know but becomes a problem when it affects our daily functioning, last long, and affects daily. Parents, caregivers, teachers, children and teens are all experiencing the same stressors these days.

Sometimes it’s hard to know how best to respond when you or your child are feeling stressed. Understanding that there are three different types of responses can offer some clarity. Here is a quick summary of each type: “fight-or-flight” response, “freeze” response and the “tend-and-befriend” response. The flight response is most often experienced as an adrenaline rush in which heart rate increases and blood pressure soars while trying to escape from danger; the freeze response is going blank, stuck or stays in place in the face of perceived threat or danger; finally, the fight helps calm down before becoming aggressive and fight back.

In this blog post, I explored the 3 types stress responses, fight-flight-freeze responses.

Fight Stress Responses

Fight response to stress is one way the body responds to stress. When a person can choose to face their problem rather than running away from their problem is called a fight response. With the fight response the primary emotion is anger. The fight response is an automatic reaction that happens in a split second without any conscious thought. When this happens, your brain sends signals throughout your body for it to release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into your bloodstream which gives you energy needed for survival during stressful events such as physical danger or emotional distress.

These hormones help prepare us for quick action by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and muscle tension while decreasing nonessential functions like digestion and immune system activity so we are ready for anything! However, if these responses happen too often they may lead to long term damage such as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders and depression among other issues over time which makes managing stress even more important than ever before!

Flight Stress Response

Flight response to stress is another way the body respond to stress. The flight stress response involves running away from the problem. The primary emotion for flight response is fear. With the flight response the person simply wants to avoid and flee as quickly as possible.

Freeze Stress Response

The freeze response happens when the amygdala sends signals to our brain stem which then controls muscles in our body including heart rate, blood pressure and breathing patterns. In other words, it’s an autonomic nervous system reaction that helps us protect ourselves from danger or threat.

There are many ways that we can recognize when someone might be experiencing a freeze response, including feeling numb or frozen, difficulty speaking or thinking clearly, feeling rigid or shaky and having an increased heart rate. These symptoms often come up in reaction to perceived danger but not always- sometimes they happen during times of high excitement!  Being aware of these symptoms may also lead you to identify behaviors that need your attention without waiting for them to progress into something more serious like chronic stress.

A stressful event can bring out one of these responses, but not all three. Having a better understanding of the stress response is important to managing your own stress levels and mental health as well as helping others. If you are experiencing emotional distress or feeling overwhelmed by how busy life has become, please connect or call me for help with therapy sessions in person or online – I want to be there every step of the way on this journey!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

3 ways stress affects the body will be discussed in this blog. Stress is a normal part of life. We all experience stress from time to time, and as such, it’s important to know the signs of when your body is under too much. Stress can make you feel anxious or irritable, affect how you sleep or eat, and even cause physical symptoms like nausea. Knowing how stress affects the body is vital in learning how to cope with stress in a healthy way.

In this blog I will explore how stress affect our body physically, emotionally, and behavioural.

Physical Symptoms of Stress

Stress is a natural response to danger or threat. It’s the way that our bodies protect themselves from harm! When you feel stressed, your brain sends signals to release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream. These hormones are supposed to help you survive by making sure that blood flows quickly through the body so it can deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells. Unfortunately, when they’re released too often or in large amounts, these hormones have some serious side effects on how we think and behave.

Stress can affect our physical health in many ways, including increased blood pressure, heart rate, weight gain or loss, digestive issues, fatigue, nausea, back pain, headaches, chest pain, and sleep disturbances. It can also cause mood swings which might lead to depression or anxiety.

Emotional/Cognitive Symptoms of Stress

Stress can be defined as an emotional or cognitive symptom that is experienced when you are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your life. Stress is a normal response to certain events, but it becomes problematic when it’s too intense and lasts for too long. The symptoms of stress vary depending on the person, their age, the type of event that has created stress, and other factors. There are many ways to reduce or eliminate these symptoms altogether!

The teenage years are a challenging time for individuals, parents, teachers and caregivers alike. The adolescent brain is still developing which means that cognitive-emotional development is not complete or mature. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, responsible for reasoning and emotion regulation, doesn’t fully develop until around age 25. Which may make adolescent susceptible to stress and depression than adults because many parts of their brain don’t work together as well as they should.

Stress can affect our emotional and cognitive health in many ways, including worry, anger, mood instability, memory issues, and difficulty in concentrating/focus, irritability, and lack of motivation.

Behavioural Symptoms

The stress behavioural symptoms of children are often overlooked. They can be difficult to spot, but there are some tell-tale signs that you might be able to recognize if you know what to look for.  Here is a list of behavioral symptoms that may signal your child is experiencing the effects of stress. Withdrawal from family members, loss of appetite, lack of interest in hobbies or activities they used to enjoy, difficulty sleeping. In addition, increase in alcohol and substance, hitting, kicking, biting, nail biting, and irritability.

Today, I explored the physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms of stress. If you found this blog post interesting or helpful in any way, please share it with your friends! You can also email me anytime to discuss how we can help you reduce levels of stress through our preventative wellness programs. Thank you for reading!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-ful life.

Stress is a way the brain and body reacts or response to situations, demands, or events. In most cases the stress could come as a result of external and internal demands. Stress can come in many forms, but it’s typically caused by outside factors that are difficult to control. The feeling of being overloaded with responsibilities and the inability to find time for you are examples of this type of stress.

Stress is a normal part of life, but it can be difficult to manage. Stressful events can take an emotional toll on the body and brain. The good news is that you don’t have to go through this alone! You’ll find some stress-relieving tips below that will help get your mind off of things so you can focus on what’s important in your life.

Why does Stress Happen?

Stress is a natural response to life’s stresses and pressures. It can be caused by work, family, money, school or other things that we deal with in our everyday lives. Stress can also come from feeling too much pressure on yourself and it might make you feel like the only thing you’re doing wrong is not good enough. Stress impacts everyone differently; some people may find they are more stressed than others because of their lifestyle choices or who they hang around with; but there are ways for all of us to reduce the amount of stress we experience every day such as exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods and practicing self-care.

How much is too much?

We all feel stressed at times, but when does it become a problem? Stress can be caused by many things. Sometimes the cause of stress is out of our control and sometimes we’re contributing to our own stress. It can be tough to know what causes us to feel stressed, but once you figure it out, you may find that there are steps you can take to reduce your level of stress. Â The good news is that there are ways for adults and children alike to manage their levels of stress so they don’t have as many negative effects on their lives. What works for one person might not work for another so finding what works best for them.

Our website has information about what causes stress, signs and symptoms, healthy coping strategies, tips for managing daily life with less stress, research studies about the effects of chronic stress on the body and mind, ways technology may affect our ability to cope with stressful situations (and more). You’ll find all kinds of helpful resources here that will help you learn how best to handle different types of stressful events so they don’t negatively impact your mental or physical health. And if you need additional support beyond what we have available online – we are always happy to connect people with other services as needed. We hope this site helps empower everyone who visits us by providing them with valuable tools for managing their own personal experiences with stress. Let us know if there is anything else we can do for you!

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

If your child or teen struggles with attention span and self-regulation, you may be wondering what to do. You are not alone!

We all know what it’s like to have a hard time paying attention. But for children with ADHD, this problem is more intense and frequent. They may be easily distracted, fidgety or impulsive, which can cause problems in school or at home. For parents of these children, the toughest part might be knowing how to help your child maintain their focus when they are struggling with self-regulation skills on their own.

In this blog we’ll talk about ways you can support your children with ADHD who struggles with attention span and self-regulation skills so that they can succeed in school and life!

1. Identify your child’s strengths and interests

Parents or caregivers ability to identify their child’s strength and interests is an important way to support your child with ADHD who struggles with attention span and self-regulation skills so that they can succeed in school and life!

Identifying your child’s strengths and interest can be difficult because they may not always show up on tests or grades. But there are some signs that can help you find out what makes them unique! You might notice that they love playing video games for hours at a time, or maybe they like building things from scratch. Maybe they’re really good at sports, but hate practising the drills over and over again. Whatever it is, don’t ignore these signs of talent! They could be the key to helping your kid excel in school later on down the road if you know how to use their talents as motivation for success instead of something negative that holds them back from reaching their full potential!

2. Create a routine that works for them

It’s important to create a routine that works for your child. This is because routines help children with ADHD who struggle with attention span and self-regulation skills succeed in school and life! As such, you can do this by creating clear expectations for your child, using visual cues to support them, providing positive reinforcement when they follow the routine, and giving them opportunities to practice following the routine on their own. By doing these things consistently over time you will be able to see improvements in your child’s ability to follow routines. It may take some time but it will be worth it!

3. Consider medication as an option if they are struggling with ADHD symptoms

If your child is having trouble focusing, staying organized, and completing tasks at home or in school, you may want to reach out to your family doctor. Because ADHD can make it difficult for children to succeed in school and maintain friendships. However, there are treatments that can help them manage their symptoms. Parents or caregivers should consider medication as an option if their children are struggling with ADHD symptoms where and when necessary.

Medication can be a great way to manage your symptoms and help you focus on the things that matter most. It’s important to work closely with your doctor when considering medication for ADHD so they can make sure it is right for you.

4. Set up a reward system for behaviours you want to see

A reward system for behaviours you want to see more of in your child (without being reminded), such as staying focused on homework or chores without being reminded can be helpful. For children with autism and ADHD, who struggle with attention span and self-regulation (ADHD), this might help them stay motivated to complete tasks that they find challenging otherwise. Children need positive reinforcement too!

5. Have patience and be patient

It takes time to learn new skills and habits. More so, it can take time to make changes stick! It may help to start small and work up from there, like setting a timer when doing homework or making one chore their responsibility each day.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that affects about some children and teens. Children with ADHD struggle to pay attention and control their impulses, which can make it difficult for them to succeed academically or socially. There are many treatment options available today that have been shown to be effective at managing symptoms and improving quality of life for those diagnosed with ADHD. We’ve talked about some general tips on how parents can help their child who struggles with these symptoms in this blog post, but if you want more information schedule a free consultation so we can chat further. Thank you

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-ful life.