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HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide
Kaplan University
Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide
By
Cory Swonson
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
November 22nd, 2011
Table of Contents
Unit 1 Stress is amongst us
Information to Remember
-Define stress
-Define 3 types of stress: eustress, neustress, and distress
-What is the Adaptation Syndrome?
Resources/Exercises:
EXERCISE 1.2 My Health Philosophy
EXERCISE 1.7 College Students Daily Stressors Survey
Tools: Journal Writing:
EXERCISE 1.1 Are You Stressed?
Unit 2 STRESS: Good or baD
Information to Remember
-Stressors can enhance memory in critical situations
-Stress can trigger stress responses in the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems through perceived threats.
-Parasympathetic responses bring the body back to homeostasis.
Resources/Exercises:
EXERCISE 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects
Tools: Journal Writing:
EXERCISE 2.1 Stress Physiology Review
EXERCISE 3.1 Physical Symptoms Questionnaire
EXERCISE 3.3 My Health Profile:
UNIT 3: SLEEp quality and Awareness
Information to Remember
-Sleep quality affects the degree of stress
-Self-awareness vs. self-acceptance
-Self-esteem as it relates to stress
Resources/Exercises: Exercises
EXERCISE 5.7 Fear This
EXERCISE 5.9 Emotional well being
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 4.1 the Psychology of Your Stress
Unit 4 who are Easy targets of stress?
Information to Remember
-Type A personality
-Type B personality
-Define self-esteem
Resources/Exercises: Exercises
EXERCISE 7.5 Your Personal Value System
EXERCISE 7.8 Distractions of the Human Path:
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 6.2 Stress-Prone Personality Survey
EXERCISE 6.3 Stress-Resistant Personality Survey
Unit 5 Facing the fire: tools for coping
Information to Remember
-What is Vulnerability vs. Learned Helplessness?
-Principles of coping with psychological stress
-How to age well in this day and age
Resources/Exercises
EXERCISE 5.8 Confrontation of a Stressor
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective
EXERCISE 9.1 Value Assessments and Clarification
Unit 6 eastern wisdom
Information to Remember
-Diaphragmatic breathing is the simplest form of relaxation
-What is inclusive and exclusive meditation as it pertains to controlling stress?
-How are mental imagery and visualization techniques used for relaxation?
Resources/Exercises
EXERCISE 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations:
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditations
EXERCISE 18.1 Too Much Information
Unit 7 is your food eating you alive?
Information to Remember
-Foods can cause stress
-Depleted minerals in the soil make supplementation necessary
-Toxic residues can prevent the immune system from working properly
Resources/Exercises
EXERCISE 27.3 the Rainbow Diet
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behaviors
EXERCISE 27.2 Self-Assessment: Nutritional Eating Habits
Unit 8 flushing stress: INTEGRATING physical activity
Information to Remember
-Exercise has a positive effect on stress
-Regular cardiovascular exercise utilizes stress hormones for their intended purpose
-Exercise boosts self-esteem
Resources/Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 28.1 Physical Exercises
EXERCISE 28.2 My Body, My Physique
Unit 9 other tools: coping with chronic stress
Information to Remember
-Information seeking can both reduce and promote stress
-Hobbies can also reduce or promote stress
-Forgiveness is an essential step in the resolution to life’s major stressors
Resources/Exercises
EXERCISE 28.5: Mandala for Personal Health: Your Holistic Stress Management Strategy: This is a symbol of wholeness and is a visual compass to keep the mind, body, spirit, and emotions balanced.
EXERCISE IV.A: The Art of Calm: Relaxation through the Five Senses: These are self-diagnosed remedies for calming the five senses. I enjoy these types of techniques that incorporate though out plans of action to ease stress.
Unit 10 self reflection: customizing your tool box
Information to Remember
-There are benefits of designing your own personal relaxation program
-Journal writing is a method of self-reflection in the management of stress
-Many exercises in this guide are designed to help you effectively manage and prevent stress
Resources/Exercises
EXERCISE IV.B: Relaxation Survival Kit: A written antidote for stress by pleasing one or all of the five senses in order to regain homeostasis. I use this for stress emergencies!
EXERCISE 25.1: Autogenic Training
Tools: Journal Writing
EXERCISE 25.2: The Power of Suggestion
Quotes To Ponder
Life is a kaleidoscope of the infinite variety. No two things are the same. Everyone’s life is individual.
--Paramahansa Yogananda
We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“Truth has no special time of its own, its hour is now- always.”
-Albert Schweitzer
The moral sentiment is the drop that balances the sea.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
(End of the Guide)
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Unit
1
Unit 1: Stress is amongst us
Information to Remember:
▪ Stress is defined as the experience of a perceived threat (real or imagined) to one's mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of physiological responses and adaptations (Seaward, 2009). In Eastern philosophies, stress is considered to be an absence of inner peace (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Eustress is considered good stress, neustress is neutral, and distress is bad. There are two types of distress: acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term); the chronic stress being more taxing on the body and not ever allowing the body to reach complete homeostasis (Seaward, 2009).
▪ According to Hans Seyle, the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) is the process of adaptation to a stressor. It is composed of three stages; fight or flight stage, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage (Seaward, 2009).
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 1.2 My Health Philosophy: Take a look at the balance in your life. Do you enjoy balance and harmony among your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects? This exercise helps to show where balance is lacking and coping skills are compromised.
▪ EXERCISE 1.7 College Students Daily Stressors Survey: The following worksheet invites you to rank these typical daily student stressors. This is the first step in recognizing what issues need to be addressed in your current life situation.
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 1.1 Are You Stressed? When we don’t get enough sleep memory and motor coordination fade rapidly, and performance, in all aspects, is greatly compromised. This is a simple stress inventory to help you determine the current level of stress in your life.
Unit
2
Unit 2: Stress: Good or Bad?
Information to Remember:
▪ Physiologically the acute stress causes an increased delivery of glucose to the brain, in turn making more energy available to the neurons; thereby making memory retrieval and formation more efficient (Sapolsky, 2004). Taste, smell, and hearing become heightened under moderate amounts of stress. When there is moderate stress memory improves and when stress becomes too severe- the memory begins to fail.
▪ The sympathetic neural pathway is associated with a fight or flight stress response, whereas the parasympathetic neural pathway is associated with rest and relaxation. Acetylcholine, a neurological agent, decreases metabolic activity and allows for homeostasis to be regained (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Parasympathetic responses calm the body to bring it back to homeostasis. One way to induce the parasympathetic nervous system is by exercising. Typically after exercise blood pressure and heart rate fall below pre-exercise levels (Seaward, 2009).
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects: This exercise helps you to understand what happens during stressful situations, and the initial response one has to the stressor
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 2.1 Stress Physiology Review: Knowledge is power, and knowing what physiological changes are taking place during stress can greatly help to promote relaxation and healing.
▪ EXERCISE 3.1 Physical Symptoms Questionnaire: This exercise is informative as well as revealing about stress-related symptoms experienced over the past week.
Unit
3
Unit 3: Sleep Quality and Awareness
Information to Remember:
▪ Sleep ultimately affects the degree of stress. Deep sleep helps restore our body’s energy stores and helps us to consolidate memories as well (Sapolsky, 2004). When stress levels never get a break, learning, the ability to concentrate and recall memories is “lousy” (Sapolsky, 2004). Energy levels go down and impaired function of the brain continues. When we lack quality deep sleep we do not allow the stress factor (levels of glucocorticoid) to be shut down.
▪ Common themes among the theories are the concepts of self-awareness and self-acceptance, two inner resources that become the most important coping skills to manage personal stress effectively. Carl Jung was convinced the self-awareness and self-acceptance are important in helping one to get through the difficult times in life (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Self-esteem is thought to be a powerful tool against perceived threats and is a part of spiritual well-being (Seaward, 2009). It is the sum of self-image, self-worth, and self-love.
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 5.7 Fear This! The effects of fear can be exhausting. In fact, the effects of stress can exhaust the body to the point of disease, illness, or even death. Avoidance isn’t the answer, but it’s often the technique used to deal with fear. Fear is related to our level of self-esteem. When we are down on ourselves, we are most susceptible to situations or circumstances that we perceive as frightening.
▪ EXERCISE 5.9 Emotional Well-Being: To be emotionally well - it is thought that we need to be in control of our feelings. When we suppress our feelings we can linger too long in moods of anger, anxiety, depression, grief, etc. These chronic feelings of distress lead to emotional unbalancing. This is a great exercise to determine one’s level of emotional well-being.
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress: This journal writing assignment reveals how well stress is dealt with and the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during bouts of stress.
Unit
4
Unit 4: Who Are Easy Targets for Stress?
Information to Remember:
▪ Type A personality- is a stress prone personality behavior associated with time urgency, and is now associated with unresolved anger issues. Friedman and Rosenman, two cardiologists, referred to type-A behavior as the “hurried sickness”.
▪ Type-B behavior traits of being “laid back” (Seaward, 2009). Type A behavior was “a greater predictor of heart disease than all other risk factors combined (Seaward, 2009)”.
▪ Self-esteem is the sum of self-values, self-acceptance, and self-love. It is thought to be a powerful buffer against stress and is a sense of self-worth according to Seaward (2009). It is how one perceives others depictions of themselves.
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 7.5 Your Personal Value System: We all have core values around which we hold supporting values. These values help guide us through life. This exercise helps to illustrate both core values and supporting values and their relevance to any perceived stress factors.
▪ EXERCISE 7.8 Distractions of the Human Path: Distractions or temptations can throw us off course in life and can weaken our spiritual resolve. Recognizing these temptations is a survival tool to make the mind aware of those distractions that need special attention. This exercise asks for a list of distractions in your life and self-suggestions for getting back on track.
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 6.2 Stress-Prone Personality Survey: This survey reveals stress-prone personalities; those who are in danger of stress-related diseases and need to take action.
▪ EXERCISE 6.3 Stress-Resistant Personality Survey: This survey reveals stress-resistant personalities. These are basic self-reflections that guide us to taking corrective action in managing our own stressors based on personality types.
Unit
5
Unit 5: Facing the Flame: Tools for Coping
Information to Remember:
▪ Vulnerability and Learned Helplessness: Stress alters the vulnerability of the immune system where as happiness and optimism reduces vulnerability by lowering cortisol levels. Helplessness is associated with helpless-hopeless personality where learned optimism would be a corrective approach for resolving such traits.
▪ Apply the principles of coping with psychological stress by using techniques such a social support, hobbies, and forgiveness. Whereas social support helps to share the load of the stress- making it more bearable. Hobbies are a bona fide coping strategy that relieves the mind by diverting attention; however, hobbies can add tension when expectations are not met (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Among populations that have aged well are those whom prior to the age of fifty didn’t smoke, had minimal alcohol use, engaged in exercise, lacked depression, had a stable marriage, and social outlets, have been shown to have the greatest health in their elder years (Sapolsky, 2004).
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 5.8 Confrontation of a Stressor: I liked this exercise because it helps to develop a plan to overcome stressors by having a premeditated thought process to deal with the top ten stressors.
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective: This journal writing exercise asks to identify 3 major stressors and offer “new” reframed perspectives that can change the threatening perception to a non-threatening perception.
▪ EXERCISE 9.1 Value Assessment and Clarification: This journal exercise is designed to help us figure out our basic and instrumental values in life and their support systems. I like the way our values are mapped out and prioritized then examined for conflict or domineering thought and beliefs arising from these values.
Unit
6
Unit 6: Eastern Wisdom
Information to Remember:
▪ Diaphragmatic breathing involves the movement of the lower abdomen and is vital in restoring one’s vital life force (Seaward, 2009). It is the easiest method of meditation to practice because it requires little to no thought. Breathing from the diaphragm creates a calming effect which boosts the parasympathetic response.
▪ Inclusive or insightful meditation involves clearing the mind in order to chime into our own intuition- shedding light into a person’s life. Exclusive meditation involves concentrating on a mantra to increase self-awareness and promote relaxation (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Mental imagery and visualization are very useful in relaxation therapy by allowing the mind to wander through the art of expression. Bernie Siegel, a physician, suggests that mental imagery is more useful than using than a “battery” of laboratory tests performed to assess patient’s state of disease (Seaward, 2009). Visualization is similarly employed to imagine an end to a reoccurring dream in a relaxed state of being.
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations: These are 3 very useful guided visualizations to cope with stress and enhance awareness. These visualizations are a form of meditation that worked very well for me in coping with stress leaving me calm and collective.
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditations: Meditation helps us to clear away the heaps of useless information in order to free up our attention spans. This is a useful meditation technique that can be employed anywhere at any time to regain control over our inner-self.
▪ EXERCISE 18.1 Too Much Information: We are all bombarded daily with too much information, so much that it clouds our minds (information overload). It is important to discern what information is pertinent and which is not to avoid overloading our brains. This exercise is helpful in revealing daily distractions and ways in which we can deal with them effectively.
Unit
7
Unit 7: Is Your Food Eating You Alive?
Information to Remember:
▪ Seaward point out foods that are known to cause stress levels to remain elevated such as caffeine, processed sugar, flour, and salt which keep the sympathetic system in over-drive (2009). Foods that are high in fat and simple sugar rob the body of essential nutrients (Seaward, 2009). A conscious effort must be made in food selection as the American diet does not promote good eating habits.
▪ Depleted mineral content of our soil has become a pressing issue concerning our health over the past few years. Some minerals have declined in dietary intake as much as 33 percent in the past 20 years (Seaward, 2009). Supplementation is more or less a necessity these days as chronic stress shows a deficit in minerals such as magnesium, chromium, copper, iron, and zinc as well as vitamins A,C,E, and B-complex (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Residues from fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides found in many foods prevent the immune system from working effectively (Seaward, 2009). Beyond this point health has been greatly compromised and disease can manifest.
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 27.3 The Rainbow Diet: Food colors hold specific vibrations that can benefit the body by opening up blocked channels of energy. I really like this exercise as it points out the foundational methods of picking fruits and vegetable according to their effect on chakra regions. Always eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables!
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behaviors: This is a good look at behaviors associated with food and beverage consumption, time of day, and healthy habits employed regularly.
▪ EXERCISE 27.2 Self-Assessment: Nutritional Eating Habits: An exercise to take a look at the consumptions of foods and drinking habits that are potentially bad and increase stress levels.
Unit
8
Unit 8: Flushing Stress: Integrating Physical Activity
Information to Remember:
▪ The effects of exercise include lowering blood pressure, resting heart rate, and decreasing muscle tension (Seaward, 2009). These and a host of other functions serve the body well to regain physiological homeostasis. ). Exercise promotes better sleep, and individuals who exercise regularly report higher levels of self-esteem and lower incidences of depression and anxiety (Seaward, 2009).
▪ A training program that includes regular cardiovascular exercise helps to ensure that the hormones synthesized and released as a result of chronic stress are used for their intended purpose and then flushed out of the body with other metabolic waste products (Seaward, 2009). Regular exercise produces both physiological as well as mental homeostasis (Seaward, 2009).
▪ Individuals who exercise regularly report higher levels of self-esteem and lower incidences of depression and anxiety (Seaward, 2009).
Resources: Exercises:
▪ Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ EXERCISE 28.1 Physical Exercise: This allows one to take a look at exercise habits, motivational techniques, and formulas for success in constructing an exercise routine. This exercise forced me to consider all of the activities, the time of day I do them, and my preferred health status.
▪ EXERCISE 28.2 My Body, My Physique: Taking a step outside your body and looking back can reveal how you perceive yourself, your body, and your health. Treating my body as my temple has become more of an art of living for me.
Unit
9
Unit 9: Other Tools: Coping With Chronic Stress
Information to Remember:
▪ By seeking out information we can gather information about something (a stressor) which in-turn help us cope with the stress. Seaward suggests that this is one of the best defenses to have (2009). By information seeking we can gain knowledge about a topic and regain an emotional ‘foot-hold’ on the situation. This type of approach has worked very effectively with the terminally ill, drug abusers, during pregnancy, etc.
▪ Hobbies take stress levels down by focusing the mind on other things. The practice of healthy diversions has been known to often be a ‘bona fide’ coping strategy (Seaward, 2009). However, diversions can be either healthy (positive) or unhealthy (negative). Sleeping or watching television are examples of a passive escape. Not having enough time for the hobby and expectations can have a negative effect.
▪ Suzanne Simon describes acts of pardon as “an essential step in the resolutions of major life stressors.” (Seaward, 2009). When we hold on to thoughts of resentment can cause more damage by increasing defensiveness and vulnerability. Simon and Simon describe forgiveness as an internal method of healing that allows the victim to shed ‘toxic’ thoughts and emotions (Seaward, 2009). By coming to terms with stressful issues we can begin to find inner peace. We must not only forgive others, but ourselves as well.
Resources: Exercises:
EXERCISE 28.5: Mandala for Personal Health: Your Holistic Stress Management Strategy
EXERCISE IV.A: The Art of Calm: Relaxation through the Five Senses
Unit
10
Unit 10: Self Reflection: Customizing Your Tool Box
Information to Remember:
▪ Benefit of designing your own personal relaxation program is that it is personalized. This should help with the adherence to the program.
▪ Many exercises in this guide are designed to help you effectively manage and prevent stress Key learning point from the unit about Applying Stress: Critical Management to Your Personal Life
▪ Journal writing is a method of self-reflection in the management of stress
Resources: Exercises:
▪ EXERCISE 3.3 My Health Profile: You will compile personal health data to compare with norms discussed in the book Health and Wellness. This gives the individual a starting point.
▪ EXERCISE 18.1 Too Much Information: We are all bombarded daily with too much information, so much that it clouds our minds (information overload). It is important to discern what information is pertinent and which is not to avoid overloading our brains. This exercise is helpful in revealing daily distractions and ways in which we can deal with them effectively.
▪ EXERCISE 28.5: Mandala for Personal Health: Your Holistic Stress Management Strategy
Tools: Journal Writing:
▪ List the title (s)of Journal Writing(s) selected to include in the resource guide
American Journal of Preventative Medicine
The Center for Disease Control Journals
The Journal of Chinese Medicine
Additional Information
References
(Secondary)
American Journal of Preventative Medicine http/
Office of Dietary Supplements http/ods.od.factsheets/list-VitaminsMinerals/
The Center for Disease Control Journals http/oralhealth/publications/journal_articles.htm
The Community Guide. (2012, May 10). The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health. The Community Guide. Retrieved on June 30, 2012, from http/index.html
Hodges, B., Videto, D. (2005). Assessment & Planning in Health Programs. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Press.
The Journal of Chinese Medicine http/jcm.co.uk/
Medline Plus http/nlm.medlineplus/vitamins.htm
Micozzi, Marc S. (2006). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders Publishing
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http/nccam.health/herbsataglance.htm
Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, 3rd Ed. New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Schlenker, D. E., Long, S. (2007). Williams’ Essentials of Nutrition & Diet Therapy, St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier Publishers.
Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-being, 6th Ed., Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Press.
Skidmore-Roth, L. (2010). Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements Fourth Edition, St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby Elsevier Press
Thompson, J., Manore, M. (2009). Nutrition: An Applied Approach. San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings Press.
U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library http/fnic.nal.dietary-supplements
U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) http/food/dietarysupplements/consumerinformation/ucm110567.htm
U.S. National Library of Medicine http/ncbi.nlm.pmc/
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