OVERCOMING BARRIERS: A WRITING WORKSHOP AIMED

TO REDUCE STRESS FOR FIRST-GENERATION

COLLEGE STUDENTS

A Project Presented to the Faculty

of

California State University, Stanislaus

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

of Master of Social Work

By

Chong Yang

May 2015

CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

OVERCOMING BARRIERS: A WRITING WORKSHOP AIMED

TO REDUCE STRESS FOR FIRST-GENERATION

COLLEGE STUDENTS

by

Chong Yang

John Garcia, Ph.D.

Professor of Social Work

Katie Galvin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Date

Date

Signed Certification of Approval Page is

on file with the University Library

© 2015

Chong Yang

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

iv

DEDICATION

Thank you to my family, especially my mom and dad for their love and

support throughout my education. Without you all, I would not be where I am at

today. Kuv niam thiab kuv txiv, ua tsuag rau neb txoj kev hlub. Vim yog neb txoj

kev xav rau peb cos menyuam, kuv thiaj tuaj kawn tau ntawv siab. Niam, koj yog tus

uas ntxhawb kuv, thaum kuv tsis muaj lub zog thiab hais los lus zoo rau kuv, kom

kuv muaj kev zoo siab. To my husband, Joe Thao I am grateful to have you by my

side to provide the love, support, comfort and happiness. You just know when and

how to make my smile through any stressful situation.

I am thankful for my sisters; no matter near or far, they are always there for

me. I am truly blessed to have such a loving family in my life. Kuv xav hais rau nej

paub hais tias, hau lub ntiajteb nos nej yog ib tus tib neej tab shi rau kuv nej zoo tam

li lub ntuj. Kuv hlub neej sawvdaws, heev!

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my chair, Dr. John Garcia and my reader, Katie Galvin, thank you for the

guidance from the beginning to the end. I am grateful to have worked with Jennifer

Johnson and Yvonne Berenguer who helped me mold this idea into this fascinating

project. Yvonne, I am very glad that I was able to join you in creating those first

couple of writing workshops in order to help me create my own. Jennifer Johnson,

thank you for always being supportive and brining the best out of me. It has been a

privilege to work with you in PEER Project. Lastly, thank you Megan Rowe for your

guidance and assistance. It has been an amazing time working side by side with you

all and for making the writing workshop a successful project! You all have prepared

me to become a better learner and to make positive changes for myself, for others and

for the world. Ua tsaug (thank you)!

.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

Dedication ............................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. v

Abstract ................................................................................................................... vii

SECTION ................................................................................................................

I. Background Information ....................................................................... 1

II. Description of the Project ..................................................................... 4

III. Objectives of the Project ....................................................................... 6

IV. Definitions............................................................................................. 7

V. Literature Review.................................................................................. 8

VI. Methodology ......................................................................................... 13

VII. Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................... 17

References ............................................................................................................... 21

Appendices

A. Workshop Itinerary ..................................................................................... 26

B. Workshop Feedback Form .......................................................................... 28

C. Workshop Flyer .......................................................................................... 29

vii

ABSTRACT

The project, Overcoming Barriers: Taking your Pen to Write for Wellness, was

created to help first-generation college students attending California State University,

Stanislaus to achieve wellness and mindfulness. The writing workshop achieved this

by providing a space for first-generation college student to social network, express

complex emotions and find relief. In collaboration with PEER Project, the workshop

was able to incorporate creative writing and mindfulness as methods aimed to reduce

stress and promote personal growth, and psychological and physical wellbeing. The

PEER Project is a campus-based program on CSU, Stanislaus that promotes mental

health awareness, decreases stigma and prevents student suicide. A literature review

and previous implementation of writing workshops guided the development of this

writing workshop. With the integration of all these elements in the workshop, they

may affect the student’s overall wellbeing along with academic success.

1

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Researchers are consistently finding an increase of suicide rates in college

students, with “academic stress as a leading cause” (Flatt, 2013, para. 5). Students

from ages 18-25 often experience overwhelmingly high levels of stress for a variety

of reasons that can include transitioning from family support to independency,

financial burden, low social support, high academic expectations and living in a

competitive economic environment (Phelps, Crandal, & Juarez, 2013). A National

Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) study (2014) found that, “…more than 40 percent

of college students have felt more than an average amount of stress within the past 12

months” (NAMI, 2014, para. 2). Further, Flatt (2013) explains that current

adolescent suicide rates have tripled in the past 60 years, making it the second leading

cause of death to individuals between the ages of 18 and 24. These findings

demonstrate that more and more college students are experiencing increased stress

levels in today’s society than has been experienced previously by this group.

A University of Cambridge study (n.d.) supported the notion that students are

experiencing higher levels of stress due to academic demands. More specifically, this

study found that students often feel that their academic success is critical to their

sense of personal identity (n.d.). When an individual is academically failing, it can be

a threat to his or her identity and can be seen as "unbearable humiliation" (University

of Cambridge, n.d., para. 6).

2

Stress experienced by college students overall is known to manifest into

mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and psychosis

(Flat, 2013). Research revealed that, “Thirty-one percent of college students have felt

so depressed in the past year that it was difficult to function and more than 50 percent

have felt overwhelming anxiety, making it hard to succeed academically” (NAMI,

2014, para. 3). According to the American College Health Association, in 2011,

college students reported that depression and anxiety were the top impediments to

academic performance (NAMI, 2014).

This project shed light on college students and their mental well-being. The

project focused on first-generation college students’ (FGCS) experiences and

attempted to address this group’s unique sets of challenges. This population not only

experiences the typical stressors of college students, but they often face acculturative

stressors unique to the experience of immigration. Roger-Sirin, Ryce, and Sirin

(2014) found that first-generation immigrant students are more vulnerable to mental

health symptoms due to difficulties and stressors associated with immigrating and

adapting to a new culture. The process of acculturation, experienced by first-

generation immigrant students, may include incongruent expectations of imagining

life in the United States and the actual experience (Roger-Sirin et al., 2014). This

incongruence may cause them to feel elusive, disappointed and discouraged (Roger-

Sirin et al., 2014). Society’s negative attitudes towards immigrants entering the U.S.

may contribute to mental health distress (Roger-Sirin et al., 2014). Roger-Sirin et al.

(2014) discussed that first-generation immigrant students may experience,

3

“…discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudice because of racism, anti-immigrant

attitudes, or a combination of both” and each group of immigrants may encounter

various forms and degrees of them (p. 13).

Roger-Sirin et al. (2014) found that first-generation immigrant youth reported

a higher level of being withdrawn and experiencing depressed symptoms and

acculturative stress than non-immigrant youth. In addition, if the student’s

acculturative stress increased over time, internalizing symptoms also increased

(Roger-Sirin et al., 2014). Thus, not only FGCS experience the “typical” stress of a

college student, they often experience additional stress from various aspects

pertaining to their identity. This combined stress inevitably influences their

psychological well-being. Another study draws the link that acculturated stress is

associated with poorer psychological functioning among Mexican American college

students and it was associated with higher levels of depression compared to anxiety

(Crockett, Iturbide, Torres-Stone, McGinley & Carlo, 2007). Due to limited research,

this study was inferred to first-generation college students to help understand the

effects of acculturated stress to the student’s mental well-being.

4

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

The project started with campus observations noticing a lack of workshops

that engaged students for “in the moment” stress reduction and a social network space

that provided FGCS the opportunity to discuss their stressful life situations and

provide relief. Therefore, the development of a writing workshop was utilized as a

method to address this gap because of the numerous benefits it offers. Research

shows that writing has the benefits of allowing individuals to express stressors, act as

a coping mechanism and an activity that helps to stabilize their emotions (Goldblatt,

Abuhoff, Gaydos, Rose & Casey, 2011).

This writer collaborated with the Prevention, Education, Empowerment and

Relief (PEER) Project to coordinate the writing workshop. PEER Project is a

campus-based program and their mission statement is as follows:

Create prevention and education related activities to eliminate the stigma

associated with mental health issues and reduce risk of student suicide. It is

our mission to empower students to recognize and support individuals who are

at risk on our campus. We aim to increase awareness, promote wellness and

acceptance, as well as create a safe environment in which students can

find relief. (PEER Project, 2014, para. 1)

The creative writing workshop was developed as an early intervention strategy used

in an effort to prevent stress experienced specifically by FGCS. Further, the writing

workshop aimed to empower California State University, Stanislaus FGCS to achieve

5

wellness and mindfulness through expressive writing. This writing workshop’s goals

align well with PEER Project's goal of addressing student mental health through

empowering activities that promote wellness. Therefore, the utilization of the writing

workshop was an intervention strategy used to address the concern of prolonged

stress experienced by FGCS.

The distinctiveness of this project was designed to help FGCS to achieve

wellness and mindfulness through expressive writing. This workshop allowed

students to experience “in the moment” stress reduction and supplemented other

campus workshops that are limited to teaching students “how to cope” or “manage”

their stress.

6

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The main objectives of this project include:

1) Provide an opportunity for FGCS to achieve wellness and mindfulness.

When students are able to understand the healing powers of mindfulness, it can

help students tap into, “one’s emotional landscape and allows one to enhance

one’s understanding, empathy, capacity to accurately analysis and problem-

solving” (Bryant and Wildi, 2008, para. 3). The hope was that participation in

this workshop had positively affected the student’s overall wellness and reduces

stress.

2) Create a safe environment to express ideas and provide emotional relief.

This workshop wanted to allow FGCS to express complex emotions associated

with their academic life and/or life stressors as a first-generation college student,

gain perspective, and nurture one physically, emotionally, mentally, and

spiritually. This workshop hoped to connect FGCS with each other and in this

context, to provide a sense of relief. In addition, the workshop wanted to provide

an opportunity for students to engage in positive and healthy interactions by

sharing different perspectives.

3) Encourage students to utilize writing as a healing process.

This workshop aimed to demonstrate to students that writing can be a healing

process. Research shows that writing can reduce stress and promote personal

growth, and psychological and physical wellbeing.

7

DEFINITIONS

First-generation college students: FGCS is defined as, “those who are in the

first generation of their families to go to college” (Collegeboard, 2014, para. 1).

“Non-native English speakers, immigrants (i.e., born outside of the U.S.), single

parents, and financially independent from their parents” (Stebleton and Soria, 2012,

p.8). This writer wanted to make the distinction that when utilizing the acronym

FGCS was to only include immigrant students and made another distinction when

referring to the entire first generation college students that included non-immigrant

and immigrant students.

Mindfulness: “Mindfulness can be thought of as moment-to-moment, non-

judgmental awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specific way, that is, in the

present moment, and as non-reactively, as non-judgmentally, and as openheartedly as

possible” (Hede, 2010, para. 4).

Wellness: “An active process through which people become aware of, and make

choices toward, a more successful existence”. The National Wellness Institute

includes six dimensions of wellness: emotional, occupational, spiritual, intellectual,

social and physical (National Wellness Institute, 2014, para. 1).

8

LITERATURE REVIEW

The creation of this writing workshop was guided by a literature review. This

literature review included multiple research studies that share relevant and useful

information that helped this writer conceptualize the purpose of this workshop. The

application of campus observations and research findings were successful in ensuring

that the workshop was able to fulfill its goals and objectives.

Research shows that individuals who engage in expressive writing experience

an improvement in their mood and feel less negative (Pennebaker, 2014). Other

experiences associated with expressive writing include a decrease in depressive

symptoms, rumination, and general anxiety, usually the following weeks and months

after writing about emotional upheavals (Pennebaker, 2014). According to Baike and

Wilhelm (2005), individuals who write about trauma or their most upsetting

experiences may find themselves in a negative mood in the days of writing.

However, subsequently they may find it valuable and meaningful. Writing allows

individuals to stop and reflect on their life circumstances; it involves the basic

labeling or acknowledgment of their own emotions (Pennebaker, 2014). When

individuals are able to translate their experience into language, they are able to

conceptualize it (Pennebaker & Chung, 2007). In “language format,” individuals are

able to give the experience meaning, coherence and structure (Pennebaker & Chung,

2007). Eventually an individual’s experience is assimilated and then is resolved or

9

forgotten, which relieves maladaptive effects of “incomplete emotional processing on

health” (Pennebaker & Chung, 2007, pg. 17).

According to Pennebaker and Chung (2007), other benefits of writing include

cognitive changes that make individuals, “…begin to think about and use their social

worlds differently. They talk more; they connect with others differently…” and these

are the factors that influence their ability to take advantage of their social support (p.

23). With cognitive and social changes, there is a decrease in engaging in unhealthy

behaviors and these factors ultimately contribute to emotional benefits: a happier state

of mind, a significant decrease in feeling distress, and long term health benefits

(Pennebaker & Chung, 2007).

Mindfulness was included in this writing workshop for a myriad of reasons.

Stress is known to decrease an individual’s attention span and to disrupt his or her

ability to concentrate (Williams, 2014). However, mindfulness practices over time

enable a person to improve his or her concentration skill and memory, focus better,

and attend to things (Williams, 2014). Research reveals that mindfulness practices

promote personal well-being and allow individuals to live in the here and now, letting

go of repetitive thoughts and worries in the past or future (University of Virginia,

2014). This means that individuals are able to engage in becoming aware of their

thoughts, feelings, and sensations that influence them to make conscious decisions

(University of Virginia, 2014). Furthermore, findings suggest that regular and

sustained mindfulness practices lead to aid the individual in taking control of the

10

mind and developing skills to find “a place of stillness in a frantic world” (Williams,

2014).

Writing has been recognized to benefit various groups from cancer patients to

trauma patients utilizing creative writing to achieve wellness in many ways.

Research reveals that creative art activities such as writing “can accommodate the

experience that disrupted an individual’s ability to cope and express stressors,”

influencing individuals to lean toward art therapy approaches and also benefit from

them (Goldblatt, Abuhoff, Gaydos, Rose & Casey, 2011, p. 104). Goldblatt et al.

(2011) discuss that art therapy allows individuals to explore their inner feelings,

emotions, and experiences when engaged in the creative process. This creates an

opportunity for individuals to see alternative means to coping with the conflict

whether they are derived from intrapersonal, interpersonal, spiritual, sociocultural, or

institutional conflict (Goldblatt et al., 2011). These opportunities provide individuals

the ability to stabilize their emotions and reduce the possibilities of disruptive

behaviors (Goldblatt et al., 2011).

There was limited research pertaining to first-generation immigrant college

student who are using expressive writing as coping mechanism for stress but parallel

research was found on first-generation college students as a whole group who utilized

expressive writing as a method to alleviate stress. Therefore, those findings were

inferred to first-generation immigrant college students. Barry, Hudley, Kelly and Cho

(2009) discuss the need for increased opportunities for FGCS to disclose stressful

college-related experiences with others. Individuals who encounter stressful life

11

events, feel socially isolated and embarrassed, or feel a lack of social support may

also lack the opportunities to disclose and discuss stressful events (Barry et al., 2009).

Research finding shows that the limited opportunities for disclosing stressful life

events may cause individuals to experience long and short-term health problems

along with academic difficulties (Barry et al., 2009). There have been multiple

studies concluding that the act of disclosing stressful life events reduces stress found

across “multiple cultures, languages, ages, educational levels and socioeconomic

statuses” (Barry et al., 2009, p. 57). When the individual discloses stressful life

events it may indicate the opportunity for the individual to disclose his or her

information in a relevant social network (Barry et al., 2009).

The importance of having social networks is beneficial in many ways for this

population; social networks are beneficial in ways of “enhancing the ability to cope

with stress by providing opportunities for discussion and social comparison with

others in similar situations or with experience relevant to a particular situation”

(Barry et al., 2009, p. 57). Secondly, individuals in a relevant social network are able

to cope better through social modeling of others within the group who have achieved

success and are able to navigate through stressful life events (Barry et. al, 2009).

Barry et al. (2009) found that FGCS are less likely to disclose their college life with

family, friends at home and school compared to their counterparts. Therefore, this

finding has many implications that need to be examined. This may mean that FGCS

have less relevant social networks and fewer opportunities to disclose stressful life

events to others (Barry et al., 2009). With the significantly reduced opportunities for

12

disclosing stressful life events, it may lead to impacting stress levels, academic

success and physical health (Barry, et al., 2009). Barry et al. (2009) suggest the need

to provide artificial opportunities for FGCS to disclose their stressful life experiences

related to college and may experience stress reduction as found in another study.

According to Potochnick and Perreira (2010), social support whether it is

internal or external systems is crucial in helping Latino immigrant youths overcome

challenges of immigration and acculturation. Further, data show that social support

and ethnic identity may be protective factors against “development of internalizing

mental health symptoms” (Roger-Sirin et al., 2014). The greater the social support

that these individuals were receiving, the fewer withdrawn depressed and anxious

symptoms (Roger-Sirin et al., 2014). Overall, these studies are able to show the

importance of providing all elements discussed above in order to help this population

achieve wellness. These findings lead to critical implications that schools have to

consider to ensure student wellness and academic success.

13

METHODOLOGY

The following steps were implemented in order to achieve the success of the

writing workshop:

1. This writer collaborated with PEER Project’s program coordinator, Jennifer

Johnson and health education coordinator, Megan Rowe to help coordinate the

project. This writer presented the writing workshop’s purpose and objectives to

Jennifer Johnson. Upon approval, Jennifer Johnson recommended certain

websites to find research that supports this topic of interest.

2. The design of the project, the writing workshop, was guided by a literature review

and implementation of similar writing workshops on campus. The literature

review served as an important aspect of providing insights on which elements and

strategies to include in the workshop to benefit FGCS; it was also crucial in

developing the writing workshop questions and feedback form. This writer

utilized the structure of similar writing workshops that this writer has previously

designed with a faculty member, Yvonne Berenguer, such as the duration,

location, workshop content or activities need for each section, and when to

implement the information. Implementing previous writing workshops were

beneficial in helping this writer identify key points to make this workshop as

effective as possible. Previous student feedbacks provided insights on

constructing the atmosphere for this writing workshop.

3. Once the writing workshop questions, workshop itinerary (appendix A) and

workshop feedback (appendix B) were completed, they were shared to PEER

14

Project’s coordinator, Jennifer and the health education coordinator for approval.

This process ensured that the writing workshop’s content aligns with PEER

Project’s mission statement and to ensure if any other information was needed.

Once the logistics of the workshop were completed, this writer along with Megan

Rowe and PEER Project checked the campus event calendar to confirm an

available time and location for the workshop and submitted a R25 form to the

campus event coordinator to secure reservation for the workshop.

4. This writer communicated with a campus food catering service, Chartwells to

purchase refreshments and ensured that it would be provided during the writing

workshop. The order form was shared to the health education coordinator.

During this time, the writer discussed about the table set-up to ensure the close

and intimate group that the workshop intended to create.

5. Next the workshop flyer (appendix C) was created and sent to Jennifer Johnson

and Megan Rowe for approval. This writer then coordinated with Megan Rowe to

send the flyer to the vice president of faculty affairs and human resources, Dennis

Shimek for approval. Once the flyer was approved, it can be distributed to

Stanislaus students who have access to their campus Google email account.

6. This writer shared the writing workshop’s purpose and objectives to academic

support programs who work with FGCS on campus such as TRIO and Program

for Academic & Career Excellence (PACE). The goal was to educate the

program’s faculty members about the workshop’s purpose so they can distribute

the flyer in the office and recommend students who would benefit from it. The

15

flyer was distributed through the master of social work (MSW) department to all

students in the program via email after approval. In addition, the flyer was posted

on social media, Facebook groups, to outreach to possible FGCS.

7. On the day of the writing workshop, this writer gathered necessary materials.

This writer ensured that the refreshments and workshop arrangement was

accordingly to what was requested. The workshop was facilitated in this order: 1)

an icebreaker game, 2) shared research about the connection between writing with

wellness and mindfulness, 3) implemented a mindfulness activity and journaled

the experience, and 4) the facilitator posed guiding questions with wellness and

mindfulness aspects throughout the entire session and students journaled their

own thoughts. The facilitator encouraged students to share only information they

were comfortable disclosing with the group.

8. Lastly, the student feedback forms were distributed at the end of the workshop to

the students and were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the writing

workshop. This survey contained nine questions, including student’s level of

stress before attending the workshop and student level of stress post-workshop.

Additional questions were around feelings of personal wellness upon completion

of the workshop.

16

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In the writing workshop, Overcoming Barriers: Taking your Pen to Write for

Wellness, three students along with this facilitator attended. The students completed a

self-report questionnaire to evaluate the workshop. All three students reported feeling

a decrease in their stress level from when they had initially come into the workshop

compared to the end of the workshop. All students found the workshop to be helpful

in reducing their stress and found a sense of relief. One of the feedback questions

asked, “Do you think any particular aspect in this workshop helped you reduce

stress?” One of the students responded, “Yes, releasing certain suppressed feelings,

and being able to use this space as an outlet to release the stress carried” and another

student reported, “Writing, I believe was very helpful. The support and speaking of

similar struggles was validating and very helpful in getting rid of some of my stress.”

Overall, the workshop intended to help students achieve wellness when they

attended this workshop by incorporating aspects such as wellness and mindfulness.

In the self-report questionnaire, students were able to reveal insightful information

regarding the workshop. One wellness question was, “Do you feel that this

workshop was able to help you achieve wellness?” One student responded with, “I

do. The reduction of the stress has a really powerful [e]ffect on me and I will continue

to use the skills/tools from this workshop in my life” and another student voiced,

“Yes, I was feeling extremely stressed before I came to the group. This workshop

helped [me to] refocus on what is important. It [has] also helped me interrupt my

17

negative thought process.” All students reported of positive experiences of

mindfulness in the workshop. One student stated, “The opening activity

[mindfulness] was insightful. It planted the seed in me that I will continue to develop

on my path toward better mindfulness.” Lastly, all students found support among

their peers and expressed they would like to continue attending a similar workshop.

One student feedback read,

I think this group was very supportive. I felt more secure about myself after it

was over. I think groups such as this one should be more readily available to

first-generation college students, because I think it would help them get

through some of the barriers and struggles first generation students go

through. (2015)

The review of the feedback forms entailed that more support is needed to ensure

FGCS are able to achieve wellness and may eventually positively affect their

academic success.

Initially, the workshop intended to have at a maximum of 15 students.

However, after implementing the writing workshop with just three students, two of

the three students voiced their preference for the number of students present in the

workshop and commented that having 15 students was still a large group. The

students stated that if the writing workshop had included the original number of 15

students, they would have refrained from sharing personal information. With the

acknowledgement of these concerns, this writer recommends a maximum of six to

eight students per workshop to ensure the intimacy of the group and for comfort level.

18

In reviewing the feedback forms, students mentioned the interest of attending

more writing workshops. During the flyer distribution process, some students

expressed their concerns on Facebook and via email that they would like to attend but

the duration was lengthy therefore it conflicts with class or work. In addition, some

students requested of implementing a writing workshop after work hours such as after

5 p.m. in order to attend. In reference to the literature review for this population and

the student feedback, this writer recommends that the university should provide more

workshops that aim to reduce stress not only for FGCS but the entire student

population.

With consideration to these requests, this writer recommends a writing

workshop that may have multiple sessions over a certain period and decrease the

duration of the writing workshop from three hours to one hour. Future workshops

can be implemented twice per day, one in the afternoon and late evening around six

o’ clock. These changes may promote stronger rapport building throughout each

session and encourage more students to participate in the workshop. The content of

the workshop should continue to have similar themes lasting throughout the

workshop. The hope is that the initial students who attend in the first workshop will

continue to attend all workshops.

REFERENCES

20

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Barry, L. M., Hudley, C., Kelly, M. & Cho, S. (2009). Differences in self-report

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Carlo, G. (2007). Acculturative stress, social support, and coping: Relations

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21

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http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/Pennebaker/Reprints/Penn

ebaker&Chung_FriedmanChapter.pdf

Potochnick, S.R. & Perreira, K.M. (2010). Depression and Anxiety among First-

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10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181e4ce24

Rogers-Sirin, L., Ryce, P. & Sirin, S.R. (2014). Acculturation, acculturative stress,

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461491286-c1.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1425003-p175453934

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Starfire, A. (2012, May 22). A weeks worth of journaling prompt: Breaking through

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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX A

WORKSHOP ITINERARY

Overcoming Barriers: Taking your Pen to Write for Wellness

I. 1:00-1:25pm

Introduction:

Group agreement

Introduce each other

Ice breaker game

Introduce research behind writing and mindfulness aspects integrated

II. 1:25-2:15pm

Mindfulness activity-fruit activity

Journal the experience. Regroup and share.

---Break---

2:15-2:30pm

III. 2:30pm- 3:50pm

Overcoming barriers

1. What is your dream or goal? Why is this a dream or goal, and are

there any barriers stopping you from attaining it (Starfire, 2012)?

2. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is helpless and 10 is empowered,

where would you rate yourself? Include any past or current

experiences, assumptions, values, thoughts, and feelings (Starfire,

2012).

3. Now think back, were there other times in your life when you were

able to successfully overcome any barriers? How did you empower

yourself?

4. What are some decisions you have made recently that may help you

attain this dream or goal?

5. What past judgments or hurts, if any, would you like to let go (Starfire,

2012)?

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6. Now, let the healthy self of you write yourself a letter dated one year

from today (Starfire, 2012).

IV. 3:50pm-4:00pm

Distribute evaluation/feedback form.

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APPENDIX B

WORKSHOP FEEDBACK FORM

1) Are you a first-generation college student? Circle Yes or No

2) What was your level of stress before coming to the workshop today?

(1 = not stressed at all and 10 = extremely stressed)

3) What is your current level of stress on a scale from 1-10

(1 = not stressed at all and 10 = extremely stressed)

4) If you experienced any stress prior to the workshop, what was the primary

reason for your stress?

(e.g. academic, financial, personal circumstances, other)

Please explain.

5) Do you think any particular aspect in this workshop helped you reduce stress?

Please explain.

6) Do you think any particular aspect in this workshop helped you feel a sense of

relief? Please explain.

7) Do you feel that this workshop was able to help you achieve wellness?

Please explain.

8) Do you feel that this workshop was able to help you achieve mindfulness?

Please explain.

9) Do you have any additional comments? This can include improvement for

workshop or changes.

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APPENDIX C

WORKSHOP FLYER