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KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and
Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention Program
Resource Guide
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 K APL AN U NIVE R SITY

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Nelissha Niles

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

05 September 2017

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Table of Contents
UNI T 1 T HE NAT URE OF S T RE SS

Information to Remember ................................................................................................................ 5

Self-Assessment Exercises................................................................................................................. 5
Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................... 6

UNI T 2 T HE P HYS I OLOGY OF S T RES S

Information to Remember ................................................................................................................ 7

Self-Assessment Exercises................................................................................................................. 7
Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................... 8

UNI T 3 P S YCHOLOGY OF S T RE SS

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 11

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

UNI T 4 P E RS ONALIT Y T RAI T S A ND T HE HUMAN S P I RI T U ALI T Y

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 14

Self-Assessment Exercises............................................................................................................... 14
Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................. 15

UNI T 5 DE ALI NG WI T H S T RE SS : COP ING S T RAT E GI ES

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 18

Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................. 19

UNI T 6 RE LAXAT I ON T E CHI QU ES 1: BRE AT HI NG, ME D I T AT I ON,

AND ME NT AL I MAGE RY

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 21

Self-Assessment Exercises............................................................................................................... 21
Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................. 22

UNI T 7 NUT RI TI ON AND S T RE S S

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 25

Self-Assessment Exercises............................................................................................................... 25

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UNI T 8 P HYS I CAL E XE RCI S E AN D ACT I VI T Y

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 27

Self-Assessment Exercises............................................................................................................... 27
Journal Writing ................................................................................................................................. 28

UNI T 9 AP P LYI NG ST RE S S : CRI TI CAL I S S UES FOR MANAGE ME NT

AND P RE VE NT I ON T O YO UR P ROFE S S IONAL LI FE

Information to Remember .............................................................................................................. 30

ADDI T I ONAL I NFORMAT I O N

RE FE RE NCE S

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 1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: A wellness paradigm is “the integration, balance, and harmony of mental,
physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being through taking responsibility for one’s own health”
(Seaward, 2015). The wellness paradigm argues the fact that the four elements of wellness
(mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) are intertwined and all work together to create
wellness.
Key Learning Point: There are three types of stress. Eustress is positive, like from an inspiring
occasion, neustress is the neutral type of stress, and distress is the negative type of stress with
which everyone is familiar. Under the umbrella of (di)stress there is acute stress and chronic
stress (seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is “consists of cultivating awareness of the mind and body and
living in the here and now” (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Mindfulness allows one to be fully
present, which gives them the opportunity to notice things and feelings that they would usually
overlook or ignore.

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Create a personalized mandala which demonstrates the four areas of the wellness paradigm in order
of importance to you. The four areas of the wellness paradigm are: mental, emotional, physical, and
spiritual. Describe the mandala you have created and describe the reason behind your order of
importance and why each area of the wellness paradigm is important to you.

(Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
Unit One Journal Writing

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: “How Stressed Are You?” Directions are

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found on pages 11 and 12 of the Mindfulness workbook. List the situation on the left. Use a

rating scale of 1 through 10 for the start, midway, and end. You will use this Journal

Assignment as a way of mapping your stress throughout the course. Keep it handy and refer

back to it often.

Situation Start Midway End

When I have a lot of work to do in a little bit of time 9 9 8
When people ask me about the future or future plans 7 7 7
When my family is struggling financially and I can’t help 8 8 8
When I feel like I am disappointing my parents 9 9 9
When I feel like I am wasting my life 8 8 10
When I think about everything that’s happening in the world 7 7 6
When I have to talk to new people or in front of people 7 5 6
When I think about all the things I need to do 8 8 6
Looking for jobs 6 4 7
Thinking about my future/following my dreams 7 6 8

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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 2
Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: The Borysenko Model, created by renowned immunologist Myrin Borysenko, is
an outline which lists diseases that are caused by stress as well as diseases that are caused by
immune dysregulation. Some diseases that are caused by an overresponsive autonomic nervous
system (excess stress) are: hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, coronary heart
disease, and asthma (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Neuroplasticity is the term to describe the malleability of the brain and its ability
to form new neural connections as well as generate new cell growth (Seaward, 2015). Meditation
has been scientifically proven to promote neuroplasticity.
Key Learning Point: There are many causes of stress. The most common causes of stress are either
race/gender related, work related, self-worth related, or technology related. A lot of the time,
stress is the product of when the reality of a situation does not match up with preconceived
thoughts about that situation. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Answer the following questions:

1. Describe neuroscience and neuroplasticity. Explain the importance to the brain.

2. Identify and describe five diseases that occur when the nervous system is affected by stress.

3. Identify and describe one disease that occurs with the immune system is affected by stress.

(Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, Explore: How is stress or anxiety affecting

your life? Directions are found on pages 33 through 35 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon

completion of this Assignment, you will take the first step toward greater well-being and

become aware of how stress is impacting your life. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

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Unit

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: The Tibetan perspective of mind and stress is rooted in the notion that stress is
caused by strong attachment to one’s desires. The desire itself is not bad, it’s the expectations and
fears that people attach to their desires that result in stress. “A tamed mind, detachment from
desire, and a connection to the higher mind (higher self) set the stage for healing and inner peace”
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Fear can take many forms. Typically, however, fear presents itself in one of six
ways: failure, rejection, the unknown, death, isolation, and loss of self-dominance. Another thing
to note is that each of the six forms of fear are connected to low self-esteem. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: There are six steps that one can follow in order to improve their face-to-face
communication skills. A few of these steps are: (1)speak with precision, (2)attack issues, not
people, and (3) resolve problems as they come up. Speaking with precision ensures that you will
not be misunderstood. When arguing an issue, attacking the issue instead of the person keeps the
focus on the point of the conversation. Resolving problems immediately as they arise is
preferable because it does not allow for feelings to build up over time, which would make the
situation worse. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Answer the following questions:

1. What can be learned from the Tibetan culture about the mind and stress?

2. What do the views espoused by theorists have in common? Explain your perspective.

3. Describe one or more ways to cope with, manage, and/or resolve fear.

4. Describe a minimum of five ways in which you can improve your communication style.

(Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and

Bringing the Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found on pages 45

and 46 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to

understand the importance of making them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in

relationships with yourself and others around you. This should be a minimum of one full page.

Take some time to write about whatever you came up for you mentally, emotionally, and

physically when doing this practice for the first time.

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 4
Unit

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Self-esteem does have a correlation with the management of stress. People with
low self-esteem view stress and, therefore, manage it from a negative perspective as opposed to
someone with high self-esteem (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is a technique that can also be applied to chronic pain. Becoming
aware of one’s thoughts gives them the power to change their thoughts about a situation
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: There are certain personality types that either promote or resist stress. For
example, people with Type A personalities are more prone to experiencing stress.(Seaward,
2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Answer the following questions:

1. Describe self-esteem and explain what role it plays in promoting and resolving stress.

2. Explain how relationships, values, and meaningful purpose in life are affected by stress.

3. Explain your perspective on the differences between values, attitudes, and beliefs.

4. Take one lifestyle activity [e.g., exercise, smoking] through Prochaska’s Stages of Change
Model.

(Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body.

Directions are found on pages 74 through 77 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of

this Assignment, practice taking a moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any

physical sensations associated with strong emotions. This should be a minimum of three full

pages.

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Unit

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Cognitive restructuring is a type of coping mechanism where the idea is to
“modify internal self-dialogue by tuning into the conversation within the mind” (Seaward, 2015).
The premise of cognitive restructuring is to change one’s perspective of seemingly negative
experiences by first changing their perception of the situation.
Key Learning Point: Prochaska’s Stages of Change is the process of behavior change as developed by
James Prochaska. There are six stages:
1. Precontemplation stage
2. Contemplative stage
3. Determination stage
4. Action stage
5. Maintenance stage
6. Relapse stage
These six stages are unique because failure is included as part of the process instead of expecting
perfection. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Humor is actually beneficial for coping with stress. Comedy reduces emotional
stress by changing the focus from the stressor to a more positive subject. Humor is such an
effective coping technique that it is often used during rehabilitation. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Habitual styles of thinking are mental traps that people unconsciously fall into.
By becoming aware of these habitual negative thought patterns they can be consciously changed.
Some examples of these thought patterns are: catastrophizing, discounting the positive, mind reading,
always needing to be perfect, the “shoulds” (should have: known, done, etc.), and blaming. (Stahl &
Goldstein, 2010).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

Choose from either formal practice: Walking Meditation or Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and

Anxiety. Directions are found on either pages 58 through 60 or 119 through 121 of the

Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of either practice, take a moment to reflect on

whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically. This should be a minimum of

two full pages.

Take some time to write about whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally and physically

when doing this practice for the first time.

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Unit

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the base relaxation techniques. Focusing the
breath into the diaphragm creates a neural relaxing effect; this is actually the same breathing
technique taught in childbirth classes (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The benefits of meditation, after thousands of years, are finally being publicized.
There are many different types of meditation so people can meditate in the style that best suits
them.(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Self-compassion is important to have in order to combat stress. People with high
self-esteem do not stress as much as people with low self-esteem.(Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Answer the following questions:

1. Why is diaphragmatic breathing thought to be an effective relaxation technique?

2. What three steps are important to engage in this technique?

3. What effects does meditation have on the mind and the body?

4. List three ways that imagery and visualization can be useful for realization. Explain why.
(Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Is Your Body-Mind Happy? Directions are

found on pages 151 through 153 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this

Assignment, practice identifying unkind messages you send to yourself and turn it around with

positive affirmations. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

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Unit

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: “Nutrition plays a crucial role in both minimizing and increasing the
physiological arousal of the stress response” (Seaward, 2015). When the body is stressed, it can
use up all available nutrients, which results in poor health.
Key Learning Point: Mental imagery and visualization is a strong mindfulness tool. Since the body
follows the mind, putting the mind into a peaceful state prompts the body to follow (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Stress has been proven to have a negative effect on digestion. It is important to
realize that stress affects the entire body, not just the mind. (Seaward, 2015).
Understanding Your Habitual Patterns
Spend a little time reflecting on any of your own habitual patterns that may be a result of anxiety. For
example do you say things you wish you hadn’t because you were anxious? Do you eat or not eat
when you’re anxious? Do you repeat certain actions or other patterns over and over to get
temporary relief from obsessive thoughts or a racing mind? Take a moment to explore any
habitual patterns that come to mind.
Based on what you come up with, do you engage in certain habitual behaviors that might be adding
to your stress and anxiety? For example, maybe you stay up too late and don’t get a good night’s
sleep. Maybe you eat unhealthy fast food to save time and money or go out to eat too often. Take
a moment to list any habitual behaviors that might be adding to our stress, anxiety, or other
difficulties in life. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Choose from either formal practice: Sitting Meditation or Mindful Lying Yoga. Directions are found
on either pages 87 through 89 or 91 through 107 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of

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either practice, describe your formal practice and take a moment to reflect on whatever came up for
you mentally, emotionally, and physically and explain.
(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Unit

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Exercise is a proven stress reliever. “It seems that the body’s natural inclination,
when confronted with stress, is to move, be active, or exercise” (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: There are six qualities interpersonal mindfulness. These qualities are: openness,
empathy, compassion, equanimity, sympathetic joy, and loving-kindness. These qualities
improve interpersonal relationships by helping to prevent unnecessary conflicts. (Stahl &
Goldstein, 2010).
Key Learning Point: Mind-body practices like yoga and tai chi are not only great forms of physical
exercise, they also exercise the soul. Tai chi and yoga practices are rooted in fostering inner peace
and stillness. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:
Prepare a rationale and expected results from implementing mind/body exercises or practices within
an employee wellness program to reduce stress. Decide on the best programs to offer employers
benefits in reducing stress, having little or no capital outlay [equipment and labor], and describing
associated health benefits. This proposal should consist of a strong rationale, chosen mind/body
exercise programs or practices, capital outlay, and benefits. The proposal should address the
following:

• Assess the role of physical exercise in managing and preventing stress.

• Identify a variety of mind-body practices to improve physiological and psychological well-

being.

• Understand the qualities of interpersonal mindfulness and its use between you and others.

(Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

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 9
Unit

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Hobbies can be very helpful stress-relieving techniques. Hobbies allow people
to “make order out of chaos on a small scale, which often transfers to larger-scale problems”
(Seaward, 2015). Hobbies can also raise one’s level of self-esteem.
Key Learning Point: A lot of stress is caused by holding on to anger and, therefore, can be rectified
by forgiveness. Forgiveness is a coping technique that reduces stress by releasing the attachment
to negative emotions. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is not just a one-time solution. In order for it to be truly effective,
mindfulness must be made into a lifestyle. Meditating for one day is alright, but to really see the
benefits, the practice must become an everyday habit. (Seaward, 2015).

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Additional Information

Walsh, R. (1999). Essential Spirituality: The 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind. New
York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• This book provides more insight into the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. It also
provides different methods to approaching various mindfulness/spiritual techniques.
(Secondary source).

Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

www.umassmed.edu/cfm
• This website is a consortium of many mindfulness resources. The variety of information that
can be found on this website is very beneficial for any type of research. (Secondary source).

Kabat-Zinn, J., A. O. Massion, J. Kristeller, L. G. Peterson, K. Fletcher, L. Pbert, W. Linderking, and

S. F. Santorelli. 1992. Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the
treatment of anxiety disorders. American journal of Psychiatry 149(7):936-943.
• This is a scientific study done on the benefits of meditation. This source has the statistics and
facts of how meditation can benefit the treatment of anxiety disorders. (Primary source).

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 References

Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

www.umassmed.edu/cfm

Kabat-Zinn, J., A. O. Massion, J. Kristeller, L. G. Peterson, K. Fletcher, L. Pbert, W. Linderking, and

S. F. Santorelli. 1992. Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the

treatment of anxiety disorders. American journal of Psychiatry 149(7):936-943.

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.

Walsh, R. (1999). Essential Spirituality: The 7 central practices to awaken heart and mind. New

York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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