KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention

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Program Resource
Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Rhonda Williams

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Date of Assignment:
March 6, 2018
Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember........................................................................3
Self-Assessment Exercises.......................................................................3
Journal Writing.........................................................................................4

UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember........................................................................5
Self-Assessment Exercises.......................................................................5
Journal Writing.........................................................................................6

UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS

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

UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY

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

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES

Information to Remember......................................................................15
Journal Writing.......................................................................................15

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

AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY

Information to Remember......................................................................18
Self-Assessment Exercises.....................................................................18
Journal Writing.......................................................................................18

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

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

Information to Remember......................................................................22
Self-Assessment Exercises.....................................................................22
Journal Writing.......................................................................................23

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

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

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

ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N

REF EREN CES

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Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Eastern philosophies believe stress is the absence of inner peace. Western
philosophies view stress as a loss of emotional control. However, the holistic definition of stress is the
inability to cope with perceived threat to one’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being,
which results in a series of physiological responses and adaptation (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress and 80 percent of
all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders. The influence of
stress weakens the body’s physiological systems and can rapidly advance the disease process.
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is a term developed by Hans Selye. GAS is
a process by which the body tries to accommodate stress by adapting to it. (Seaward, 2015).
Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment without
judgment to deal with the stress and pain of the current situation (Stahl, 2010)

Self-Assessment Exercise:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a self-awareness of stress reactions
on an individual basis. This exercise helped me to establish my own health and
wellness philosophy in the form of a mandala. According to Seaward (2015), a
mandala demonstrates the weight of the four components of a person’s well-
being, which is spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. I am a Christian and my
faith guides me through stressful situations. My mandala reveals that my wellness
philosophy is 50 percent spiritual, 16.6 percent mental, 16.6 percent emotional
and 16.6 percent physical.

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Journal Writing:
How Stressed Are You?

Situation Start Midw End

ay
When I need to gather documents to file 8 6 5
income taxes
I need to find a new home within 90 days 8 8 2
When I gain weight and need to start a new 5 3 3
exercise plan
When I fail to meet my sales quota 8 6 4
When my homework assignments are due 7 7 5
Sunday nights when my household chores are 5 1 1
not complete
When I am running late for work 4 2 1
When I have to prepare a sermon for the 7 2 1
nursing ministry
Having a one on one conversation with my 3 1 1
manager

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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

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Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: According to Stahl (2010), practicing mindfulness causes healthy changes in the
brain. Mindfulness brings focus to whatever is happening in the moment, which means it is only in
the present moment that you can make changes. This focus opens your awareness to the imbalance
and any habitual tendencies attached to it. In this moment, an individual can make better decisions
that foster wellness and balance.
Key Learning Point: Neuroscience is best described as the study of how the nervous system is
structured, develops and how it behaves. (Seaward, 2015) Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to
reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Without this ability, any brain,
not just the human brain, would be unable to develop from infancy through to adulthood or recover
from brain injury (Banks, 2016). Neuroplasticity can occur when an individual practice meditation
over time.
Key Learning Point: Chronic stress can reduce our immune system’s ability to fight off antigens, the
harmful invaders that can make us ill. According to Iliades (n.d.), research shows that those exposed
to chronic stress increases their vulnerability to infectious and autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
The immune system can be best described as a police force and its job is to shoot bad guys like
viruses and bacteria.

Self-Assessment Exercise:

This self-assessment exercise measures physical symptoms and the overall

picture of health. In this assignment, I identified and described five diseases in
the nervous systems that is affected by stress which includes Parkinson’s disease,
Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and
Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, I described how lupus can affect an individual’s
immune system when plagued with chronic stress. (Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

It is hard for to admit that I have anxiety about how I look to other people.

I believe I am a confident person. I am not shy. I do not have issues with public

speaking or meeting new people. However, I am quite concerned about I am

perceived by others. I do not leave the house without wearing makeup. I always

have my hair in place. If I feel as if I am not looking good on a certain day, then

I feel quite insecure. I come to realize that I have been highly critical of myself

in how I look. I am constantly starting and stopping diets to lose weight.

Although I am healthy and have no complications, I want to be rid of this critical

mindset I have about myself.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

Currently, I am a Real Estate Broker Associate; which means my income is

100% commission based. There is a great deal of stress involved in being a part

of a real estate transaction for weeks or months; not knowing if it will close and

result in being paid. Real Estate professionals are not paid for their invested

time, money, and expertise until the closing. There are so many factors that may

cause a deal to go wrong. The seller may change their mind A major storm

could damage the property before closing. The buyer’s financial situation may

change and they cannot close on the deal. The buyer may walk away after the

property inspection because too many repairs are needed. Right now, I am

financially stable. However, if the economy collapse or if interest rates go up,

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then that can affect my sales and it will impact my income. Therefore, I have to

careful how I spend money at all times.

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

The perception of danger in the world causes me to be careful about how

I live my life and who I interact with. I am single with no children and I am in

my 40s. I am single because I am very picky about the men I am intimate with. I

see news stories about domestic abuse and fraudulent acts and it impact my

views on casual dating. It may take me longer than they next woman to decide

to date a man. In addition, I do not go to certain places because of the

perception of danger, such as night clubs and I rarely go out in the evenings. I

have become more a homebody and it is impacting my ability to potential meet

new men to establish a new relationship.

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

I am constantly aware of food, its macro-nutrients, and calorie count. I am

quite mindful of the foods that are good and bad. I try very hard to stay away

from processed foods, coffee, sugar, bad fats, and dairy. However, I love these

foods and too often, I lose the battle and give in. I am always trying to balance

how to eat healthy and get away with eating the bad food that I love without

gaining weight or experiencing negative health symptoms, such as bloating,

acne, fatigue, or catching a cold/flu. However, I have gained weight as a result

of eating too many of the bad/processed foods.

How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your

life?

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 I aim to sleep at least 7 hours per night, but usually, I fall short. Most

nights, I get approximately 6 hours of sleep. I usually find it difficult to go to

bed before midnight. Therefore, I normally wake up later than I planned and

feeling a bit groggy.

How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity

affecting your life?

Every week I aim to work out at least 30 minutes per day. My goal is to

work out in the morning and perhaps take a walk after dinner. Normally, I

oversleep because I go to bed too late and I don’t have enough time to work out

in the morning. In the evening, I am too busy or lack the energy to complete a

workout. This has led to me gaining weight in recent years.

Summary

I truly learned a lot about myself in this journal exercise. I can see the

fears, anxiety, and destructive patterns that are affecting my life. Seeing this in

black and white is quite liberating and cathartic. This was not an easy exercise

for me. However, I am happy that I did it. I will be mindful of the pitfalls in my

daily life and will make incremental changes toward my goals.

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Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

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Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Fear is based on an actual or vicarious exposure to physical or emotional pain.
Those fears that enable a person to avoid life-threatening situations are called useful stress, while
those that are exaggerated or immobilize the individual are deemed useless fears. It is the latter,
irrational fears that are targeted for change (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The rise in using emails, text messaging, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook has led
to more impersonal communication styles. According to Seaward (2015), it has added stress to our
communication because this mode of communication may be shunned by older individuals. This can
result in miscommunication because the styles are incompatible.
Key Learning Point: The Tibetan culture explains stress as the tensions between the self (ego) and the
greater mind (higher self), with desired outcomes pointed to as the specific cause of this tension
(Gregoire, 2014). The ego part of our mind needs taming so that the smaller mind can connect with
the higher mind to reach one’s full potential. Meditation is viewed as a means to “tame the ego” and
develop the mind’s potential (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a self-awareness of stress-prone and stress-resistant
personalities and identifying obstacles or roadblocks on the path to human
spirituality. This assignment describes what we can learn from Tibetan culture on
the effects of stress on the mind. In addition, this paper examines methods of
managing and or resolving fear which includes systematic desensitivization
exposure and desensitivization (Seaward, 2015).

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Journal Writing:
My mindful-breathing journey began with me sitting in my office chair. I closed

my eyes, placed my hands on my abdomen. I played chapter 3 of the

meditation CD that came with the stress reduction workbook. The

instructor’s voice was very soothing. I could not help but focus on his

voice. Then, I followed his instructions to focus on my breathing. I

breathed in and out; allowing the ebb and flow to happen. I began

thanking God for the breath in my body. I began thinking that if I did not

have this breath, then my body would literally fall to the ground. I

thanked God that His breath is what allows the blood to flow through my

veins and it gives me life. Without it, I would cease to exist.

I noticed I was breathing through my nose and my breathing was shallow.

Also, I began to recognize the size of my belly. I rarely sit with my hands on my

stomach and I began thinking I need to lose this belly. After a brief moment of

criticizing myself, I brought my mind back to my breathing. I took and deep

breath and I felt my stomach flatten. I realized, beforehand, I was breathing

from my abdomen and out of my nose, which made my breath shallower and

more rapid. Then, I began breathing from my abdomen and out of my mouth

and my felt more oxygen flowing to my head.

Next, my mind shifted to a co-worker and some advice I had given her

yesterday. I recalled a moment of the conversation, and then I told myself to

focus on my breathing. Physically, I recognize I was not relaxing my face and my

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shoulders were rising. So, I took a deep breath and relaxed my face and my

4
Unit

shoulders. My back was straight and my felt relief in in this posture.

When the man’s voice mentioned the time was up, I was surprised. I

expected the time to go by slowly, but it went by rather quickly. I am happy to

see that I can sit still and meditate on the here and now without too many

distractions. I expected my mind to wander more than it did. I plan to use this

audio everyday to bring my mind, body, and soul into balance.

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: When a person experiences stress, it can affect their relationships, values, and
purpose in life. According to Gordon (2017), when people are stressed, they become more withdrawn
and distracted, and less affectionate. They also have less time for leisure activities, which leads to
alienation between partners. Therefore, stress can cause harm to a person’s relationships.
Key Learning Point: Values, that are adopted consciously or unconsciously, lay the developmental
groundwork for personality traits and behaviors. They form a structure for self-validation and
development of moral judgment of right and wrong. If anything conflicts with our values, then it can
cause stress. These shifts are called value conflicts, and they can result in a great deal of stress
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Self-esteem is the foundation of one’s self-values, self-acceptance, and self-
love. It is considered to be a forceful buffer against perceived threats. According to Seaward

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 (2015), self-esteem appears to be a critical factor in how people respond to stress, regardless
of one’s personality type.

Self-Assessment Exercise:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop self-awareness of behaviors and
values to use in managing stress on an individual basis. Stress can negatively
affect a person’s self esteem when their values are compromised. Seaward
(2015), states that this sort of stress can create a spiritual crisis and it can rock
the foundation of a person’s soul.

Journal Writing:
Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

FEAR: anxiety, distress, panic, tenseness and feeling overwhelmed.

The feelings of anxiety, distress, panic, and tenseness are settled in my neck

and shoulders. I feel anxious when I am in a time crunch. Right now I feel

anxious because I have 2 more assignments that are due by Tuesday night, and

I am concerned I may not make the deadline. I can imagine I will be doing

homework on my downtime at work and I will have to stay up late to finish my

assignments. Even while I am typing this, I feel my shoulders becoming tighter.

Also, I feelings of being overwhelmed is in the pit of my stomach. I feel a dull

sensation. The image that comes to mind is activities that were not important,

yet I chose to engage in that instead of completing my homework sooner.

CONFUSION: uncertain and perplexed

When I think of the words uncertain and perplexed, I feel a dull sensation

in the back of my neck and the lower part of my head. This is really odd. I never

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knew certain words could connect to parts of my body. The words, ‘uncertainty

and perplexed’, prompts me to think of my new fitness plan. I am not sure which

fitness plan would give me the results that I want. I have a lot of information,

but some of it conflicting. I have several fitness plans that I have started and

never finished. I am uncertain if this is the best plan for me.

ANGER: annoyance, frustration and irritation

When I think of the words, ‘annoyance, frustration, and irritation’, I feel

an itch on my elbow and on my jawline. This is truly odd. I no longer feel the

tension in my neck or my head. I feel itchy. These words cause me to think of

me being annoyed and frustrated with myself. I find myself in a weekly time

loop. I set goals with my schedule, diet, and physical activities, but I rarely

follow them. I know what to do, but I have a difficult time adhering to it.

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 SADNESS: disappointment, insecurity, loneliness and rejection

The word ‘disappointment’ causes my shoulder blades and upper back to

tingle. It is a tight sensation that is causing me to do shoulder rolls. I am

disappointed in my time management. I am completing this assignment late

Tuesday night and I told myself that I would not wait to the last minute. The

words ‘insecurity, loneliness, and rejection’ are causing a feeling in the middle

of my back. This is really interesting how these words are manifesting in my

body. My middle back is throbbing. The thoughts that come to mind when I

think of these words are connected to being single. I have been out of a

relationship for a long time.

SHAME: guilt and regret

When I think of the words ‘guilt and regret’ I feel a sensation on the top of

my head and in my back. It does not hurt, but I can feel it. It is like a twinge or

a spasm. Guilt and regret causes me to think of me eating junk food at work. I

tell myself that I will not indulge in junk food, then I see birthday cake and ice

cream and I cannot resist. I regret that I ate 2 slices of the cake because I feel

bloated. As I am typing in the journal, I noticed a lot of my regrets stem from

me not adhering to the time schedule that I set for myself. I have been told that

I am a bit too rigid and I see how this is affecting my body.

LOVE: caring, compassion, fondness, desire, kindness, sympathy and

sentimentality

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 The word ‘caring’ makes me feel lighter. I still feel a spasm in my back

because I am completing this assignment late in the evening. This word causes

me to think of my siblings. I love and care for my siblings; we are very close.

The words ‘compassion and empathy’ has not manifested in a different way in

my body. I still feel the same, but I am thinking of my ministry. I serve in a

convalescent home. We bring church services to them every Sunday. I feel

compassion and sympathy for them because they are in the beginning stages of

dementia. These people are beginning to lose their minds, but they are still

willing to attend our church services.

JOY: contentment, eagerness, excitement, hope and optimism

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 The word ‘contentment’ is causing me to feel a tingle in my left shin. I am

content in my home. I love my home and the area I live in. It brings me joy to

live in a downtown area that is within a mile of the beach. I truly feel blessed to

be in my home. The words ‘eagerness and excitement’ are causing me to feel a

tingle in the back of my neck. I am thinking of my new career in health and

wellness. I am so excited to transition into a field that I feel passionate about. I

feel like this is long overdue. I am proud that I made the decision to pursue this

goal. This brings me to the next words that I am connecting to, which are ‘hope

and optimism’. These words are manifesting in my stomach. I feel a flutter of

excitement when I think of ‘hope and optimism’. This reminds me of my new

career in health and wellness. I am hopeful and optimistic about the impact I

will have on people. I am learning so much and I am personally benefiting from

these courses. I believe I will be able to make a big difference in the lives of

others.

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

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Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Attitudes are expressions of a person’s belief and value system. Attitudes are
derived from one’s thoughts and perception of a person, place, thing, or a situation. This perception is
conveyed or communicated in a person’s attitude. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Our health is greatly influenced by our mindset (attitude). A pessimistic attitude
can compromise one’s level of well-being. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: It is best to adopt an attitude of gratitude for all things in life that are going right
rather than curse all the things that seem to be going wrong. By adopting this attitude, individuals
gain a perspective that helps resolve the problem at hand; regardless of the size of the problem”
(Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

I live in South Florida so I am very fortunate to be able to walk outdoors.

Usually, I walk while listening to music or some audio lecture on YouTube, but

today I am walking in silence. My stride was not too fast, but it was not slow. I

normally walk fast so it was a bit too annoying to try to slow down my pace for

this exercise. Therefore, opt to stroll at a medium pace. My destination is walk

toward the Boca Raton Beach pavilion because I live within a mile of that area.

I recalled Stahl and Goldstein (2010) mentioning that one should focus on

the swing of your arms and your feet striking the ground. Initially, I focused on

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my movement to refrain my mind from thinking about other things. I used a

cadence to help me to stay in the moment. I repeated over and over again in my

mind, ‘I like walking, it helps me.’ This lasted for a minute or so, and then I

centered my mind on my steps. I began to take in deep breaths through my nose

then out through my mouth. I felt great because I was enjoying this walk. My

mind began to wander to the traffic and construction around me. The traffic was

unusually heavy. Next, I noticed the construction of a new building was

complete. It was a reminder that I had not taken this walk in over nine months.

I started thinking about why I have not walked this path in so long. Then I saw

my reflection in the window of a commercial building. I began thinking about

my recent weight gain and why I need to do this more often. I realized in this

moment that I tend to judge myself rather harshly. My mind moved from

enjoying a walk to criticizing myself on why I don’t take more walks, to judging

my reflection in the mirror. Soon after, I refocused my mind on my breathing

and my new cadence.

As I was walking, I felt a little tightness in my knee joints. On this walk, I

have to walk across a drawbridge; which causes me to walk at an incline. I felt

out of breath walking up the drawbridge and I began thinking about my aerobic

condition. In my mind, I started making plans to take this walk tomorrow before

work. Then I started thinking about how to accomplish this task without having

to wake up too early. I realized I was not thinking about my walk and I

refocused my mind on my cadence ‘I like walking, it helps me.’ I began to notice

how the swing of my arms as impacting my back. I kept my arms at a 90°angle

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and I straightened my back. I squeezed my back every time I my elbow swung

back. I started thinking about how walking is a great exercise for weight loss is

because it works the major muscle groups (back and thigh muscles). I made a

decision to take this walk at least 4x per week to center my mind, strengthen

my body, and to practice breathing.

Next, I began to notice how beautiful the weather was during my walk. I

thanked God for this weather. I thanked God that I live in Florida in a beautiful

neighborhood. The path around my home is a quite busy and can be very

distracting. I could go to the beach to walk, but I like walking in heavily

populated areas. I feel safer.

This meditation exercise has taught me that refocusing one’s mind is quite

easy and should be used all day, every day. I realized that I have to practice this

style of walking on a regular basis. I feel like I could take more walks without

music to practice mindfulness. This 15 minute walk helped me to have more

energy and to straighten my back throughout the day.

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Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

6
Unit

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Meditation is thought to be the oldest form of relaxation. In simple terms, it is a
mind-cleansing or emptying process. At a deeper level, meditation is focused concentration and
increased awareness of one’s being. When the mind has been emptied of conscious thought,
unconscious thoughts can enter the conscious realm to bring enlightenment to our lives (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Mental imagery describes the ability of the unconscious mind to generate images
that have a calming, healing effect on the body. Visualization is one aspect of mental imagery,
wherein there is conscious direction of self-generated images (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are
having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. People with self-
compassion have a greater social connectedness, emotional intelligence, and overall life satisfaction
(Abrams, 2017).

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Self-Assessment Exercise:
The purpose of this assignment was to develop self-awareness of coping strategies
in managing stress on an individual basis. Techniques, such as diaphragmatic
breathing, meditation, imagery, and visualization were examined as effective
relaxation techniques. These methods calm the mind from sensory overload.
The mind craves homeostasis just as the body does (Seaward, 2015). These
techniques can ease chronic pain, anxiety, stress, improve heart, boost mood,
and build immunity (Reynolds, 2016).

Journal Writing:
Mindful of How I Interact with Myself

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 When I open my eyes in the morning, my first thought is how grateful I am

to wake up. I thank the Lord for a good night’s rest, and I feel my stomach. It

may sound weird, but I feel my stomach to see if I am bloated or not. This is the

first time I have ever acknowledged this quirk of mine. This is the first time I

realize that I am judging myself as soon as I wake up. I am now mindful that I

feel better about myself when my stomach feels flat, but I feel disgusting when

it is bloated. When I feel bloated, I feel embarrassed and I tend to wear clothes

that swing around the mid-section so I do not show any bulges. I see this is a

stressful way to begin the day. At times, I feel hopeless about some of the

patterns in my life. I have made promises to myself that I have not kept, and

that upsets me. I am disappointed in how I am spending my time and my energy.

This cycle of making a pledge to do something, then failing to complete it is

causing me know to trust myself. I must allow myself to make improvements

and not be so perfect. When I do not stick to my plan, I usually let go and decide

to start over at another time. I have feelings of resentment that is linked to not

achieving my goals. I realize I have been punishing myself by not making new

goals. Even my love life has suffered. I have not dated anyone in a long time.

This exercise is revealing a dark pit in my life that I did not know was there.

This journal is allowing me to see myself from a different vantage point. I see

that I need to encourage myself when I make small improvements and not

“throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Seeds of Suffering

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If I stop criticizing myself or stop watering the seeds of suffering, then I would

not be so hard on myself. I believe I would grow and change overtime. I see how

my words are sowing seeds of discontent, anger, and stagnation. I believe I

would progress more in my career, relationships, and even in my spiritual life. I

can imagine I would be more kind and patient with myself instead or angry and

disappointed. To stop watering the seeds of suffering mean to start watering the

seeds of joy. It means I will focus on the good in me and not what is wrong with

me. I believe this shift in my mind will cause me to evolve and mature.

Day-to-Day Life Feelings of Resentment

Just the other day I made plans to attend a seafood festival with my sister.

The festival was outdoors and the weather was unseasonable hot. I live in South

Florida and it was 88 degrees the other day, and it is only February! She started

complaining about not wanting to eat there because it was too hot and she does

not like to be around grass when she eat outside. She likes to eat on a concrete

ground. I was upset because her complaints made the experience negative. In

hindsight, I realize she did not know how the festival was set up. She is very

sensitive to odors and the lawn carried too many unpleasant odors for her to eat

on. I know she did not intend to complain. After a while, she even apologized

for her behavior.

Reflection on Writing

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This has been one of the most cathartic journals in this class. How I interact

with myself will forever be changed. I have to be my biggest cheerleader, not

my biggest critic. I pledge to encourage myself and be thankful for everyday

and what I can accomplish in a 24 hour period. I will create new small, goals for

myself and not try to make too many changes at one time. I will start watering

the seeds of joy by being thankful for everything in my life. I will focus and

speak kind words to myself to cultivate a new me. When I wake up, and I

unconsciously feel my stomach, I will be thankful that my body is healthy and

will carry me through the day. I want to trust myself and know that I will not let

me down. I want to be the change I know I can be. This will help me to

establish new patterns in my life. My goal is to eliminate the negative self-talk

as much as possible. The perfectionist must go so that I can be perfectly

imperfect; and be okay with that. This is not easy for me to admit. I was raised

by mother that was highly critical of herself. I realize this was a learned

behavior and I have to ability to unlearn it.

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Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

8 7
Unit Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: The relationship between food, stress, and health, we see a plethora of factors that
affects the immune system. According to Seaward (2015), the relationship among nutrition, stress,
and the immune system might best be illustrated through the use of four dominos.
Key Learning Point: Food you eat can either boost or suppress the immune system. Food affects not
only the physical body, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects as well. The concept of
spiritual nutrition suggests eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains that nurture the
health of the seven primary chakras. In addition, spiritual nutrition suggests ensuring a balance in all
aspects of food; including the acid/base balance (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Research has shown that some foods actually induce a state of stress. Excess
amounts of sugar, caffeine, salt, and foods poor in vitamins and minerals weaken the body’s
resistance to the stress response and may ultimately make a person more vulnerable to disease and
illness (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop self-awareness of stress reactions on
an individual basis. (Seaward, 2015). I chose to practice mindful lying yoga to
bring awareness to my breathing, movement, posture, thoughts, and emotions to
assess stress reactions. The mindful yoga was 30 minutes and it included many
poses, including the full body stretch, pelvic rock, bridge pose, bird dog pose, and
corpse pose.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Physical exercise is a form of stress: the enactment of all the physiological systems
that the fight-or-flight response triggers for physical survival. Physical exercise is classified as either

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 anaerobic (fight) or aerobic (flight). Anaerobic (without oxygen) is short, intense, and powerful
activity, whereas aerobic exercise (with oxygen) is moderately intense activity for a prolonged period
of time. Aerobic exercise is the better type to promote relaxation. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The body adapts, either negatively or positively, to the stress placed upon it. Proper
physical exercise will cause many adaptations that in the long term are thought to be effective in
reducing the deleterious effects of stress by returning the body to a profound state of homeostasis.
Physical exercise allows the body to use stress hormones for their intended purposes, detoxifying the
body of stress hormones by utilizing them constructively (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Exercise evokes not only physiological changes, but various psychological
changes (e.g., runner’s high) as well, again suggesting that mind and body act as one entity. Habitual
physical exercise produces both physiological homeostasis and mental homeostasis. Individuals who
engage in regular physical exercise report higher levels of self-esteem and lower incidences of
depression and anxiety (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:
This week’s assignment consists of creating a health and wellness proposal for a
corporate client. The proposal shows how a company can offer a wellness
program that has a low initial cost, effective and has a high rate of return. The
goal is to provide employees with high quality wellness information that is useful
at the work site and in their every day live. (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
UNIT EIGHT JOURNAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT

OPENNESS

I imagine sitting across from my sister who is four years older than me. I

see her as being complicated and stuffy at times. The phrase high maintenance

comes to mind. However, she has taught me to not settle for less. I realize her

expectations are often higher than mine and it is not always a bad thing. I see

her ability to accomplish things and I am remarked.

EMPATHY

I can recall my sister’s conversation about her childhood. She told me she

felt invisible and was often ridiculed about her weight. As a result, she had a

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reputation of being difficult or mean. She felt loved, but not liked and

appreciated by the adults in our family. I understand how that can impact her.

Perhaps she feels as if she needs to compensate for those moments that she felt

slighted. I did not have those experiences growing up. I was the one to make

others laugh and had a very outgoing personality. Therefore, she was not seen

as the fun one.

COMPASSION

If she was my child, I would have learned more about her interests. I

would learn that she loves nature and being by the water. She is more of an

intellectual and has some fears that caused her not be more physically active.

As her mother, I would engage her more in physical activities, but at a slower

pace that the other children. I would educate her about how to eat. I would

change the family’s eating habits to not only help her but to improve the

family’s health behaviors.

LOVING-KINDNESS

I wish my sister would let go of her inhibitions and become friendlier to

others. I wish she would be more graceful when someone challenge her

thoughts, opinions, and lovingly correct her. I would like her to be an

independent consultant in her field to help others. She is amazing at her job and

I believe she would be happy working independently. She is truly a boss.

SYMPATHETIC JOY

I am overjoyed to see my sister overcome so many issues in her life. She

learned how to properly nourish her body and is physically active every day.

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Also, I am proud that she is more open to constructive criticism. She has

matured and her progress is apparent.

EQUANIMITY

When I think of equanimity I think of my family, friends, and co-workers

and how I value these relationships. I appreciate our interactions because they

are dependable and we build each other up. This lesson has taught me to be

mindful with all of my interactions to fully appreciate them. Even when facing

conflict and difficult people, I will remain calm and centered to understand that

person’s position.

SUMMARY

These journal assignments continue to amaze me on how being mindful of

others can put me in a calm space. I feel less tense about my relationship with

my sister. Meditating on these qualities in my sister has helped me to release

the anger I was feeling. Recently, she offended me and I felt like I reached my

limit. I am grateful for this assignment. This is an ongoing process. I know I will

need to use this method of reflection to overcome future struggles and offenses.

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Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

9
Unit

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: No one strategy works for all people in all situations to cope effectively with the
causes of stress. In many cases, several coping techniques should be used together. For a coping
technique to be effective, it must do one or all of the following: increase awareness of the cause of
stress, help process information about the stressor, and adjust attitude and possibly behavior to work
toward a peaceful resolution (Seaward, 2015). Bringing mindfulness to your lifestyle and
physiological well-being is an important facet of reducing anxiety and stress (Stahl, 2010).
Key Learning Point: Avoidance is considered a negative coping technique; however, to step outside
your problems for a short while to gain a better perspective on them is thought to be quite healthy.
Hobbies can be used as positive diversion tactics that allow for a healthy release from daily stressors.
When approached in this way, hobbies can contribute to self-esteem, which then transfers to other
areas of one’s life (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Stress can induce a sense of personal violation. Harboring feelings of resentment
and anger is a means of maintaining control over someone we feel has unjustly attacked us. But when
feelings of anger are not released correctly, they become toxic. Forgiveness allows these feelings to
be released so that a peaceful resolution is the final outcome (Seaward, 2015).

Additional Information

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 Primary Sources

Parker, H. (2007). Stress Management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media.

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.

Secondary Sources

American Psychology Association. (n.d.). Coping with stress at work. Retrieved from:

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx

Everyday Health. (n.d.). Illness caused by stress. Retrieved from:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/stress/illnesses-caused-stress/

Harvard Medical School. (2015). Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress

response. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-

techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response

Murray State University (n.d.). Reducing Stress: changing health behaviors for the better. Retrieved

from: http://campus.murraystate.edu/wellness/documents/ReducingStressPresentation.ppt

Reynolds, G. (2016). How meditation changes the brain and body. Retrieved from

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/contemplation-therapy/

Ridpath, R. (2010). Stress Reduction. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=3_c5G6DgzMg

References

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Abrams, A. (2017). How to Cultivate More Self-Compassion? Retrieved from:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/201703/how-cultivate-

more-self-compassion

Banks, D. (2016). What is brain plasticity and why is it so important? Retrieved from

http://theconversation.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-and-why-is-it-so-important-55967

Gordon, A. (2017). Is stress killing your relationship? Why you're not alone. Retrieved from:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-you-and-me/201709/is-stress-killing-your-

relationship-why-youre-not-alone

Gregoire, C. (2014). What Tibetan Buddhism Can Teach Us about Happiness? Retrieved from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/buddhism-happiness_n_4719588.html

Iliades, Chris. MD (n.d. ). Lupus, Emotional Stress, and Depression. Retrieved from

https://www.everydayhealth.com/lupus/lupus-emotional-stress-and-depression.aspx

Reynolds, G. (2016). How meditation changes the brain and body. Retrieved from

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/contemplation-therapy/

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.

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