stress: critical issues in management and prevention

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KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention Program

Resource Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Taylor Hahn

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

December 15, 2015

Table of Contents

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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 ..................................................................................................................... 4 Self-Assessment Exercises ..................................................................................................................... 4 Journal Writing ...................................................................................................................................... 4,5

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


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


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 ................................................................................................................... 10 Self-Assessment Exercises ................................................................................................................... 10 Journal Writing .............................................................................................................................10,11,12

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 ................................................................................................................... 13 Journal Writing .................................................................................................................................. 13,14

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 ................................................................................................................... 15 Self-Assessment Exercises ................................................................................................................... 15 Journal Writing .................................................................................................................................. 15,16

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 ................................................................................................................... 17 Self-Assessment Exercises ................................................................................................................... 17

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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 ................................................................................................................... 18 Self-Assessment Exercises ................................................................................................................... 18 Journal Writing .................................................................................................................................. 18,19

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 ................................................................................................................... 20

A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N

…………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21

R E F E R E N C E S

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….22

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Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Loss of emotional control is how the Western culture views stress. However,

the East views stress as one’s inner peace. Overall, stress can be caused by any change in one’s

life (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress greatly effects ones physiological system. Examples of responses from

the system are high blood pressure and decrease immune response (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Technology has greatly increased one’s pace of life. Instead of technology

being a leisure activity, technology causes stress by one feeling forced to keep up with the

evolution (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:

The first self-assessment had me assess my current life’s mandala (Seaward, 2015). The

mandala consisted of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual concepts. I ranked each category of

importance based on my current life situations and explained why. At this time, my mandala is still

ranked from physical being my strongest, mental, then emotional, and lastly spiritual.

Journal Writing:

For the first journal, I wrote out different stressful situations. Then, I ranked them based on how

stressful they were before and after they occurred (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Situation Start Midway End

When I have multiple assignments due for each class 9 6 3

When I have to meet a sales quota at work 9 7 4

When I get less than 7 hours of sleep 7 4 2

Coming up on my mom’s 1 year anniversary of her death 10 7 5

When a piece of equipment breaks at work 7 4 2

When I am in a fight with my dad 8 5 3

When I eat out a lot 8 4 2

When I am late to work because of traffic 9 5 3

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Thinking about inheriting the disease that runs in my family 10 9 9

Struggling to make enough money to pay my mortgage 9 8 7

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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress


Key Learning Point: Our body has several backup systems in order to insure survival. Different

systems can last seconds or even weeks. Also, each system is involved in other metabolic

pathways (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Borysenko’s model described how stress-related diseases have two categories.

One category is overresponsive autonomic nervous system such as migraines, and the other is

dysfunctional immune system such as cancer (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Relaxation techniques have been shown to decrease symptoms of stress disease.

An example of a relaxation exercise would be yoga or meditation (Seaward, 2015).


This week’s self-assessment exercise was to describe five disease that occur from the nervous

system in response to stress. Plus, identify one disease that occurs from the immune system as well.

Bronchial asthma, tension headaches, migraines, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and irritable bowel

syndrome were the five nervous system disease I wrote about and asthma was the one I chose for the

immune system (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

Stress and anxiety about people are greatly affecting my life right now. My father has a new

girlfriend since my mother has died not even a year ago. This is very hard for me to process. Also, I

have pressure from all three of my brothers to be okay with my father’s relationship and show them

my feelings are not hurt. Lastly, I have pressure and anxiety from my friends to see them more, but it

is hard when all our schedules are different.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

Work stress and anxiety is affecting my life because new owners just bought the gym I

manage. These owners will not let me perform the tasks I once was. For example, I have to

determine if I want to be the personal trainer or the membership coordinator because I can no longer

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have both roles. It is also stressful to be a work when I know I have so much school work to

complete.

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

Currently, the world is affecting me too. I have been wondering why Americans spend more

time at work than they do with their family. It is stressful to have to work full time, go to school, and

have time for family. But the American mentality is to work our lives away. Also, all the latest

shootings are making me uneasy. It makes me remember that life is too short and you never know

what can happen. I find myself paying attention to my surroundings more.

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

Food does not affect my stress or anxiety too much. The only time it does is when I am out

and about and need to eat. I eat very healthy because I am a personal trainer and really care about

properly fueling my body. So, when I am out of the house and do not have any food present I am

forced to make a decision. I wish there were more to go restaurants that had healthier options.

Instead, when this does happen I end up at a grocery store buying sushi or a salad. Overall, I always

try to bring food from home or meals that I have prepared to avoid this problem.

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

Sleep stress and anxiety affects my life tremendously. Caring so much about my body I need

at least eight hours of sleep a night. If I do not get eight hours of sleep my whole mood and body is

out of sync. So, if I go to bed at night and I cannot get eight hours, it really stresses me out, and I

count the maximum amount of hours I can get. Work, school, and family once again make this task

hard to achieve each night, but that does not stop me from trying.

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

Exercise actually does not cause any stress or anxiety for me. Being a personal trainer, I love

working out and have a plan each week that I follow. I rarely have a day where I struggle getting to

the gym. In fact, I struggle taking rest days to let my body recover. So, to me working out is my

stress relief and I look forward to rewarding my body each day.

Summary

Overall, it was important to recognize where my stress and anxiety comes from. I need to

remember to take time to do mindful check-ins. For example, before jumping out of bed each

morning, I could take five minutes to collect my thoughts and start with a calm self before rising

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Also, I need to learn to block things out when I am able to. Another

example would be turning off my work email when having dinner with my family (Stahl & Goldstein,

2010). Last but not least, I definitely need to focus more on being in the moment. I need to recognize

when my mind is racing thinking about everything I need to accomplish for the rest of the day or

week. It is at times like that I need to refocus on the present (Seaward, 2015). In the end, it was eye

opening to complete this journal to realize where all my stress is placed, and how I can overcome it

daily by being in the moment.

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Unit 3: Psychology of Stress


Key Learning Point: Problems and unexpected situations are bound to occur in one’s life. However,

many theories have shown that self-awareness and self-acceptance are becoming the most

beneficial coping skills one can have (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Fear occurs due to actual or imagined exposure to physical or mental pain.

Coping and relaxation techniques are encouraged to help one manage fear because if fear is left

unresolved it can slowly build up to depression (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: There are several communication techniques, now-a-days technology causes one

to use screens to communicate and lacks face to face. Since, one cannot hear voice tone behind a

screen, miscommunications are more likely to occur. One may even use texting to avoid voice

conversations (Seaward, 2015).


This week’s self-assessment dealt with how the Tibetan culture uses the mind perspective to deal

with stress. The Tibetan culture believes that a devoted mind can ignore the desire and find his or her

higher self, and negative stress is the mind desiring something that it simply cannot have (Seaward, 2015).

Also, I assessed how to improve my own communication in order to avoid miscommunication and stress

with others.

Journal Writing:

By completing the five minute mindfulness meditation, I learned a lot about myself and my

personality. First, I started the mindfulness meditation sitting up, but I realized that I was more

focused on my back and posture than my breathing. So, I decided to lie down. This was much more

comfortable and beneficial for me. At first, I had a hard time focusing. I would take four mindfulness

breaths and then start thinking about how much more homework I had to complete. But, following

the guidelines, I acknowledged where my thoughts went and regained focus on my breathing (Stahl &

Goldstein, 2010). Throughout the meditation, my thoughts also went to work and family stress as

well. But, about half way thorough, I had total focus on my breath. After the meditation, I felt so

relaxed and at peace with my current life.

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I would like to perform the meditation more, but for now I have set a goal of at least three

times a week. Now, I have noticed when I have anxiety at work or stress with family, I tend to

gravitate towards mindfulness meditation at that given moment. By doing this, I am controlling my

body to not stress out or say something I don’t mean. These benefits have caused me to have a more

positive vibe when at work or home when I would normally be uneasy.

Learning to focus on myself brings me to the present and makes me question what truly

matters at this given moment. I enjoyed having the beach reference of waves during the meditation

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I have always correlated the beach with my happy spot because it is so

breath-taking. There is something so calming about those waves and that ocean that seems to go on

forever. By doing this mindfulness meditation, referencing the ocean, and focusing on my breath it

makes me remember these “problems” I think I am having are irrelevant in the grand scheme of

things. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this exercise and plan to continue it as because it has calmed my

nerves and brought me to the present moment. I have noticed a tremendous difference in my health in

such a short amount of time by performing the meditation.

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Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality


Key Learning Point: One can either have a stress prone or stress resistant personality. An example of

stress prone would be Type A personality and stress resistant would be sensation seeker

(Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Spirituality is becoming a more accepted term in the Western culture. Centering,

emptying, grounding, and connecting are themes to help one grow his or her spirituality. These

themes can also be connected to the changing seasons (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Behavior modification programs are designed to help one achieve assertiveness.

Once assertiveness is achieved, self-esteem will increase. It is important one understands relapse

may occur, but one should then restart the program where he or she left off (Seaward, 2015).


This week I researched how people who have self-punishing tendencies lower their self-esteem or

have low self-esteem by practicing excessive sleeping, drinking, sleeping and even cutting themselves

(Seaward, 2015). If one is down on themselves, he or she may not be practicing stress management

techniques, and when the stress becomes worse so does his or hers self-esteem. But, those who have high

self-esteem are more apt to realize when stress is occurring and take measures to reduce it because he or she

does not like when self-esteem lowers (Seaward, 2015). Relationships, values, and purpose are all affected

by stress and those with higher self-esteem were more resilient. Lastly, I applied Prochaska’s stages of

change model to help one overcome a sedentary lifestyle (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

For fear, I feel these feelings in my heart, mind, and stomach sometimes simultaneously. I get

a pit in my stomach, my heart feels heavy, and my mind is running in circles. Just reading the words

made those parts of my body feel the emotions. School and work stress is what comes to mind when I

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read those traits. Since I am so close to graduating, these feelings are definitely more present than

usual. Overall, I have definitely felt every one of those emotions at one point in time.

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

Uncertain and puzzled are the ones that I could relate to the most out of the confusion list.

Those feelings are felt mainly in my mind. My mind changes its direction or intention a lot and at

those moments, I feel puzzled and uncertain. Also, I find my eyebrows constantly raised when these

emotions occur. The time that comes to mind, is when I wanted to change my major when I only had

one year left in dental hygiene school. I felt all those emotions for a while debating if I made the right

choice or not.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

Once again, I have felt all of those emotions at one point or another. The time or image that

comes to mind is when I lost my job. I was envious of everyone that still got to keep theirs, and I was

irritated that I felt like I had to start my life over. These emotions were felt in my entire body. For

example, my hands, shoulders, and fist clenched together and tensed up. I could also feel my heart

begin to beat abnormally fast. Lastly, my mind was constantly wandering and my limbs were all so

tense while feeling these emotions.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

For the emotions of sadness, I have felt each of these emotions too. The time that comes to

mind was losing my mom to a brutal disease. It took me a while to grieve and no longer feel all these

emotions at once. The main body part I felt these emotions was in my heart and mind; however, I

also felt my shoulders droop and eyes water constantly. I just felt lethargic and couldn’t believe this

happened to me while I was grieving.

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

Again, I felt all these emotions when I lost my job. These feelings resonated in my mind. I

thought everyone felt embarrassed and humiliated for me because of the situation. Because I thought

that’s what others felt for me, I began to feel them for myself too and felt I couldn’t speak with any of

my old coworkers. As far as other parts of my body, I noticed I would cross my arms and close off

my entire body.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

These emotions are always felt towards my partner and my dog. That is the exact image that

comes to mind when I read these emotions. I feel these emotions mainly in my heart and soul. Since

they are embedded in my heart for my partner and my dog, I then do physical and emotional acts to

let them know how much they mean to me. I also long to feel these feelings in return as well. My

body language is never tense when these emotions are present. Plus, I am constantly smiling when

these emotions take over.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

Emotions of joy resonate in my mind. I have felt all of these too at one point or another.

Recently, I felt them at the charity event I hosted. The charity event is for a disease close to my

family, and without any previous experience or knowledge of charity events, I planned and executed

one. It was just our third annual bowl-a-thon last weekend and was once again was a huge success.

When people show these feelings towards me, the feelings are resonate in my heart. For these

emotions as well, my body language is welcoming and a smile is always plastered on my face.

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SUMMARY

This body scan was very interesting to conduct on myself. I have felt majority of the emotions

listed above at one point in my life. Some have difficulty understating where his or her emotions lie

in their body (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). But I do not think I have that problem. I feel I am in touch

with where my emotions come from and where they resonate in my body. Majority of the emotions I

feel in my heart and mind but then based on the emotion my body language is affected.

One thing that this body scan and chapter taught me, is how to use the body scan to stop these

emotions from snowballing into something larger (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). For example, when I

feel my fists and shoulder clench during angry emotions, I should take the time to back away and take

some deep breaths. By doing so, I don’t let the emotions of anger control me and potentially make

me regret something I say or do.

Also, the body scan reminded me not to confuse thoughts with emotions (Stahl & Goldstein,

2010). I cannot let myself say “I am unworthy” and then begin to feel those emotions. Since my

family did not show or discuss emotion a lot, that made want me to do the opposite even more. So, I

have always been known as the black sheep in the family because I refuse to allow my emotions to be

bottled up. I wear my emotions on my sleeve because I do not think it is healthy to not express

yourself, but of course doing so in an appropriate manner.

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies


Key Learning Point: Toxic thoughts can suppress one’s immune system. So, it is important that one

tries to adopt a new perspective when possible. But, if a new perspective cannot be adopted, one

should focus on acceptance of the situation and simply go with the flow (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Studies suggest that laugher and health have an established positive relationship.

This is due to humor and laugher promoting mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being

(Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Calendars and time were created to promote organization. However, now

people feel like they are constantly booked and working which is causing stress. It is important

people realize personal satisfaction is very important, and time should be made for that as well

(Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:

For the unit five journal, I chose to participate in the walking meditation exercise. This exercise

consisted of a ten minute CD, nature, my emotions, and my physical body (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). The

benefit of this exercise is for one to slow down and truly experience the movement of walking one step at a

time.

I chose to walk outside in my backyard. My backyard buts up to a nature preserve, so as I was

walking out a family of deer passed by. Also, since it is fall time, the smell of crisp leaves filled my

nostrils. I did not taste anything in particular, but I did notice my attention wanted to be placed on school

and work. Plus, other things I had to accomplish for the day. Next, it was my job to focus on feeling my

body shift the weight to get one foot in front of the other. The CD wanted me to feel the force it took to

plant each foot in front of the other. A tingling sensation over took each foot because of how cold it was

outside when I was performing the exercise. I also noted I prefer my hands to be freely at my sides when I

walk. When I got to the point where I had to turn around and walk back, I felt prepared. It was about 30

steps one way, and I began to feel in touch with my emotions for the next 30 steps. I felt more aware of the

nature around me and aware of how my body was moving.

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I noticed the first 30 steps were the hardest. I had to work to push all my stressful thoughts out of

my mind and body. However, I do believe it was easier to do that because I was focusing on feeling my

body move and the nature around me. Before I did this exercise, I read the chapter, and learned the

acronym STOP. STOP stands for stop, take a breath, observe, and proceed (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). So,

that is exactly what I followed when I had unwanted thoughts take over. I greatly enjoyed performing this

exercise in a scenic and nature’s location. By doing so, I gained my more respect for what my body does

for me each day. Also, how easy it is to lose your mind when outside in nature. Overall, I have never

performed something like walking meditation before, but I felt a mind body benefit and will definitely

perform it again.

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Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery


Key Learning Point: In every culture, breathing is seen as a relaxation technique. Diaphragmatic

breathing or “belly breathing” promotes forced concentration and in return decreases stress and

chronic pain. This breathing can be performed anywhere for any amount of time (Seaward,

2015).

Key Learning Point: Regular meditation has been shown to decrease resting heart rate, blood

pressure, and resting ventilation. Meditation also reduces stress and may prevent diseases.

Lastly, meditation is involved in all relaxation techniques (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Studies show that mental imagery has been shown to decrease chronic pain,

especially in combination with other stress reduction techniques. This is due to mental imagery

promoting healing of the mind, body, and soul (Seaward, 2015).


This week I described and attempted diaphragmatic breathing. This breathing is best described as

controlled breathing which starts in the lower stomach or diaphragm. Diaphragmatic breathing is said to

restore one’s energy effortlessly. Combined with meditation and images, one can achieve a positive mind

and body connection (Seaward, 2015). With today’s world being constantly filled with technology and

stress, it is recommended one take at least five minutes a day to perform meditation or diaphragmatic

breathing, by doing that one will begin to notice reduced stress levels (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:

Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

I am way too hard on myself. For example, I have worked very hard to achieve a 3.98 grade

point average, but when people congratulate me I say thanks, but I should have a 4.0. Why am I not

overjoyed with a 3.98 grade point average? I work full time, go to school full time, and I still spend

time with my family. Also, I have just started a new work position and am very nervous. Instead of

reminding myself I am qualified and I can do this, I am already going into it with a negative attitude.

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I have accomplished a lot in my life for only being 22. So, when people remind me of these

accomplishments, I have a hard time accepting their compliment. I need to realize it is okay to say I

am awesome and I am rocking at life. These negative thoughts definitely take place due to stress.

When these thoughts occur, I instantly feel more lethargic. It is my goal to start appreciating myself

much more. Even if that means writing a positive note on a post-it and putting it on my mirror. It is

the little things that will help in the long run.

Seeds of suffering?

I am guilty of watering my suffering seeds. If I did not water these seeds, I think my mindset

would definitely be different. For example, if I stopped watering my own seeds, I think a more

positive attitude would come about (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I think I would tell myself more

positive and encouraging words. Then, I think my positive attitude would translate to my attitude

towards others as well. I am going to try to catch when I am watering my own seeds and attempt to

change the attitude as soon as it starts.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

An example of a person I have had difficulty with is my father’s new girlfriend. She is not

very polite to me, and I believe it is because of how close my father and I are. I’m sure it challenges

her to have a great relationship with me because it is what my dad really wants. In her defense, I am

sure it is hard to communicate with me because she knows she will never replace my mom. I bet

these challenges stress her out and cause a behavior she normally would not have towards me. Plus, I

am sure she has other challenges she is dealing with all at the same time as trying to form a

relationship with me.

Someone that presses my buttons would be my boss. I feel like I am constantly talked down

to, when in fact I have years more of experience. I need to bring an open heart when I have

conversations with him (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I believe he is intimidated because I am much

younger, and he just started a trade he has no prior experience with. He might even feel that I will not

respect his authority, but that is definitely not the case. I need to bring a beginner’s mind and realize

how much pressure he is probably under. I will put myself in his shoes, rather than just being

frustrated with him. It is simply not necessary to resent him for doing his job.

Reflection on writing?

By doing this exercise, it helped me realize where my negative feelings arise from. I should

not let these feelings dictate or direct my attitude. It is my responsibility to be mindful of my feelings

and turn them around. For example, by writing and summarizing my day-to-day resentment, I realize

the approach I should take towards someone I might find to be difficult (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Also, I am aware that some may find me difficult as well. By watching how my mind interacts I can

avoid fueling unhappy thoughts. This will also help to get rid of my lethargic feeling that comes over

when unhappy feelings occur. Overall, this exercise has really helped me to assess my feelings.

In the end, there is no reason for me not to be proud of myself. I should take time to reflect on

how far I have come and where I am going. It is important to reward my mind and body with positive

thoughts because I deserve it. There is no need for me to compare myself to anyone else because I am

truly unique to the universe.

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Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress


Key Learning Point: Physical exercise mimics the body’s flight or fight response for survival.

Frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise are very important factors in order to see results.

Body benefits can take between six to eight weeks to see after starting physical activity (Seaward,

2015).

Key Learning Point: Exercise has been shown to reduce heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension

and much more. Also, regular exercisers see a reduction of depression and are said to have

higher self-esteem (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: It is common for people to use food as a stress escape mechanism. Food is fuel

for the body, so proper nutrients should be consumed. One should resort to other relaxation

techniques when stress occurs, not over eating (Seaward, 2015).


This week I learned mindful lying yoga. Mindful lying yoga is a combination of breaths,

movements, posture, thoughts, and emotions. A few of the poses I thoroughly enjoyed were supine

twist, bridge pose, child’s pose, and lastly corpse pose. These poses were so easy to remain mindful

in and greatly stretched my body (Stahl and Goldstein, 2010). After practicing mindful lying yoga, I

would definitely participate in it again because of the mind, body, soul connection I felt.

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Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity


Key Learning Point: Yoga refers to the union of the mind, body, and spirit. Hatha yoga balances the

sun and the moon. This yoga is the most common practiced in the United States, and combines

meditation and physical exercise (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: T’ai Chi ch’uan causes universal energy flow through physical activity. The

Chinese believe that this type of activity reduces blockages and congestion. Then in return, it

reduces the risk to pathogens (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: In order to increase one’s health, consumption of caffeine, sugar, sodium, and

fats should be reduced or eliminated. By doing this, the body’s immune system will increase and

stress will reduce. One is encouraged to eat a variety of fruit, vegetables, and grains to benefit the

mind and body (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:

For the last self-assessment exercise, I developed a workplace wellness plan. My workplace

wellness plan consisted of establishing a relationship with a local gym. The gym could help develop a

weight loss goal for the company to achieve together, or even a workout for the company to perform each

day. Last but not least, the gym could provide employees with nutritional advice such as nutritious lunches

to have at work. The employees are encouraged to find coworkers to workout with either before or after

work and even better on lunch break. By working out several times a week, the employees stress level will

be reduced and many disease can be prevented such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and much more

(Seaward, 2015). Last but not least, employees are also less likely to have an energy crash, stress out less,

and have a better attitude towards themselves and others (Stenson, 2005). All in all, those benefits are well

worth establishing a wellness company for to promote a better environment.

Journal Writing:

OPENNESS: When I think of openness, I think of being able to see another person’s point of view

or perspective. For example, I may find someone difficult, but I still need to see how he or she came up

with their perspective. By opening up my heart and mind, I may even change my perspective, too. It is

very important to not be standoffish to anyone.

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EMPATHY: One person I really care about is my girlfriend, and empathy was one of the traits that drawn

me to her. I love to talk, and she effortlessly understood my feelings and shared some advice. Whether the

topic was school, work, or family she would truly listen and felt what I was feeling. You could just see it in

her heart and soul, and she taught me how to express my own empathy as well.

COMPASSION: Once again, my girlfriend’s compassionate attitude caught my eye right away. She

participates in tons of charity events and helps out at the homeless shelter. She has a huge concern for the

misfortune of others, and now I attend the charity events as well. I feel it is part of my responsibility as a

human being. A compassionate personality is contagious, and I try to pass that on to others as well now.

LOVING-KINDNESS: For this quality, some find it hard to express to those who he or she may have

difficulties with. I do not find this hard because I could never wish harm or fear no matter how difficult

someone is. Like the example said, imagine the difficult person as your child or family member (Stahl &

Goldstein, 2010). Could you still not show loving-kindness to them? If more people thought like than more

kindness would appear.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: This quality is the opposite of jealousy or resentment (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I

think of my mom for this quality because she grew up very poor and was made fun of a lot. For example,

for prom, she had to wear her mom’s old wedding dress because the family just had no money. She was so

thrilled. She did not have jealousy over any of the girls that got to buy a new dress because she was so

humbled to wear her mom’s. This is just an example of how anyone can have inner joy. It is a choice one

should chose.

EQUANIMITY: This quality is to give balance in understanding someone else (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Once again, if I don’t find myself practicing this quality to someone, I need to imagine him or her as my

child or family. There is no need to treat someone differently based on my judgement of them. An

unpleasant attitude could transfer onto another person very easily. So, instead I need to practice

consideration for everyone I encounter each day.

In the end, it was easy to think of someone I love when assessing these characteristics. That is

something I need to do each time I encounter someone I find difficult. The truth is I do not know what

anyone is going through and I do not need to add any stress. Thinking about these traits made me

remember times loved ones showed these characteristics. By my loved ones showing these characteristics,

they transferred to me as well. All in all, channeling these traits from past experiences and this exercise will

cause me to have healthier relationships.

20

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life


Key Learning Point: It is important for one to have a group of supportive friends he or she can rely

on. This will help with one’s health in regards to having someone to lean on during stressful

situation, and for times of laughter. Also, it is important for technology to be eliminated when in

the company of these supportive friends (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: A hobby is an interest one likes to pursue outside of his or her normal routine.

An example of a hobby could be photography, gardening, and much more. Hobbies are said to

boost ones confidence by transferring chaos and focusing on something else (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: One may view his or her dreams as bizarre, but dreams consist of information

received during the previous or current day. Reoccurring dreams represent unresolved issues in

one’s life, so one may consider recording a dream journal to reflect upon (Seaward, 2015).

Unit

9

21

Additional Information

The article “exercise may make you a better worker” was very resourceful for informative

studies related to the benefits of exercise and working. It showed how important it is to have a mind,

body, and soul connection. Also, it showed ways exercise can be fit into the work day in order to gain

health benefits (Stenson, 2005). This was a secondary source.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website was a very useful resource for

overcoming barriers to exercise. Also, it was a useful reference for how many disease could be

prevented by exercise. Lastly, this website gave up-to-date statistics on the obesity epidemic (Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). This was also a secondary source.

Another beneficial secondary website is the American Health & Wellness Association. Their

overall goal is to raise the importance of a healthy lifestyle by educating, providing a membership,

and giving tips on health and wellness solutions. Without paying for a membership, there are still

plenty of complimentary articles on how to include physical fitness and meditation into one’s lifestyle

(American Health and Wellness Association, 2012).

The ‘Fit To Be Well’ book was also a secondary source that had a wealth of information in

regards to stages of change. It gave specific step by step examples of what someone goes through

when wanting to get rid of a negative behavior. Lastly, the book showed just how one can recover

from a temporary relapse (Thygerson & Thygerson, 2013).

Lastly, the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America provides very useful articles and

videos for all things mind, body, and soul related. The videos range from meditation, muscle

strengthening, yoga, and cardiovascular activities. The videos also provide explanation for why the

activities are beneficial. One can also become specialized in different health and wellness

certifications through this secondary website (Aerobic and Fitness Association of America, 2015).

22

References

Aerobic and Fitness Association of America. (2015). Fitness: Theory & Practice. Retrieved from

iiiiiiiii http://www.afaa.com/

American Health & Wellness Association. (2012). About us. Retrieved from http://us-ahwa.org/

iiiii membership.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, February 16). Overcoming barriers to physical

activity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/getactive/barriers.html

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.

Stenson, J. (2005, July 12). Exercise may make you a better worker. Retrieved from

iiiiiiihttp://www.nbcnews.com/id/8160459/ns/health-fitness/t/exercise-may-make-you-better-

worker/#.VjwGU7erTIU

Thygerson, A. L., & Thygerson, S. M. (2013). Fit To Be Well (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones &

Bartlett Learning.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8160459/ns/health-fitness/t/exercise-may-make-you-better-

stress: critical issues in management and prevention

Health & Medicine