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

Emma G. Simpson

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

March 29, 2016

Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

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

UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS

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

UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS

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

UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY

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

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES

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

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

AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY

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

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

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

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

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..........................................................................

ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N

REF EREN CES 4 3

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 1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: Stress has a major effect on our everyday life. It effects both personal

and professional situations. Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including

heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide (Seaward, 2015)

 Key Learning Point: There three types of stress: eustress is good stress that feels

exhilarating, for example, falling in love. Eustress is neutral stress, evident that may

happen around but not affect you directly. Distress is bad stress for example, loss of

job or death of a close friend or family member (Seaward, 2006)

 Key Learning Point: The importance of mindfulness: Mindfulness about being fully

aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, without filters or the lens of

judgment (Seaward, 2015)

Self-Assessment Exercise:
← The Wellness Paradigm is symbolized by a circle and is composed of four components.

The four components of the Wellness Paradigm are Spiritual, Emotional, Physical and Mental. The

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circle represents a universal symbol of wholeness and the Wellness Paradigm signifies the wholeness

of the body in four components. Wellness and wholeness takes place when all four components are in

harmony. The components are tightly integrated, and sometimes overlap.

← The first component, spiritual wellness, is the maturation of higher consciousness that

is developed through three factors: an insightful and nurturing relationship with oneself and others, a

strong personal value system, and the fulfillment of a meaningful purpose in one’s life (Seaward,

2013). Spiritual wellness is essential to my overall wholeness. Being spiritually fit and aware keeps

me grounded and thus eliminates the possibilities of becoming stressed over major or minor events

that may occur throughout the day in which I have no control.

← The second component, emotional wellness, is the ability to express and control ones

feelings, such as love and anger. This component for me is important because it is very vital that I am

able to express my in healthy fashion. This includes family and friends who allows me to have a

healthy outlets in which I can honestly and openly express my true feelings as not to get stressed by

holding them in bad feelings. Also, it is important that I do not feel judgement my sharing my true

feelings.

← The third component, physical wellness, is the optimal functioning of the entire body.

My physical fitness keeps me physically mentally and emotionally healthy. It is a time for me to

reflect over past decisions; to ponder future decision and enjoy the present moment. It is also a great

time I to release any negative or stressful feelings. Exercise is a big contributor to my stress and

tension relief.

← The fourth component, mental wellness, is the process of gathering your thoughts,

processing and recalling information. Mental wellness affects both my personal and professional life.

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When my mind is not clear and I cannot recall or remember information it is very stressful and time

consuming.

← Early mornings, generally before I leave home, is a time that foster a balance in my

wellness. Sometime this may take place at the gym or at my place of work before the rest of the staff

arrives.

← Early morning is a time I set aside for mediation, prayer, quietness and physical fitness.

This time embodies a balance of my wellness. It’s a time of spiritual awareness and renewal. I use

this time to prepare myself physically and mentally for the remainder of my day. If I am home I will

sit quietly and mediate, read scriptures and sometime I will listen to one or two of my favorite

spiritual leaders. After my meditation time I use the reminder of my free time, if I am home, for my

physical fitness. This can include anything from yoga, Pilates, or strength training. If I decide to go

to the gym in the morning, I will still wake up early to pray and sometimes read before I leave the

house. I am purposeful in what I listen to on my way to the gym. At the gym there is a group of

ladies that I usually workout with in the morning. This is a good balance to my wellness, being able

to fellowship with others of a like mind and sharing laughs, encouragement and positive thoughts is

quite exhilarating. After my workout I retreat to the sauna for some quiet time before I depart for

work.

← I tried to get a little quiet time before the rest of my co-workers arrive in the morning.

We have a prayer and meditation room directly next to my office and plenty of rooms for meditation.

(I work in the Command Chaplain office so the prayer room is readily available)

← This time is important in helping me to balance my wellness and to remain as stress

free as possible. Sometime my morning my just include self-talk and preparing myself mentally and

emotionally for my day.

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←

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Journal Writing:

Situation Start Midway End

Rebuilding home 10 10 10
Learning new job 7 5 5
Dealing with difficult co-worker 6 6 7
Losing weight 8 7 3
Eating correctly 7 5 3
Managing time wisely 9 9 8
School, completing assignments, homework 9 9 8
Adult children situations 8 7 6
Family member illness 6 5 7
Marriage communication, planning 8 7 6

References

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

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Unit

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: Stress can increase the risk of serious health consequences such as

cancer, diabetes, and auto-immune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus by either

suppressing the body’s immune system or triggering an in appropriate or ‘allergic response’

again it’s own defensive cells, tissues and chemicals (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Organs that are innervated by neural tissue or acted upon by the excessive

secretion of stress hormones increase their metabolic rates. When denied the ability to rest, organs

may begin to dysfunction (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: “Stress not only can affect the optimal functioning of all of the

physiological systems to destroy the picture of health, but also can shut down the entire body.

(Seward, 2007, page 29, para. 2) 1 (Seaward, 2015).

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Self-Assessment Exercise:
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system and neuroplasticity is considered the

neuroscience of meditation. Neuroplasticity is the rewiring and grow of the brain. Research studies

have found that regular practice of mediation can creates growth and rewiring of brain tissue. This is

important because it was originally thought that once you were of a certain age your brain was done

developing. It’s interesting to know that mediation can repair, and rewire the brain.

Stress is responsible for many complications in our life and illnesses and diseases are some of

the side effects of stress. The association between stress and diseases are considered extremely high.

(Seward, 2007) When stress appears in the body it affects both the Nervous system and the Immune

system.

Some of the diseases that occur when the nervous system is affected by stress are: Bronchial

asthma, Tension headaches, Migraine headaches, Irritable bowel syndrome, and Coronary heart

disease (CHD). Bronchial asthma is a disease that produces secretion of bronchial fluids causing a

swelling of the smooth muscle tissue of the large air passages ways. (Seaward, 2015) Tension

headache is another illness that can be cause by stress. Tension headaches are produced by

sympathetic-mediated contractions of muscles of the forehead, eyes, neck, and jaw. (Seaward, 2015)

another nervous system disease activated by stress is Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable bowel

is the repeated bouts of abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, constipation and excessive

flatulence. One of the reasons is considered so closely related to stress is that the hypothalamus,

which controls appetite regulation is closely associated with emotional regulations as well. (Seaward,

2015). Coronary heart disease is also linked to stress. One of the way in which it is linked is elevated

blood pressure or hypertension. Stress hormones are often responsible for increasing blood pressure.

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 Meditation and relaxation have been known to alleviate many of the symptoms of these

illnesses.

The immune system defends the body against infections, viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

The immune system works around the clock in many different why that are not known to the regular

person until something goes wrong. One of the diseases that may occur when the immune system is

affected when stress is present in one’s life. A disease that occurs when the immune system is

affected by stress is allergies. Allergies are called exogenous overreaction. Although allergies are

normally a reaction to a foreign substance entering the body. Borysenko suggests that B-lymphocytes

have the capacity of memory that may induce the production of histamines and other antibodies

without direct contact with an antigen. In some people, allergic reactions can occur just by thinking

about the stimulus that provoked a previous attack. (Seaward, 2015) New data suggest that relaxation

techniques also minimize the effects of external antigens (Wright, 2003).

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being.

Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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Journal Writing:
How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

Stress and anxiety about other people causes me to lose sleep by thinking of what I can and

cannot do or what I should have or shouldn’t have done in a particular situation. These thoughts

interrupts my work flow because I spend a lot of time thinking about what a particular person has

done when I should be concentrating on the tasks at hand. It basically stifle me with negative

thoughts.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

I am relatively new to my current position and a lot of my stresses and anxieties come from

learning my job properly; and getting certified and trained on specific systems. Other stresses are

basically time management issues, such as, will I be able to complete each task in a timely

management? Also learning the work habits and personalities of my new co-workers.

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

Oddly enough, I do not stress over things currently happening in the world or other

worldviews for that matter. I watch the News and listen to what’s going on in current events but

typically don’t dwell on them after I am away from the television.

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

I think I have the opposite effect when it comes to food and eating habits. The more I think

about what I should be doing correctly in respect to eating properly the more I want to eat thing that

are not good for me. I eat bad foods when I stress, rather I am stress about school and homework or

eating poorly. My anxiety about my food habits is quite serious being that it is my passion to change

my lifestyle completely and forever when it comes to eating clean and healthy.

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

Some of the concerns I have about sleep and sleeplessness is how it is affecting my health and

my wellness. I typically get 3-5 hours of sleep per night knowing that at my age studies indicate I

should be getting 7-8 hours per night. I am concerned about whether or not it is aging me

prematurely, affecting my work performance, and my memory. I have spoken with my doctor and my

nutritionist concerning my sleep habits and both have indicate that I must get more sleep. I have

started sleep exercise to assist in my getting better quantity of sleep but have not followed through on

all of them.

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

Exercise and the lack there of is a big deal in my life. Exercise is typically one of the things I

do to relieve stress. Lately, the lack of time I have for exercising and the amount of exercise I get in

on a daily and/weekly basic causes me frustration. I typically workout in the early morning with a

few friends. I was recently injured during an obstacle race and had to stop working out for a while.

Also with my workload and late night studying, early mornings are no longer conducive to my fitness

lifestyle. My gyms friends are giving me a hard time for not showing up at the gym and I am

frustrated because I feel that they believe I am making excuses and also because I cannot do the

things I want to at the gym due to my injuries.

Summary

After completing this journal I realize that I stress far more than I could have ever imagine. I

am aware of something that I put too much thought into but after writing this assignment I determined

to be a little more mindful and intentional in my thoughts, actions and reactions. I will be more aware

of what I am thinking and how much energy I am expending on things I cannot change or the mere

thoughts of what others thoughts are towards me. This exercise has encouraged me to be content with

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the decision I make in life that works for me. To do my best in whatever I aspire to do and not to

3
Unit

allow those things that slip through the cracks to bring be down.

Reference

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: When humans encounter emotions that are ‘unhealthy’ or connected to

unresolved anger, on a physiologic and emotional level two options are available; fight or

flight which are known as the ‘Fight’ or ‘Flight’ stress emotions (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: The Four Pillars of Human Spirituality are Relationships - internal and

external; Values – personal value system; Purpose – a meaningful purpose in life and Divine –

the unknown, the divine mystery (Seaward, 2015)

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  Key Learning Point: Repeated stress can affect the brain cells. Chronic stress may affect

memory and learning processes (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
One significant point learned from the Tibetan culture concerning mind and stress is that stress

is the mind grasping for things that it cannot own, but merely enjoy. (Seaward, 2015)

Another takeaway taught by the Dalai Lama is that stress is believed to be consequences of

desires with strong attachments (Seaward, 2015). This is a lesson concerning stress that can be taken

from the Tibetan culture. The Dalai believed that there were two kinds of desires. Some desires were

positive such as happiness and peace. Other desires were not as positive or they were positive desires

with conditions; fears and expectations attached are to them. The Tibetan perspective is that desires

with attachments cause stress.

One of the common views expressed by the theorist has to do with self-awareness. Jung

theorized human personality as a process of self-discovery and self-realization. He describes self-

realization as a process leading to wholeness, which he called individuation. Wayne Dyer writes

about self-imposed guilt. Leo Buscaglia in his writing speaks of self-love and self-esteem. Low self-

esteem is associated with chronic stress. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of need, self-need, self-actualization

and self-transcendence are three of the six levels. Self-actualization is when one is truly at peace and

self-transcendence is when one offers oneself to service or a larger cause. Self was also significance

in the Tibetan cultures. There were two versions of self, the higher self or the true self and the false.

The Premise of psychotherapy is to put clients back on track through the process of self-awareness

(Seaward, 2015). The strength of our inner resources is thought to be the most effective strategy to

deal with stress. (Seaward, 2015)

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 Fear is a basic human emotion that tends to dominate all emotions; it is both draining and

stifling. As bad as this might sound, fear is also a survival tool that warns us when danger is arising.

Humans experience a lot of different fears such as fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the

unknown, fear of death, fear of isolation and many more. Because of the many types of fears that

exist, there are several strategies to cope with and or manage fear. Behavioral therapy, a process in

which coping and relation techniques are used to desensitize one to stress, is used to manage and

resolve fear.

Five ways in which you can improve your communication style are as follows:

1. Speak with precision and directness. To express yourself clearly, select words that accurately

describe your thoughts and feelings. Be direct about your thoughts and perceptions by verbalizing the

intent of your message as clearly as possible.

2. Enhance your vocabulary. Vocabulary affects the effectiveness of verbal communication. A small

vocabulary decreases the ability to express yourself, whereas a greater number of words to choose

from provides you with greater flexibility to say what you want to say.

3. Use language appropriate for your listening audience. The manner in which you speak to a child

probably differs from that which you use with an adult. Assess which words, expressions, and

gestures are most conducive to getting your point across.

4. Attack issues, not people. When trying to resolve conflicts with others, focus on the problem, not

the people involved. In other words, avoid character assassination. Attacking people clouds the issue

and makes it harder, if not impossible, to resolve issues.

5. Avoid putting others on the defensive. When initiating self-disclosure or a dialogue to

resolve conflicts, begin your statements with “I perceive….” Placing the responsibility of

understanding on yourself rather than blaming others minimizes defensiveness. (Seaward, 2015)

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 References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Journal Writing:
The five-minute Mindful breathing meditation was a little difficult for me at first. With so much

going on it was hard for me to keep my mind from wandering. However the same condition allotted

me various opportunities to conduct these practices. At first the five minutes seemed like such a long

time especially during the mindful breathing meditations. After a few sessions of the mindfulness

breathing practices the exercise became a little more refreshing and relaxing. Allowing myself to

evaluate how I breathed and breathing according to the directions the text described made a big

difference in my practice. I began to feel my body relaxing and becoming less tense. Mindful

breathing was also a significant tool in bringing my wandering mind back to center and away from

distracting thoughts.

Incorporating the eight attitudes of mindfulness into my everyday life was centering to me. It

really helped me to enjoy the present moments. I felt as if it took some practice but after really taking

the time to think about what I was doing I could enjoy the task at hand, actually live in the present

moment.

The non-judgmental attitude is a practice that I commit to on a daily basis, however in doing

this exercise I found that I could really improve in this area also. Listening to others without being

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judgmental was refreshing. Even when I disagreed mentally I left the situation less stressed then I

would have in past times because I didn’t use a lot of negative energy judging another person.

These practices and exercises helped me to live in the moment, enjoy the present and not

overly concern myself about things I cannot change.

The practices and exercises also allowed me to appreciate the smaller and simpler things in life. I did

the cooking exercise while preparing a meal for my Grandchildren who were visiting for winter break

and it was such an enjoyable meal preparation; Just touching and acknowledging each ingredient, it

smell, color and how happy it was going to make my grandbabies made a large different. The next

day I tried it with them, and allowed them to make their own pizza and to discuss the ingredients,

textures and smell and not get over stressed in the process of it all but to enjoy every moment of

preparing the food that they were about to consume.

References

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

4
Unit

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: Negative thoughts are often called toxic thoughts. Research has now

substantiated the hypothesis that negative thoughts can suppress the immune system (Seaward,

2015).

 Key Learning Point: Incorporating effective time management into one’s life can prove to reduce stress

by providing one with a sense of empowerment from accomplishing needed tasks and spending one’s

time wisely (Seaward, 2006)2 (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Several behavioral psychologists and therapists agree that denial is actually the

initial stage of or a precursor to a behavioral change (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Self-esteem is what you believe yourself worth to be, how highly you think of yourself. It includes

your self-value, self-love and self-acceptance. The four basic elements that are essential for self-

esteem includes: connectedness, uniqueness, power and models. (Seaward, 2015) Self-esteem plays a

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significant role in resolving and reducing stress. Level of self-esteem is considered a key factor in

how people respond to stress. People with high self-esteem are more comfortable with who they are

and do not allow the thoughts, action, and perceptions of external forces to dictate there environment.

High self-esteem is considered one of the best defensive against stress. It is a continuous process in

which one uses self-talk and internal resources to motivate themselves to stay focus while combating

against negativism. Due to the fact that self-esteem is a variable that changes with from high to low

base off what could manifest throughout ones day. This is why it is so important to practice self-

enrichment. Low self-esteem attracts stress and high self-esteem seems to repel it. (Seaward, 2015)

Stress affects relationships, values and meaningful purpose in life in varies ways. A person

value and their internal relationship is linked to their meaningful purpose in life, which is also closely

intertwined with one’s spiritual well-being.

The aim, or meaningful purpose, of one’s life is the foundation of health, and is built on both

short-term and long-term attainable goals. The process of pursuing and completing the aim of life is

initiated by self-reflection, giving strength to the individual’s internal relationship. (Seaward, 2015)

Because the three are so closely related when stress in presented in the relationship and value system

it affects the meaningful purpose in life process. Stress can comes from a close family member or a

friend perhaps challenging the relationship or a particular value system or hindering a short or long

term goals.

My perspective on the difference between values, attitudes, and beliefs is this: Values

represents what a person sense of wrong or right according to their belief systems and culture. Values

are a set of standard that one live by. Belief is your trust or confidence in a person or thing and

attitude is your viewpoint or stand in life.

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 The Prochaska’s Stages of Change Model consist of six steps; the Pre-contemplation stage or

the stage of denial on a problem; the Contemplative stage, the determination stage, action stage,

maintenance and relapse stage. I will go through the steps of a person who has decided to change

their unhealthy eating habits to a healthier eating style.

Stage one- Pre-contemplation: subject has thought about healthy eating habit but has not

acknowledged the present unhealthy eating habits.

Stage two- Contemplation: Subject is informed that due to unhealthy life style high blood pressure

and diabetes in a strong possibility

Stage three- Determination: Subject may research a support group or purchase healthy Cookbook.

They are not active but seriously considering change.

Stage four- Action: subject makes out healthy grocery list and purchase healthy foods and began

preparing healthy meals.

Stage five- Maintenance: subject continues healthy life style for a lengthy period of time and creates

healthy menus and adds new healthy foods weekly.

Stage six: Relapse: Subject is invited to a Super Bowl party and fall to the chicken wings. The next

day subject resume healthy eating habits.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

When I am afraid or when fear is present I have a tendency to be a bit jumpy. If it’s a known

fear such as heights or bridges a nervous feeling will immediately manifest in my stomach. When I

am physically present at a bridge or in a situation that requires me to be at a certain height the nervous

is stomach is intensified. Unexpected fears that may occur suddenly are expressed with panic at first

onset. Later, as I realized what is taking place and determine that I am not in harm’s way I can

quickly calm myself. One of my first thoughts when I saw the word fear was helplessness. When I

am on a tall or old bridge I feel helpless and vulnerable. I am unable to protect myself for what could

possibly go wrong. For example, falling or getting pushed from a bridge or a high point.

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

Chaotic, puzzled and disorganized come to mind when I think of the word confusion. The

feeling I get with being confused is typically overwhelmed or frenzied. The image that comes to

mind with the emotion confusion is a room disarrayed or disorganized. A room or mind that has stuff

and things hurled all over the place. Mentally I feel the same. You have some many thought in your

head but none are making any sense. Perhaps even a feeling of being uninformed. In my body I feel

out of control. In my mind there is also a feeling of disconnect for me. Feeling of not being able to

get a handle on things, a feeling of being out of control.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

The emotion anger itself can be very stressful. Anger feels heavy. As if I am carrying a

heavy load or burden. I view the emotion anger as being very debilitating. I consider anger to be the

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emotion that can most negatively and physically affect the body. The emotion anger drains me of

energy and can leave me feeling quite sluggish. I imagine rage when I think of anger or a person in a

very dark place that

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

insecurity, loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection. When I first think of sadness I think of

unhappiness and everything that can cause unhappiness in my life. I think of grief, hurt, loneliness,

and rejection. Physically I feel empty and withdrawn. Sometimes when I am sad a feeling of

loneliness comes upon me as if no one else can come to the place. When I initially imagine sadness I

envision someone alone in a dark room looking out of a window. SHAME: guilt, embarrassment,

humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification. Shame is a feeling of conducting myself in a

way in which I would not be proud. In my mind it would be an act in I allowed myself or someone

else to lie upon me. Shame is a choice emotion in which I to accept or dismiss. If in a situation in

which my shame or guilt was open I would probably feel very uncomfortable, uneasy and awkward.

In a private setting I would probably feel more of a disappointment in myself if the situation is

something I have could have prevented. However, if I feel that someone else falsely causes me to feel

ashamed I would be anger and perhaps disappointed in the person or person in whom I believe cause

me shame.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

Love is a strong desire or a yearning to be with a particular person or persons. You can fall in

love with people and love animals. It touches the very young and the very old. I think of family and

friends of whom I want to be surrounded with always. Love can cover some of the residue of the

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other emotions. Love is non-discriminating and unconditional. When I imagine love, I picture a

place of peace, happiness and joy.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

The thought that come to mind when I think of joy is light heartiness. When I imagine joy I

visualize a place with lots of Laughter and fun. An environment in which you are ecstatic about.

An unexplainable or continues happiness. Joy feels good in the body. The body feels light and

peaceful. Your body is tension free, not stress.

Summary

All emotions are felt differently and affect me in different way and at different degrees. Some

of the emotions are positive and healthy and some emotions are negative and toxic to the body. They

are all need for my well-being, how I manage them will make the different in how they affect my life.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New
Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

5
Unit

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: The two parts to empowerment are assertiveness and boundaries. “The best benefit

of assertiveness is not claiming victimization (Seaward, 2007) (poor me syndrome) (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its

own natural painkillers. (Mayo Clinic, 2008) 3 Laughter can also make difficult situations a

little bit easier (Mayo Clinic, 2008) 4 (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Mindful walking and walking meditation is a great way to get stress out with

walking meditation you stay in the present from point to point, arriving in the present moment.

(Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
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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 I chose the Walking Meditation because I use walking as a form of relaxation on a regular

basis. Although I walk to clear mind head, so to speak, I never really thought of walking as

meditation.

I started my Walking Meditation close to noon during my lunch break. Normally my “clear

my head” time takes place early morning when it is still and quiet. I took a deep breath and prepared

to clear my head and think of the walking meditation and my new walking journey. It started rough

because along with my love of walking I love people watching. It was sixty-eight degrees at noon

and many people were out enjoying the soon to be spring weather. I made myself focus and began to

think of my steps first. I directed my thoughts toward how each foot was hitting the ground and

intentionally put them down heel first. I meditated on which foot struck the ground first and how

each heel felt when it hit the ground. I notice that my foot rolled from heal to toe and concentrated on

the feeling that went from my feet to my legs. I began to focus on my knees; did I have feeling in my

knees when I walked? I moved up to my thighs, slowly doing a body scan of my walking process. I

thought, “How do I feel right now?” I wandered off in my thoughts and began to wonder if my thighs

felt heavy. I quickly brought my thoughts back in toward my walking meditation. I began to focus on

my mid-section and how I felt while walking. I realized that walking really relaxed me and takes my

mind off of the cares of the world: the daily task of work, home and school.

I began to take notice of how my arms flowed, the way in which they moved back and forth.

More like a military march versus swinging freely. I tried to change my arm movement to make them

appear more natural. I began to wonder if my walk appeared to look more like marching. The rest of

my body appeared unaffected by the walk other than occasionally wind blowing on my face. As my

arms swung, my hands hung and my fingers began to get a tingling feeling in them. I curled my

fingers in hope of reducing the tingling feeling in my hands.

26
 I started the gratitude session of my walking meditation. I began to be thankful that my legs

were actually able to move; my toes could wiggle, and my arms could swing. I thought about how

difficult it would be to get around without each of these limbs and digits. I began to think of those

who were less fortunate and didn’t have the luxury of walking on a track or sidewalk.

Summary

The Walking meditation was a very pleasant addition to an activity that I love so much. It

gave me a new outlook on walking and I hope to substitute many of my routine walks with

mindfulness Walking Mediations. I plan to become incorporate meditation into my walk to become

more aware of my mind, body and Spirit. I will intentionally focus on what is happening around me

while walk and never walk without a purpose again.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

27
Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

6
Unit

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: Breath is essential to human life. Deep breathing decreasing resting heart

rate, resting blood pressure, and muscle tension” (2007, page 195, ¶2)5 (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: The benefits to using habitual periods of rest and relaxation are many

and includes the following: Decreased resting heart rate, decreased resting blood pressure,

decreased respiration cycles, decreased stress hormone activity, increased sleep quality,

increased mental concentration and attention span(2007, page 186-187) 6.(Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: The practice of meditation can lead to an altered state of consciousness,

where sensory perceptions are different from those in a normal waking state of consciousness

(Seaward, 2015).

5
Seaward, B. L. (2007). Essentials of managing stress. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
6
Seaward, B. L. (2007). Essentials of managing stress. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

28
Self-Assessment Exercise:

Diaphragmatic breathing is the easiest and most basic method of relaxation technique to

practice. I believe because that breathing technique is how we breath normally it is a more effective

relaxation technique.

The three steps that are important to engage in the diaphragmatic breathing is: The first step is

to assume a comfortable position. Positions for Diaphragmatic breathing are very simplicity so

getting into a comfortable position can be quite easy. Diaphragmatic breathing can be done either

sitting or lying down however the sitting position is the prefer position.

The second step in that is important to engage diaphragmatic is concentration. As with all

relaxation techniques that offer respite to the body, diaphragmatic breathing required focused

concentration (Seaward 2015).

Last but not least, Visualization is the third step required in the diaphragmatic breathing

technique. Visualization is very important is the art of relaxation. There are various types of

Visualization exercises that can be used during your diaphragmatic breathing practice. Breathing

Clouds, Alternate Nostril Breathing and Energy Breathing.

29
Journal Writing:
As I have grown older and wiser I feel that I am more aware of how I interact with myself.

Although there is a lots of room for improvement I am much more mindful and positive in how I

interact with myself. I actually do talk to others as I talk with myself. I believe I do an exceptional

job or speaking kindly to myself. When I do say something negative to myself I am quick to self-

correct. If I were to dwell on negative self-talk it would make me sick to my stomach, nervous and

possibly frustration. I try to quickly reverse the few negative things I say to myself and not dwell on

them. I do not want to it manifest in to something big if they are present or become true if they are

not present in my life at the moment. Normally the question, why, comes up. Why am I this way or

that way? Why do I so things a certain why. The questions will something be in comparison with

someone else talent or skill.

Seeds of suffering?

If I would cease watering the seeds of suffering I believe I would be happier. There would be

more success and less stress and more successful. I would be more organized in my personal and

professional life and I would not I would procrastinate as much.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

Without day-to-day life feelings of resentment I would be less stressed and life would be a lot

more peaceful. I feel like I would also be more productive if I would not spend so much time

focusing on day-to-day resentments. I suppose it would feel freeing to let it all go and reconcile and

talk with this person. My day-to-day resentment is with a close family member, believing that they

have not upheld their part of a commitment and basically given up on life. It is very well possible that

my family member words and actions are connected to an undesirable event that has taken place in

their life over the last two years. My family member qualities that I used to admire are slowly

30
dwindling each and every day. This makes it a little difficult for me. They use to be very kind to

family and friends. Always helpful and generous. I resent the fact that they cannot or will not snap

out of their self-pity. I feel that disappointment with their own action has put them in a state of

depression and when as they have basically given up on life.

Reflection on writing?

As I reflect on what I wrote concerning love and kindness, and day-to-day resentment. I feel

that I have a very high expectation of others. Perhaps I can be a little more compassionate with

myself and with others. I revealed that I have resentments that I have not explored. I discovered

that it hard to come up with positive attributes of someone so near and dear to our family even with

knowledge of their struggle. Resentment is poisonous.

I need to regulate my self-talk and thoughts towards myself and toward others. Replace

negative thoughts and words will positive statements. This journal writing assignment has allowed

me to become more aware of how to be loving and forgiving toward others and myself.

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

31
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

7
Unit

Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: There are six components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular
strength and endurance, flexibility, agility, power, and balance (Seaward, 2015).
 Key Learning Point: Food also affects the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of wellbeing.
The concept of spiritual nutrition suggests eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains that

nurture the health of the seven primary chakras (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Don’t try to make several dietary changes all at once. Try making one

change at a time (perhaps one each week) until you are at a level where it is comfortable to adopt a

new eating behavior (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Mindful Lying Yoga is the formal practice I chose to participate in. Mindful yoga involves

bring awareness to your Mindful Yoga, in recognition of the interconnectedness of our mind/body, is a

blend of (adaptive, gentle) hatha yoga to access its potential physical benefits and meditation (in the

mindfulness tradition) to deepen its mental/emotional benefits.

To prepare myself for my formal practice I read the directions in the Mindfulness-Based

Stress Reduction Work Book and listen to the directions provided on the CD. I also talked two of my

family through the formal practice so could get a visual picture and a sense of method concerning

32
what I would be doing later in my personal practice. After preparing myself with both the visual and

verbal directions over a period of a few days I began preparing my space and myself for my practice.

To begin my practice of the Mindful Lying yoga I placed my yoga mat in a quiet dim room and

changed into comfortable yoga clothing. I place my laptop on the floor near my yoga mat so I could

clearly hear the instructions for my practice. I pushed the play button on my laptop, lay on my back

and began to follow the instructions from the gentlemen on my Mindful meditation CD.

Mentally I began to focus on be in the present and being aware of each move, sensations and

motion. I found myself in the beginning constantly bring my thoughts back into the present moment.

The longer I practice the easier it became for me to stay focus and become more of aware of what I

was doing with my body.

This formal practice was very soothing, calming and relaxing. Emotionally it brought me to a

place of peace and stillness. It didn’t take me long to fall into a place of relaxation. Although it

seemed like a lot to comprehend with breathing and the movements, prior preparation allowed me to

focus on each move and not get confused with the instructions.

I found the Pose of Openness pose to be quite enlightening. It was the pose that brought a lot

of life situations to mind. It was a time to open my body and mind to what is actually going on

around me and with me.

Physically some of the poses were painful due to a pre-existing injury. The opening

instructions that informed me that even the poses I could not fully complete or could not do at all

were still a part of my formal practice. I performed all the yoga positions but I was respectful of my

limitations. The pain was initially a distraction. I began to think about being pain free; the times

when there were no pain and will I ever be able to perform these movements without pain.

Eventually I drew myself back into the voice of the guide from my CD and began to concentrate on

33
my various movements. I enjoyed the stretch poses, as they were very much needed. It good to

stretch my body and to be aware of what each part of my moving limbs.

The one pose that I was uncomfortable with was the Corpse Pose. I literally opened my eyes

when the moderator said the word, corpse. I immediately talked myself into staying in place and

completing the end of my practice.

This practice brought awareness to area of my body that I do not think about on a daily basis.

Although each part of my body is equally as important as the next, I don’t often think about my ears

or nostrils.

I truly hope that I am discipline enough to practice either formal mindful yoga or sitting

meditation 1-2 times per week and eventually daily. I was so relaxed after my practice and literally

just wanted to go to bed and sleep. It was beneficial that I did most of my practices at night.

The average person tends to gravitate toward one or more foods when feeling depressed or

lonely. Food can become a “friend” when there are no other friends around. If first we become

acquainted with a particular food at a low point, we can , we can become conditioned to return to that

type of food when the situation arises again(comfort food) (Seaward, 2015)

References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

www.mindfulyoga.com/resources/yogatorial

34
Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

8
Unit

Information to Remember:

 Key Learning Point: The hatha yoga style places special emphasis on physical postures, which are

integrated with pranayama, or breathing control. The word hatha comes from two Sanskrit words,

ha, meaning “sun,” and tha, meaning “moon.” The symbolic meaning of these words is the balance

of universal life forces (Iyengar, 1981; Rosen, 2002). (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Chronic stress can cause a depletion of several vitamins necessary for energy

metabolism, as well as a depletion of constituents required by the stress response itself (Seaward,

2015).

 Key Learning Point: Avoid eating big meals prior to meditation because the stomach and the brain

compete for blood flow, and when the stomach is full, more blood is needed for digestion. As a rule,

undereat (Seaward, 2015).

35
Self-Assessment Exercises:
Proposal for Health and Wellness Management

This proposal is prepared for health and wellness management. The scope of the project outlined

includes vendors of national evidence-based products and services. To meet these needs, this proposal

offers consulting services to provide the following expertise: (a) rationale; (b) mind-body programs or

practices; (c) capital outlay; and (d) benefits.

RATIONALE

What is the purpose of this program?

The Purpose of this program is to teach employees techniques to reduce stress, to reduce the amount

of stress in the workplace, decrease health insurance cost to the agency, to reduce production loss,

increase productivity and decrease absence.

MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES

Provide a list for consideration? What are you proposing?

Yoga

Pilates

Meditations

Health education information session (nutritional and physical fitness)

I am proposing that management allow one to two days per week for employees and employers to

attend and participate in a mindfulness exercise, practice or informational sessions.

CAPITAL OUTLAY

36
What is the equipment needed and cost, [e.g., sound system, speakers, microphone, music, bands,

weights, mats, flooring, and others?

Equipment needs:

Music -$50.00

Floor mats – employees will provide their personal mat

Water - $10.00 per week

DVD/CD: $150.00 -Yoga, Pilates, and meditation CDs

Trained instructor - $200 per month

Nutritionist or Health and Wellness Specialist: 100 per month

BENEFITS
To the employer; employee; Return on Investment, other?

The employees will learn how to reduce stress in the professional and personal lives. The workplace

will become an enjoyable and productive environment. The employer will spend less time on

counseling.

TIMELINE: What is the start-up time needed? Shipping of equipment? Length of program?
Planning and preparation should take about three months at the least. Basically securing a qualified

instructor and possible contracts. Employees will either bring their own mats and towels or the

instructors will provide the items needed to complete their practice or training.

PERSONNEL: Trainers, Instructors, other?

Yoga Instructor

Certified employee

Nutritionist or Health and Wellness Specialist

37
TOTAL BUDGET
There is very minimal fund set aside for this project. The agency total budget is around $500.00. The

Agency is willing to pay $200.00 per month for a trained instructor or Health Educator. A Maximum

of $150.00 dollars will be used to secure training resources such as DVD’s and CD’s.

PITCH
I would like to propose a plan to reduce the stress in the workplace for employees and employers. I

propose one to two days per week be allowed to employees and employers to attend and participate in

a mindfulness exercise or informational sessions. These sessions will be no longer than sixty minutes

each. The practices will include various types of yoga, Pilates and meditations.

We can first survey the staff to see if we have any qualified trainers or yoga instructors who would be

willing to share their skills on a weekly basis or funded a professional to come in once a week. We

will alternate the practice with nutritional, physical fitness or mindfulness information session from

time to time. These sessions can take place in the main conference room since the tables and the

chairs can be removed or they can take place after work in the small cafeteria. To further reduce cost

DVD and CD of guided yoga sessions and meditations can be used to cut back on cost, employees

will be encouraged to bring their own mats and towels. The company will supply the water and a

reward will be presented to the employees who attend the most sessions in a quarter.

CLASSMATE FEEDBACK

Great start to your proposal, I think it is a great thing for staff to be able to be stress free and to enjoy

their life and everyday working abilities. Do you think it would be beneficial for all employees to

have to take these mindfulness sessions? I also think it is a great idea for a qualified trainer or yoga

instructor to share their willingness and skills for the organization. I also liked how you had your plan

figured out to even where the sessions can take place and the company supplying wonder. Great job.

38
Thank you, Cindy

SUMMARY:
Implementing mind/body exercises or practices within the wellness program will be a win/win

solution for the agency. The employees will feel less stressed and happier and the employers will

have a more productive workplace.

JournalWriting:

OPENNESS: Base of the exercise instructions, before practicing the openness quality I would

be judgmental with the person I used for this exercise. After reading the quality found myself being

very careful with my thoughts and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. I focused on the

good quality of the person and not what appears on the surface.

EMPATHY: I imagine myself getting in touch with all of my many emotions to include what’s going

on spiritually, physically and emotionally in my life. I also imagined what my loved one might be

going through and placed myself in their situation. I imagined the burden their current situation my

be putting them through and tried to feel the pain and other emotions that they may be experiencing.

COMPASSION: With compassion, I put myself in my loved one situation and had empathy toward

what they were actual feeling. Although it may not be how I would feel or something I could identify

with I was understanding of how and why they were feeling a particular way.

LOVING-KINDNESS: Loving-Kindness wasn’t as easy as I imagined it would be. I put myself in a

selfless, unconditional love zone. I thought wonderful things about the person I am extending loving-

kindness toward. I basically began to pray and wish for the best of everything for this person.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: Sympathetic Joy almost seems like an oxymoron. Does not sound authentic.

However, I felt very comfortable with this quality. I easily rejoiced with the person I chosed. It was

39
easy to rejoice in where she came from and where she is now and the huddle she had to jump to get to

this place.

EQUANIMITY: Equanimity is a quality that I long to process. I am certain that I have not arrived

there yet but it is certainly a goal. When I imagined this quality I thought of my own experiences in

life and how I would want to be treated. I thought about equlity and fairness. I imagined several co-

workers and saw myself treating them equally.

Summary: All six of these qualities are necessary for me to live my best life. These qualities will

allow me to be open with myself as well as with others. To place myself in others life situations and

be more compassionate, caring and understanding was a hard step but being mindful of these qualities

shred a lot of light in areas that could use some attention. The qualities will remind me to be free, fair,

and thoughtful.

References

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA:

40
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

9
Unit

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Information to Remember:
 Key Learning Point: The key learning point I received from unit nine is that no one relaxation

technique works for everyone. You have to focus on what works best for you. (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: Make a habit of spending quality time each day to get to know yourself. Be

selfish and do a little self-exploration weather. (Seaward, 2015).

 Key Learning Point: 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).

Additional Information

41
Kaley Bell
Discussion
The Nature of Stress

Choose one type of stress (eustress or distress) and describe how it impacts your life or

community.

I chose to discuss eustress and the impact it can have on a person’s life, as I think it’s less

commonly known than distress. Many people may not realize that not all stress is bad.

Eustress is in fact good stress; a feeling of euphoria or exhilaration (Seaward, 2006) .

Eustress arises in any situation a person feels motivated. This might include things like acing

a test, or getting a promotion at work. “When stress serves as a positive motivation, it is

considered beneficial” (Seaward, 2006, p. 1). I personally can relate this to my school

career. Because of my hard work I’ve held a 4.0 GPA throughout my time in school. This had

landed me a spot on the president’s list every term. It gives me great motivation to receive

such an achievement award; like all my hard work has paid off. I think people need

motivation in all areas of life; both on a personal and professional level. Eustress makes you

feel good, and in turn, helps you live a positive, worthwhile life.

Seaward, B. L. (2006). Essentials of managing stress.

a person’s HR response is the best indicator of the relative stress being experienced due to the

interaction of exercise intensity, exercise duration, and environmental factors. The participant should

cut back on the intensity of the activity when environmental factors increase the HR response.

 The Bible - Secondary

42
  Your Best Life Now – Joel Osteen- Secondary source

 www.How to Meditate - primary

 How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains: Sara Lazar at TEDxCambridge 2011 -

 6 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Everyday for Stress Relief.

 Fitness professional's handbook.

References

How to Meditate - How to Meditate. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.how-to-

meditate.org/

43
Howley, E. T., Franks, B. D., & Howley, E. T. (2007). Fitness professional's handbook. Champaign,

IL: Human Kinetics.

Seaward, B. l. (2001) Health of the Human Spirit: Spiritual Dimensions for Personal Health, 2nd

Edition, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

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.

6 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Do Everyday for Stress Relief. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2016,

from http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/exercises.htm

44