KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention

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Program Resource
Guide

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 KA P L A N U N I V E R S I T Y

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Kelly McDowell

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

February 5, 2017
Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember........................................................................4
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................................4-5
Journal Writing.........................................................................................5

UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember........................................................................6
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................................6-7
Journal Writing......................................................................................7-8

UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember........................................................................9
Self-Assessment Exercises..................................................................9-10
Journal Writing.......................................................................................10

UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY

Information to Remember......................................................................11
Self-Assessment Exercises.....................................................................12
Journal Writing
12-14

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES

Information to Remember......................................................................15
Journal Writing..................................................................................15-16

UNIT 6 REL AXATIO N TECHI QUES 1 : BREATHI NG , M EDITATI ON,

AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY

Information to Remember......................................................................17
Self-Assessment Exercises................................................................17-18
Journal Writing..................................................................................18-19
UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

Information to Remember......................................................................20
Self-Assessment Exercises................................................................20-21
UNIT 8 PHYSIC AL EXERCISE AND ACTIV ITY

Information to Remember......................................................................22
Self-Assessment Exercises................................................................22-24
Journal Writing..................................................................................24-25

UNIT 9 APPLYING STRESS: CRITICAL ISSUES F OR M ANAGEM EN T

AND PREVE NTIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSI ONAL L IF E

Information to Remember......................................................................26

ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N

REF EREN CES

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 1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present
moment, without filters or the lens of judgement. Mindfulness has expanded beyond its spiritual roots
and even beyond psychology and mental and emotional well-being. Mindfulness offers a space to
step outside of this parade of mental wounds, aversions, and fantasies and simply observe them as
they come and go (Stahl, 2010).
Key Learning Point: Wellness paradigm: The integration, balance, and harmony of mental, physical,
emotional, and spiritual well-being through taking responsibility for ones own health; posits that the
whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The word health is derived from the Anglo word hal,
meaning to heal, to be made whole, or to be holy; throughout the ages, wholeness has been
symbolized by a circle. The wellness philosophy states that the whole is always greater than the sum
of the parts and all parts must be looked at as one system (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Stress is a term from the field of physics, meaning physical force or tension
placed on an object. It was adopted after World War II to signify psychological tension. Stress can
appear at any time in our lives, but the college years offer their own types of stressors because it is
now that one assumes more (if not complete) responsibility for ones lifestyle behaviors. Females are
not only wired for fight-or-flight, but also have a survival dynamic called tend and befriend, a
specific nurturing aspect that promotes social support in stressful times (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
I think the one part of the wellness paradigm that helps me maintain balance in my
life is both spiritual and physical well-being. By taking care of myself, both
physically and spiritually, it can help me be a better person. If I start feeling
overwhelmed by stress, I take a step back and really re-examine what just

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 conspired and think about how to get over it. If I need further guidance, I will start
saying some prayers and just think and gather my thoughts in a quiet room. I dont
really meditate, but I try to just set some time aside to think about events that just
happened that has led me to stress about something so small. If I let stress take
over, I become very upset and angry towards the people in my life that didnt cause
it to happen. To effectively deal with stress, all areas of the wellness paradigm must
be addressed and nurtured equally; the whole is always greater than the sum of the
parts.

Rodriguez, D. (2009). Happiness and Emotional Well-Being. Retrieved December

10, 2016, from http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-
health/understanding/index.aspx

Seaward, B. L. (2006). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and
wellbeing. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Journal Writing:
Situation Start Midway End

Finances, budgeting and my husband not caring what bills we must pay and
how much is left over after payday 8

Household Help from kids and husband 8

Helping with homework 7

Husband spending too much time on his car than his kids 7

Driving to and from for kids sports 6

Living overseas and dealing with stuff in the US 7

When I ask anyone for help and no response7

Running errands in the evenings 6

Feeling like I always must be the responsible one 6

Staying on task with my schooling and homework without interruptions 7

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and
well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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 2
Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Psychophysiology is a term to describe the bodys physiological reaction to
perceived stressors, suggesting that the stress response is a mind-body phenomenon. There are three
physiological systems that are directly involved in the stress response: the nervous system, the
endocrine system, and the immune system. The nervous system comprises two parts: the central
nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes three levels: the
vegetative, the limbic, and the neocortical (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress is considered one of the primary factors associated with insomnia. Good
sleep hygiene consists of behaviors that help promote a good nights sleep rather than detract from it,
including decreased caffeine consumption, consistent bedtimes, and a host of effective relaxation
techniques that enhance sleep quality. A decade of brain research reveals that humans are hard-wired
for stress through an intricate pattern of neural pathways designed for the fight-or flight response.
Research also suggests that chronic stress appears to atrophy brain tissue (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: To get a sense of what a huge impact mindfulness can have on your well-being,
consider how often minor daily stresses affect your thoughts and emotions, which in turn exert effects
on your body. Mindfulness can help you recognize that there are choices in how you respond to a
stressful situation. The substantial and significant link between mindfulness and stress reduction is
centered within the mind-body connection (Stahl, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
The immune system is a collection of billions of cells that travel through the
bloodstream. They move in and out of tissues and organs, defending the body
against foreign bodies (antigens), such as bacteria, viruses and cancerous cells.
When were stressed, the immune systems ability to fight off antigens is reduced.
That is why we are more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone

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corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system. Stress can also
have an indirect effect on the immune system as a person may use unhealthy
behavioral coping strategies to reduce their stress, such as drinking and smoking.

Some examples of different diseases or conditions that are caused by stress are;
high blood pressure, heart attack, cerebral stroke, depression, eating disorders,
irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, and so many other problems. Long term stress
can also be a factor in serious diseases such as gastrointestinal upset, heart
disease, and dementia (Stahl).

Journal Writing:
How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

Stress for me can be the silliest thing sometimes. I will get anxiety about
doing homework and not understanding all of it. I will beat myself up if my grades
fall a little bit. I push myself so much to do well in school, that sometimes, I get
short tempered with my loved ones. I will get stressed about driving and being
stuck in traffic. What if I miss my appointment or late for something due to traffic,
but I left with plenty of time to get there. Stress is affecting how I treat my loved
ones, especially lately. I feel as if my husband is more concerned over his car to
help with anything around the house. So, I have been snapping at him lately, and he
told me the other day, that I have been being mean lately. I just get so fed up with
the lack of help of my 3 older boys and then him. So yes, I am stressed, I am
starting to feel it in my shoulders and back from all the stress I have been under.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

So, I dont work outside of the home, so stress either way affects my attitude
towards things and other people. I volunteer in my husbands command, and of
course there, I am always cheerful and happy. I like helping others and being
involved.

How is stress or anxiety about the world affecting your life?

There is so much going on in the world, I dont really keep up with the news
because it is always so sad and negative. Lately, I have watched some videos from
Aleppo and it makes me so sick to my stomach that the world is so harsh and
people are being treated like this. Especially young and innocent children. I have
experienced some anxiety over watching the news and all the uncertainty out
there.

How is stress or anxiety about food and eating habits affecting your life?

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 Stress and eating habits go hand in hand in my life. One minute, I can be
stressed out and pig out on the bad foods, like chips, cookies and crappy food like
that. Sometimes, when I am stressed out, I dont eat, just drink water or protein
shakes. Its like I get sick to my stomach even thinking about eating because I am
too stressed out about anything. Whether it be the holidays, homework, just
everyday life crap in my house. The last couple of days, Ive been stressed. I do
everything in this house, with no appreciation. While everyone else sits on their
butts and plays video games or watch TV. I could be slaving away in the kitchen
making food for our upcoming camping trip, and the only thing out my husbands
mouth is, the kitchen is messy, you need to clean it. Really? Sometimes, I just want
to leave for the day and have him do everything that I do.

How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your life?

Sleep is a big deal for me, I typically go to bed around 9 pm every night
because I wake up so early with my kids for school. I dont have a whole lot of
issues sleeping, sometimes I am restless but it is because my brain wont shut off. I
will constantly start thinking about stuff, or what needs to be done the next day to
just relax and go to sleep. Usually, I will take a nice hot bath and shower, help me
unwind and get ready for bed. This usually helps me stay asleep longer and not be
so restless.

How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity affecting your
life?

Stress and physical activity for me go hand in hand. When I stressed out and
I need a break from everything going on in my life, I go for a walk to clear my mind.
I let the thoughts run through my head while I get some cold, fresh air. I would like
to start doing some yoga or something to help me relax more and not stress out.

Summary

All in all, I have been stressed lately. I want to get it under control and just let
things go. I tend to hang out to things that have happened in the past few weeks, I
need to just let it roll off my shoulder. I need to put my foot down and demand help
around here or I will quit doing everything. I need to journal and not take all my
frustrations out on my husband and kids. I am hoping this class will really help me
deal with the stress that Ive been dealing with lately and find the right things that
works for me.

References

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Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

3
Unit

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Freud developed a wonderful metaphor to illustrate the intangible complexities
of the human psyche. He compared the minds innermost thoughts, memories, and feelings,
components that make up ones identity, to an egg. Like the contents of an egg, the human psyche is
extremely delicate and fragile. And like an egg it is enclosed and protected by a sturdy yet quite
vulnerable shell. According to Freud, the primary purpose of the ego is to seek pleasure and to avoid
pain with regard to our biological impulses (a function now thought to be similar to that of the
hypothalamus). That is, the ego is primarily responsible for controlling the flood of impulses from the
id. The ego is also vulnerable to perceptions of outside stimuli, which constantly threaten the stability
of the contents within. This, too, he observed, produces tension (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Anger and fear are two sides of the same coin. Both emotions are triggered by
stimuli perceived to be a threat at a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level, or perhaps a
combination of these. Social factors may play a significant role in the different anger-management
styles of men and women. Women are often flooded with feelings of guilt after tempers flare; men
demonstrate anger in more overt ways. The most effective way to dissolve fear is to confront it. One
way to do so is through a technique called systematic desensitization, where the stressor is confronted
piecemeal to build a psychological immunity to it (Seward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Mindful breathing often serves as the foundation for meditation practices because
your breath is always with you, wherever you are, and it can be used as an anchor to the present
moment. Beginning to practice mindfulness meditation, you bring your focus to an object of
awareness, such as the breath. Abdominal or belly breathing is the way we all naturally breathe,
especially when lying down (Stahl, 2010).

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Self-Assessment Exercise:
Many theories attempt to explain the psychological nature of stress or, more specifically, how
humans attempt to deal with the problems they face. These theories are based on the many
aspects of psychology, including personality, emotional responses, perceptions, and a wide range
of human behaviors. Common themes among the theories are the concepts of self-awareness
and self-acceptance, two inner resources that become the most important coping skills to
manage personal stress effectively. Many of these strategies fall in the realm of defenses used to
protect the mind from the threat of painful or dangerous events in our lives. There are many
ways to improve your communication style. Be courteous. When you are talking to
someone, no matter who it is, turn off your cell phone. Interrupting a face-to-face
conversation to answer a phone call is rude. No exceptions. Maintain polite eye
contact. When addressing someone face to face, make it a point to maintain good
eye contact. Keep personal issues private. Privacy is certainly an issue these days,
but making a private argument public through social media is simply immature.
Avoid airing dirty laundry through social networking. It only makes you look bad.
Establish healthy boundaries. You do not need to be accessible 24/7. Create blocks
of time when you are free of the electronic leash of your smartphone and computer.
Stick to a schedule. Communicate to other these boundaries, so they know when
you are available and when you are not. This will help avoid feeling frustrated.
Enhance your vocabulary. Vocabulary affects the effectiveness of verbal
communication. A small vocabulary decreases the ability to express yourself,
whereas a great number of words to choose from provides you with greater
flexibility to say what want to say (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
After completing this practice mindful breathing, mentally I felt more relaxed and
really started thinking about what I was feeling in my life and how I needed to
overcome and let go of some things going on. I need to start taking time for myself
and focus on me for a while. Even if it is only for 5 minutes. Emotionally, I felt more
connected to myself and felt a sense of relief just breathing in and out. I came out
feeling more refreshed and wanted to understand more of what I was feeling about
everyone in my life. My husband especially, I have been pushing him away because
I feel as if he would rather spend his vacation time with his friends golfing than
spending any time with us. I just feel so irritated and mean lately, it is not like me.
My taking the time to think about my feelings, I have concluded, that I need to just
take a step back and realize the way that I have been feeling, hurts the people
around me also. I am not just hurting myself or beating myself up, I am hurting
everyone else with my negative attitude. Physically, I need to get myself back on
track and feel good about me. I started taking care of myself again, and making my
health number one. The breathing exercise really had me thinking about
everything that has been going on in my life lately. I have a very busy life, and
sometimes just taking a break from everything and everyone is just what I need to
do. I need a recharge in my personal life. I need to make time for my husband and I

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because he has a crazy busy schedule and it isnt going to get less crazy anytime
soon. I need to enjoy my family and quit being so negative about everything going

4
Unit

on. I stress myself out with school and making sure I keep my grades and GPA. I
found this breathing exercise to be very helpful in helping me deal with all the
emotions and everything just happening in my life on a constant basis. I need to
take one day at a time and realize that no one is perfect, mistakes happen and to
move on. Dont live in the past, only live in the moment.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: The body scan meditation is a deep investigation into the moment-to-moment
experiences of the body. By bringing awareness and acknowledgment to whatever you feel or sense
in the body, the body scan can be very helpful in working with stress, anxiety, and physical pain. The
body scan can help you get in touch with difficult, daunting, and even overwhelming emotions (Stahl,
2010).
Key Learning Point: Personality comprises several traits, characteristics, behaviors, expressions,
moods, and feelings as perceived by others. Personality is thought to be molded at an early age by
genetic factors, family dynamics, social influences and personal experiences. Personality is thought to
be a fixed entity, not subject to significant changes; however, the most likely part of personality to
change is behavior (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The term spirituality is becoming a more comfortable one in the Western world.
Although stress seems to be omnipresent in American lifestyles, there also appears to be a spiritual

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 awakening taking place, from seeds planted by the human consciousness movements of the late
1960s. The World Health Organization cites spiritual well-being as critical to overall well-being.
Deepak Chopra reminds us to continually explore our consciousness and live in harmony with the
spiritual laws of the universe. These include the laws of pure potentiality, giving and receiving,
karma, least effort, intention and desire, detachment, and Dharma or life purpose. Jesus spoke of love
as divine source that resides in every one of us. It is this source that longs to bond with all others. His
message was to love ourselves and then share this love with member of humanity (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Self-esteem is a crucial cornerstone of personality. Low self-esteem attracts stress;
high self-esteem seems to repel it. Clemes states that self-esteem consists of four
components: connectedness, uniqueness, power (control), and models. The
strength or weakness of these components is highly correlated with level of self-
esteem. Self-esteem is the term we use to reference a persons own idea of their
self-worth and value to themselves and others. Because self-esteem levels tend to
be stable and consistent it is sometimes seen as a personality trait even though it is
comprised of emotions. There are said to be three components of self-esteem as
defined by Braden (1969); it is an essential human need for healthy development; it
is an automatic feeling from within based on the persons beliefs and
consciousness; and is develops with a persons thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and
actions. Low self-esteem can hinder a persons ability to positively interact with
others and feeling connected which can lead to depression and stress. Too high of
self-esteem can potentially lead to someone being vey narcissistic, which can be a
character turn-off and people not liking you. A balance could help resolve the stress
of fitting in with other in work, school, or a group of possible friends (Seaward,
2015).

Journal Writing:
FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic,
tenseness, uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

Some of the words really do affect my life on a regular basis. My mind really
has the sense of feeling overwhelmed a lot. I feel the overwhelming emotion really
take over my thoughts and everything that I take care of daily. If I dont do
something, who else is going to do it? Thats usually how I feel because I never get
a break and I always take care of everyone else but myself. So, the sense of
overdoing it for me takes a toll on my body. I worry about financial issues and
making sure we have everything we need during a two week pay period. I worry
about my kids and their education, myself finishing my education. The worry
emotion affects my muscles, I get more tension in my shoulders and back. I think
any of the fear emotions can cause tension anywhere in your body, you could get
migraine headaches from overthinking situations and being stressed out.

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CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy,
or unaware.

Chaotic emotion is one that is familiar to me. When I start feeling like things
are getting chaotic, I start getting a panic feeling in my chest, not a pain, just a
feeling like how am I going to do everything in one day. Sometimes, I feel uncertain
on things going on in my life right now. Like why do I try so hard to please people, I
offer help and support whenever I can but I cant go out of my way to do things for
people all the time. When I start feeling uncertain, I just sit down and write down
some feelings or emotions that I am having and why I am having these feelings.

ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy,

frustration, irritation, grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

Unfortunately, anger emotions have been affecting me a lot more in my life than
ever before. I have been getting frustrated easily now. When I start feeling like I am
getting frustrated, I tense up, my head starts hurting and I feel heavy breathing
coming on. I get so frustrated by the lack of help in my house with everyday chores.
I ask for help and no one seems to listen. I get frustrated helping with their
homework also, and of course they sense my frustration and they get frustrated
also. My frustration manifests when I see my husband sitting around on his butt not
helping. I cant teach my kids to be responsible adults if all they see their dad
doing, is nothing. No one takes trash out, does laundry, does dishes; I do
everything. Also, irritation emotion plays all with this frustration in my home life. I
feel as if I am alone in everything, I am expected to handle the finances, the
household, school and taking care of the kids while my husband is deployed, I
signed up for this, I know. But on the same side, he is home now and I still get no
help from him. Anytime I start getting frustrated, irritated, grumpy or anything, I
have a feeling of a headache starting to form and I start feeling tension in my
shoulders.

SADNESS: alienation, anguish, despair, disappointment, gloom, grief,

hopelessness, insecurity, loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

For sadness emotions, I feel loneliness the most lately. When I start feeling
lonely, I get sad. I have had to say goodbye to a lot of my military wife friends
because it was their time to move. I just start remembering all the fun times we
had together and it makes the sadness go away. I get sad also when I start thinking
about my mom and all the stuff she missed. I start getting teary eyed thinking
about my mom.

SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse,

mortification.

The shame emotion, the first word that comes to mind is guilt. My husband makes
me feel guilty for not working yet. He makes it sound like I do nothing all day and I

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need to go get a job. Last time I checked, having 4 kids, going to school and
volunteering was a job. When I start having that guilt feeling, it makes me mad, it
makes my blood boil. Embarrassment also happened just the other day, he said
guess who just spent $12000, he then pointed at me, I was stunned, it is no ones
business how much my schooling is costing us. These are just what I owe in student
loans, but he needs to point it out and try to validate this reasoning. I was so upset
and embarrassed because no one needs to know this. Yet, he thinks its okay to
bring up in company.

LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness,

infatuation, kindness, liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

Caring and kindness are my favorite emotions. When I feel like someone is
reaching out to me or vice versa, I get an overwhelming sense of importance. I
enjoy helping others, it makes me feel so happy. Affection emotion also makes me
feel full of love and just overall happiness.

JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm,

excitement, exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

The joy emotion plays a big part of my life also. The excitement of a military
homecoming gives me butterflies still. I have gone through many deployments, and
the day my husband comes home, still makes me so elated and happy. The
satisfaction of doing well in school and watching my kids succeed in life makes me
so happy. I feel like I am doing a good job raising them, even though sometimes, I
feel like I am not. I feel a sense of pride when I get compliments on my kids.

Summary

Overall, all the emotions play a huge role in my life. I do need to start
meditating more and taking time for myself, so I am not taking my emotions out on
my loved ones. I need to set up their chore charts or work for hire boards again, so
I do have help from everyone here. Emotions affect my life so much, some of the
emotions are caused by stress and I know stress isnt good for your life or your
health.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

5
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Humor is a very complex phenomenon. There are many types of humor,
including parody, satire, slap-stick, absurd/nonsense, black, irony, dry, and sarcasm. Self-parody is
thought to be the best type of humor to reduce stress, whereas sarcasm is the worst. There is no one
accepted reason why we laugh. Four theories attempt to explain the nature of the funny bone:
superiority theory, incongruity (surprise) theory, release/relief theory, and divinity theory. Research
investigating the psychoneuroimmunology effects of laughter have found that there is a strong
relationship between good health and good humor. Laughter helps restore physiological homeostasis.
Studies also show that humor promotes mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being
(Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Time and money are considered the two primary resources necessary to navigate
the shoals of a stressful life, but people tend to waste both, resulting in a personal shipwreck.
Financial responsibility means making a budget and following it rather than spending money you
dont have and accruing a mass of credit card debt. There are many ways to incorporate fiscal
management into your life that can reduce personal stress. Although the concept of time was created
to help organize, people often find themselves becoming slaves to the clock, and hence become
stressed by it (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Living with stress and anxiety is much more prevalent than you might imagine.
Millions of people suffer and live with the challenges of stress every day, whether from day-to-day
events, pain or illness, difficult life events, or perhaps most typically, a combination of factors.
Mindfulness meditation is extremely useful in helping you get in touch with these concerns and learning
to work with them so they dont take control of your life (Stahl, 2010).

Journal Writing:
I chose to do the walking meditation exercise. As I started doing this exercise, I
made sure there were no distractions or obstacles that could get in my way while I
did this. Mindful meditation is extremely useful in dealing with issues and learning
how to work with them without paralyzing you. Mindful walking is an excellent way
to get out of a stressful head and just walk your worries and issues off. I picked the

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sidewalk in the front of our house to do this. I did this exercise early in the morning
before anyone else was awake. Before I started, I stretched my body a little bit. It
was very cold outside. I could feel the wind coming through my clothes. As I
cleared my mind, I started walking back and forth. I paid close attention to the
movements of each of my feet as they hit the ground softly. I started letting my
mind race and let any thoughts get released from my mind. I noticed the smells and
noises outside. It was a cool, crisp morning with frost on the ground. I could smell a
pig farm from nearby that left a horrible smell in the air. I just pushed through and
ignored the smell. I started letting my feelings run wild and escape my body. I let
the stress of school leave my body. I told myself that I will do what it takes to do
good in school but to try not to stress about it and let it control my life or my mind.
I let the stress of an upcoming deployment leave me also. My emotions that come
with the upcoming deployment are mixed. I just want to get it over with but then I
am sad with everything my husband will miss while he is away. I prayed for his safe
return and for my kids happiness while we had to deal with this obstacle.

I continued walking for about 15 minutes. At this point, my body is frozen. I

cant feel my fingers, toes or really anything at this point. I just kept walking and
trying to warm my body up. I thought about all the events and dates coming in our
life and just kept happy thoughts and didnt let any negative thoughts take over.
When I start feeling stressed, that tension fills my body up and I carry it in my
shoulder area. This walking meditation helped me clear my mind and let my
thoughts and emotions run free. I feel so much more relaxed now than when I
started this exercise.

Summary

I think I will need to continue doing some form of meditation. I felt more
grounded and at peace with myself and my surroundings. Walking meditation is
based on Buddhist teachings that focus on the importance of living in the moment
and being mindful. Mindfulness is achieved by reflecting on your feelings, body,
mind and mental objects. Life is very busy. You may be rushing to get from one
place or always thinking about what is next on you to do list. Walking mediation
gives you an opportunity to slow down and tune into your mind and your body.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

17
Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

6
Unit

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Diaphragmatic breathing is unequivocally the easiest method of relaxation to
practice. It is easy because breathing is an action that we do normally without thought or hesitation. In
its simplest form, diaphragmatic breathing is controlled deep breathing. It is symbolic of a deep sigh,
or a big breath taken when one is about to regroup ones thoughts, gain composure, or direct ones
energies for a challenging task. What makes normal breathing different from diaphragmatic breathing
is its emphasis on expansion of the chest. Diaphragmatic breathing involves the movement of the
lower abdomen. In the practice of yoga, this technique is called pranayama, or the restoration of ones
energy or life force, the breath behind the breath (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Meditation is thought to be the oldest form of relaxation. In simple terms, it is a
mind-cleansing or emptying process. At a deeper level, meditation is focused concentration and
increased awareness of ones being. When the mind has been emptied of conscious thought,
unconscious thoughts can enter the conscious realm to bring enlightenment to our lives. Mindfulness
meditation is known to decrease episodes of chronic pain (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: You cannot fully extend compassion and love to others if youre unable to extend
them to yourself. This history of loving-kindness meditation goes back more than 2,500 years to time
of the Buddha. If youre like most people in this fast-paced world, you may tend to put caring for
yourself last on your to-do list, so you may find it difficult to begin by extending compassion toward
yourself (Stahl, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Meditation is thought to be the oldest form of relaxation. In simple terms, it is a
mind-cleansing or emptying process. At a deeper level, meditation is focused
concentration and increased awareness of ones being. When the mind has been
emptied of conscious thought, unconscious thoughts can enter the conscious realm
to bring enlightenment to our lives. Meditation is now recommended by the
American Heart Association to reduce stress levels, which are thought to be a risk

18
factor for heart disease. The use of meditation with respect to experiencing pain
has been likened to a control which allows people to lower the volume of pain that
they feel. It is important that people are still able to feel pain, it is a helpful warning
signal that something isnt right but the use of meditation can help people to
manage the pain that they experience. Given that most people associated
meditation with relaxation, it makes sense that undertaking meditation on a
regular basis can positively impact on your blood pressure. Transcendental
meditation has been considered to have a positive impact in reducing the likelihood
of people suffering from strokes and heart attacks. The American Heart Association
is also on record saying that they believe the stress relieving benefits associated
with meditation can play a big role in developing a healthy heart (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

Anytime I ever start having unkind words to myself, I start feeling bad for myself. I
know that I am not worthless but sometimes I feel unappreciative by the people
who are supposed to be appreciating me and everything I do for them daily. If I feel
like I am not perfect or look good enough, the negative thoughts start taking over
and I will start stressing about how to make myself better. Stress just causes me
more anxiety and I just hate living like that. I start feeling tense in my shoulders,
neck and back, sometimes I will get a headache from just being overwhelmed. My
reactions to stressful events of our lives can become such a huge problem and it
will affect our physical, emotional or psychological dysfunction, until it cannot be
ignored any longer. If I start having negative self-talk towards myself, it is usually
because I am just directly it towards myself instead of just dealing with another
conflict.

Seeds of suffering?

I need to learn how to just let things go. I know I am appreciated but sometime it
would be nice to hear it every occasionally. Get a hug from someone because I
know I am doing a good job with all my motherly duties plus trying to further my
education. I am burnt out for sure but I know I have the support at home, it is just
sometimes I feel like I dont. I need to just let it go and know deep down I am doing
everything in my power to be successful and finish strong.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

I have a friend over here in Japan that really does like to press my buttons and
annoy me. She acts like she is perfect; her husband and kids are all perfect too. So,
she will call and want to chat, but instantly starts telling me what I need to do
about my husband and his car problems. Hes not your husband, how about you
stay out of it? I think she feels like she is helping or offering support, when she is
just pushing me away. When she calls most of the time, ignore her phone calls

19
because I dont want to feel like I am less of a person than her. I have tried to find
some positive aspects of her and she seems to be a nice person but she is very self-
conceited. If you want to be my friend, be my friend, dont try to tell me how to run
my life or do anything in my life, its none of your business. Life is different when
your family situation is different than others. She has 2 kids, I have 4. I dont work
full time, she teaches English fulltime. I dont have the flexibility to just drop
whatever I am doing and take a trip. It is almost like she is a bully and doesnt even
get it. When I have issues with difficult people whether they are friends or just
acquaintances, I just try to find something good about them but I will not have a
so-called friend tell me how to manage my life and family.

Reflection on writing?

We all have personal issues in our life. No one is perfect even though they claim to
be. You cant dwell on the past because if you did, you wouldnt see what your
future holds. Some of the decisions I have made in my life were bad ones when I
was younger, but then I look at where I am at now in my life. To me, everything
happens for a reason. I had to deal with issues in my past to be where I am at
today, how I met my husband and now having four beautiful children. If you let the
negative self-talk bring you down, you need to find that one friend who may
possibly be in the same shoes as you, bring you up. You can both bring each other
up. I am thankful for all my wonderful friends in my life, who truly have my back
and now we are more than just friends, we are family.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

20
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

7
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Physical exercise is a form of stress: the enactment of all the physiological
systems that the fight-or-flight response triggers for physical survival. To get the benefits of physical
exercise, four criteria must be met: intensity, duration, frequency of training, and mode of exercise.
Together they are called the all-or-none principle, meaning that without meeting all four requirements
few if any benefits will be gained. It takes between 6 and 8 weeks to see significant benefits in the
body. The positive effects of physical exercise are lowering resting heart rate, resting blood pressure,
and muscle tension, and a host of other functions that help maintain or regain physiological calmness
(Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Food affects not only the physical body, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual
aspects as well. The concept of spiritual nutrition suggests eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables,
and grains that nurture the health of the seven primary chakras. In addition, spiritual nutrition
suggests ensuring a balance in all aspects of food, including the acid/base balance. Food you can eat
can either boost or suppress your immune system. Not all supplements are created equal (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Sitting meditation often begins with mindfulness of breathing. By being aware of
the shifting quality of breath as you inhale and exhale, you can learn a great deal about the nature of
impermanence and life. Yoga is an excellent way to bring mindfulness to the body in movement, its
also a rejuvenating practice that offers many other health benefits, such as keeping aging bones,
joints, muscles, nerves and organs healthy, supple and flexible (Stahl, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
I think by practicing yoga daily, it will only help me feel more relaxed and help me
not store all this tension in my body. Mindfulness will help you see more clearly
what you are doing and how to change the way you are doing things. By doing
these exercises, I could see where all the tension was coming from and learn how
to let it go, so it stops controlling me. Yoga helps you to access an inner strength
that allows you to face the sometimes-overwhelming fears, frustrations, and
challenges of everyday life. Making yoga a part of a daily practice for me has really
helped me relax. This daily training in focusing the mind on stillness will teach you

21
how to consciously quiet your mind whenever you feel overwhelmed. Meditation
puts you in touch with your inner resources; this means less dependence on

8
Unit

medications, greater self-awareness, and a fuller, happier life (American Yoga

Association). I really enjoyed doing these stretches, it helped me clear my mind and
not let all the negativity control my life. I plan on continuing these exercises daily,
so I am happier less stressed person (Stahl, 2010).

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Hatha yoga is known to decrease episodes of chronic pain, particularly lower-
back pain. Hatha yoga is built on three concepts: the art of breathing, the art of conscious stretching,
and the art of balance. Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning union, which is accomplished through
meditation. More specifically, it refers to the union of mind, body, and spirit. Hatha yoga is one of
five types of meditation and it emphasizes physical balance. Hatha translates to (a balance of) the sun
(ha) and the moon (tha). Hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced form of yoga meditation in the
United States (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Chi is a Chinese term representing the universal life energy that surrounds and
permeates everyone, the life force. Tai Chi chuan is a form of exercise that is thought to help
regulate this flow of universal energy. Tai Chi, considered by many to be the softest of the martial
arts, is called moving meditation, or a series of movements that act to help unify the life force energy
with that of the person. The Chinese believe that poor health is a result of blockages and congestion in
the flow of internal energy, which in turn lowers ones physical resistance and makes one vulnerable
to various pathogens (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The body adapts, either negatively or positively, to the stress placed upon it.
Proper physical exercise will cause many adaptations that in the long term are thought to be effective
in reducing the deleterious effects of stress by returning the body to a profound state of homeostasis.
Physical exercise allows the body to use stress hormones for their intended purposes, detoxifying the
body of stress hormones by utilizing them constructively. Exercise evokes not only physiological
changes, but various psychological changes (e.g., runners high) as well, again suggesting that mind
and body act as one entity. Habitual physical exercise produces both physiological homeostasis and

22
 mental homeostasis. Individuals who engage in regular physical exercise report higher levels of self-
esteem and lower incidences of depression and anxiety (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:
Teamwork Self-Assessment Assignment

Proposal for Health and Wellness Management

February 2017

RATIONALE

The purpose for this program would be to start and help employees in the
workplace that would provide wellness programs and stress management
programs to current and future employees in a workplace. This program would also
offer information and incentives to improve employee health and condense actions
that can affect work routines. A workplace that supports stress management
through workplace wellness programs not only helps their employees handle
pressure better and stay healthier.

MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES

I am suggesting that we create a relaxing atmosphere within the office. We take an

extra office or conference room and set it up with relaxing music, sound machine,
soft lights, yoga mats, cushions, aromatherapy equipment. It would be beneficial to
offer some yoga, meditation, deep breathing techniques throughout the day.

CAPITAL OUTLAY

Yoga mats: $10 apiece and purchasing about 10 to start out with.

Sound machine: $40 for a machine with loaded white noise, nature sounds.

Print out flyers and post up around work: $10 for 100 fliers.

Diffusers and oils: $100 to start up with.

You can also ask fellow employees if they have anything they would like to donate
so this could offset some of the costs also. Also, ask for some discounts or ask
fellow employees if anyone can offer any services to help cut the cost to everyone.

BENEFITS

Some employees will be driven to earn some benefits and rewards by doing the
stress management program. Employers have a responsibility to support staff who
may be experiencing stress, either work-related or otherwise. A workplace that

23
supports stress management through workplace wellness programs not only helps
their employees handle pressure better and stay healthier.

TIMELINE

I dont think you need a long start up time. I would ask someone higher than me if
there was an empty office or conference room that we could use to better support
our employees. Purchasing the equipment would take a day or two. Nothing would
need to get shipped as you can buy everything locally.

PERSONNEL

Hiring a yoga and meditation instructor to come and offer their services for half the
cost of what a gym would charge someone. Hire an instructor for about 6 months
at a time. The longer people do a program, the better it will work for them to
maintain.

TOTAL BUDGET

I would say purchasing all the equipment and hiring someone for yoga and
meditation would cost roughly around $1200 a year. This would cover the costs of
purchasing all the equipment and paying for any instructors.

PITCH

I think these ideas would be great to implement in a workplace and it would help
employees manage their stress at work and how to take it home and manage it at
home. If you are given the right tools, anything is possible. Offer some incentives
for any participating employees and if they complete the 6-month course, they can
have entered in for some drawings such as gift cards, gym memberships, discounts
on their health insurance maybe.

CLASSMATE FEEDBACK

I didnt get any feedback from anyone and my partner never posted anything.

SUMMARY

Overall, I think by implementing a yoga and meditation room at the office would
encourage employees to really deal with any stress they have whether it is from
work or from home life. By understanding how to deal with stress, the employees
can work more efficiently and be happier. Healthier workforces are more
productive, and being recognized as an employer that takes the health and
wellbeing of employees seriously reflects positively on the reputation and culture of
any organization.

References

24
American Institute of Stress (2014). Workplace stress. Retrieved from
http://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Journal Writing:
OPENNESS: Accepting a person regardless of the judgment you may feel.
Believing they are good people and not being defensive about the way I feel about
them and their friendship.

EMPATHY: Not everyone is perfect, someone may act like they have it all together,
so you shouldnt judge someone else because you arent in their shoes. If you feel
like something is off or going on with a friend, ask them how they are doing. Dont
just assume they are okay. If you really cared about them and your friendship, you
would see how they really are doing.

COMPASSION: Showing some compassion to a friend or a family member is so

important. You want someone to feel that you deeply care for them and/or worried
for them. I generally always have a lot of compassion towards other people. You
never know anyone is feeling or what is going on in their life till you ask and show
that you truly care for them and their feelings.

LOVING-KINDNESS: This is sometimes a hard one to do and to show. I have

friends that say mean or hurtful things behind my back, so I take myself out of the
equation and just try to accept the fact that they dont really know what is going
on. I dont just open to anyone because sometimes people are too quick to judge
without knowing the whole situation. I truly wish happiness to friends and all the
best of luck with everything in their lives.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: This is really feeling happy for someone in your life, not feeling
jealous about a situation. If a friend gets the dream orders you want, you are deep
down happy for them but sometimes envious because you really want them too. You
want your friends and family to be happy and you want to share in that joy with
them.

25
EQUANIMITY: Treating people the way you would want to be treated. Dont just
throw an attitude towards someone for the way they look or the way you think they
are feeling. Dont be so quick to pass judgment on someone and dont take your
frustrations out on anyone. That isnt fair to the recipient who is just doing their
job.

Summary

Overall, having these interpersonal mindfulness qualities is very important to way

we live our lives. Developing these qualities is a way to channel your energies in
building stronger and healthier relationships. These attitudes are interdependent;
each influences the others, and by cultivating one you enhance all of them. These
qualities will nourish, support and strengthen your connections with other people.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-
being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook.

Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

26
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

9
Unit

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Prayer, the greatest wireless network in the universe, is one of the oldest and
most commonly used coping mechanisms known to humankind. In its simplest form, prayer is
thought: a desire of the heart, and often a call for help in what can best be described as a plea for
divine intervention. Although prayer is not synonymous with meditation, these two processes share
many similarities in that they both initiate a process of centering, increased concentration, and
connectedness. They differ in that as a coping technique, prayer specifically elicits the element of
divine intervention. It is a request, whereas meditation can encompass many modes of thinking and is
not specifically limited to divine thought (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The relationship between stress and spirituality is gaining more and more
attention in the allied health fields. Prayer is defined as a thought form directed toward divine
consciousness. In more subtle terms, prayer is a request to nurture our self-reliance. Prayer and
meditation are not the same thing. Prayer, the original chat room, is one of the oldest coping
techniques known to humankind (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Human beings are dynamic organisms born to move. Its important to honor this
aspect of your being by including exercise in your approach to working with stress and anxiety.
Physical exercise is one of the best stress relievers, decreasing the bodys production of stress
hormones and increasing levels of those feel-good neurotransmitters known as endorphins (Stahl,
2010).

27
Additional Information
Meditation is thought to be the oldest form of relaxation. In simple terms, it is a mind-cleansing
or emptying process. At a deeper level, meditation is focused concentration and increased
awareness of ones being. When the mind has been emptied of conscious thought, unconscious
thoughts can enter the conscious realm to bring enlightenment to our lives (Seaward 397) A
central symptom of depression is rumination: when depressing thoughts roll around and around
in the mind. Unfortunately, you cant just tell a depressed person to stop thinking depressing
thoughts; its pointless. Thats because treating the symptoms of depression is partly about
taking control of the persons attention. One method that can help with this is mindfulness
meditation. Mindfulness is all about living in the moment, rather than focusing on past regrets or
future worries. Primary source

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (8th
ed.).
Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Weinberg, J. (2017, January 23). A Meditation to Open Your Heart to Self-Compassion. Retrieved
February 04, 2017, from http://www.chopra.com/articles/a-meditation-to-open-your-heart-to-
self-compassion
This website really offers a lot of great mind-body-soul connections. Secondary source

Aim True: Love Your Body, Eat Without Fear, Nourish Your Spirit, Discover True Balance!
Yoga teacher and inspirational speaker Kathryn Budig is known for her ability to encourage
others to set their intentions and goals, no matter how lofty, and work toward them while
staying true to themselves. In Aim True, Budig extends her empowering message beyond the
mat. Life is an adventure that is meant to be explored, challenged, and fully lived. The best part?
When you approach life with an open mind and heart, the possibilities are endless. Allow Budig
to be your guide along the journey with:
A 5-day purification process
6 yoga sequences to put into practice
More than 85 recipes to seduce your inner Top Chef
An introduction to meditation
Homeopathic self-care and beauty recipes
Whether your goal is to love who you are right now, reshape the way you view food, develop a
meditation practice, or discover new ways to embrace the great balancing act that is life, this
holistic approach to yoga, diet, and mindfulness has something for you. Filled with vibrant
photographs and whimsical illustrations, this guide is as beautiful as it is life-changing.

MyFitnessPal is a website and an app for helping to managing body weight and eating healthy
are a lot easier when you can keep track of what exactly you're eating. MyFitnessPal is a tool for
just that purpose, letting users track their daily activity (and calorie burn) and food intake
(calorie consumption). https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Primary Source

28
The folks at MindBodyGreen are dedicated to making wellness a holistic practice and a part of
everyday life. Every day brings dozens of new articles on the latest trends in health, fitness, and
sustainability, from the link between meditation and sex to the benefits of slurping some
chlorophyll. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
Secondary Source

I chose these websites, books and articles because they really offer a lot of great information to
improve your overall wellness. I use MyFitnessPal and it helps me stay on track with eating,
exercising and overall nutrition. This class has really taught me a lot about wellness and making
sure to include yoga and/or meditation into my daily life.

29
 References

Cherry, K. (n.d.). Brain Plasticity: How Experience Changes the Brain. Retrieved December 16,

2016, from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886

McLeod, S. (1970). Stress, Illness and the Immune System. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from

http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html

(n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body.aspx

Nordqvist, C. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2016, from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248680.php

Rodriguez, D. (2009). Happiness and Emotional Well-Being. Retrieved December 10, 2016, from
http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/understanding/index.aspx

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (8th ed.).

Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Stahl, B. & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

The Chopra Center. (n.d.). Retrieved February 04, 2017, from https://chopra.com

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