Understanding Stress

Stress is considered to have three different forms: positive, tolerable, and toxic.

Positive stress: brief increase in heart rate, mild elevations in stress hormones (meeting new people, learning a new skill)

Tolerable stress: serious, temporary stress responses, buffered by supportive relationships (natural disaster, death of a loved on or an injury)

Toxic stress: prolonged activation of stress response systems in the absence of protective relationships

Stress can be very damaging when it is chronic and is not buffered by protective relationships. This is especially true if the adversity occurs during a sensitive period in a child’s life. There are two periods of heightened plasticity in the lifespan, when the brain is very susceptible to experience: the early childhood years, and between the ages of 12 and 25. Adverse childhood experiences are more common than is often believed, and have a powerful effect on mental and physical health later in life. Chronic or severe stress during childhood can lead to over-secretion of cortisol (the stress hormone), which is associated with depression in adulthood. Long-term stress and adverse childhood experiences are also associated with language difficulties, increased risk for heart disease, substance abuse, mental illness, and other health issues. However, when stress is temporary and buffered by supportive relationships, it can be helpful, build resilience, and increase performance.

When experiencing positive and tolerable stress, it’s important to shift from a “stress hurts mindset to a “stress helps” mindset.

1.     Accept that you can’t prevent stress, and stress can be an opportunity to grow

2.     Seek to understand your child’s stress, rather than dismiss it

3.     Explain that stress can be good when you learn from it (positive and tolerable stress)

4.     Help your child find areas of growth

For more information on stress in early childhood development watch this 5 minute video on stress from Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

SOURCE: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/project-for-babies/