KAPLAN UNIVERSITYHW410 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 SI T Y

Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide

By

Kristen Lawrence

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

March 6, 2016

Table of Contents

U N I T 1 T H E N A T U R E O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember............................................................4Self-Assessment Exercises...........................................................4Journal Writing.............................................................................6

U N I T 2 T H E P H Y S I O L O G Y O F S T R E S S

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

U N I T 3 P S Y C H O L O G Y O F S T R E S S

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

U N I T 4 P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S A N D T H E H U M A N S P I R I T U A L I T Y

Information to Remember..........................................................16Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................16Journal Writing...........................................................................17

U N I T 5 D E A L I N G W I T H S T R E S S : C O P I N G S T R A T E G I E S

Information to Remember..........................................................22Journal Writing...........................................................................22

U N I T 6 R E L A X A T I O N T E C H I Q U E S 1 : B R E A T H I N G , M E D I T A T I O N , A N D M E N T A L I M A G E R Y

Information to Remember..........................................................25Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................25Journal Writing...........................................................................26

U N I T 7 N U T R I T I O N A N D S T R E S S

Information to Remember..........................................................30Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................30

U N I T 8 P H Y S I C A L E X E R C I S E A N D A C T I V I T Y

Information to Remember..........................................................32Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................32Journal Writing...........................................................................35

U N I T 9 A P P L Y I N G S T R E S S : C R I T I C A L I S S U E S F O R M A N A G E M E N T A N D P R E V E N T I O N T O Y O U R P R O F E S S I O N A L L I F E

Information to Remember..........................................................38

A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 3 9

R E F E R E N C E S 4 0 - 4 1

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Unit 1: The Nature of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: There are many variations in the definition of stress. Several definitions include that stress is a lack of inner peace, stress is a loss of emotional control and that stress is a state of anxiety that is produced when events and responsibilities exceed a person’s abilities to cope. Stress can also be defined as the experience of a perceived threat to a person’s mental, physical or spiritual well-being that comes from a physiological responses and adaptations. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: There are three types of stress. The first is eustress is which is actually good stress. This is any stressor that can motivate a person towards optimal performance or health. A second type is neustress, which is any kind of information that is perceived as unimportant to that person. And the last type is distress, which is a negative interpretation of an event that leads to feelings of fear, anger and more stress. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: One successful one to help cope with and relieve stress is through journal writing. It has been found that journal writing can decreased elevated blood pressure, decrease cholesterol and decrease stress. Seward (2015) suggests writing 3 times per week in a journal

Self-Assessment Exercise:As Seward (2015) notes, a wellness paradigm is the balance and harmony of mental, physical,

emotional, and spiritual well-being by taking responsibility for your own health. Following is my

wellness paradigm and why each element is important to me. For me there is not one are that is more

important than another. It is more important for me to have a balance between the four aspects in

order to better function and work through life and the stressful times that come with life.

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Seward (2015) notes that mental well-being is the ability to gather, process, recall and

communicate information. In my life mental well-being is important on several different levels. One

is as a mother, I need to be mentally aware of what is going on in the environment around my children

and making sure they are safe. The more mentally healthy I am, the better able I am able to help my

children without being stressed.

Spiritual well-being is described be Seward (2015) as a strong value system and a meaningful

purposeful life. Spiritual well-being is important to be in regards to being a good/ethical person,

mother, wife and friend. Having a healthy spiritual well-being gives me hope and faith that the

stressors in life will pass and I will be okay, that there is a higher power watching over me and

guiding me, and allows me to have hope.

Physical well-being is the optimal functioning of the body’s physiological systems, as noted

by Seward (2015). Physical well-being is important to me because it allows me to be healthy and live

a longer, happier life. Physical well-being gives me energy and a more positive outlook in life.

Emotional well-being is described by Seward (2015) as the ability to feel and express a full

range of human emotions and control them without being controlled by them. Emotional well-being

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allows for me to build healthy relationships with the people around me, which are good supporters at

all times, but especially stressful times. (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:Unit One Journal Writing

**Updated in mid-February and beginning of March

Situation Start Midway

End

Feelings of making sure that I am succeeding in regards to my own terms of being successful as a mother

6 5 5

Feelings of making sure that I am succeeding in regards to my own terms of being a successful wife

6 5 4

Finding a way to make sure that all school course work done by the due date

5 5 4

Finding a balance to make sure that all housework (cleaning, laundry, etc.) gets accomplished daily/weekly

5 5 5

Finding a balance in taking care of my family and myself (finding time to eat healthy and work out and have time for my hobbies)

6 5 3.5

Having the courage to try to things and expand out of my comfort zone

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Having the courage and faith in myself to trust that I am entering into a career path with will both fulfill me and be successful

5 5 4

Struggling with the fact that only one adult works and juggling to make on income stretch to pay all the bills

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Balancing being a mom, mother, student and aspiring personal trainer

6 5 5

Dealing with stress and anxiety that comes from knowing what is going on in the world around us and fearing what the world will be like for our children

5 5 5

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: There are several different theoretical models that explain how stress can negatively

affect our body. They include Borysenko model, Pert Model, Lipton Model, Gerber Model and Pelletier Premodel (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress can affect the nervous system in many ways including several diseases. These diseases range from bronchial asthma to migraine headaches to coronary heart disease. Our immune system can also be affected by stress which can show up as a cold or influenza, allergies, ulcers, or even cancer. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Several different chemicals are released by our bodies when we perceive a threat or stress. These include epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. Epinephrine and norepinephrine work together can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Cortisol metabolizes white blood cells, which can decrease the efficiency of the immune system. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Stress can have many different effects on the body and can affect the body in many ways. As

Seward (2015) points out, under both acute and chronic stress, certain areas of the body are more

susceptible to more activity from stress than others. Stress can have a great effect on our brain,

nervous system and immune system.

Neuroscience is the study of how the nervous system works and develops, its structure and

what it does (www.nuero.georgetown.edu). While neuroplasticity is the brains ability to reorganize

itself by forming new connections throughout life. This allows neurons in the brain to compensate for

injury or disease and to adjust in response to new situations or changes in the environment that might

be brought on by stress. (www.medicinenet.com)

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Stress can also affect the immune system. One disease that is a result of stress affecting the

immune system is a cold and influenza. As Borysenko’s model showed, stress increases the

neuroendocrine hormones which suppress the immune system. In addition, when B-lymphocytes

decrease in number, the body and our immune system is less able to fight off the influences from the

agents of the common cold. (Seward, 2015).

Journal Writing:Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

There are different types of stress I feel in regards to people affecting my life. First there is

the social anxiety and stress that I struggle with in terms of whether people will accept me, befriend

me and like me. I worry if I will say the right thing and act the right way in order to attract people to

like me and build a relationship with me. There is the stress that I deal with in terms of making sure

that I am building and making stronger the relationships I have with my spouse and children, as well

and my entire family. I am part of a family in which my parents are divorced, remarried and then

divorced and married again so there is always stress at family gatherings. Then there is the stress that

comes with my children and the worry I have with sending them off into the world, off to school. I

worry how they will socialize, will they be bullied, will they be themselves or try to fit in, how they

will they be treated by other adults?

My son had an experience with bullying last year and it affected him so greatly he was in counseling

for several months, so I especially worry about him and his socializing. However, I do my very best

to be open and have discussions with my children, and not let my fears or worries become their fears

or worries.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

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I have two major stresses in regards to work. I am a stay at home mother since it was not

financially efficient for both myself and my spouse to work and put our three children in day care at

some point in the day. So I stress all the time that since I do not work I am not financially

contributing to the household and therefore, making paying the bills or doing any “extras” difficult.

My other worry/stress in regards to work is making sure that I choose a career path that I am

passionate about yet will be successful enough to help financially provide for my family. That

includes making sure that it is a career that can grow in Northern New York and also be fulfilling to

me.

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

Some of the stress I have about the world today is how safe it is, how sustainable the

environment and lifestyles we are creating will be, and what will the world be like in the future. I

worry about the safety of my children when they are in school, on the school bus, while we are out

shopping, traveling, and even at home sometimes. I worry if technology has become too advanced

and what will this mean for our future. What will the world be like for my children as they start their

lives and their families, and what will the world be like for myself and my husband in our retirement

years?

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

The stress that have about food and eating habits is mostly in regards to being able to afford to

purchase enough healthy food for my family. Being able to balance out in the budget not spending

too much money on groceries while also buying enough healthy and nourishing food for my family.

The other stress comes from making sure that I choose healthy options and the quilt I feel when I do

“indulge” or do not choose the healthier option. This is important for me I terms of eating healthy for

myself and for setting a good example for my children

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

Sleep is probably the one thing that I stress the least about. I learned a long time ago that if I

do not get enough sleep personally by body cannot function and I will become ill. Therefore, if I do

not get enough sleep one night I make sure to fit in a cat nap the next day or go to bed earlier the next

night. Sometimes I will use the weekend to catch up on sleep with a Sunday nap. This is the one area

where I have learned that past a certain time at night I do not try to accomplish anything more and I

go to bed, getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night.

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

The stress or anxiety that I have about exercise is finding the time to fit it in. I try to make

sure I work out at least 4 days per week so it can be stressful as a full time mom and college student to

make sure that I put exercise as a priority. I feel stressed or anxious and guilty when I skip a workout

to other things like homework or errands. For me exercise is very much a stress and anxiety reliever

so I try to make it a priority.

Summary

All aspects of our life can cause us some stress and it can take over our lives if we let us. To

me it is finding a balance, and allowing some give and take in my life and schedule. I like to make to-

do lists for the day and the week. I schedule in my homework time, work out time and kid’s

activities, and even family time. Having a schedule and seeing it in writing is calming for me and

helps me to stick more to a schedule and stay more focused. Understanding that things may not go as

planned is hard for me, but is a necessary part of not letting stress over take your life. So I am

continually working on finding a balance in my life in regards to all the above mentioned aspects.

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: Anger is a key emotion correlated with stress. And there are many ways to manage

your angry. These include knowing your anger mismanagement style, monitoring your anger, learning to express your anger constructively and developing a good support system (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Another key emotion associated with stress is fear. There are several basic human fears which include failure, rejection, the unknown, death, isolation and the loss of self-dominance. There are a couple ways to overcome your fears and they include behavioral therapy, systematic desensitization and exposure desensitization. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Communication play a key role in stress and anxiety, especially in how we express our stress or anxiety. It is important to have good communication skills in order to deal with a stressful situation so that stress does not overcome you. Some good communication skills include having healthy boundaries, being technology multilingual, maintaining eye contact, being courteous and attacking issues and not people. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Communication and miscommunication have much to attribute to stress and how we deal with

stress. Being able to have good communication skills to properly release stress and handle situations

is important. Much can be learned from the many who have studied stress and communication in the

past.

What can be learned from the Tibetan culture about the mind and stress is that stress is the

consequence of desires with strong attachments. And that meditation can encourage the mind’s

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potential and “domesticate the ego.” (Seward, 2015, p. 120). I love the quote that “stress is the mind

grasping for things it cannot own, but merely enjoy.” (Seward, 2015, p. 120).

Many theorists have studies human emotions and how we deal with stress in our lives.

Although each theorist may have focused on a different aspect or angle what they each had in

common was that they looked at emotions and how emotions are affected by anxiety and stress. For

example, Freud had what he termed defense mechanisms for how we deal with stress. Jung looked at

individuation and self-discovery and how our emotions and dreams are correlated. Elisabeth Kubler-

Ross looked at how we deal with the stressful emotions that come with the grieving and dying

process. Maslow looked at our personality traits and how they relate to how we can cope with stress.

And Wayne Dyer looked at how we process and deal with guilt, which often times causes us stress.

(Seward, 2015).

Fear can be an extremely controlling emotion. I really like what Freud said and that is that

anxiety is unknown fear (Seward, 2015). Since fear is a learned response we can, therefore, unlearn

it. One method to conquer your fear is through exposure desensitization. This is where a person is

continuously exposed to the thing that stresses them or causes fear. This is done first on a small level

and then gradually increases. In a sense, learning to overcome your fear (Seward, 2015).

There are so many different ways in which we can improve our communication style. One of

those ways is to follow the touch it once rule, which means that once you open an e-mail or text, you

respond to it right then, even if it is a small response. This is because if you put if off for later, you

will probably not get back to it. While following this rule it is also important to keep in mind healthy

boundaries and to not be too attached to your technological device. (Seward, 2015).

What we can learn from all of this is that no matter where we find ourselves in terms of stress,

anxiety, worry, communication or miscommunication, there is hope for improvement. There are

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ways to move forward and better ourselves. It is about not letting the negative emotion get the best of

us!

Journal Writing:Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

In the first minute of doing this exercise I noticed my breaths were short and shallow.

However, the longer I sat and focused on my breathing, the longer and deeper my breaths became

until, at the end of five minutes, I could take a nice deep relaxing breath. I could feel my body loosen

up, my jaw unclench, my brow unfurrow. I could feel my body become less rigid with stress and

heavy with relaxation. My mind would wonder from time to time but it was actually calming and

relieving to bring it back to focus on my breath. At the end of the five minutes, my brain and mind

felt clearer and less bogged down. My body was definitely more relaxed and emotionally I felt like

some of the negativity I had been feeling had been almost washed away with the waves of my breaths.

I no longer felt like what I was worrying about and getting upset about was the “end of the world.” I

did this practice in the morning, and am glad that I did because it gave me a more positive outlook for

the day and made me feel ready to conquer what came my way.

I had never really taken this type of exercise too seriously in my past when it had been

recommended to me. I am a natural worrier and have issues with stress and anxiety, and I can

completely see how this would be such a huge help for me. I think it would be a great way to start

and end my day. Taking just 5-10 minutes before starting the day to focus and find positive energy

will help me better able to deal with the little stressors that pop up throughout the day. While doing

the same at night will help me to let go of those stressors from the day and probably have a much

better night’s sleep. As Stahl and Goldstein (2010) point out, one of the greatest benefits of

mindfulness is that it helps us focus on the present and become more aware of ourselves. We become

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less prone to rehashing the past or rehearsing the future. We are able to fully experience the moment.

And that is what I tend to miss out on. So this exercise has taught me so much more than I was

expecting! (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human SpiritualityInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: A scary fact is the people with Type A personality, that with a hurried or rushed lifestyle, tend to suffer more frequently from coronary heart disease. Type A personality is associated with time urgency and unresolved anger. There is help, though, through behavior modification programs, that can change aspects of the personality. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Self-esteem correlates with your personality and your ability to handle stress and anxiety. Those with low self –esteem tend to be more prone to stress because they do not believe in themselves. These types of personalities are codependents, hopeless-helpless and Type A. Those with high self-esteem are able to ward off stress better because they can access their internal resources to deal with it. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress management can be aided by having a strong spirituality base. This includes both internal and external relationships, a strong personal value system, creating goals and meaning for your life, and believing in a divine mystery or higher power. Being able to turn to these aspects can help strengthen you in times of stress. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Self-esteem, values, relationships, attitudes and our purpose in life all correlate with how we

deal with stress and are also affected by stressful situations and circumstances. It is important to

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understand how they all work together and how we can strengthen each aspect in order to better

handle stress.

Self-esteem is the value we place on ourselves. As Seward (2015) states that self-esteem is

the self-love, self-acceptance and self-value we place on ourselves. Our level of self-esteem greatly

affects how we are able to respond to stress and stressful situations. Individuals with low self-esteem

are prone to more stress or handle stressful situations better than those with higher self-esteem. As

opposed to those with low self-esteem who become easily frustrated, feel powerless, are influenced by

others and tend to put the blame on others. In many research and therapy programs, increasing self-

esteem is being used as a main tool of managing stress. (Seward, 2015).

Seward (2015) defines values as intangible concepts of meaning, such as time and health. To

me values represent who you are as a person and what you feel is important. They are like your own

personal motto. Additionally, Seward (2015) defines attitude as beliefs about our values, often

expressed as opinions. Your attitude or attitudes toward values and beliefs are how you get your

personal message across. Your beliefs are your opinions and what you know to be true to you and

your life. I really think that your values, beliefs and attitudes all go hand in hand and correlate with

each other.

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Journal Writing: Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness,

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

I feel these emotions mostly in my stomach, neck shoulders, jaw and brow line. I will often

have a nauseous feeling in my stomach, my shoulders will get tense and raise up near my ears, which

will cause tension to travel up to my neck and into my jaw. I will also often clench my jaw and

furrow my brow. My worry and anxiety often starts as just a simple though or maybe a plan for what

I need to do later in the week. My mind will then take over and start wondering and running crazy. I

then start worrying about or thinking about other things that need to happen or get done, sometimes,

months in advance. I then think about things that have gone wrong in similar situations in the past

and what might go wrong in the future situation. I also have fear and worry when going into a new

social situation, often being fearful of how I will act and if I will be accepted. My mind can often run

so off track that I will get a feeling of being overwhelmed. Usually at that point I can feel a headache

coming on and I realize that I need to take a deep breath and refocus.

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

I feel these emotions in my stomach, neck and shoulders. It is not so much confusion as it is

uncertainness that causes these physical reactions. I will often feel “butterflies” in my stomach and

tension in my neck and shoulders. I do not like the unknown and going into new situations without

any comparison of what to expect. I get tense and my mind runs wild about what could or might

happen. This usually leaves my mind feeling chaotic.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

I feel these emotions in my neck, shoulders and jaw. When I start to feel agitated, annoyed

and frustrated and start tensing up my upper body. I have a “short fuse” and will often hold in my

feelings of anger or agitation in order not to explode on yell. In doing so, I tense up my shoulders,

neck and jaw. The situations that cause these emotions are usually a response to situations that I

cannot control, like a slow driver in front of me. Or it is when my kids are not listening and “acting

up.” I am learning to walk away and take deep breaths, and then return to the situation to calmly talk

it over. I am also learning that by keeping a regular exercise schedule I become less agitated and

frustrated.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

In all honesty, these are emotions that I do not often feel. Although I am a “worrier,” in the

end I have the ability to look on the bright side. What brings me the most sadness and what I always

picture when I think of sadness is the loss of my baby nephew. He was 8 months old when he died

and I was there in his hospital room, I planned his funeral and I can see his casket at the church like it

was yesterday. This life event is about the only event that brings me sadness. I think about this and I

feel the emotions in my whole body, as my body becomes heavy with sadness and unhappiness. I

also feel insecurity in the safety of my children and disappointment in the fact that we (as a family)

had this baby taken from us and we not experience so much of life’s joys with him.

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

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I usually feel these emotions in my stomach as a nauseous feeling. Usually these will arise

after a social situation/event as I replay the events and what I did and said. I go over how I acted and

will often question my actions, words and behavior. Growing up in a home with divorced parents and

a mother making me take sides, I often, still as an adult, feel regret for not voicing my opinion more

and standing up for my father. Those thoughts sometimes play in my head. The more I grow and

develop my relationship now with my father, the more we work through these and put it in our past.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

These feelings I feel with my whole body. When I think of love and the other emotions I

underlined, I think of my husband and children. They are the epitome of true love for me. I had a

rough childhood and am not extremely close with much of my family. I married my high school

sweetheart and we have three amazing kids. I feel and experience these emotions on a daily basis

with my husband and kids. An image that comes to mind when I think of warmth of kindness, in

particular, is when we were in NYC for my son’s state swim meet and we passed a homeless person

on the streets bundled up under blankets and covered in snow. My 9-year-old reached into his pocket

and gave the man his own money. These emotions can be felt as a warmth and happiness that fills my

whole body.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

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Again, I feel these emotions in my whole body. I can feel my body relax, my shoulders and

brow ease the tension, my heart and soul fill up and my body fills up with a warmth. Again, these

emotions are experienced with my kids and my husband. I experience them when they accomplish a

goal they have been working towards, when we go to the beach in the summer and they are carefree

and playing in the sand and water, and when we sit as a family at dinner and talk about our days and

our future plans. I also experience these emotions as I accomplish my goals in school and towards my

career. Every time I am able to conquer a difficult assignment or quiz, I feel these emotions. I also

feel these emotions, like pleasure and enjoyment when sitting at the beach and listening to the waves,

or while out for a walk, or even while doing one my hobbies, like reading a novel.

Summary

This was an interesting and enlightening experience for me. As Stalk and Goldstein (2010)

you can only live in the moment and in that moment is the only time you can make any changes. This

has been a great experience to really sit and feel these emotions and how they affect my body. It was

also good to look at what emotions or life events I am holding onto that I need to let go of. This

practice helped to realize that it is okay to experience the emotions that come with certain events and

moments, but it is just as important to learn to work through them, accept them and live in the

moment, letting go of what is holding you back. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: Humor is a defense mechanism that can reduce pain and increase pleasure at the

same time. Studies have shown that positive emotions that come from laughter can have a positive effect on the immune system. In addition, being able to laugh in stressful situations, gives people of feeling of control over the situation. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Some tips for financial stability include making and following a budget, living within your financial means, not using credit cards or having just one major one, ask why before you make a purchase and make financial goals. As is noted, the main aspect of managing your money successfully is finding a balance. This will help decrease the amount of stress money issues can bring you. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Time management is another area that causes us stress as we always hope and wish for more time, just like we wish and hope for more money. Some time management tips include establishing healthy boundaries with technology, makes lists and prioritize for the day what needs to be done, make a daily schedule of what will get done in time blocks, set time aside for you and your personal interests, and develop organizational skills. All these will help lessen the stress burden of needing more time in the day. (Seaward, 2015).

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Unit

5

Journal Writing:Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

I chose to do Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and Anxiety. This was one of the most relaxing

and emotional experiences of mindful self-inquiry I have experienced. I have not been practicing

mindful breathing or awareness very long, but since starting this class I have definitely incorporated

into my life on a regular basis. When I am finding the pace of my day getting too fast or I am in a

stressful situation I will take a minute or two to do some deep, relaxing breathing. At night before

bed, sometimes, I will slow my mind and breathing and practice mindful breathing. I have found this

to help reduce my stress, the physical tolls stress takes on my body and help me be more at peace.

But for some reason, today was different, today left me emotional, today left me crying. Not crying

tears of sadness or and really any emotion, more like an emotional release.

This was the first time I have used the cd to help guide me through the mindful self-inquiry

and I found it very helpful. So, I started with focusing on my breathing, slowing my breathing and

taking deep breaths, just being. I could feel be breaths become longer and slower and I could feel by

body become heavy as it started to relax. As I was about to transition from the mindful breathing into

the body scan a quick image came before me. It was of my (or rather the essence or soul of me) on

this beautiful grassy area by a pond. It was a warm sunny day with some clouds. And then quickly I

saw my deceased grandfather’s face smiling down from the clouds at me. He has been gone for

almost 26 years, but I think about him often. He was my best friend, my protector as a kids and his

death was devastating to me. That was a beautiful and touching image and feeling to experience

today.

As I entered the body scan and started with my feet, I could feel that one foot was colder than

the other, my left foot. Then, as I worked my way up by body during the body scan, I noticed my

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whole left side was colder than my right. And, although I hadn’t noticed earlier, my calves were tight,

probably from my 2 hours in the gym yesterday. And then, again not noticing it earlier, my left knee

ached a little, and then I noticed my lower back ached a little. As I worked my way up, I noticed for

the first time in a while my shoulders and jaw were not tense, although my back teeth were

tender/sore, probably from previously clenching. As the guide suggesting connecting with brain, I

had a vision of the top of my head opening and a big hand pulling my brain out.

As I worked out of the body scan and into feeling the fear and anxiety I noticed that every

time the guide even said those words, my stomach would flip and my heart rate would speed up. As

he suggested we “dip our toes in fear” I pictured black water and dipping my toes in it and being

okay. Although my body was cold, my stomach flipped and my heart raced, my mind said “you are

okay, you are safe.”

I noticed that each time my mind wondered and I would bring it back to breathing or the body

scan, I could feel my body become more relaxed and more aware of itself. I could feel myself “let

go” and let be” even more. And as I brought myself out of the exercise I felt relaxed and renewed. I

felt more at ease, not just physically but emotionally as well.

Summary

This was a great experience for me and brings me even more aware of the connectedness with

our mind, body and emotions. I will definitely practice this again, with the cd as a guide, in order to

investigate more and acknowledge my feelings as is talked about by Stahl & Goldstein (2010). It

addition, as is mentioned by Stahl & Goldstein (2010) I can see where doing this practice will help to

bring me more peace, by being with my feelings without trying to change them and learning to let be,

learning to better understand my feelings. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: I love the quote that “meditation is like an eraser that cleans that mind’s blackboard.” (Seaward, 2015, p.377). Mediation can help to clear the mind and make it more receptive to new information and new perspectives and ways in which to handle stress or perceived stress. It is a concentration and internal reflection that helps the mind refocus and block out external stimuli. (Seward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mediation has many positive effects on the mind and body. These include a reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, decreased muscle tension, improved sleep, improved immune functions, the ability to better deal with chronic pain, and brings about a mental calmness. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mental imagery is a great tool to use to bring about the relaxation response. The primary goal of mental imagery is to use the imagination to bring about the relaxation response. This can happen because ones five senses are turned off to outside stimuli and focused on the mental imagery. This practice can help one to refocus and better deal with stress and perceived stress. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Diaphragmatic breathing is controlled deep breathing that focuses on the movement of the

lower abdomen. It is the easiest method of relaxation to practice. It is thought to be an effective

relaxation technique for several reasons. First, breathing through the diaphragm can decrease

resonance and create longs pauses, which creates a calming effect. When this type of breathing is

practiced enough, once can reduce their number of breaths to 4-6 breaths per minute. However,

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Unit

6

diaphragmatic breathing is more affective when the inhalation and exhalation are done through the

nostrils because this allows for a greater ability to regulate airflow. (Seward, 2015).

Meditation can have many positive benefits for both the mind and body. These can include

increased sleep, increased immune function, reduced chronic pain and increased mood states. This is

a result of meditation reducing many factors that are related to stress and mental health issues. Some

physiological changes that can occur within the body due to regular meditation include some of the

following: decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, decreased muscle tension, decrease oxygen

consumption and increased skin resistance. Meditation can also be used for temporary relief of

chronic pain that once may be suffering. Due to the technology of using MRI, studies have been able

to show some of the following benefits of meditation as well: mindfulness meditation can produce

measurable effects on the immune system and brain physiology; meditation can increase activity in

the left frontal limbic regions of the brain which increase attention and emotion regulation; and

portions of the brain that are connected with compassion increased in size with meditation which led

researchers to wonder how meditation could help those with depression. (Seward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

In all honesty I have never said things like “I am worthless” or “I am hopeless” to myself. I

really do not talk negatively to myself. When I really stop to think and analyze this, I realize it is

because so many people have disappointed me and left me in the past that all I have had to depend on

is myself. In tough times, including in childhood, all I knew was to turn inward and support myself in

order to get through a tough situation. Therefore, I never talk negatively to myself. I may talk

negative about a situation I am in. For example, we are having some financial struggles right now and

I will sometimes get negative and feel overwhelmed that we may not overcome them. When these

negative thoughts take over my head, I can feel them in my neck, shoulders and clenching in my jaw.

But once I really think about it, I turn to my faith and look at difficult past events in my life that I

have overcome. Then I realize that this too shall pass and there is a light at the other end of the

tunnel. In addition, I used to talk negatively about how my body looked, and then I had daughters. I

did not want my daughters to ever copy those same attitudes. And, although I am still conscious of

eating healthy and exercising, I explain to my children the health (both physical and mental) benefits

of doing such. We never talk about being a certain size, only about what feats we are able to achieve

with our strong bodies. I am much happier now that I am learning to accept that I work hard to be fit

and healthy and should love my body the way it is.

Seeds of suffering?

If I stopped “watering the seeds of my own suffering” I would experience less physical

symptoms from the stress of the negative thoughts have on my body. Although I no longer do this, I

26

used to feel sorry for myself in regards to how I grew up and the rough times I went through. I would

feel sorry for myself and imagine what things would be like if the situation were different. But really

that did me no good. All it did was make me feel worse. So, through much work, I have been able to

look at my past, take away some lessons, and use those lessons to change the way I life my life now.

For instance, I am a much better wife and mother now, after much reflection, not to mention a much

better and happier person. Feeding your own suffering only brings more suffering. However, if feels

so wonderful and renewing to break through those feelings and learn from the past, let it be and move

on.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

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For me, resentment was a hard emotion to work through. I had a rough childhood and early

adulthood, especially in regards to my family and upbringing. And about four years ago, I

experienced an extremely hurtful situation with my husband’s family which caused some of them not

to speak to me, my husband or my children and caused us some huge financial troubles and set-backs.

I harbored so much resentment and anger that is was affecting my physically. I finally started

working through my feelings and learning to deal with them, work through them and move on.

Learning to let go of that “control” over the situation and how the other person treated me was

especially difficult. It took some time and hard work but I learned that I needed to forgive and move

on for my own health and mental well-being. I was only hurting myself by holding onto the

resentment. Although thinking about the situation still brings up feelings of hurt, I can say that I am

at peace and happy. As I have taught my children, there will always be people who are unkind to you,

people who you do not agree with, but what matters is how you react and how you handle the

situation. You cannot change the situation but you can change the way you react. And by holding on

to negative you allow the situation and the unkind person to have control over you and control over

your happiness.

Reflection on writing?

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Working through our emotions is extremely difficult to do as it brings up so much and makes

you experience so many things once again. However, once you go through the process, there is a

feeling of relief, renewal and freedom. You are able to experience life on a different level and enjoy

so much more. You are also able to handle situations so much better once you are aware of your

emotions. As Stahl & Goldstein (2010) state that loving ourselves is one of the most important parts

of healing, and that includes loving ourselves enough to accept ourselves and to accept what has

happened to us, to let be, let go and find a greater appreciation for life from those feelings. (Stahl &

Goldstein, 2010).

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: When our body is under stress it can become depleted of important nutrients. This is because when our body is stressed it uses water-soluble vitamins and minerals that are necessary for energy production, even if we are just sitting at our desk. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress can increase the production of cortisol in our bodies. This in turn increases the production of a chemical neuropeptide Y, which is responsible for the cravings we have for carbohydrate-rich foods. This can lead to eating sweets and unhealthy food all day and ultimately weight gain. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress and nutrition are also related. What we eat and do not eat can affect how we handle stress. There are certain foods, like caffeine and sugar, that can elevate our stress response. In addition, being under stress, in fight or flight mode, can deplete our body of the vitamins and minerals it needs to produce energy. (Seaward, 2015).

29

Unit

7

Self-Assessment Exercise:I chose to do the yoga poses suggested by Stahl & Goldstein (2010) on pages 92-107 for this

exercise as I tend to hold my stress and tension throughout my body. I practice Pilates once a week

and that always helps to relax not only my body but my mind as well. And I noticed many of the

Yoga poses were similar or the same as the poses or moves we practice in Pilates.

I started in the Supine pose, which was a great way to start. I lay there just practicing my

mindful breathing, quieting my mind and preparing for the exercise and poses ahead. As I lay there

and stretched my arms overhead, I could feel my back stretching and my body becoming longer. I

could feel myself taking longer deeper breaths. The Supine twist was a great exercise to stretch out

my lower back. This exercise felt very relaxing and as I took long slow breaths in and out I just

concentrated on those breaths and on letting the negative energy out of my body. As I moved into the

leg stretch I could notice how tense the back of my legs were, probably from my workout the day

before. But I also notice my neck stretching and relaxing and my body seemed to be relaxing and

melting into the mat on the floor. One of my very favorite poses is Child’s pose, and I like how this

usually falls at the end of our Pilates session, as I find it a great way to end. I love to just be in this

position, my mind cleared, my breathing long and slow and my body as relaxed as ever can be. It is

such a feeling of peace and freedom, freedom from the stress of life and the everyday things that can

bog your mind and body down. In this particular exercise I liked ending with the pose of openness

and corpse pose. I found this to be a great time to really just be, to listen to what your mind that is

now clear is saying and to listen to what your heart and soul are saying. Many times I will enter a

Pilates class, just like I did with this exercise, with so much on my mind, but once the session is over,

none of those things are even a concern any more. I am able to finish the class/session with a clear,

peaceful mind, free of worries and stress I am able to refocus on what is truly important and go out

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into the rest of my day with a new, clearer perspective. That is much the same feeling as I got when

practicing these yoga poses.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and ActivityInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Physical activity and exercise can enhance one’s health and longevity and can increase the brain cell tissues that are connected with memory, multitasking and one’s attention span. Regular physical activity is necessary to maintain the proper function of the body’s physiological systems. However, there needs to be a balance of physical activity and homeostasis for ideal wellness. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: While the body is participating in physical activity, such as exercise, the stress response is activated but once the body stops physical activity, the body returns to homeostasis. In a person who is well-trained, the body often returns to a higher degree of homeostasis then before the physical activity. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: There are many benefits to regular cardiovascular exercise. Some of those benefits include decreased resting blood pressure, better sleep quality, decreased cholesterol, decreased body fat and an increased resistance to colds and illnesses. Making exercise a regular part of your life will give you many positive and lasting health benefits. And you will start to see these benefits after 6-8 weeks of performing a regular program. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:RATIONALE

There is no question that every job has some degree or form of stress and each employee

handles the stress differently. Addressing and reducing stress in the workplace can not only benefit

31

Unit

8

the employee, but the company as a whole. Stress can deteriorate an employee’s health and reduce

the cooperation among employees and teams. The purpose of my program is to teach employees how

to recognize what is stressing them and how to not only cope with the stress but to address it and

reduce it. It is important to keep in mind that everyone relieves stress in a different way and no one

program will work 100% for every employee. I have listed a variety of options that cover a multitude

of ways of to find relief from stress.

MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES

I would suggest having a private, quiet room that can be used for several purposes including

mindful breathing practices, yoga and T’ai Chi. This room should be dimly lit, neutral in tones, have

soft flooring or mats available, a water feature and a sound system to play music and cds. I would

suggest offering times throughout the week on a daily basis that employees can go to this room to

participate in group yoga, T’ai Chi and mindful breathing practices. For those that may not want to

participate in a group activity, the room can be available at other times for individual use. Employees

can use it on their breaks or even before or after work.

For those that need to get a quick stretch at their desk Seward (2015) has a great option for

desk/cubicle yoga particularly for those that sit a desk for prolonged periods of time. A simple and

inexpensive way to do this would be to provide copies of the print out to those who wish to practice

this at their desk.

Additionally, as we have learned from Stahl and Goldstein (2010) proper communication is a

great stress reducer. Mindful communication, including mindful listening are important part of

reducing stress when dealing with others and important relationships. A great connection can be made

between people when we feel others are truly listening, because our fears and defenses tend to go

32

away. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I would recommend offering workshops on mindful

communication.

Since some people may not find the previous practices “active” enough to find relief from

stress I have a couple other ideas. One idea that help with stress reduction and is a bit more active

than the previous mentioned practices would be encouragement for a regular physical activity routine.

The company could reimburse the employee for part of his/her gym membership after proof of so

much time per month was spent at the gym. In addition, the company could reimburse employees for

participation fees in 5k or 10k runs once they have been completed.

Another idea, as suggested by my partner, which I find to not only be beneficial for relieving

stress but also for staying healthy, would be to have a company garden that employees tend to. In

addition, the produce from the garden can be available to the employees to take home or use for their

lunch. A bench can be set up near the garden so that people may go out to meditate or read on their

breaks as another way to incorporate stress reduction.

And while I have been saying employees should be practicing these programs, I would stress

that everyone in the company work on stress management and reduction programs, including all

corporate and management positions as well.

BENEFITS

Some of the benefits that will arise from stress management in your workplace can include

improving focus, motivation and productivity among employees (www.bondrow.com). A benefit of

stress management to the leader of the company is that it will improve your ability to lead because

employees will look up to for guidance during stressful times. Being able to handle your own stress

and provide relief to your employee is a great attribute of a good leader. Another great benefit of

stress management is reducing the possibility of conflicts in the workplace. Being aware of stressors

33

and conflicts and knowing how to handle them will be a great benefit to the company.

(www.employee-motivation-skills.com).

T'ai Chi is a practice focused on tranquility and helps one to learn to remain calm and sty

centered in times of stress. As an exercise it teaches one to conserve energy instead of just use it

randomly (Seward, 2015). This can help the employee remain more calm in the workplace, learn to

release stress and have a modality for relieving stress. Yoga is also found to help one relax, reduce

blood pressure and decrease stress levels (Seward, 2015). All of these will also be beneficial for

helping an employee reduce and handle stress, thus improving their quality of life and their work. As

Seward (2015) notes regular cardiovascular activity can reduce muscle tension, reduce resting blood

pressure, reduce resting heart rate and improve sleep quality, all of which can help an employee

perform better at his/her job.

SUMMARY

No matter what programs are chosen, they should be evaluated often to make sure they are

fitting the needs of all the employees and they are working effectively to help employees overcome

and deal with stress. And while the upfront cost and work may seem overwhelming in the beginning,

I feel that the company will benefit greatly by helping to improve the overall health and lifestyle of its

employees.

Journal Writing:Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

OPENNESS: The person I am envisioning is my spouse. And when I think about openness and my spouse

I think about valuing his opinion, his ideas and being interested in what he has to say. To me it is about

having respect enough to acknowledge and value what he believes and thinks. Without openness in our

34

marriage we would not be able to effectively communicate or raise our children in a happy, fun and loving

environment.

EMPATHY: Empathy is a tough one for me, only because of how I was raised. However, over the

years I have worked on this very much. When I think of empathy and I see my spouse sitting across

from me I envision openly listening to what he has to say and trying to understand how a situation

makes him feel, even if it makes me feel a different way. I try to put myself in his shoes and see

things from his perspective in order to understand his feelings about a certain thing. If I do not

understand his feelings, often I will ask him explain.

COMPASSION: To me compassion is a form of love. By showing compassion, you show that you

care and that the other person has value. I may not agree with how my spouse handled a situation or

even the way he is feeling, but I can still have compassion for what he has been through and how he is

feeling. We all have different past experiences that shape how we react presently to things.

Therefore, showing compassion is showing love and understanding. I can see myself comforting and

hugging my spouse to le t him know I love him and support him.

LOVING-KINDNESS: TO me loving-kindness is wanting the best for the other person, wanting that

person to be happy. In a marriage there are gives and takes. You can demonstrate loving-kindness

through the sacrifices you make in order to help your spouse achieve happiness or reach his goals.

For example, there was a time when my husband aspired to successfully live on and run his family

farm. It was a huge sacrifice for our family (myself and our kids) but we made things work for the

sake of my husband. And now, as I am a full-time student juggling being a mom, student and wife,

there are times my husband makes sacrifices for me to be able to achieve my dream. But when you

demonstrate loving-kindness, you do not look at it as a sacrifice; it is just what you do for the person

you care about.

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SYMPATHETIC JOY: Sympathetic joy is just simply being happy for another’s happiness. It is

putting your emotions for yourself aside and being happy that the person you love and care about is

happy. You watch your spouse work so hard to achieve something that might not necessarily be your

dream, nor a dream you understand, but you are happy for them reaching their goal. You are happy

because they are happy. It is a selfless emotion.

EQUANIMITY: To me this is probably the hardest quality to master. Being able to treat other with

equal consideration of all the previously mentioned qualities. Let’s face it, there are days I have

struggled with the kids to get them to listen to me, things have gone wrong in the day and by the time

my husband comes home from work, it is hard to want to hear about and sympathize with his day.

But we have learned that in order to have a successful marriage, you must both do that. You must sit

and communicate and put your own feelings aside and truly listen to your spouse.

Summary

These qualities are extremely important in any relationship and even though you may have

“mastered” them in regards to a relationship with one person, you may need to work on them in

regards to a relationship with another person. And you will always need to keep cultivating and

evolving in these emotions, as well. As Stahl and Goldstein (2010) explain, by strengthening these

qualities you will be able to build stronger and healthier relationships and connections with the people

in your life. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

36

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your Professional LifeInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: There are many different coping strategies that can be used to fit each individual. One that caught my attention and helps me is information seeking. This form of coping has been found extremely useful for those just diagnosed with a terminal illness, who are pregnant, in the recovery process of drugs or alcohol, and during any other stressor that makes an unpredictable change. All that is involved is seeking answers or detailed information to increase your awareness about the stressor or situation. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Another type of coping technique and one of the oldest and most commonly ones used is prayer and faith. Prayer can help lower one’s anxiety, increase optimism and inspire hope for what is to come. Prayer as a coping technique rests on the foundation of hope and when you have hope you know you can conquer what you are going through. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Seward (2015) has a great step-by-step process of managing your stress and how you can help yourself do this. This includes taking time each day to get to know yourself through self-development, reading, music therapy, art therapy or whatever interests you. Next, recognize your emotions and what triggered you to feel that way. Thirdly, practice self-love and focus on your positive attributes. Fourth, take time to be creative as this helps with problem-solving and serves as a distraction from your stressor. Next, balance all the components of your well-being, including your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Lastly, embrace your inner child. Be more curious, imaginative and creative; do not be so self-conscious to express yourself and your emotions. (Seaward, 2015).

37

Unit

9

Additional Information Additional resources that I found helpful include the website for the National Center for

Complementary and Alternative Medicine. That website is www.nccih.nih.gov and has helpful information on health topics, herbs, finding a CAM practitioner, training available and information on research in CAM areas. The second source I found helpful is the textbook Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Marc Micozzi. This book discusses a multitude of information on the vast varieties of CAM practices, which include stress reduction techniques. The references for these secondary resources are as follows:

Micozzi, M. (2011) Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (4th ed.) St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders Elsevier

National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health Retrieved March 1, 2016 from https://nccih.nih.gov/

References.

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Micozzi, M. (2011) Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (4th ed.) St. Louis,

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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine Retrieved March 1, 2016 from

https://nccih.nih.gov/

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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.

Stress Management in the Workplace Retrieved February 23, 2016 from

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