Understanding Stress and Anxiety

Freshman Year · Health · Required Lesson

Understanding Stress & Anxiety

25–30 minutes Medium Required

Destination

By the end of this conversation, the mentee should be able to describe what stress feels like in their body, name one coping strategy and know who to go to if it ever feels like too much.

Stop 1 of 4

Talk

Goal: Normalize stress as a shared human experience, and get a sense of what it looks like for this specific mentee.

“Stress and anxiety aren’t signs that something is wrong with you. They’re your body trying to protect you—sometimes it’s just a little too eager to help.”

Choose three to five questions

1. What’s something that’s felt stressful for you lately?
2. Where do you feel stress in your body—stomach, chest, shoulders, somewhere else?
3. What’s something you already do that helps when you’re stressed, even a little?
4. Is there a difference for you between feeling stressed about something specific and feeling anxious in general?
5. Who do you usually talk to when something’s weighing on you—or do you tend to keep it to yourself?
Mentor Tip: This is psychoeducation, not therapy or diagnosis—stay in the lane of “here’s how stress generally works,” not “here’s what’s wrong with you.” If a mentee describes stress or anxiety that sounds persistent, overwhelming or connected to a bigger concern, that’s a cue to gently involve a counselor or other trusted professional rather than trying to handle it alone.

Stop 2 of 4

Learn

What stress actually is

Stress is your body’s response to a specific pressure or demand—a test, a deadline, an argument. Anxiety is often more general: a sense of worry or unease that can show up even without one clear cause. Both are normal human experiences, not signs that something is broken.

Route 21 Big Idea:
Stress and anxiety are your body’s alarm system. The alarm isn’t the problem—it becomes a problem when it goes off too often, or won’t turn off even when there’s no danger.

Fight, flight, freeze or fawn

When your brain senses a threat—real or perceived—it triggers a fast physical response, even before you consciously decide anything:

The Stress Response
Fight — feeling ready to confront or push back against something
Flight — wanting to escape or avoid the situation entirely
Freeze — feeling stuck, blank or unable to move or think
Fawn — trying to please or appease to make the tension go away

None of these reactions are wrong—they’re automatic. Recognizing which one shows up for you is the first step to responding on purpose instead of just reacting.

How stress shows up in the body

PhysicalRacing heart, tight chest, upset stomach, headaches, trouble sleeping
MentalRacing thoughts, trouble focusing, irritability, feeling on edge

When it’s more than everyday stress

Occasional stress that fades once the situation passes is normal. It’s worth talking to a counselor, doctor or other trusted adult when stress or worry sticks around for weeks, feels intense, or starts getting in the way of school, sleep, relationships or daily life.

Simple coping tools

  • Slow, deep breathing—in for 4 counts, out for 6
  • Moving your body, even briefly
  • Naming the feeling out loud or in writing
  • Talking to someone you trust
  • Breaking a big stressor into smaller, specific steps

Stop 3 of 4

Try

Match your stressors to a tool

Fill in a couple of real stressors and a coping tool that might help with each.

A common stressor for me___________
A coping tool I could try___________
Another stressor___________
A coping tool I could try___________

Try a grounding exercise together

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique can help bring your mind back to the present moment when stress feels overwhelming:

5Name 5 things you can see
4Name 4 things you can touch
3Name 3 things you can hear
2Name 2 things you can smell
1Name 1 thing you can taste
How did that feel? Did it change anything, even a little?

Choose Your Route

Pick the video that best fits your time and interest today. You only need to watch one.

Level 1 · Quick Stop

Fight Flight Freeze — Anxiety Explained for Teens

Approximately 3–5 minutes

A clear, credible explanation from Anxiety Canada of how anxiety works in the body and mind.

Watch the Quick Stop
Talk afterward: Did the video describe anything that matches what you feel?

Level 2 · Scenic Route

Exploring Anxiety and Stress Management

Approximately 8–10 minutes

A closer look at how the brain handles stress, plus practical techniques for managing it in the moment.

Take the Scenic Route
Talk afterward: Which technique from the video seems most doable for you?

Level 3 · Open Road

All About Anxiety: What Teens and Young Adults Should Know

Approximately 15–20 minutes

A more in-depth look at what anxiety can look like day-to-day, and when it may be worth talking to someone about it.

Explore the Open Road
Talk afterward: Was there anything in the video you related to more than you expected?
Mentor Reminder: Let the mentee choose the route whenever possible. If any video brings up something heavier than expected, slow down and check in before moving forward.

Stop 4 of 4

Grow

Reflection

What’s one thing you learned about how stress works in your body?
What’s one coping tool you’d actually want to try?
Who is someone you could go to if stress or worry ever started feeling like too much to handle alone?
What questions do you still have?

A simple check-in habit

Try pausing once a day to notice: where do I feel this in my body right now, and what’s one small thing that might help?

How can your mentor help?

How can Route 21 help?

Would it help to know about counseling resources or support groups available to you?
Mentor Wrap-Up:
Did the mentee identify a real coping tool, not just a checkbox answer? Did they name someone they’d actually go to if things felt like too much? If anything raised during this conversation seemed like more than typical stress, follow up separately to connect them with appropriate support.