Final for Stress Management course

1. KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and
Prevention
Stress Management and
Prevention Program
Resource Guide
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2. KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide
By
Rebecca Esposito
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
9-6-2011
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3. Table of Contents
UNI T 1 THE NATURE OF STRESS
Defining stress, General adaptation syndrome, and Differences between the sexes and
stress response
Resources: discussions and exercises 1.2 Health and Wellness Philosophy
Tools: Are you stressed journal 1.1
UNI T 2 THE BODY AS B ATTLEFI ELD
Importance of improvement of memory, Physiological effects on memory due to prolonged
stress, Damage excess stress causes on the Hippocampus
Resources: discussions and exercises 2.2 and 3.3
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNI T 3 FEAST OR FAMI NI NE
Building blocks of psychological stressors, The subtleties of predictability, The subtleties of
control
Resources: discussions and exercises 5.1 and 5.9
Tools: 4.1 Psychology of Your Stress
UNI T 4 ONE PLANET UN DER STRESS
Stress prone personalities, Stress resistant personalities, Self-esteem and its effect on
stress
Resources: discussions and exercises 7.6 and 7.8
Tools: 6.2 Stress Prone Survey
6.3 Stress Resistant Survey
UNI T 5 UNDER STRESS: WHAT NOW?
Successful aging, Vulnerability to learned helplessness, Principles of coping with
psychological stress
Resources: discussions and exercises 9.1 and 15.1
Tools: 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective
UNI T 6 AGELESS WI SDO M OF MEDITATI ON
Breathing for relaxation, Meditation, Mental imagery and visualization techniques
Resources: discussions and exercises 18.3 and 18.1
Tools: 20.2 Short Guided Visualizations
UNI T 7 SI GHT, SOUND, AND BODY WORK
Stress and eating habits, Stress response triggering foods, Four domino factors of stress
Resources: discussions and exercises 27.1 and 27.2
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4. Tools: 27.3 Rainbow Diet
UNI T 8 THE WELLNESS MANDALA
Flushing stress hormones, Exercise and stress reduction, The mind-body connection
Resources: discussion and exercises 28.1 and 28.2
Tools: 28.3
UNI T 9 APPLYI NG STRE SS: CRI TICAL MANAGEM ENT AND PREV ENTI ON TO
YOUR PROFESSI ONAL LI FE
Information seeking and stress, Hobbies and stress reduction, Forgiveness as a coping skill
Resources: discussions and exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
ADDI TI ONAL I NFORMATI ON
Sapolsky, Robert. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed guide to Stress, Stress-
Related Diseases, and Coping- 3rd Edition. New York, NY. St. Martin’s Griffin Press.
Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being 6th
Edition. Boston, Massachussetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
This is one of the most helpful text books I have come across in my studies at Kaplan so far. I
really like the information in the book and the way it was set up. It was an interesting read. I
wish I had the hard copy of it; I would highlight it to no end.
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5. UNIT 1
Unit 1: The Nature of Stress
Information to Remember:
Defining stress- A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily and
mental tension and is a cause for disease. Stress is whatever a person perceives as
emotionally taxing. For some people, having too much to do in a day is stressful for
others, stress can be a good thing as long as it is temporary to help them achieve their
goals.
G.A.S. – General adaptation syndrome is broken up into three stages of adaptation by
the body. The fight or flight response, resistance stage where your body is trying to
relax but your mind isn’t ready and the final stage of exhaustion where chronic stress
is present and can essentially kill you.
Difference between the sexes and stress response- Men respond with a different
section of the brain than women. Men tend to use fight or flight response more and
they use reason. Women tend to use emotions and social support systems to cope with
stress.
Resources: Health and Wellness Philosophy- I liked this exercise because it brings to the
front of my mind what is most important in life. The Paradigm asks questions that make you
pinpoint your specific meaning of health and wellness to you.
The stress test is important to understand what level we are to relieve stress in our lives as
needed.
Tools: Journal 1.1 Are you Stressed?
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6. UNIT 2
Unit 2: The Body as Battlefield
Information to Remember:
Importance of improvement of memory- Improving our memories is beneficial so that we
can get through stressful periods quicker and more efficiently each time we encounter a
similar stressor we have had before. If we can get our minds to react and relax from a
stressor there will be less chance for biological damage to the mind and body.
Physiological effects on memory due to prolonged stress- There are numerous
physiological responses to prolonged stress. People lose sleep, appetite, and even hair.
Other issues can be as severe as heart disease or obesity due to release of coritsol.
Damage excess stress causes on the Hippocampus- Chronic stress can cause the
Hippocampus to lose its functioning little by little. The brain will lose memory and
learning abilities can be hampered as well.
Resources: Ex. 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects- This exercise was
very helpful in showing me where I hold on to stress too long or where I accurately let it go. This
can really be helpful in the years to come so that I can always be aware of my triggers to stress
and hopefully stop them in the first place.
Ex. 3.3 My Health Profile- This was an eye opener for sure. I will keep this document and re
assess myself every four months to try to make it better each time. Having a tool like this
assessment can really give you an idea of where you are and where you need to be.
Tools: Journal Ex. 3.3 My Health Profile
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7. UNIT 3
Unit 3: Feast or Famine
Information to Remember:
Building blocks of psychological stressors- The building blocks are frustration outlets,
social support, control, predictability, and the perception of things getting worse. Having
these tools can really make a difference for stress especially in the work place or family
situations when controlling stress is the most important and difficult.
The subtleties of predictability- Remembering the subtleties of predictability when faced
with certain “future” stressors can be beneficial. Planning ahead for a major stressor may
help reduce some of the stress in the first place.
Subtleties of control- These are just as important to keep in mind during times of stress.
Some things are out of our control and when we understand that and move on to the best
of our ability it makes for less stress. Trying to see the brighter side of a situation also
helps reduce stress quicker.
Resources: Ex. 5.1 Anger Recognition Checklist- I like this one because I can really see
where my anger is and stop it from happening.
Ex. 5.9 Emotional Well-Being- The question in this exercise actually helped me notice some of
my eating triggers and why I react to certain situations the way that I do.
Tools: Journal Ex. 4.1 Psychology of Your Stress
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8. UNIT 4
Unit 4: One Planet Under Stress
Information to Remember:
Stress prone personalities- There are type A and D personalities. Some people can do
well with stress and use it to their advantage and succeed better under some stress. Many
people have a hard time coping with stress and use it as a negative influence on their lives
and get sick or fail time and again.
Stress resistant personalities- Hardy and survivor personalities and sensation seekers.
There is a sense of commitment, control, and a challenge in these traits. There are the
people who use daily stress as a catalyst to do better and stress can roll right off their
backs with little or no biological effects.
Self-esteem and its effect on stress- Self-esteem low or high can influence how we relate
to stress. If we have a low self-esteem we are likely to deal with stress poorly. If we have
a high self-esteem we may not even feel stressors or deal with them more efficiently.
Resources: Ex. 7.6 Your Meaningful Purpose in Life- I like that this exercise breaks down
and shows you that each part of your life is important and it helps to progress to the next phase in
life.
Ex. 7.8 Distraction of the Human Path- This exercise really opened my eyes to how many things
in this day and age can take you away from what is really important in the balance of life.
Tools: Journal Ex. 6.2 Stress Prone Survey and Ex. 6.3 Stress Resistant Survey
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9. UNIT 5
Unit 5: Under Stress; What Now?
Information to Remember:
Successful aging- A healthy weight, exercise, balanced diet, avoiding smoking or
alcohol, no depression, maturity and a resilient coping mechanism is a recipe for aging
well. Keeping stress at bay can keep you looking younger longer and feeling good at any
age.
Vulnerability to learned helplessness- Repeated feelings of loss of control of external
issues. Many people have the same situation occur numerous times in life so they feel
helpless and stressed.
Principles of coping with psychological stress- Exercising, meditation, use predictability
and control in a positive way, and social support. For some people dealing with stress
takes practice but once you apply the principles there will be less stress in your life.
Resources: Ex. 9.1 Value Assessment and Clarification- This was pleasant for me because it
shows me that I am on an integral health path and that feel really good.
Ex. 15.1 Time Crunch Questionnaire- This helped me see exactly where I am bad at time
management. I know I am bad but I can never tell why. Seeing it on paper makes me get it much
better.
Tools: Journal Ex. 8.1 Reframing; Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective
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10. UNIT 6
Unit 6: Ageless Wisdom of Meditation
Information to Remember:
Breathing for relaxation- Calming your breathing down can help reduce stress
immediately. This can be practiced anywhere at any time so it is quite useful and
effective.
Meditation- Inclusive and exclusive meditation are quite beneficial. Clearing your mind
and focusing on one thing or just relaxing your mind and letting it go where it chooses
are great ways to relax.
Mental imagery and visualization techniques- Mental imagery is an unconscious mode of
relaxation and visualization is a conscious effort to bring up pictures in our minds to
achieve certain goals. The two are similar in that you can relax and “get away” from
stress any time.
Resources: Ex. 18.3 Bridging hemispheres of thought- This exercise taught me how I let my
emotions rule my thoughts. I can now practice intentional left brain usage to get more balanced.
Ex. 18.2 Too much information- This exercise made me realize I need to meditate more and
quiet my mind. I spend too much time worrying about menial things.
Tools: Journal Ex. 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations
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11. UNIT 7
Unit 7: Sight, Sound, and Body Work
Information to Remember:
Stress and eating habits- Some people eat more some people skip meals during times of
stress. Stress seems to cause bad eating habits either way. Eating or not eating both cause
biological issues in the long run.
Stress response triggering foods- there are many foods to stay away from to prevent
stress. Caffeine, processed foods, and sugars are the biggest culprits. These are not
actually real foods anyway. Keeping them out of the diet or at least at a minimum would
be optimal in stress reduction.
Four domino factors of stress- Dominos are nutrient depletion, bad eating habits, food
stressors and triggers, and toxins accumulated from poor diet. This is a downward spiral.
It is a good idea to keep a clean diet to reduce stress to start with.
Resources: Ex. 27.1 Stress related eating behaviors- This is one of the most beneficial
exercises for me. My eating habits are definitely contributing to my stress and especially the use
of caffeine.
Ex. 27.2 Self- Assessment; nutritional eating habits- This too helped me see where my downfall
is. I have a bad habit of eating too late and not eating enough in the early part of the day.
Tools: Journal Ex. 27.3 Rainbow Diet
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12. UNIT 8
Unit 8: The Wellness Mandala
Information to Remember:
Flushing stress hormones- It is important to help the body rid itself of stress hormones by
meditation and exercise. If the body holds on to them too long it can hurt vital organs and
eventually kill you.
Exercise and stress reduction- exercise can help reduce stress by ridding the body of
toxins. Exercise releases the good hormones we need for optimal health. We can reduce
all the signs of stress related illness with regular exercise. We can lower blood pressure,
cholesterol, and have better resting heart rates.
The mind-body connection- Having a healthy body can give you a calm mind and vice
versa. Our beings are very connected by mind- body- and spirit. When one aspect is not
functioning well then all three are affected. We need balance as it is in our nature to crave
it.
Resources: Ex. 28.1 Physical exercise- This exercise states that exercise doesn’t have to be
hard or take really long. I like to be reminded of that because it gives me motivation to do it
again. I have a habit of all or nothing and I remember that something is better than nothing.
Ex. 28.2 My body, my physique- this exercise prompted me to see me as I really am and to stay
close to realistic expectations for my age and fitness level.
Tools: Journal Ex. 28.3 Your Circadian Rhythms
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13. UNIT 9
Unit 9: Applying Stress; Critical Management to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Information seeking stress- depending on the personality type seeking information can
aid in stress reduction or cause more of it. If you get information that helps you
understand better you will be less stressed. If you get information and ask a lot more
questions and feel overwhelmed by the information you are more likely to be stressed.
Hobbies and stress reduction- Having a hobby is a great stress reducer. Keeping hobbies
that are fun, peace inducing, and non- invasive type hobbies are the best kind. Meaning,
don’t start a hobby that is too difficult to learn if you are still in a high-stress zone.
Forgiveness as a coping skill- Using forgiveness to cope with life and stress can really
feel good. You can take huge weights off of your shoulders by forgiving someone and
sometimes by being forgiven by someone.
Resources: discussions
Tools: Journal Ex. 11.1The Human Butterfly and 12.2 Working the Funny bone.
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