HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and

Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention Program
Resource Guide

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 Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide

By

Jessie Olivero

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

March 4th, 2020

Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember.......................................................................................................5
Assignment.............................................................................................................................5
Journal.....................................................................................................................................8

UNIT 2 THE PHYSI OL O GY OF STRESS

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................10
Assignment...........................................................................................................................10
Journal...................................................................................................................................13

UNIT 3 PSYCHOL OGY OF STRESS

 Information to Remember.....................................................................................................16
Assignment...........................................................................................................................16
Journal...................................................................................................................................18

UNIT 4 PERSONAL I TY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRIT UAL IT Y

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................20
Assignment...........................................................................................................................20
Journal...................................................................................................................................23

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATEGIE S

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

UNIT 6 REL AXATIO N TECHI QUE S 1 : BREATH IN G, M EDITATIO N, AND MENTAL

IM AGERY

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................30
Assignment...........................................................................................................................30
Journal...................................................................................................................................32

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................35
Journal...................................................................................................................................35
UNIT 8 PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND ACTIVITY

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................38
Assignment...........................................................................................................................38
Journal...................................................................................................................................41

UNIT 9 APPL YING STRESS: CRITICAL ISSUES F OR M ANAGEM EN T AND

PREVEN TIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSIO NAL L IF E

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................44

ADDITI ON AL INF ORM AT IO N 4 5

REF EREN CES 45

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Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
General Adaption Syndrome (GAS) is consisted of three different stages that the physical body goes
through when it comes to stress. The three stages are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. These types
of stress can occur during any type of life event, but one in particular is the loss of a job. The alarm
response is also known as our fight or flight response. “Your heart rate increases, your adrenal gland
releases cortisol (a stress hormone), and you receive a boost of adrenaline, which increases energy”
(Higuera, 2017).
Once that stage happens, the next stage is the resistance stage. This stage happens once you come to
accept the fact that you lost your job, and you have to think of what step to take next and you start to
think a little more rationally. The heart rate and breathing begins to normalize and your body starts to
repair itself by bringing down your blood pressure and normalizing your hormone levels (Seaward,
2015).
The next stage is the exhaustion stage. This stage is when the body becomes exhausted and you’re left
with fatigue, depression, anxiety and a feeling of burn out. Your immune system has become
weakened and you no longer have the energy to fight off the stress. If the body is not able to repair
itself in the resistance stage, you may enter into the exhaustion stage and may lead to health risks
(Seaward, 2015).

Assignment:
 When it comes to the wellness paradigm, I believe that all aspects whether its physical, mental,
emotional or spiritual are important especially when it comes to stress. Our bodies are basically made up
of four parts and each of those parts should be balanced in order for us to feel good every day. The one
aspect that really stood out to me and the one that I think is more important is the emotional well-being,
the next being physical, followed by spiritual and then mental. Everyone has their own perspective of
which one is more important to them which makes us all unique.

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 The emotional body focuses a lot on the nervous system, touch, hormones, tears, and water
absorption. It represents our feelings and how we react or respond to stressful situations and other outside
energies. When the emotional body is balanced, we have feelings of empathy, honesty, open-ness, non-
judgmental, and generous with others. Everything in the body tends to be more balanced including
cortisol which is the stress hormone, insulin, progesterone, blood sugar and even the heartbeat.
“Emotional well-being is defined as the ability to feel and express the full range of human emotions and
to control them rather than be controlled by them” (Seaward, 2018). When the emotional well-being is
under-balanced, we may feel aggressive, obsessive, irrational, irritated, depressed, anxious, and even
hopeless. We may experience weight gain or weight loss and our heart may feel weighed down and the
menstrual cycle (if you’re a female) may become heavier. This is important to me because when I
become stressed, I feel it emotionally first. I get very anxious, very sad, overwhelmed, and I am aware of
how important it is to take care of the emotional well-being in order to keep from feeling depressed all the
time.

 Physical body is the skin, the organs, the brain, the skeletal system, blood, veins, ligaments and so on.
For the most part, people are normally aware of how their physical body is feeling whether its stressed,
happy, healthy, unhealthy or hurt. “Physical well-being is described as the optimal functioning of the
body’s major physiological systems (e.g., cardiovascular, digestive, reproductive)” (Seaward, 2018). The
physical body is our ability to heal and when its balanced, we feel open, healthy, flexible, and for the
most part free of toxins and pain, but when the physical body suffers, the body ages quickly and breaks
down more easily, the function of organs is disrupted and there are issues with absorption and elimination
leading to poor digestion and a lot of pressure on the skeletal frame. This one is important to me because
when I become stressed, I lose my appetite and my digestive system suffers. I lose weight and feel
lethargic all the time so that is why it’s important to keep the physical body working properly and
balanced.

 As a Christian, spiritual well-being is also very significant. “Spiritual well-being is described as the
maturation of higher consciousness through strong nurturing relationships with both the self and others;
the development of a strong personal value system; and a meaningful purpose in life” (Seaward, 2018).
Although being spiritual has little to do with religion, I think it is important to touch on spirituality having
a connection to all things, including God, the universe, the earth/self, the divine or a higher self. Spiritual
well-being is known as providing protection and guidance from an outside source or higher power and to

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 know that no one stands alone and that we are all connected in a spiritual way. When the body is thriving
with spiritual balance, we feel a sense of calm, creativity, fearlessness, knowing that a higher power (in
my case, God) is guiding us and protecting us, but when the body is lacking in spiritual balance, we feel
alone, scared, controlled by outside sources such as social media or the government, and feeling separated
from those around us. This is important to me because when I become stressed, I have to learn to listen to
my spiritual guidance and not feel like I have to conquer everything by myself.

 Lastly, we have the mental well-being. “Mental (intellectual) well-being is regarded as the ability to
gather, process, recall, and exchange (communicate) information” (Seaward, 2018). This includes our
thoughts, judgments, attitudes, and how we look at ourselves and define our worth in the world. Mental
well-being also represents how we process information and how we learn and use our words to
communicate. It’s about focus and clarity and how we handle ourselves in stressful situations and make
proper decisions. When the mental well-being is balanced, we tend to be better at solving problems, we
communicate better, we have the ability to get through emotional and physical problems in a direct and
supportive way. When the mental well-being is under balanced, we may experience brain fog or
confusion, lethargy, lack of purpose, lack of work ethic, and we may experience low self-esteem. I think
having a balanced mental well-being is important especially when it comes to stressful situations because
that allows us to think clearly and not make irrational decisions or say things that we don’t mean that can
be hurtful towards other people.

 For the most part, I like to think that my home is a great environment that fosters a balance of my
wellness paradigm because my home is like my safe haven; I feel at peace when I am home and it helps
me to focus on myself and helps to put me back into balance. Being at work is a different story because I
am a waitress and I experience being around a lot of people who complain, or are unhappy or are
extremely stressed and I feel that sometimes being around that environment really puts my emotional,
physical and mental well-being completely off balance. Learning to handle stress is so important for all
four aspects of our wellness paradigm so that we can live happy, healthy lives.

Journal:
Formal Practice: Mindfully Eating a Raisin

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At the beginning of most mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, we
introduce this practice, which involves eating a raisin mindfully, to demystify the
concept of meditation. (If you don’t have a raisin, any food will do.) As you do
this practice, put aside all distractions, turn off the phone, and focus direct, clear
awareness on each aspect and each moment of the experience. You can practice
by listening to Mindfully Eating a Raisin (directions found under course
resources) or by reading the following text, taking some time with each
instruction. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

Place a few raisins in your hand. If you don’t have raisins, any food will do.
Imagine that you have just come to Earth from a distant planet without such
food. Now, with this food in hand, you can begin to explore it with all of your
senses. Focus on one of the objects as if you’ve never seen anything like it
before. Focus on seeing this object. Scan it, exploring every part of it, as if
you’ve never seen such a thing before. Turn it around with your fingers and
notice what color it is. Notice the folds and where the surface reflects light or
becomes darker. Next, explore the texture, feeling any softness, hardness,
coarseness, or smoothness. While you’re doing this, if thoughts arise such as
“Why am I doing this weird exercise?” “How will this ever help me?” or “I hate
these objects,” then just see if you can acknowledge these thoughts, let them
be, and then bring your awareness back to the object. Take the object beneath
your nose and carefully notice the smell of it. Bring the object to one ear,
squeeze it, roll it around, and hear if there is any sound coming from it. Begin to
slowly take the object to your mouth, noticing how the arm knows exactly where
to go and perhaps becoming aware of your mouth watering. Gently place the
object in your mouth, on your tongue, without biting it. Simply explore the
sensations of this object in your mouth. When you’re ready, intentionally bite
down on the object, maybe noticing how it automatically goes to one side of the
mouth versus the other. Also notice the tastes it releases. Slowly chew this
object. Be aware of the saliva in your mouth and how the object changes in
consistency as you chew. When you feel ready to swallow, consciously notice the
intention to swallow, then see if you can notice the sensations of swallowing the
raisin, sensing it moving down to your throat and into your esophagus on its
way to your stomach. Take a moment to congratulate yourself for taking this
time to experience mindful eating.

Mindful Eating Journal: What did you notice with the raisin (or whatever food)
in terms of sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste? Was anything surprising? Did
any thoughts or memories pop up while doing this practice? Take a few
moments to write down your reflections.

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Unit

I personally did not have a raisin, but I did have a craisin which is very similar in
texture and taste. The first initial thought looking at this food was the fact that it
was once a full cranberry fruit that they must have dried up and it has become
wrinkly. I thought about the process that must have went in to drying up that
cranberry. It has a faint smell of cranberry on its own, but when I initially
opened the bag, the smell was very potent. While doing this reflection, I was
able to think about my childhood because when I was young, I remember being
in school and they used to give us these little boxes of raisins and I loved them.
The texture of the craisin in my mouth was very strange. I am very aware of
different textures and I don’t like certain foods due to the texture, but I don’t
mind the crinkly texture of craisins (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Mindfulness based approaches have been proven to be effective when it comes to many diseases and
disorders such as anxiety, OCD, chronic pain, helps reduce the detrimental effects of psoriasis,
increases empathy and spirituality, prevents relapse in depression, improves cognitive function in
bipolar disorder and drug addiction and helps to decrease stress and enhances quality of life to those
suffering with breast or prostate cancer (Seaward, 2015).
Mindfulness helps us to focus on the present and to bring our awareness to what is happening in that very
moment. “As you open your awareness to what is imbalanced and come to recognize unconscious

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 habitual tendencies, you can begin to make new choices that promote well-being and balance” (Stahl,
Goldstein, 2019).
When you are in a stressful situation or if you suffer with generalized anxiety disorder, you may not
realize the effects that stress has on the body when you are focused on what is stressing you out. You
don’t realize the shallow breaths or increased heart rate, increased blood pressure or body temperature
but when you practice mindfulness, you focus on your breathing which will decrease those symptoms
gradually and you focus on creating a skillful response in order to deal with the stress that is being put
on your body which allows you to see things more clearly (Seaward, 2015).

Assignment:
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to continually change throughout a person’s life span. The

brain alters its functions and structural properties which results in our ability to learn and acquire

new skills. “Neuroscience is a complicated, multidisciplinary, and continuously developing

discipline of science that looks at the structure and function of the human brain and nervous

system. Neuroscience research draws on cellular and molecular biology, anatomy and

physiology, human behavior and cognition, and other disciplines, to tool out information about

how the brain works at levels previously unrecognized” (Neuroscience, n.d.). The nervous

system is divided into the spinal cord and brain and it is important because the nervous system

controls our 5 senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch), movement and balance, blood flow

and blood pressure, controls our ability to think and reason, and it gives us the ability to have

thoughts, memories and language.

There are many diseases that are associated with our nervous system that could be

brought on by stress or stress could be causing these nervous system diseases to become worse.

Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and heart

disease are only 5 of the nervous system diseases that could be brought on by chronic stress.

Parkinson’s disease is brought on when there is a problem with certain nerve cells in the brain

that control movement. Shaking (tremors), stiff muscles, and slow movement are some of the

symptoms associated with this disease. “Research suggests that stressful life events may

increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, animal studies indicate that stress damages

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dopamine cells, resulting in more severe parkinsonian symptoms. In humans, acute stress can

worsen motor symptoms, including bradykinesia, freezing, and tremor” (MDEdge, n.d.).

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous

system and stress has been suspected as a factor that can aggravate MS. Although there are

unknown causes of MS, the risk of developing MS is higher in those who suffered with a

traumatic stressor such as physical or emotional trauma. “In MS, the immune system attacks the

protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems

between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent

damage or deterioration of the nerves” (Multiple Sclerosis, n.d.).

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that progressively destroys memory and thinking

skills. It is a type of dementia that is irreversible and worsens as you age. “The link between

Alzheimer’s and stress needs to be further examined, but researchers believe that stress can

cause inflammation in the brain, making the brain more susceptible to health problems like

dementia” (Sauer, 2017). Alzheimer’s disease will typically destroy neurons and their

connections in the part of the brain involved in memory at first, but then later will affect areas in

the cerebral cortex which is responsible for reasoning and language. Over time, many areas of

the brain become destroyed.

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects the central nervous system and

causes the progressive degeneration of the brain cells to become damaged. “Huntington disease

is caused by gradual degeneration of parts of the basal ganglia called the caudate nucleus and

putamen. The basal ganglia are collections of nerve cells located at the base of the cerebrum,

deep within the brain. They help smooth out and coordinate movements” (Gonzalez-Usigli,

2019). Huntington’s disease begins with involuntary movements such as jerks or spasms that

will happen occasionally and then progresses to more intense involuntary movements,

deterioration of the brain and eventually death.

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 Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease generally involves narrowed or

blocked blood vessels that can often lead to heart attack or stroke. Stress is known to cause

elevated stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which may cause high cholesterol and

high blood pressure and may increase the risk of developing heart disease. “Studies suggest that

the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides,

blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are common risk factors for heart disease. This stress

can also cause changes that promote the buildup of plaque deposits in the arteries” (Stress Can

Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease, n.d.).

A disease that affects the immune system during stress is Lupus. Systemic lupus is an

autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack its own tissues and organs. When

the body becomes stressed for long periods of time, it will weaken the immune system and

cause diseases to flare up such as Lupus. “The immune system produces virus-fighting hormones

(called "cytokines") such as interferon – which activates the production of antibodies and

destructive inflammation intended to kill the infection. When this happens by error, and is

directed at the self, tissue inflammation and damage occur” (Morand, 2018). Stress can affect all

systems of our bodies, causing diseases to flare up and make them worse, so it is important to

learn how to control stress, in order for us to stay healthy.

Journal
I have suffered with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder since I was around

10 years old. It’s always been something that I’ve had to learn to deal with and I often wonder

why I have to suffer with anxiety, meanwhile others don’t. When I was young, I wasn’t aware of

what I was having to deal with and I always thought something was wrong with me, but as I

grew up and I did more research, I came to the conclusion that I was one of the other 40 million

people who suffer with anxiety. Luckily, I have learned how to handle my anxiety and I know

when it does come out of nowhere, I am aware of what is happening and I try my best to not let

it take control of me.

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How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

As a Pastor’s daughter, I was around a lot of people at a very young age and I learned

how to behave and speak properly so I don’t get anxiety when it comes to people. I am a

waitress at a very busy steakhouse in my area and I am talking to people and I am around new

people all the time, so dealing with people does not get my anxious. Sometimes, if I am in large

crowds of people, I will get a little bit of anxiety, but it is nothing too severe. I like talking to new

people and meeting new people and I would definitely consider myself an extrovert.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

I have worked at a very popular steakhouse in my area for over 6 years. I am a waitress

and sometimes work can become very overwhelming. I am a perfectionist, so when it comes to

my job, I take it very seriously. If I become overwhelmed with everything going on at work, it

will give me anxiety and sometimes put me into a panic attack. I am very aware when these

sensations start to creep on me and I try my best to distract them with laughter or try to focus

my attention on something else besides my fast heart beat and choking sensation in my throat. I

had anxiety more often when I first started my job, but since it has become second nature to

me, I don’t get anxiety as often.

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

Personally, I don’t watch the news. The world as I know it is a scary place. I, luckily have

my faith to get me through every day but watching all the bad things happen in our world is very

scary and gives me anxiety if I think about it for too long. The violence that goes on in our world

for really no reason at all is what causes anxiety for most people. I find myself second guessing

career choices, vacation plans, and even walking outside by myself scares me because you just

never know what is going to happen with the amount of mentally ill people in this world. My

parents always raised me to think of the worst-case scenario in every situation (which I feel is

the cause of my anxiety), but it has helped me in many situations, so I can’t be upset with them

for always making sure I am being smart and safe.

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

When I was young, I did not have a care in the world about what I ate. I had Mcdonalds

and other fast food options way too often and I mostly ate whatever my mom cooked that night

which usually consisted of a lot of Spanish food. As I started getting into nutrition and taking it

more seriously, I found that my relationship with food wasn’t the healthiest. I am a relatively

petite woman (5’1, 108 pounds) and I found myself trying to eat healthy, but the healthy foods

that I was eating weren’t calorically dense and I wasn’t eating enough of it, so I found myself

losing weight. I would get anxiety about eating bad food because I was conscientious of hoe

unhealthy it was for me and then I would get anxiety about how much weight I was losing from

not eating. So, eventually I found a way to eat healthy and incorporate the unhealthy foods in

moderation.

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

I would have never considered myself an insomniac until about a year ago. Usually I

would be able to fall asleep fine and at a decent time of the time with no problem, but as I am

getting older, I find myself staying awake most nights until 2 or 3am and not even feel tired

because my thoughts won’t stop racing or I feel like I didn’t get a lot accomplished during the

day, so I stay up late to get things done. Social media is also a big cause to my sleeplessness,

due to the fact that I do not like to lay in bed and just think, so social media helps to distract my

mind and makes me focus on other things, but then I find myself comparing myself to others

who are more successful than I am which isn’t good either. Luckily, I do not get anxiety or stress

when I am winding down for the night, but the thoughts in my head race and it causes me to

stay up way later than I should.

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

I have been working out for about 8 years now so it has become a part of my weekly

routine. I find myself becoming more anxious and irritable when I do not work out for a long

period of time because I am not receiving the endorphins like I would if I was exercising. When I

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first started in the gym, I was very anxious because I had a fear of people judging me or if I

would hurt myself or even embarrass myself, but now I can walk into any gym and feel confident

because I know I am there for myself and not there to please anyone. Sometimes if I push

myself in the gym too hard, it causes my heart to race really fast and since anxiety has a

symptom of a fast heartrate, I will often get anxiety and have to relax for a little bit until I

continue my workout.

Conclusion

Overall, anxiety is not fun to deal with, but it is manageable. I have learned to cope with

the stress and anxiety in a way that I don’t let it control my life. Learning more about anxiety is

what has helped me to deal with it when it strikes at certain parts of the day and my hope is to

help other people learn to deal anxiety too without having to go on prescription medication.

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010)

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Learning to deescalate your anger is important. We can do this by counting to 10, taking a walk around
the block, drinking water, deep breathing, and using mental imagery to calm down. (Seaward, 2015).
Our thoughts are also very powerful, so learning to outthink your anger is very beneficial. Learning to
construct your thoughts other than destructing them will also help in deescalating anger (Seaward,
2015).

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 I think another important technique when it comes to coping with anger is by learning how to use
problem-solving techniques such as thinking of alternative options to your problems before you get
angry.

Assignment:
Tibetan medicine is a system that helps to unite the body, mind and inner spirit of someone who is

ill in order to help them restore their natural dynamic balance. By uniting the balance in the body, it

helps to change the mental and behavioral attitudes in those who are sick, in order to help better

understand the origins and causes of the illness and how we hold it on our minds and bodies. “By

understanding why you are ill, why you have pain, why you suffer, you become stronger and wiser.

You start to understand how and why any overwhelming or obstructive experience expresses itself as

mental or physical illness. You then know how to stop suffering and heal both your illness and the

way you live” (Hansard, 2002).

When it comes to stress, Tibetan Buddhism can teach a lot about being happy and how to

control stress so that we do not get controlled by it. Meditation is a cornerstone of the Tibetan

contemplative science. With meditation, they are able to overcome negative thoughts and the usual

habitual emotional response that comes along with stress. This helps them to live a calmer life and get

to a centered place. “In Buddhism, there is a meditation for loving-kindness, “mettā bhāvanā”, which

involves sending kindness to yourself, loved ones, community members, people you may dislike, and

eventually, all beings” (Gregoire, 2017).

Common themes among most of the theorists are the concepts of self-acceptance and self-

awareness. The mind creates all types of strategies in order for it to deal with the stressful stimuli and

many of these strategies end up being defenses used to protect the mind from the threat of dangerous

events. “When one looks at these theories, it becomes evident that self-awareness is a critical process

to move beyond defensive action and into the realm of resolution” (Seaward, 2018). Psychotherapy is

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us used to help put someone back on track through this process of self-awareness and move through

the stance of defensive thoughts or actions toward a more positive and effective strategy to deal with

stress. That is where self-actualization comes into play. “It is these inner resources that Maslow began

to identify with his theory of self-actualization. His theory indicates that we all have the potential to

move beyond the primitive defense mechanisms outlined by Freud, which stunt our human potential”

(Seaward, 2018).

One way to cope with fear is through behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy is based on the

work of John B. Watson who was a behavioral psychologist who had an individual engage in coping

and relaxation techniques such as cognitive reappraisal and mental imagery. These techniques would

allow the individual to desensitize them self to the stressors. Everyone has different fears and

anxieties and it is important to find the right coping strategy that fits the person’s needs whether it’s

behavioral therapy, psychoanalytical approach, systematic or exposure desensitization.

When it comes to communication, it is important to understand how to properly communicate

with people properly especially when it comes to a professional setting. Not only is proper

communication necessary, but so is being a good listener and being able to process the information

given. I actually think of myself being very good at communicating with people. I have worked in

customer service for a very long time which has definitely helped me learn how to talk to people in a

professional manner. I think avoiding the words “like” and “uh” as much as you can in conversations

is important because you are able to think before you speak and saying “uh” makes it seem like you’re

not sure of what you want to say. Being empathetic is also huge when it comes to communication

because it shows the person that you are really into what they are saying and you can understand what

they are saying and how they’re feeling. I like to ask questions when I am talking to people because it

shows them that I am interested in what they are saying and I’m interested in learning more. I also

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think body language is important when it comes to communication. Making sure your looking at them

and your body is turned toward them really shows that you are paying attention. If someone is looking

around or facing the other way, it shows that the person is not really interested or listening to what is

being said. Luckily, I learned these communication traits at a young age and they have always stuck

with me and as I am getting older, I realize how important it really is to have great communication

skills.

Journal:
I have always been very interested in meditation and it’s always been something that I

try and squeeze into my day because I know how beneficial it really is for the body and mind. I

like to meditate in the morning or at night and I always feel really good after I complete a

meditation session even if it’s a quick five-minute session. Sometimes I find it hard to control my

thoughts enough to give my brain a break. When I am laying down in bed at night or waking up

in the morning, my thoughts are always racing which prevents me from feeling relaxed ad that is

where meditation really helps me.

During this practice, I focused more on breathing through my nose and sucking it into my

belly. I used to be in band for 11 years so breathing into my belly comes normal to me. Focusing

on the breath is easier when I close my eyes and I imagine my lungs and stomach filling up with

air and then releasing through my nose or out of my mouth. I also find myself focusing on my

“third eye” which really helps to calm my mind while I am breathing. Physically I found my body

relaxing and I would pay attention to the parts of my body that felt a little more tense and I

would consciously relax those parts and sink into my bed.

During this practice, sometimes I would find my thoughts wandering, but it was easy to

focus back to the breath and just try and breathe as normally as I can while being aware of how

my body is feeling. I have suffered with generalized anxiety disorder for many years and I found

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that doing this breathing practice really helps stop the negative thoughts and emotions that I am

feeling during that time of anxiety. This class has helped me branch out and try meditation on

my own other than my typical guided meditation, but I would highly recommend guided

meditation as well because it really helps me focus on what the person is telling me and it helps

me relax even more than being on my own. After meditation, I feel so much more relaxed and it

really puts me in a better state of mind and I truly plan on making meditation a part of my daily

routine.

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Self-esteem seems to be a pretty big factor when it comes to how we as people respond to stress. When
someone has high self-esteem, they are described to have self-value, self-respect, and self-love and
those who have low self-esteem often seem powerless, they may become easily offended or
defensive, they may tend to blame others for their own actions and weaknesses (Seaward, 2015).
“High self-esteem is considered the best defense against stress; strategies used to combat stress are
useless without a strong feeling of self-worth or self-value” (Seaward, 2018). Everyone has a
different personality type and the hardy personalities and the sensation seekers are known to be stress
resistant personalities because of their high levels of self-esteem.
Hardy personalities consist of people who show a strong sense of control, commitment and challenge to
the stressors in life. Those who have the helpless-hopeless personalities, the type A personalities, and
the codependency personalities tend to respond to the stressors in life out of fear and frustration,
which may lead to chronic stress, hypertension, and heart disease (Seaward, 2015).

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Assignment:
Self-esteem is defined as an individual’s confidence in their self-worth and self-respect.

When it comes to self-esteem, many people may have low self-esteem or high self-esteem. Self-

esteem seems to be a pretty big factor when it comes to how we as people respond to stress.

When someone has high self-esteem, they are described to have self-value, self-respect, and

self-love and those who have low self-esteem often seem powerless, they may become easily

offended or defensive, they may tend to blame others for their own actions and weaknesses.

“High self-esteem is considered the best defense against stress; strategies used to combat stress

are useless without a strong feeling of self-worth or self-value” (Seaward, 2018).

Everyone has a different personality type and the hardy personalities and the sensation

seekers are known to be stress resistant personalities because of their high levels of self-esteem.

Hardy personalities consist of people who show a strong sense of control, commitment and

challenge to the stressors in life. Those who have the helpless-hopeless personalities, the type A

personalities, and the codependency personalities tend to respond to the stressors in life out of

fear and frustration, which may lead to chronic stress, hypertension, and heart disease (Olivero,

2020). Relationships, values and meaningful purpose in life play a big role when it comes to

stress. Having external relationships such as family, friends, acquaintances, even the creations

of Mother Earth such as trees, lakes, animals are important in order to learn tolerance,

acceptance, communication, respect, and compassion. “Building community means reaching out

to other people to raise the level of human consciousness and human potential, for in the face of

stress there is strength in numbers” (Seaward, 2018).

Values are stemmed consciously and unconsciously and shape behaviors and personalities

through the development of moral judgement, good and bad, wrong and right, as well as pain

and pleasure. Our values tend to shift as we mature and get older, and this type of shift can

create value conflicts which lead to a great deal of stress. Our meaningful purpose of life may

also be affected by stress. “A major facet of the spiritual well-being model is represented by

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one’s meaningful purpose in life. According to Frankl (1984), a life mission can be accomplished

through the design and achievement of a series of life goals, and through the experience of a

value conflict or emotional suffering” (Seaward, 2018).

I respect the fact that everyone has different values, attitudes and beliefs. I know many

people who treat others differently due to the fact that they don’t agree or believe in something

that they do. I believe values give people a reason to be accountable for the actions they make

and how they react to certain actions. Beliefs are normally passed down through generations,

such as those parents who teach their children about Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and even

myself as a Christian, Jesus Christ. Beliefs do not necessarily have to be true, but the fact that

we believe in them, we can hold onto that and take it with us on our own life journeys. When it

comes to our attitudes, it is basically the way that we respond to the values in our own lives

either positively or negatively.

For my lifestyle activity that I am going to put through the Prochaska’s Stages of Change

is my physical activity and I am going to start incorporating cardio into my weight training

routine. Precontemplation stage is when people start thinking about changing their routine, but

not serious about it and don’t always feel like it’s necessary to change. I already weight train, so

incorporating cardio into my routine does not seem quite necessary. Contemplation stage means

people are becoming more aware of their “bad” traits or behaviors and are considering the

possibility of change. In my case, I know that doing cardio would help my endurance and

stamina and be able to get me through my weight training without having to stop and catch my

breath so often. Preparation stage is when people have committed to making the change and

have done research to find a strategy in order to move forward towards changing. In my case, I

would find a good cardio routine for beginners and look into my options of which cardio I would

enjoy the most. Action stage is considered to be the stage in which people are taking steps in

the direction of change. I would first start off by adding about 15 minutes of cardio into my

workout routine. Start off small and add more time as I get my body used to doing cardio. The

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maintenance stage typically means being able to avoid any temptations to return to the “bad

habit”. In my case, I would just try and avoid being lazy with my cardio routine and try hard to

continue incorporating it into my daily weight training routine.

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

I’ve dealt with generalized anxiety and panic disorder for most of my life and it’s never easy

to deal with. When I feel the emotion of fear, anxiety, nervousness, panic, uneasiness, worry and

fright, I feel it mainly in my stomach and in my heart. My heart rate always increases when I feel fear.

My stomach turns into knots and I lose my appetite and it’s an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

Sometimes with anxiety, you never really even know what is causing it to come on when it seems to

appear out of nowhere, but all it takes is one negative thought which can completely mess with my

emotions.

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

Confusion, uncertainty, and fogginess happen to me when I become too overwhelmed and my

brain has a hard time processing what I want it to think about. I feel confusion in my head, especially

if I am becoming anxious or stressed and I feel like I can’t even think straight. This only happens

sometimes and I feel like for the most part, I process information and can handle situations pretty well

without becoming too overwhelmed.

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

irritation, grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

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 Aggravation, disgust, frustration, irritation, grouchiness, rage and all other descriptive words

of anger tend to be felt in my upper back and shoulders as well as in my stomach. I would say that for

the most part, I am a genuinely happy person and it takes a lot for me to get upset, but for 4 and a half

years of my life when I was in my early 20s, I was in an extremely toxic relationship. That

relationship caused me to feel anger that I never even know existed inside of me. The way this man

treated me disgusted me beyond comprehension. Every time I would get angry, I would feel this rage

and I would feel it in my gut and my shoulders and back would tense up. I would become irritated

over the smallest things and I would find it hard to keep my cool. Since being out of that relationship

for over a year, I am the happiest I’ve been in a long time and luckily, I haven’t had to experience

those feelings of anger that would take over my body and be extremely uncomfortable.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

Sadness, disappointment, insecurity, unhappiness, misery are feelings that I tend to feel in my

heart and chest. When I am sad, my whole heart and soul seems to be broken. I experienced this

feeling a lot when I was in my toxic relationship. Hopeless because I wanted it to work out,

disappointed because I felt like I was doing everything to make things better and in the end, it was

never enough. Sadness is an extremely uncomfortable feeling and it’s definitely a hard state to get out

of once you’re in it. Insecurity stems from my childhood and when I think of insecurity and what has

caused me to feel insecure, I think back to my middle school days when girls were so mean and would

call me names and call me ugly and although none of what they said was true, I would still believe

them. I have definitely gained a lot of confidence since my middle school days and I know my worth

and I try not to let sadness take over for too long.

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

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 As a pastor’s daughter and Christian, I tend to feel guilt when I know that I have sinned and I

become very hard on myself and feel regret pretty often. It’s a little strange, but when I feel

embarrassment or guilt, I tend to feel it in my arms. I tend to grab my arms and almost hold myself in

a way and close myself off. I have done things in my life that I am not extremely proud of, but instead

of letting myself feel terrible about it, I ask God for forgiveness and I try really hard to learn from my

mistakes and not let myself do those mistakes again.

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

kindness, liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

I love the feeling of love. I have so much compassion for people and things that I love in my

life. Love definitely starts in my heart. This overwhelming feeling of love takes over my whole body

and it’s a great feeling that I try and have as often as I can. When I think of love, I think of all the

people that I’m grateful for in my life such as my family, my boyfriend, my dog, and my friends. I am

an extremely kind person and I try my best to show empathy and sympathy for those around me.

When I think of love, I think of the good examples of Jesus Christ and his love for others. It really

encourages me to be like that and love like he did.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

I like to believe that I am full of joy. I find enjoyment and excitement in the smallest things

and I tend to feel joy in my legs and it makes me want to jump and run and dance. I love Disney and I

find that I am filled with so much joy by even the thought of going to Disney World or watching

Disney movies. When I think of my boyfriend, I have these overwhelming feelings of contentment

and elation and I feel so grateful to be with someone so amazing. When dogs are happy, they run and

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 5
Unit

jump and that’s how I feel when I get the feeling of joy. I have energy and it’s honestly an amazing

feeling that I wish everyone can experience.

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:
Learning to deal with stress is so important for our physical and mental health. I know that I have a hard
time dealing with stress and sometimes I just want to break down and crawl in a hole, but learning
how to handle stress whether through meditation, breathing, journaling, or just taking a mental break,
has really helped me in tough situations.
I always used to think that I never had time to do yoga or meditation or sit down and relax because my
mind is always “go, go, go”, but realizing how important it is to stop and take a breather really helps
lower cortisol levels and raises endorphin levels. Taking the time out to do yoga or exercise will
really help boost serotonin and make you feel better overall.
Negative thoughts have the ability to release stress hormones in the body which can suppress our immune
system, while positive thoughts can promote happiness, as well as a sense of mental, physical and
emotional well-being. (Seaward, 2015).

Journal:

For this journal assignment, I decided to practice STOP. I found this type of meditation

interesting because it helps bring the mind and body back into balance when anxiety and panic starts

to appear. STOP is an acronym for Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed. Since I suffer with

generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, I feel like this was necessary for me to practice. I did

26
this meditation practice over the weekend while I was at work because it is very stressful for me. I am

a waitress at a very busy, high end steak house in my area and I am constantly running around and

trying to do my best to make my guests happy and I can overwhelm myself a lot and before I know it,

I am in a panic attack.

When I am in any type of stressful or anxiety driven situation, my brain just tends to go and

my thoughts start running wild with no control, but that is where STOP comes in. During work, I

decided to try out this method. When I found myself running around, hardly breathing, heart rate

increasing, trying to get everything done at once, I stopped, took a deep breath, observed what I was

doing and how my body was feeling and then I proceeded. I think the first thing I notice when I start

becoming overwhelmed or anxious is my heart rate. I feel like I can hear it in my ears and my

stomach starts to do flips and I start getting a little light headed. That’s when I’ve realized that I’ve

lost control over my emotions and these sensations were driving me crazy, so I used the STOP

method.

After I took my deep breaths, tried to slow down and observe what was going on, I felt myself

take control of my sensations. Taking deep breaths really helped me to slow down my heart rate

because when I am in a panicked state, my breaths become shallow which then causes the heart to

pump faster and causes light headedness. I never really realized how important the breath is when it

comes to our bodies and minds until I did this exercise. Not only is breathing important, but I also

find that laughter helps so much in times of panic. The good thing about myself is that I laugh at

pretty much everything because I have a great sense of humor, but it also comes in handy when I am

anxious because it helps distract my mind from negative thoughts and I can focus on funny, positive

thoughts.

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 When I am in the state of panic and I stop to observe what is going on, I find that I talk to

myself a lot. I always reassure myself that I am okay and that these feelings that I am feeling are only

temporary sensations and that’s all it is. When I first started having panic attacks, I was convinced

that I was having a heart attack at 12 years old because I was so uneducated on what anxiety was. I

didn’t realize that my clenched jaw, tensed shoulders, nauseous stomach, fast heart rate, light

headedness all stemmed from thoughts in my own mind that I was creating and hanging onto. When I

am at worked over overwhelmed in any situation, I start thinking of the worst-case scenario and it’s

like a snowball effect where you start thinking of worse things and before you know it, you’re

imagining something terrible to happen that might not even happen.

When I deal with anxiety on a day to day basis, it is exhausting emotionally. After a panic

attack, I feel as though I just ran a marathon and I need to take a nap because it is so draining. It

makes me sad that I have to deal with anxiety meanwhile a lot of my friends and family have no idea

how I’m feeling because they do not suffer with generalized anxiety disorder, but I know that I’m not

alone and so many others suffer with it too. I hope to one day crush this anxiety once and for all and I

truly believe this practice will help me the more often that I do it. Meditation has always been

something that I want to get better at because prescription anxiety medication has never even been an

option for me. Anxiety can be annoying, but learning to take control of my emotions will be so good

for me and learning to stop the negative thoughts when they start getting out of hand, will hopefully

help me beat this anxiety for good.

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 6
Unit

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Information to Remember:
Our imagination is a gift and it’s an extremely powerful one. Some people may have a bigger
imagination than others but when it comes to stressful situations, many of us tend to imagine the
worst-case scenario. I tend to do that since my parents were very protective growing up, which I am
thankful for, but it has made my brain think of the worst-case scenario in any situation and it is pretty
unhealthy to do that all the time.
Guided imagery is like a direct form of daydreaming and allows us to take the negative thoughts in our
minds and replace them with peaceful scenarios. This helps the mind and body to heal, stay strong
and perform as needed especially for those who have gone through trauma (Seaward, 2015).
Personally, I have tried guided imagery when I used to see my therapist for anxiety, but I didn’t feel like
it worked for me. I definitely want to try it again but when I have anxiety, it’s hard for me to think of
peaceful scenes. I definitely want to try and get into it because I truly feel like it will help with my
stress and anxiety.

Assignment:
 Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best and easiest forms of relaxation. Diaphragmatic breathing

puts a lot of emphasis on expanding the lower abdomen rather than normal breathing which focuses

breathing on expanding the chest. “In its simplest form, diaphragmatic breathing is controlled deep

breathing. It is symbolic of a deep sigh, or a big breath taken when one is about to regroup one’s

thoughts, gain composure, or direct one’s energies for a challenging task” (Seaward, 2018).

Diaphragmatic breathing allows the body to accept longer pauses, decreasing the resonance and in turn,

creating a calming effect.

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 Diaphragmatic breathing can be done anywhere and at any time of the day. The three important steps

needed to perform this technique properly is assuming a comfortable position, concentration, and

visualization. It is best to be in a comfortable position especially starting out by either sitting in a chair or

lying down on your back with your eyes closed. “To enhance this position, loosen constrictive clothing

around the neck and waist. When first learning this technique, it is suggested that you place your hands

over your stomach and feel the rise and fall of your abdomen with each breath” (Seaward, 2018). When

focusing on diaphragmatic breathing, it is important to find a place where there are minimal external

interruptions so that you can have total concentration on the breath. When first starting this practice, it is

common for the mind to wander, and when you start to notice these thoughts, simply try and steer your

focus back to the breath. Visualization can be a great way to cleanse the mind and body by focusing all

your attention on the breath. When you can imagine yourself breathing in clean air and exhaling dirty air,

it allows your body to relax and release stress and tension.

 Now the effects of meditation on the mind and body are extremely positive and can be a wonderful

way to deal with stress and anxiety. Meditation is a practice of increased concentration that leads to

increased awareness. In this day in age where we have distractions left and right and we have access to all

types of information within minutes, we have become impatient, less mindful and more cynical.

“Meditation isn’t a cure for the world’s ills, but the purpose of meditation is to train the mind to minimize

distractions, both internal (ego-based thoughts) and external, so that one becomes more focused, more

mindful, more patient, and reports a higher degree of happiness and well-being” (Seaward, 2018).

Meditation is a great wat to detoxify our minds from sensory bombardment and sensory overload which

stops us from thinking clearly on a daily basis. The earliest meditation advocates implied that in order to

relax the mind, the body must be relaxed first. Finding a comfortable position when beginning your

meditation practice is so important in order to take full advantage of this technique.

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 Mental imagery and visualization are common forms of relaxation and day dreaming may be the

most common type of mental imagery used in order to feel relaxed. In times of stress, many people have

a hard time daydreaming about anything positive because they are so focused on the worst-case scenario.

“So, to alter this mind frame, the daydreaming concept has been adapted to intercept the stress response

and give the body a chance to unwind. It does this by replacing negative thoughts and perceptions with

peaceful scenes. Just as real or imaginary thoughts can trigger the stress response, relaxing thoughts can

promote the relaxation response” (Seaward, 2018). Visualization can also help people put their thoughts

into perspective. If a person has a visualization of a vacation site and they imagine natural scenes that are

vivid and full of color, they start to smell the air and hear the natural sounds, this helps turn distorted

perceptions back into manageable thoughts. Having a visualization of natural scenes also promotes a

sense of tranquility and everyone’s natural scenes and mental images are different and not one scene will

work for everyone. That is why it is important to find the visual that works for you in order to promote

your own state of physical relaxation and tranquility.

Journal:

Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

Growing up, boys and girls in school can be very cruel. I know for most people, the cause of

their self-doubt, low self-esteem and low confidence may be due to someone teasing them on the way

they looked or acted and those insults can be taken personally and brought into adulthood. I am a very

critical person and it’s definitely not my best trait but I have learned to accept that about myself.

Being critical can cause a lot of stress and anxiety when it comes to my appearance, my work ability,

my grades and even my relationships. When I was in my early 20’s and in toxic relationships, I would

always criticize myself because I believed what my toxic partners said about me and I never felt good

31
enough. Luckily, I am a Christian and as I started growing in my faith and reading the Bible and

learning what scripture says about my self-worth, then I started being kinder to myself. I never call

myself names. I know that I am going to make mistakes in life and they are going to be lessons that I

learn. I am learning to love myself more and more every day and regardless of what I go through in

life, I know that God is there for me and I am there for me.

Seeds of suffering?

When I think of watering the seeds to my own suffering, I think of the times that I know that I

am trying to do my best and the thoughts in my head are convincing me that I am not doing my best. I

find myself doing this in the gym a lot. When I know I am trying to push myself to do my best and I

still tell myself that I am not strong enough or I am not lifting as much weight as that girl over there or

don’t have as such endurance as the other girl over there, I become discouraged which makes me feel

terrible. I know things would be different If I was able to control those negative thoughts and give

myself positive reinforcement, I know I would feel so much better about going to the gym and giving

it my all and not being worried about how I look compared to the other girls. I understand that

everyone is different and some people are more athletically fit and have way more endurance than I

do and that is okay.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

32
 Currently, I do not have anyone in my life who I am angry with or feel resentment towards. If

I did have to think of a person that I felt resentment towards and had a hard time communicating with,

it would definitely be my ex-boyfriend. I can say that my ex had a lot of problems that he had to deal

with. He was an alcoholic, and his brother died of traumatic brain injury and he lived in Florida by

himself meanwhile all of his family lived in Virginia. He had a lot of his own problems and

insecurities and I was always the person that he put all of his anger and frustrations on. I definitely

learned a lot being in that relationship regardless of how terrible I was treated, I grew a greater love

for myself and the strength that I endured. I learned to control my own frustrations and I learned to be

kinder to myself through that relationship. I knew I was doing the best I could to be there for him and

in the end, he has to learn to deal with his own problems and insecurities and that is probably the

reason why he acted the way he did around me.

Reflection on writing?

As I was writing this journal, I realized how much I have matured and grown through my life

experiences and lessons. Life is not always easy, but I realized how important it is to love and care for

yourself because in the end, you have to depend on you and when we take care of ourselves, it allows

us to care for others with compassion and love. I am excited to continue working on myself and

growing a deeper love for myself because I know I am a great person and this life can be a beautiful

one.

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 7
Unit

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:
Stress affects all parts of the human body, especially the immune system and digestive system. When I
am very stressed out, I tend to get sick more often and I tend to feel bloated and uncomfortable. That
is because stress suppresses the immune system and food is not digested all the way and nutrients
aren’t able to be broken down properly.
Certain foods that trigger the stress response are caffeine, some carbohydrates, processed foods and
alcohol. I love coffee but I do realize that it will trigger my anxiety especially if I drink too much, so
it is important to control what you put in your body if you are dealing with stress and anxiety.
(Seaward, 2015).
Foods that contain an excessive amount of sugar, salt, caffeine, and foods low in vitamins and minerals
can cause or influence a stress reaction or impair your body's stress response. Foods that trigger the
stress response can also make you more vulnerable to disease or illness (Seaward, 2015).

Journal:
For this journal assignment, I decided to do the sitting meditation for 15 minutes since I did

not have a lot of time that day. Upon starting this meditation practice, I had a lot thoughts in my head

from the stress and worries of getting school work done, going to work, and my dog having

pancreatitis, so I had a hard time dissipating my thoughts during the beginning of the practice. It

definitely helped me a lot to focus on the meditation since it was guided and so when my thoughts

started to wander, it helped bring my attention back to my breath. I feel like I have a hard time

breathing since I have anxiety and I am a constant stressor, I have to remind myself to breathe a lot of

the times because I will either hold my breath or take really shallow breaths, so it was nice to be able

to concentrate on that.

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 Sometimes if I focus a lot of my breathing, I tend to get light headed, probably because I am

not used to bringing in so much oxygen at one time while I’m meditating. I have downloaded

meditation apps on my phone before which really helped me get to sleep and I used to meditate all the

time, but I haven’t in a really long time. I think my biggest problem is getting my mind to stop

thinking so negatively and so I always hoped that meditation would help me do that. This meditation

practice had a lot of pausing and silence, and I had a hard time focusing on myself and not all the

thoughts going on in my head. I think mindfulness is really good in helping me to feel myself laying

down and being comfortable, focusing on slowing down my heart rate and just relaxing.

The thing I found mostly difficult about this practice is probably sitting there in my own

thoughts for 15 minutes. Today, we live in an era where our minds are constantly being distracted and

we have access to information rather quickly, so at some points during this meditation, I found myself

becoming quite anxious due to the fact that I felt like I should be doing something else or going

somewhere instead of just sitting there in silence. I definitely feel like practicing meditation more

often will be good for me and help me to slow down in such a fast-paced world.

Physically, I did feel more relaxed after only the 15-minute meditation and I can assume that I

will feel even better when I try out the 30 or 45-minute meditation because focusing on each body

part and trying to make it relax, really helped me to wind down. I have a habit of always being tense,

especially when I am stressed. I notice that even when I’m happy, some part of my body is always

tight or tense. This practiced helped me to start at the top of my body and relax is as much as I can,

one body part at a time. I found this helpful since I was able to focus on something other than my

thoughts.

When it came to the sensations I was hearing, I focused a lot on my breathing. Hearing my

breath was calming, and I could hear my heart rate as it was slowing down. I also heard the cars and

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 8
Unit

traffic outside of my house, along with the birds and the wind but I didn’t focus on it too long before I

was back to trying to focus on my breathing. I really enjoyed focusing on my senses during this

practice because I feel like I don’t get a chance to do that during my busy days. Besides having a hard

time at first getting my thoughts under control, I think by the end of it, I definitely felt more at peace

and relaxed. I know that I will never be able to fully shut down my emotions, but learning to focus on

the present and one my breath really helped me to set those thoughts aside for a little bit. I will

definitely be trying out meditation more often because I feel like it really will help with my stress and

anxiety and I can’t wait to get better at it.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Stress can be present everywhere, but especially in the work place. Many people, including myself have
jobs that are so stressful, it can really take a toll on our mental and physical health. I think it is
important for employers to take their employees’ health seriously so that their workplace can be
positive which makes people excited to work there.
Doing simple tasks such as meditating before going into work should help keep the mind in the present
which allows for mindfulness of ourselves and others around us. When we are able to focus better, it
will allow for better communication and better team building.
Exercising on a daily or weekly basis will help decrease cortisol levels, so it is important to find time to
exercise. Whether it’s going to the gym, dancing, bike riding, yoga, or running, exercise is a great
way to get rid of unwanted stress, so get active.

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Assignment:
Proposal for Health and Wellness Management
March 2020
RATIONALE

The purpose of this wellness program is to ensure corporate wellness by making sure our employees
and staff are being taken care of physically and mentally. Having a corporate wellness program will
allow our employees to learn how to de-stress when the job becomes stressful. Many people work in
environments that are very unhealthy with the amount of stress and negative energy that is shared,
leading to poor communication, a lack of team building, and poor mental health.

MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES

Meditation is an amazing mindfulness exercise that helps the working brain focus on breathing and
letting go of unwanted, negative thoughts and helps it to focus on the present moment and may even
help to reduce workplace conflicts by triggering the relaxation response. I believe putting aside at
least 15-30 minutes a day for a mental health break can really improve the attitudes and work ethic of
our employees. The meditation program will allow employees to practice mindfulness and loving-
kindness towards themselves and their employees.

CAPITAL OUTLAY

The thing I love about meditation, is that it really can be very cheap and it can be done anywhere.
Since our employees are at their computers for most of the day, I think it would be nice for them to
take 15-30 minutes a day to stop and meditate. Along with their lunch breaks, we would also allow for
“mental health time”, which will allow our employees to take a mental break and de-stress so they can
continue the work day with a positive mindset. Once a month, we will hire a meditation instructor
which will cost roughly $60 for the hour, making the capital outlay about $720 for the year.

BENEFITS

Having an employee wellness program to help reduce stress in the work place will result in having a
stronger company culture, having less sick days, and helping people to feel more positive and happier
overall. Our employers will feel better knowing their employees are doing their best with their job and
creating positive relationships with other employees and themselves. Having outstanding employees
will create a positive work environment that will make people excited to be there.

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 TIMELINE

This mediation program requires no other equipment except for the computers that our employees
already have at their desks. The length of the program will be all year because we feel that mediation
is something that our employees will benefit from on a daily basis. Having the meditation instructor
come in once a month will teach people how to properly meditate and give advanced training to those
who already have a little bit of experience.

PERSONNEL

We will hire a certified meditation instructor and have them come into our offices at once a month.
They charge $60 per hour and they will be performing transcendental meditation which is a form of
silent meditation which is now one of the most widely used form of mediation practices. The
instructor silently repeats a personal mantra which will allow the body to relax and the mind to
become peaceful. This meditation is used to combat stress.

TOTAL BUDGET
Our budget for our employee meditation program is $1,000 for the year. After calculating the
mediation instructor cost, it would bring us to about $720 for the year, still leaving extra money to do
other activities that will help our employees work better together and take care of their mental health.

PITCH

Luis,
Stress affects all aspects of our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits and many people find their
biggest stressors in the workplace. Whether they are overwhelmed with responsibilities and deadlines
or having to deal with stressful clients or employees, stress makes it hard to think clearly, work
patiently and morally with others, communicate properly and also compromises the immune system
which causes more sick days. Having an employee wellness program to help reduce stress in the work
place will result in having a stronger company culture, having less sick days, and helping people to
feel more positive and happier overall. I know having a wellness program is not always cheap and
may require some capital outlay but the benefits will truly make up for that cost. Meditation is an
amazing mindfulness exercise that helps the working brain focus on breathing and letting go of
unwanted, negative thoughts and helps it to focus on the present moment and may even help to reduce
workplace conflicts by triggering the relaxation response. For those who have computers or smart

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phones, going on YouTube can be an easy, free way of getting access to all sorts of meditations, but
also, smart phones have a ton of apps that allows people to access tons of different meditations and I
think that allowing employees at least 15-30 minutes a day to stop and meditate will show extreme
improvement in their work and attitudes. If people can’t afford to pay for the meditation apps on their
phones, maybe we can compensate for that in their health benefits. Most meditation apps require $40-
$50 a year for a ton of different meditations that they can have access to and having to put up that
money for them seems like a positive and caring thing for us to do for our employees. Let me know
what you think. Thanks!
CLASSMATE FEEDBACK

Jessie,
All the options you suggested should be affective. I believe meditation is a significant
deterrent to fight against symptoms of stress. It can also be done almost anywhere at any time, even
sitting at a desk. Another way is to create a schedule of sports or fitness activities available around the
office so that your employees are able to choose which classes are available to them and they could
even get their family involved. This not only encourages a healthy lifestyle but also helps employees
when it comes to bonding with their colleagues as well as their family. You did a great job on the
discussion!
-Luis

SUMMARY

Stress and anxiety has become so common this day in age, especially in the work place. Not many
people learn how to control the stress that they deal with on a daily basis which leads to trouble in the
working environment. I believe that taking care of our employee’s mental health will set our company
up for success by allowing them to take care of themselves with meditation. Meditation is an easy,
quick and affordable way to really get our employees to a better state of mind and when they are in a
better state of mind, they can work together better, communicate better and feel better overall.

39
Journal:
OPENNESS: The person that I chose to think about while doing this assignment was my boyfriend,

Zach. Our relationship is pretty new so I think openness is very important especially in the beginning

of a relationship. I think in the past, I was very close minded on the views of other’s opinions, it was

either my way or no way and I came to realize how unhealthy that truly was. I think what openness

shows us, is that everyone should be treated as equal even if our opinions don’t match their opinions.

Zach’s opinion might not always match mine, but that doesn’t mean that his is wrong and mine is

right, vice versa.

EMPATHY: I’m an extremely empathetic person and I think that has come with my past and what I

have gone through to make me stronger and learn my own emotions and I can connect with other

people because I have either been in their shoes or I can imagine myself being in their shoes. I know

that everyone wants to be accepted and loved and to feel secure and I try to give that to everyone I

know.

COMPASSION: Compassion is so important to me. When I am looking for relationships with

people, I like to know how they react and respond to someone who needs compassion. If I am having

a hard day or going through something really tough, I need a partner who is going to comfort me and

be there for me in any possible way that he can. Compassion is very similar to trust in my opinion

because I need to be able to trust that person and trust that they can accept me and show me kindness

and love even on my worst days.

LOVING-KINDNESS: It’s not always easy to show loving-kindness to someone who is being

difficult and I learned that in my past relationships. I used to expect everyone to be perfect meanwhile

I’m far from it. It was even hard to show loving-kindness to myself for a long time, but growing and

40
learning has helped me to be that way towards myself and others. I am especially grateful for the

relationships I have in my life and I try my best to show them loving-kindness every day.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: I used to be a very jealous person because I had trust issues in my past

relationship and I never really knew my self-worth. Since I’ve grown and matured, I realize that I just

want joy. I don’t want to feel envy or resentment towards anyone in my life because I care so much

about them, I really have no reason to. I want everyone to feel happy and feel joy in their lives

regardless of what they are going through, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

EQUANIMITY: I think equanimity is hard for people this day in age because everyone is always so

judgmental. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect except criminals. I think it is important to

treat others with the same respect whether they are your partner or the homeless person on the corner

of the street asking for money. All human beings deserve to be treated with kindness and love.

Summary

Interpersonal mindfulness in relationships is so important and I think it is necessary for all of us to

learn how to handle people and conflicts with compassion, empathy and love the best way we know

how. Our relationships in our lives can be the most special things we can have and it is important to

treat them with love and kindness.

41
 9
Unit

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:
In the professional world, there will be days when clients and patients cause a lot of stress in your career,
along with deadlines, projects, meetings and so on, and that is why it is so important to be able to
handle stress in times when things get hard. Keeping a professional manner in stressful times can be
difficult, but once stress gets under control and you learn how to handle stress, it will become second
nature and you clients and patients will appreciate it.
Stress can take a toll on your productivity and health so learning good time management can also be very
helpful in the professional life. Doing different stress management techniques such as deep belly
breathing and meditation will help to take control of your emotions and focus on the present.
It is also good to take a mental break. When you feel yourself getting upset or frustrated, step away from
the situation and learn to relax. It will help to refresh your mind so you can get back to work and cope
with the stressful situation at hand.

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Additional Information

Book- Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being.

Book- A Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Workbook

Website- Mayo Clinic: Chronic stress puts your health at risk: A website that addresses
the stress response. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-
management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037?pg=1

Website- How Stuff Works: How Your Immune System Works: Visit this website for
extensive information related to an introduction of how the immune system
works, basics of the Immune system, and components of the immune system.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/immune-system.htm

Journal- Crum, A. J., Jamieson, J. P., & Akinola, M. (2020). Optimizing stress: An
integrated intervention for regulating stress responses. Emotion, 20(1), 120–125.
https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000670.supp (Supplemental)

43
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