Mental Health and Stress
FoundationA moderate amount of stress helps us focus and improve, but too much brings sleeplessness, headaches and irritability. We manage stress by breathing deeply, exercising, talking to people we trust and planning our time, and by asking family, teachers or counsellors for help when we need it — that is how mental health is kept.
- Stress is the body's natural response to challenges; a little pushes us forward, too much harms health.
- Signs of too much stress include sleeplessness, headaches, stomach aches, changed appetite and a short temper.
- Deep breathing, regular exercise, music and keeping a diary are all effective ways to relax.
文體小知識：心理健康輔導文章用生活例子講解情緒與壓力，並提供具體可行的方法，教人好好照顧自己的內心。
§Text Passage
1Stress is the body and mind's natural response to difficulties and challenges. Tests coming up, piles of homework, quarrels with friends, taking part in competitions or moving to a new place all bring stress. Stress is not all bad: a moderate amount helps us concentrate — before a test, for example, we study harder. But when stress is too great, the body sends signals: sleeplessness, headaches, stomach aches, changed appetite, a short temper, or even not wanting to go to school.
2The mind and the body affect each other. Living under too much stress for a long time lowers our resistance, making illness more likely, and it also weakens our efficiency in learning and our memory. So we must learn to notice our own stress signals: when we find ourselves tense for a long time, easily angered or listless, the body is reminding us to rest and adjust.
3There are many concrete ways to manage stress. Breathe deeply — breathe in for about four seconds, breathe out slowly for about four seconds, and repeat several times until the heartbeat slows. Regular exercise, music and drawing all relax the body and mind. Writing worries down makes our thoughts clearer. Breaking a big task into small steps and drawing up a study timetable, finishing a part each day, keeps us from panicking as work piles up. Enough sleep is the basic condition for recovering our energy.
4Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. When we cannot resolve our troubles ourselves, talking to family, teachers or the school counsellor is a brave and effective thing to do. We should also care for those around us: notice changes in our classmates' moods, listen patiently, keep them company, and tell a trusted adult. Mental health matters just as much as physical health; facing problems early lets us learn and grow happily.
1Summary 重點摘要
A moderate amount of stress helps us focus and improve, but too much brings sleeplessness, headaches and irritability. We manage stress by breathing deeply, exercising, talking to people we trust and planning our time, and by asking family, teachers or counsellors for help when we need it — that is how mental health is kept.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A healthy state of mind with steady emotions, able to face difficulties and get along with others.
The feeling of tension the body and mind have when facing difficulties, challenges or changes.
Inner feelings such as joy, anger or sadness. Everyone has them; what matters is how we express them.
A feeling of being overly worried and tense about things that have not happened.
Planning and dividing our time so tasks are done in order.
The ability to understand how another person feels by imagining ourselves in their place.
The process of calming body and mind from tension, such as deep breathing or listening to music.
A professionally trained person at a school or organisation who helps others with emotional problems.
The people we can rely on and turn to in hard times, such as family, teachers and friends.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: See the two faces of stressExample: mild nervousness before a test made Ming study one extra hour and his results improved — that is moderate stress doing its job. Mei, however, was so nervous that she could not sleep all night and her hands shook in the exam — that is the warning sign of too much stress. Stress itself is neither good nor bad; what matters is its strength. Learning to tell the two states apart tells us when we need to adjust. In tests you may be asked to tell them apart: brief tension that pushes you to act is moderate stress, while tension lasting over two weeks that disturbs sleep or meals counts as too much stress.
- Step 2: Notice your own stress signalsExample: three nights of restless sleep, snapping at your younger brother or sister at the slightest thing, and feeling upset at the very sight of homework — these are signals sent by the body and the emotions. Writing them in a diary and counting how often they appear helps you notice too much stress early. Noticing is the first step of adjusting; the earlier you spot it, the easier it is to bring your mood back. A common mistake is to dismiss these signals as a short temper; use simple tally marks when recording, and after one week the pattern is easy to see.
- Step 3: Learn deep breathing to relaxExample: sit up straight, breathe in slowly through the nose for about four seconds so the belly rises like a balloon, then breathe out slowly through the mouth for about four seconds, and repeat five times. Do one set before an exam and one before bed, and you will feel your heartbeat steady and your shoulders relax. Deep breathing works because a slow breathing rhythm tells the brain that it is safe, so the body lets go and calms down. While practising, count the seconds and keep the shoulders down; if you feel dizzy, shorten it to three seconds in and three seconds out, and build up gradually.
- Step 4: Split big tasks with a timetableExample: prepare for three tests over seven days — two subjects a day at forty-five minutes each with a ten-minute break, plus spare moments at snack break and before bed for memorising new words. Turning 'revise the whole book' into 'two sections a day' makes the task look smaller and the pressure lighter. Ticking off each finished item fills up the timetable and builds confidence step by step. A common mistake is packing the timetable too full without breaks, so that one cannot hold on past the third day; a small reward after each completed day helps.
- Step 5: Choose healthy ways to unwindExample: fifteen minutes of skipping or a run in the park each day releases feel-good substances in the body, and the irritated mood fades with the sweat; listening to favourite music, drawing and keeping a diary also give worries a safe place to rest. Avoid staying up all night playing games or eating too many snacks to let off steam, because these bring new problems. Choosing activities that relax without harming the body is the real way to reduce stress. When choosing, ask two questions: do you feel more relaxed or more tired afterwards, and does it affect school the next day? Only activities that leave you relaxed without affecting school are healthy.
- Step 6: Talk to someone you trustExample: telling Mum or the class teacher 'I am afraid of failing the test' may win you study tips, or simply a patient listening ear — and the weight already feels half lifted. Putting worries into words helps you sort out your thoughts and gives people who care about you a chance to help. If the unhappiness lasts more than two weeks or you no longer want to go to school, seek the school counsellor; asking for help is a brave act. When talking, state the facts and the feelings, such as 'there is a lot of homework and I am worried', instead of just saying 'I am unhappy'; the more specific the description, the easier it is for others to help.
- Step 7: Care for classmates with empathyExample: when a classmate who usually loves to joke sits alone and silent, you might keep him company at snack break, softly ask 'Are you okay?', and then tell the teacher so he receives proper help. Empathy means imagining how the other person feels, without laughing at or leaving anyone out. In a class where everyone is willing to care for others, everyone's pressure becomes smaller. Respect the classmate's wishes when caring for him; if he does not want to talk, quiet company is still support, and never spread his private matters as laughing stocks.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Mei has three tests next week. Lately she cannot sleep at night, has no energy to revise in the day, and loses her temper easily. Design a plan to help her reduce stress.
- First identify the signs: sleeplessness, listlessness and a short temper all point to too much stress. Admitting 'I am stressed' is not weakness.
- Draw up a study timetable: spread three subjects over seven days, two subjects a day at forty-five minutes each with ten-minute breaks, and stop revising an hour before bed.
- Arrange fifteen minutes of aerobic exercise daily, such as skipping or walking, and do five rounds of deep breathing before sleep to fall asleep more easily.
- Tell Mum or the class teacher about the fear of failing and ask for study advice; if the sleeplessness continues, make an appointment with the school counsellor.
- Answer: Mei's plan has four parts: notice and admit the stress signs, split the revision into a timetable, exercise daily with deep breathing before bed, and talk to family and teachers, seeking the counsellor if needed.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Is stress always bad? What does moderate stress do?
Q2Name three common signs of too much stress.
Q3Describe one way to relax using deep breathing.
Q4Why does making a timetable reduce stress?
Q5What should you do if a classmate stays down for a long time?
8Recap Recap
- Stress is the body's natural response to challenges; a little pushes us forward, too much harms health.
- Signs of too much stress include sleeplessness, headaches, stomach aches, changed appetite and a short temper.
- Deep breathing, regular exercise, music and keeping a diary are all effective ways to relax.
- Making a timetable and breaking big tasks into small steps keeps work orderly and lightens the pressure.
- Talking to people we trust and asking for help is brave; we should also care for classmates with empathy.