Stress Detective Checklist.pdf

Stress is defined as anything that requires energy to remain operating at one's functional best, including regulating temperature, dealing with strong emotions, and processing information. The brain constantly surveys the scene to determine if it's safe and uses current information, memories, and temperament to make this assessment. For young children, underdeveloped brains can lead to hyper or hypo-arousal due to stressors, causing a shift from social engagement to fight, flight, freeze, or faint mode.

There are five domains of stress:
1. Biological Domain: stress on physiological systems, such as cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems.
2. Emotional Domain: stress caused by strong emotions, both positive and negative.
3. Cognitive Domain: stress caused by processing information and mental processes involved in knowledge acquisition.
4. Social Domain: stress from understanding what others are thinking and how one's own affect impacts others.
5. Prosocial Domain: stress from social engagement and interactions with others.

Examples of early childhood stressors include:
- Biological: autoimmune diseases, being too cold or hot, chapped lips, chronic pain, digestive issues, difficulty breathing, eating sugar, food intolerance, inadequate sleep, limited movement, poor nutrition, sore teeth, trouble hearing or seeing.
- Biological (external): being inside too much, bright lights, busy walls, clothing sensitivity, distractions, deep or light touch, dry air, fluorescent lighting, having to be still, humming noises, loud noises, proximity issues, screen time, smells.
- Emotional: negative or challenging feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, feeling hurt, grief, guilt, helplessness, isolation, loneliness, overcrowding, sadness, worry, strong emotions like anticipation, excitement, feeling responsible, love, surprise, feeling unsafe or fear.
- Other emotional stressors: being removed from a situation, changing routines, confusion, overly demanding situations, unclear expectations, unfamiliar or unpredictable routines, unpreferred routines, unsure what environmental cues mean.