Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2
Health and Wellness
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Health and Wellness
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Physical Education Health Core
Class: SHS 2
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 2
Grade code: 2.1.3.LI.7
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 2.1.3.CS.1
Indicator code: 2.1.3.LI.7
Theme: Physical Activity and Health
Subtheme: Health and Wellness
This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.
For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.
This lesson introduces the concept of stress, a feeling every student experiences. In Ghana, the pressure to succeed in WASSCE, family expectations, financial worries ("no chop money"), and social challenges are very real. Understanding stress is not about eliminating it, but about learning what it is, where it comes from, and how it affects us. By understanding stress, we can take the first step towards managing it effectively to maintain our health and well-being, ensuring we can perform our best in school and in life. This lesson will demystify stress, showing that it can sometimes be a positive force, but also highlighting the dangers of negative, long-term stress.
A. What is Stress?
Stress is the body's natural reaction to any demand or challenge. Think of it as your body's alarm system. When you face a challenging situation, your body releases hormones like adrenaline that prepare you to either face the challenge ("fight") or run away from it ("flight"). This "fight-or-flight" response causes physical changes like a faster heartbeat, quicker breathing, and tense muscles. Key Idea: Stress is a normal part of life. It is not always bad. The problem is not stress itself, but how we respond to it and how long it lasts. Stressor: The event, situation, person, or object that causes the stress reaction is called a stressor. For example, an upcoming exam is a stressor; the feeling of anxiety and a fast heartbeat you get is the stress response. B. The Two Main Types of Stress
It is important to understand that not all stress is harmful. We can categorise stress into two main types: Eustress (Positive Stress)
This is the "good" type of stress. It is short-term and can motivate you, improve your performance, and make you feel excited and energised. It helps you to rise to a challenge. Characteristics: Feels exciting. Improves focus and performance. Is short-term. Is seen as a challenge you can handle. Ghanaian Examples: The nervousness you feel before an important inter-school football match ("Inter-Co") that makes you sharp and ready to play. The pressure to meet a deadline for a class project, which helps you focus and complete the work on time. The excitement and slight anxiety of preparing for a school entertainment night or a debate competition. Distress (Negative Stress)