KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention
1

Program Resource
Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By
Peggy Benoit
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
April 28, 2015
Total Points = 2

Table of Contents
UNIT

THE

NATU RE

OF

STRESS

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

THE

PHYSIO LOGY

OF

STRESS

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

PSYCHOLOGY

OF

STRESS

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

PERSONAL ITY

TRAITS

AND

THE

HUM AN

SPIRITUAL ITY

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

DEAL ING

WITH

STRESS:

COPING

STRATE GIES

Information to Remember......................................................................
Journal Writing.......................................................................................
UNIT
AND

REL AXATIO N

M ENTAL

TECHI QUES

1 :

BREATHI NG ,

M EDITATI ON,

IM AGE RY

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

NUTRITI ON

AND

STRESS

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

UNIT

PHYSIC AL

EXERCISE

AND

ACTIV ITY

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

APPLYING

PREVE NTIO N

STRESS:

CRITICAL

TO

PROF ESSI ONAL

YOUR

ISSUES

F OR

M ANAGEM EN T

L IF E

Information to Remember......................................................................
ADDITI ONAL

INF ORM ATIO N

30

REF EREN CES

Place your final page numbers on the right hand side of this line.
Total Points = 8

(This page intentionally left blank)

31

1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Everyone has stress in their life. It can be caused by family, work and other outside
sources. I learned that the way I react to stress can affect me negatively. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Eustress is a good stress that can motivate you. Eustress is the kind of stress that
incorporate in my life the most. I turned a very negative situation in my life into a positive one.
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Post traumatic stress (PTSD) is a stress that can affect the community. I have
personally been affected by this type of stress. I have learned to focus on the positive and in a way I
have learned to suppress the thoughts and the emotions that have stemmed from it. (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

Self-Assessment Exercise:
In my self assessment for unit 1 I was able to look at my life and identify the
things that were stressful to me and how they impacted me. This exercise made
me realize that one of the biggest stressors in my life was my job and my family.
My less stressful thing was the thing that most people find very stressful, sitting
in traffic. (Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

Journal Writing:
FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness,
uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.
When feeling one of the emotions listed about I feel the emotion in my chest. I feel like Im
trying to breathe and I can get enough air, almost like having someone sitting on my chest. My heart
rate is usually higher than normal.
CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy, or unaware.
When I am confused I really havent noticed any body sensations. I am not sure if I am not
knowledgeable enough to notice.
ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration, irritation,
grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.
When dealing with emotions that deal with anger I tend to feel sensations in a few places. One
is my head. The term hot under the collar is very appropriate. The other area I feel sensations is my
chest. It feels like when I take a breath in I breathe something in that just fills me up.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.
For sadness it also hard for me to notice the body sensation. When I am sad I tend to feel
numb all over I just want to lay still and not move. My body is almost like its numb from everything.
SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification.
When I have shame I tend to feel body sensation in the same areas as fear and anger. I feel it in
my head and chest. Sometimes I will feel it in my hands, where I just want to cover my face and not
be seen.
LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness,
liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.
When I feel love I feel sensations everywhere. Its like I am under the influence of something
and I dont know nor care what my body is doing. I feel warm through my body.
JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement,
exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.
Like love when I have joy I feel the sensation through my body. I will have smile from cheek
to cheek. I feel like
When I am angered and in fear my feel sensations in my upper body from my head to my
chest. I feel like I am flushed and someone is sitting on my chest stopping me from breathing. The
pressure I feel in my chest is as a balloon about to burst. The one emotion I had the hardest time
identifying was confusion. I tried to focus on this emotion but wasnt productive. I am not sure if I
havent done this enough or I just react very mildly. The emotion that I know that just gets my entire
body going is love and joy. Its like I feel warm throughout my entire body. (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). Total Points = 3

2
Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: To practice mindfulness is to see things without judgment. When I first read the
chapter I really didnt get what was truly meant by this. I rush from the time I get up. I rush to the
gym, I rush to take son to school and rush to work. Never really thinking about how this impacting
my life. It was natural to do this. As I was reading chapter 4 and saw the disease that are caused by
stress caused me to open my eyes. Out of the six Nervous system disordered I had been affected by
three of them. By practicing mindfulness I can identify problems without reacting to them in a
stressful manner. This would help my overall mental well-being, improve concentration, and improve
the physical aspects of stress as well. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Physiological effects of prolonged stress on memory is very negative. When I have I
am towards the end of my six twelve shift run, I know I am physically and mentally exhausted. The
smallest thing effect my stress level. During this time my memory and reaction time is affected. I
have to write notes to remember what I am doing. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: I learned that practicing mindfulness helps individuals recognize that there are
choices in how one responds to stressful situations. My knowing this I can respond to situations
differently (Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 9

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Neuroscience is the study of the brain and the nervous system. This study is important because it can
lead to treating numerous neurological disorders. Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to adapt to
change. In a way it programs itself to react to certain stimuli. Five diseases that occur when the
nervous system is affected by stress are:
Migraine Headache: Migraine headaches are chronic debilitating headaches. These headaches are
considered to be vascular in nature. Causes of migraines include vascular, genetic, neurological and
chemical and environmental sources. It is believed that a trigger of migraine is not being able to
express ones feeling. Migraines dont usually manifest while the emotions are going on but usually
later. Symptoms of migraine headaches include but are not limited to double vision, dizziness, nausea
and sensitivity to light and sound. Treatment for migraines are oral medications that are prescribed for
migraines. These medications can be given to treat and prevent. Another way to prevent migraines is
to prevent/ treat the trigger.
Tension Headaches: Tension Headaches are unlike migraine headaches. The cause of tension
headaches is tension. Tension headaches are described as having a band with tension around
forehead, eyes and neck. When suffering from these headaches complaints of tension around neck and
shoulder have been reported. The most common treatment for this headache is Aspirin.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gastrointestinal
tract. The symptoms of IBS include but are not limited to abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, and
nausea and vomiting. The cause of IBS is not known but it is suggested that is caused by stress and
anxiety. The treatment for IBS is to remove the stressor and relaxation techniques. Also oral
medications can also be given to treat the symptoms.
Bronchial Asthma: Bronchial Asthma is an illness where the bronchi in the lungs are swollen. When
these bronchi are swollen, there is constricting, thus causing the individual will have difficulty
breathing. Studies have been shown that attacks are a result of anxiety or distress. The treatment of
asthma is steroid and bronchodilators,
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD):

TMJD is a disorder that effects the

temporomandibular joint. This disorder can cause problems from jaw pain, headaches and in extreme
case lockjaw. Many people with TMJD arent aware that they have it. Treatment for TMJD include
pain medication, physical therapy and even relaxation techniques.
Identify and describe one disease that occurs when the immune system is affected by stress
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Lupus:
RA is a chronic and progressive autoimmune disorder where ones body attacks itself because
it seem it at a foreign substance. RA mostly occurs in the joints and the connective tissue. The cause
of RA is not fully known. Some research has shown that environmental factors and genetics play a
factor.

Lupus is another autoimmune disease. In Lupus the body attacks itself. Unlike RA, the effects
of Lupus dont limit itself to joints and connective tissue. Lupus can effects the skin, heart, kidney and
joints.

(Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

Journal Writing:
How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?
The people in my life that I stress the most about are my children. I work so hard for them to
have a good life and for them not to fall into what society sees as stereotypical African American
children. I have sacrificed a lot just for their wellbeing. My daughter (20) is away at college and I
worry about her every day. Although I know that I have taught her well, there are people out there that
hurt people intentionally. With stories about missing female college students makes me worry about
my daughters safety. My son is also a stressor for me. He is a teenager and he is experimenting with
things he really doesnt need to be. Until very recent he has been the type of child that kept to himself.
He was very close to his sister until she left for school. Since she had left he has a sense of
abandonment from her and hes been trying to find it in the wrong people. He had started hanging
with the wrong type of people. I know that he has experimented with drugs. One of my biggest fears
is that someone hurts him because of association with some of these friends or that he becomes
another statistic. Another young black male that ends up in the system.
How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?
I feel work is one of my biggest stressors. I take pride in my job and how I do it. Since my job
is so important to me I stress that I may make an error that may result in injury or death to a patient.

There I times when I know what I am going to do with the patient get me stressed and worked up. My
stress level at work is also high when the number of patients I have is higher than what it should be
(nursing shortage). I feel that I wont give each patient the time and attention that is needed. That I
may forget to give medication on forget a treatment or even miss a symptom of an impending
problem.
How is stress or anxiety about the world affecting your life?
Im dont stress about the world affecting my life. Some things no matter what you cant
change so, why stress about it. I try to stay focus and concentrate on things that I can have an impact
on or change. I dont believe in stressing about things I have no control over. That will just keep me
stressed for no reason.
How is stress or anxiety about food and eating habits affecting your life?
If you were to ask me this question about a year ago I would say I dont stress over my eating.
I actually had no limitations over what I ate. As I look back now I was an emotional eater. If I was
angry I ate. If I was lonely I ate. I ate to the point where I almost cost me my life. Now that I have
changed my habits I stress about food. I stress that I will fail and go back to the way I use to be. I
struggle on a daily basis to keep within my diet and eating plan. I stress that I will one day fail and
start eating based off my emotions. I stress that I will be a disappointment to all that have helped me
get to the point that I am now.
How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your life?
Sleep is the one area where I rarely stress about. I dont have a problem when it comes to
sleep. On average I have between 7-9 hours of sleep per day. I tend to wake up early, stay busy most
of the day so when it comes evening time I struggle to stay awake. On most days I go to bed around
9:30pm unless I have a 9:00pm class, and those nights I struggle with staying awake.

10

How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity affecting your life?
I will honestly say that exercise is about the one thing in my life that helps with my stress.
About a year ago I started working out again. When I first started it was stressful. I was embarrassed,
I was in a gym full of skinny people and I was 300lbs and not sure that I wanted to be there. I had to
motivate myself to continue going. I would go at 5am when the gym opened up to avoid people
seeing me struggle with my work out. As time when on I started to change my workouts. Now I work
out 5 days a week. I have a trainer three hours a weeks. And the other days I do classes offered by the
gym such as Zumba, Body Pump and RPM. I have recently started attending Cross fit classes. I am to
the point the only stress I have about working out is going up in weight or having a better time with a
run. I am my biggest competition.
Everyone has stress in their lives. Some are greater than another. For me my biggest stressors
are my children and my job. Eating is also a stressor in my life but not like people may think. It
causes distress thinking that my eating habits will return to what they previously were. Sleep and
exercise are my less stressful aspect of my life. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Total Points = 3

11

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Unit

3
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: I have noticed how technology has compromised good communication skills. When
I was growing up there was no such thing as a cell phone let alone a smart phone. We communicated
via face to face contact or telephone and written communication. Although technology is a good thing
when it comes to communication it takes away from it. When it comes to emails and text message,
what is written is all the reader has to go by. With this there be some misunderstanding and
misinterpretation. When speaking to a person directly a person can convey their message by body
language. In written communication this is not seen (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: It is very good to design coping mechanisms to help me deal with my anger. My
favorite one is to take a short time out away from everyone just to get my feeling under control
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: In this unit I learned about self-awareness and the theories that involved with this.
These theories will help me understand some of the needs of my patients as I care for them (Seaward,
2015).

12

Total Points = 9

Self-Assessment Exercise:
All have theorist have in common that the concept of self-awareness. Most of these theories have
an emotion that is attached to their theory. With Maslow one level of his higher needs with selfactualization. With Buscaglia he focuses on self-love. With Dyer his theory focuses on self-anger and
worry. Kubler-Koss theory encompasses the mental stages that a person goes through to deal with stress.
According to Frankl a person must have suffering.
One way to cope/ manage fear is behavior therapy. With behavior therapy a person
goes through relaxation and coping techniques. This therapy is used to desensitize the person. Other
therapies also include systematic and exposure desensitization. With systematic desensitization,
desensitization it is done in stages.
Five ways in which you can improve your communication style.
1. Speak with precision and directness: Speaker needs to speak direct. Speak clear and you
appropriate word to express the message you are trying to relay.
2. Use language appropriate for your listening audience: You need to speak and use appropriate
words for audience. For example if you are speaking to a group of adults, speak in a tone that
adults will understand.
3. Attack issues, not people: When speaking you want to attack the issue. When someone is
listening to a speaker and feels as if they are being attacked it tends to cloud judgement and
disinterest the listener. They will shut down instead of helping with the issue.
4. Avoid information overload: You dont want to give too much information at one time. If this
is done the listener will become overwhelmed and get lost with information overload.

13

Avoid putting others in the defensive: Dont blame others when speaking. Place responsibility on
yourself instead of blaming others. (Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

Journal Writing:
Mentally I am focused. My mind wasnt running a hundred miles per hour thinking
about everything and anything. I was able to concentrate more to write this assignment, without losing
focus (which is something that happens a lot.)
Emotionally I feel great. I was stressed most of the day about something that I knew I couldnt
change. In a way I stopped stressing how others felt and started caring about me. I started to see that
my focus should be about me being happy.
Physically I feel great. I felt very relaxed. I usually exercise as a stress reliever and its usually
works for a little while, but after the stressors reappeared I would tense up again and stress myself
into a headache. I have dont this exercise for the past three days and I feel great. It enhances my
workout in a way.
I was very hesitant about this exercise when I first read what it was about. I thought I handled
stress okay. The first time I did it I felt more relaxed immediately afterwards but this was very short
lived. I did this exercise three more times and for those times I used the CD that accompanied the
workbook and I felt wonderful. After the last time I decided to do this assignment and I wasnt so
stressed/ nervous about doing it. I am going have to implement this as a daily thing. (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). Total Points = 3

14

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human Spirituality

Unit

4
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: A person with survivor personality has the attitude that no matter what they will
come out on top. I do see myself having these attributes. In recent years I have I try to exceed
everyone and everything, even myself. I do know some others that have same personality, the doctor
that I work with. She is very optimistic and thrives on problem solving even when its not the
conventional method. I really have no problems with someone with type of personality, in way I look
up to them. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: I learned that spiritual hunger is something that cant be found with traditional
religion. Knowing this helps me understand that its not always about religion. Makes me wasnt to
search deeper within (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: My beliefs are things that I believe in. They should not be influenced by others
because this is something I identifies me, how I feel, how I think. (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

15

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Self-esteem is how someone values themselves. It has been shown that self-esteem is a factor
in how a person reacts to stress. A person will a low self-esteem attracts stress. A person with high
self-esteem are not stressed.
I believe that relationships, value and meaningful purpose are affected by stress and the
response to each may be a little different. Stressed can be cause by all three of these items. In
relationships there may be different point of views when these views dont agree it may lead to
conflict which may cause stress. Value is something very important to me. For me honesty and
integrity qualities that I feel everyone should have and when they dont have them it tend to frustrate
and cause stress to me.
Explain your perspective on the differences between values, attitudes, and beliefs. Value- For me
value is something that is important to me, such as my children, my job and some of my possessions.
My value is personalized to me and others may not agree with me. I believe that my values stem from
how I was raised by my parents and the things that they have instilled in me.
Attitudes- My attitude is how I see something. My attitude may be positive or negative.
Beliefs- My belief is something I believe in. For example I believe there is a higher power that
we dont have control over.
Take one lifestyle activity [e.g., exercise, smoking] through Prochaskas Stages of Change Model.
The lifestyle activity I have chosen is diet and exercise. I chose this because not very long ago
I had to go through these stages.

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1. Precontemplation stage- My weight is getting out of control. My doctor says I need to start
dieting and exercising. I dont havent noticed anything wrong with my weight. I am pretty healthy. I
have no weight induced medical problems.
2. Contemplative stage- Im in the hospital with a blood clot that may have been caused
because of my obesity. And to make things even worst I was told that I have diabetes and that this
may get worst if I dont start changing my habits.
3. Determination stage- I am going to start a diet and change my habits. I have to this for
me. No more excuses.
4. Action stage- I see a nutritionist and learn healthier eating habits. I hire a personal trainer
and start going to the gym three to six times a week.
5. Maintenance stage- I continue to follow my regime on my own. No trainer, doing things on
my own and its a routine.
6. Relapse stage- Started cheating on the foods I was eating. Started back eating sweets again
and using the fact that I am exercising to justify being able to have them. I start decreasing number of
days to three days per week. Then start noticing that Im gaining weight then I start changing habits
again. Increased gym time and started cross fit. And started meal planning and reduced going out for
meals. (Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

17

Journal Writing:
FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness,
uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.
When feeling one of the emotions listed about I feel the emotion in my chest. I feel like Im
trying to breathe and I can get enough air, almost like having someone sitting on my chest. My heart
rate is usually higher than normal.
CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy, or unaware.
When I am confused I really havent noticed any body sensations. I am not sure if I am not
knowledgeable enough to notice.
ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration, irritation,
grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.
When dealing with emotions that deal with anger I tend to feel sensations in a few places. One
is my head. The term hot under the collar is very appropriate. The other area I feel sensations is my
chest. It feels like when I take a breath in I breathe something in that just fills me up.

18

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.
For sadness it also hard for me to notice the body sensation. When I am sad I tend to feel
numb all over I just want to lay still and not move. My body is almost like its numb from everything.
SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification.
When I have shame I tend to feel body sensation in the same areas as fear and anger. I feel it in
my head and chest. Sometimes I will feel it in my hands, where I just want to cover my face and not
be seen.
LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness,
liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.
When I feel love I feel sensations everywhere. Its like I am under the influence of something
and I dont know nor care what my body is doing. I feel warm through my body.
JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement,
exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.
Like love when I have joy I feel the sensation through my body. I will have smile from cheek
to cheek. I feel like
When I am angered and in fear my feel sensations in my upper body from my head to my
chest. I feel like I am flushed and someone is sitting on my chest stopping me from breathing. The
pressure I feel in my chest is as a balloon about to burst. The one emotion I had the hardest time
identifying was confusion. I tried to focus on this emotion but wasnt productive. I am not sure if I
havent done this enough or I just react very mildly. The emotion that I know that just gets my entire
body going is love and joy. Its like I feel warm throughout my entire body. (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). Total Points = 3

19

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

5
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Laughter is the best medicine. By laughing I will release stress (Seaward, 2015)?
Key Learning Point: My attitude affects physiology. If I have a bad attitude I will be negative while
having this attitude. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Prochaskas Stages of Change teaches that at one point a person will have
a relapse. By having this relapse it will cause me to change the way I am doing something
and start again (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

Journal Writing:
Take some time to write about whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally and physically when
doing this practice for the first time.

20

I performed the Mindful Body Scan for this assignment. When I started this assignment I was
a little stressed because of the Masters (I live less than 3 miles from National Hills Golf Course.)
I did this scan while sitting on a medicine ball for more comfort. When I started doing the
actual body scan I felt hopeful about doing the scan. I began with simply breathing in and out. At first
it felt like it usually did, but when I began bringing more awareness to it for a brief moment I felt like
I was having a panic attack. Felt as if my chest was tight. This only happened for a sec or two.
While focusing on the body parts I felt a few sensations but, I wasnt sure if I was feeling
something or if it was my mind trying to feel something. When focusing on my legs I was able to feel
a throbbing sensation going down from my ankle to my toes. It was almost like I could feel my pulse.
While doing my abdomen area I didnt exactly feel something but I hear gurgling noised. While we
the focus was on my arms I was able to feel the hairs on my arm move to the breeze coming from the
fan that was next to me.
When I switched from sensations to emotions the first emotion I felt was anger. I have no idea
why anger was what I was feeling. I am not a person who usually expresses anger. If something gets
me upset of to the point I get mad I usually let that issue go and don t focus on it. I dont know if I felt
anger because I never release it.
This body scan exercise was challenging for me. Although I was able to feel a few sensations,
I am not sure if I was able to fully identify them. This scan also gave me an emotion that I try not to
express. Maybe it was a sign that I needed to start. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Total Points = 3

21

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

6
Unit

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: I have learned that visualization can be used as a relaxation technique. When feeling
stressed I can use it to relax. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: I learned that another relation technique is diaphragmatic breathing. When in a
stressful situation I can use it to relax (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: I learned that the relaxation techniques discussed in this chapter are not easy to
master. I will continue to do the.se techniques so I can get the full benefit of them (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Diaphragmatic breathing is thought to be effective relaxation technique because affects decreases the
action of the sympathetic system and increases the parasympathetic system. When this occurs the

22

body becomes in a state of homeostasis. During this time there is an increase in blood flow. During
this time long pauses in breathing occur which create a calming effect.

The three steps that are important to engage this technique are assume a comfortable position,
concentration and visualization.
Assume comfortable position- Person who is doing exercise must be lying or sitting in a
comfortable position, with eyes closed. Clothing must me loose and non-constricting.
Concentration- For diaphragmatic breathing to work you must be able to concentrate and stay
focused. If possible perform exercise in an area where distractions are at a minimum.
Visualization- Is the use of mental imagery to assist in relaxation. Breathing cloud, Alternating
nostril berating and energy breathing are examples of this.
The following effects on the body have occurred after regular meditation:
1.

Decreased oxygen consumption

2. Decreased blood lactate levels

3. Increased skin resistance
4. Decreased heart rate
5. Decreased blood pressure
6. Decreased muscle tension
7. Increased alpha waves
The following effects in the mind:
1. Increased activity in the limbic regions in the brain.
2. Increased kindness and compassion.
3. Increased in size in portion of the brain used for mediation.

23

List three ways that imagery and visualization can be useful for relaxation. Explain why.
1. It facilitate calmness and distracts the subject from stress.
2. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression and pain management.
3. It positively influences the nervous system.
(Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

Journal Writing:
Mindful of how you interact with yourself?
I wasnt until this exercise I realized how much I put myself down. I do this on a daily basis
and I think I do it so much that I dont even realize it. The thoughts I have about myself are thing I
would never say to anyone else. I always have a sense of worthlessness. I often wonder what my
purpose is in life. I hear so many people talk about how happy they are and the things that they have
been doing but I dont and cant think the same way. I know feeling this way makes me very tired and
stressed at times. I give myself headaches from worrying but when I try to stop I cant.
Seeds of suffering?
I think the biggest that would be different in my life if I stop watering the seed of my suffering
is that I may be happy. I keep so many things bottled up I know it keeps me from being fully happy.
Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

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The person I am thinking about does have some positive qualities, they are caring and loving
and will help others but, this same person has a lot of anger issues. I think that the biggest challenge
that this person has is that they have been hurt so much they use alcohol as an outlet to deal with what
they have going on. I think he needs to deal with his problems instead of saying things to hurt others
at time to make themselves feel better. In the end they still arent happy because of the issues and
consequences that they have to deal with.
Reflection on writing?
On a daily basis, I walk around with a smile on my face when deep down I am hurting. They
say the mind is a powerful thing and I have discovered that it has. I think so negatively about my
life and the feelings of worthlessness that I have caused myself to be sick, literally. After doing this
assignment I realize that I need to change my attitude about how I see myself. (Stahl &
Goldstein, 2010). Total Points = 3

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Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

7
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: I learned that stress can lead to unhealthy eating habits and that it can lead to food
additions. With knowing this information when feeling stressed I will not turn to food but instead
maybe go for walk. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Ive learned to avoid C.R.A.P, caffeine, process sugars and processed flour and salt.
They food are unhealthy and can lead to weight gain. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The four stress domino are:
Domino 1: When stressed your body nutrients that are in the body. This includes the vitamins that are
being stored for a fight or flight response.
Domino 2: The nutrients are that being depleted are being restored. Americans are eating emptier
calorie that are not beneficial for the body.
Domino 3: Some foods that we consume such as caffeine, processed sugar and processed flour are
known to increase sympathetic response.

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Domino 4: Many foods may contain residual from toxins. For example pesticides can be found in
many foods. These toxins may have a serious effect on the immune system.

(Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Mentally: After completing this exercise I mentally felt as if everything I was feeling was just lifted
off my shoulders. I felt refreshed as I was ready to handle anything that came my way. I was able to
concentrate more on this assignment.

Emotionally: After completing the exercise I felt emotionally free. Prior to doing the exercise I was
emotionally drained. I have been dealing with a lot emotional issues and dealing with a death in the
family and this exercise helped. I helped me let go of some feeling, although it was short lived.

Physically: Physically I felt great after completing the Mindful Lying Yoga exercise physically I felt
great. It helped stretched some of the soreness that I was feeling from cross-fit. My body felt relaxed.
Since I wear a heartrate monitor 24 hours a day, I did noticed that my pulse was lower for about 20
minutes after completing exercise. (Seaward, 2015). Total Points = 4

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Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

8
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: I learned in this chapter that it takes 6-8 weeks for me to see a change when I start a
work-out. Knowing this I wont expect overnight changes (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Physical activity helps with depression. By knowing this when I feel depressed I
will go for a run (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Exercise had been shown to have positive effects on the body (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

Journal Writing:
Place the entire journal within the resource guide with a reference cited
properly (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Total Points = 3

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Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

9
Unit

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: In this chapter I learned that forgiving someone can relieve stress. I will try more to
forgive those you hurt me (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: I learned in this chapter that there is power in prayer, I will try to pray with patients
that believe in this, without prejudice (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: I learned that I should have a hobby to relieve stress that may happen in my day to
day life. This will help me relieve built tension and stress (Seaward, 2015).
Total Points = 9

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Additional Information
I really enjoyed the Mindfulness workbook, I started to listen to the CD that accompanied the
book and some of the exercises help reduce some of the tension that I was feeling at that time. I also
enjoyed the positive feedback that I received on the discussion board from my classmates.
Total Points = 5

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References

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (8th ed.).
Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Stahl, B. & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New
Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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