KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention

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Program Resource
Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

July 13, 2016

Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember.............................................................PAGE 4
Self-Assessment Exercises........................................................PAGES 4-5
Journal Writing..........................................................................PAGES 5-6

UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember..............................................................PAGE 7
Self-Assessment Exercises........................................................PAGES 7-8
Journal Writing........................................................................PAGES 8-10

UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 11
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................PAGES 11-12
Journal Writing......................................................................PAGES 12-14

UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 15
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................PAGES 15-16
Journal Writing......................................................................PAGES 16-20

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 21
Journal Writing......................................................................PAGES 21-23

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

AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 24
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................PAGES 24-25
Journal Writing......................................................................PAGES 25-27

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 28
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................PAGES 28-31
UNIT 8 PHYSIC AL EXERCISE AND ACTIV ITY

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 31
Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................PAGES 32-35
Journal Writing......................................................................PAGES 35-38

UNIT 9 APPLYING STRESS: CRITICAL ISSUES F OR M ANAGEM EN T

AND PREVE NTIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSI ONAL L IF E

Information to Remember............................................................PAGE 39

ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N PA G E 4 0

REF EREN CES PA G E 4 1

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Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Types of stress. The three different types of stress are very important to have an
understanding of. They are eustress, neustress, and distress. Eustress is considered the good stress and
some examples can be falling in love, having a child, or even meeting a role model. Neustress is
neither good nor bad and for example can be related to the news. The third type is distress and there
are two different types of distress. Acute and chronic stress. This is the bad stress and can effect ones
health. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Types of stressors. This is a never ending list. Many things can be a stressor in your
life. There are three categories of stressors and they are bioecological, psycho-intrapersonal, and
social. A stressor is any real or imagined situation, circumstance, or stimulus that is perceived to be a
threat (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Stress in a changing world. This is important when there are so many stressors that
affect essentially everyone in the world. Job stress is at the top of the list for stressors. When people
have to work to be able to provide food and housing, stress becomes unbearable. Stress does not
affect any one age, race, gender, religion, or class. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
In this exercise, you were to construct your own mandala emphasizing the components of
mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing in the order of importance to you. The mandala I
created was equally distributed amongst the components. I described all four of the areas on the
model and discussed why I felt each of these areas are important in balancing my wellness and stress
levels. You were then to describe an environment in which you lived or works that fosters a balance of

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your wellness paradigm and why. The environment I chose was my home. No matter how stressed
work makes me, when I get home I feel relieved. I have my daughter that really helps my emotional
and mental wellbeing. I am able to focus on her and keep all the negative thoughts and negative
emotions out. Spiritually, I take more time to say my prayers, thank God for my blessings, and
meditate on why the day was so stressful. When it comes to my physical wellbeing, I am able to have
more control over how I eat, how I exercise, my sleep, and I am able to take care of myself. All of
these components are extremely important in my life to be able to function and feel balanced. When I
am at home I feel more relaxed and at ease. My stress level plummets and I feel like a weight has
been lifted off my shoulders. I do not feel as though I am someone else putting on a show for my
superiors and fellow peers. The four components of a wellness paradigm: emotional, mental, spiritual,
and physical wellbeing can be effected by stress. With the proper balance the stress can be minimized.
It is extremely important that all components are nurtured equally in order to have control and
function at a 100%.

Reference:

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Journal Writing:
Unit One Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

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Unit One Journal Writing

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: How Stressed Are You? Directions are

found on pages 11 and 12 of the Mindfulness workbook. List the situation on the left. Use a

rating scale of 1 through 10 for the start, midway, and end. You will use this Journal Assignment as

a way of mapping your stress throughout the course. Keep it handy and refer back to it often.

Provide at least 10 stressors; utilize all three types: eustress [good stress], neustress [neutral

stress] and distress [bad stress]!

Situation Start Midway End

When my superior addresses me at work (distress) 5 5 4
My spouse being away from me (distress) 7 6 6
My daughter who is 3 months old (eustress) 2 2 2
News over terrorism (neustress) 3 3 2
My husband getting stationed in Italy in September 2016 8 5 3
(distress)
Being overweight since my pregnancy (distress) 6 5 5
Having to meet certain physical fitness standards after birth 8 7 6
(eustress-distress)
Requesting to be released from active duty Army and the 10 10 9
paperwork being approved (distress)
My mom staying with me to help take care of my daughter 2 2 2
(eustress)
Being able to continue to supply breastmilk to my daughter 4 3 3
(eustress)

References

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

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Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Physiological effects of prolonged stress on memory. When too much cortisol is
present it can actually cause your brain to shrink. In individuals that suffer from PTSD the region of
the hippocampus is actually smaller than those that do not suffer from PTSD. According to Seaward,
repeated exposure to cortisol accelerates ones aging process of the hippocampus and can actually
damage or shrink brain cells, which may affect memory and ones learning process (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Borysenkos stress and disease model. Learning what the autonomic
dysregulation or immune dysregulation is. Autonomic dysregulation is increased sensitivity to
perceived threats resulting from heightened neural responses speeding up the metabolic rate of
one or more organs. Immune dysregulation is an immune system wherein various functions are
suppressed; now believed to be affected by emotional negativity (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Practicing mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness can lead towards creating
healthy changes in life by being more aware of whats happening in the moment. Mindfulness is the
practice of moment-to-moment nonjudgmental awareness that brings focus to whatever is happening
in the moment, and it is only in the present moment that you can make changes (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
In this exercise we were to answer three different questions the first question was to describe
what neuroscience and neuroplasticity is and to explain the importance to the brain. Neuroscience is,
a multidisciplinary science that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the
nervous system (Vasan et al., 2016 ). This is extremely important to the brain by being able to have
an understanding of how the brain functions, and an understanding and exploration of the dynamics of
the brain. Neuroscientist have discovered that the brain is more plastic than they previously thought
and coined the new term neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity, refers to the potential that the brain has to
reorganize, by creating new neural pathways to adapt, as it needs (What is Neuroplasticity, 2016).

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This is super important to the brain as it used to be believed that the brain was not able to generate
new cell growth. Next, we were to identify and describe five diseases that occur when the nervous
system that are affected by stress. Some that can occur within the nervous system from stress are
Coronary heart disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Asthma, Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and
Migraines. Coronary heart disease has a major link to stress. Finally, we were to identify and describe
one disease that occurs when the immune system is affected by stress. A disease where this occurs is
Rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are tissue swelling that occurs from
inflammation caused by an over reactive immune system (Seaward, 2015). In this case, the immune
system attacks healthy tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis has been associated with stress by how the pain
becomes more severe during episodes of stress, often thought to be suppressed anger.

References

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Vasan, S., Karpe, F., Rich, E., Wallis, J., Hebart, M., & Baker, C. et al. Neuroscience - Latest research

and news | Nature. Nature.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016, from

http://www.nature.com/subjects/neuroscience

What is Neuroplasticity. Whatisneuroplasticity.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016, from

http://www.whatisneuroplasticity.com/

Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, Explore: How is stress or anxiety affecting

your life? Directions are found on pages 33 through 35 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon

completion of this Assignment, you will take the first step toward greater well-being and become

aware of how stress is impacting your life. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

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How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

Stress and anxiety about people affect my life in a number of ways. I often stress about my

daughter when I am at work and she is with the sitter. It makes me lose focus on the task I am

working and I feel like I dont perform my job to my highest potential. Somedays I even forget to eat

lunch because all I can think about is calling the sitter on my lunch break.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

Stress and anxiety about work really have been affecting my life in a number of ways. We are

currently undergoing a transformation and the workload has doubled. Being active duty military it is

also standard to be able to pass a physical fitness test and height and weight. I had my daughter three

months ago via cesarean section, but am still worried sick that I wont be able to meet the

requirements. I have until August to be able to. I practice and work out daily and I am not able to

currently pass either. It puts a lot of stress on me. Any spare time I have I have to split between

spending it with my daughter and exercising. I am often extremely exhausted.

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

The stress and anxiety of the world affects my life by constantly watching my back. I deployed

over to the Middle East in 2010-2011. I often feel very insecure and am constantly scanning my

surroundings. I never wear my uniform out in public because I feel like I am a target. I wear normal

civilian clothes into work and change when I get there. I am often very hesitant to tell strangers I am

in the military. Not everyone is military friendly.

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

Stress and anxiety about food and eating habits affect my life every day. I am constantly

reading the labels. Trying to ensure I eat healthy and consume correct portion sizes. If I eat more than

I should I often feel guilt and stress about how I really wont ever be able to meet my height and

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weight standards. When I feel I over eat I often skip the next meal because I worry and stress so much

about being able to meet my deadline. I am not able to really restrict my diet because I breastfeed my

daughter. I need to make sure she has a healthy adequate food source.

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

Stress and anxiety about sleep does not happen too much in my life. I do feel I get an adequate

amount of sleep. Sometimes I worry that I not being able to sleep through the night will affect me at

my job the next day, but so far it hasnt done so. I am often extremely tired at night I lay down with

my daughter and we go right to sleep. I dream very little if at all these days.

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

As I mentioned above, stress and anxiety about exercising and physical activity really affect

my life. Knowing that I have a timeframe to be to a certain fitness really eats at me. I have to be able

to achieve so many push-ups in two minutes, so many sit-ups in two minutes, and be able to run in a

certain amount of time. This really stresses me out. I feel I have a long way to go before I am able to

meet these standards and have less than three months to be able to accomplish them.

Summary

Stress and anxiety really affects my life in many different aspects. After writing down the

answers to these questions I have been able to take the first step toward understanding my well-being

and becoming aware of how stress impacts my life.

References

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

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Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Human Personality. Carl Gustav Jung theorized human personality as a process of
self-discovery and realization. He referred to this as individuation. Individuation described self-
realization, a process that leads to a feeling of wholeness (Seaward, 2015). Jung believed that
individuation was a spiritual life force that helps shape ones being and life direction. (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Creative Anger Strategies. There are many different anger strategies but it is advised
you learn a series of ways to deal with different shades and triggers that anger can bring to you. Some
of the various techniques are: know your anger style, learn to monitor your anger, learn to deescalate
your anger, get comfortable with your feelings, plan ahead, develop a support system, stay in shape,
turn complaints into requests, and forgive are some of the various strategies that can be used
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Effective Communication Skills. To be able to incorporate effective communication
skills into your life as a routine a few things should be taken into consideration. Always establish
healthy boundaries, honor the touch it once rule, be courteous, maintain a polite eye contact, keep
personal issues private, avoid information overload, resolve communication problems when the arise
(Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
For the exercise we wrote about the Tibetan culture and what we learned from them about the mind
and stress. In the Tibetan culture we learned that the concepts of mind and stress have been around for
many years. They have been studied by Buddha himself. Many Tibetan lamas have spoken about and
written about stress and the mind, to even include the Dalai Lama. Stress based on the four noble truths, is
believed to be consequences of desires with strong attachments (Seaward, 2015). Next, we were to explain
or perspective on the views espoused by theorists and there commonality. The views espoused by the
theorists all have in common several different strategies that help deal with stressful situations or issues. A

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lot of these strategies used are often used to help us protect the mind from the threat of pain or dangerous
events that take place in our lives (Seaward, 2015). Next, we were to describe one or more ways to cope
with, manage, and/or resolve fear. There are several different ways to cope with, manage, and/or resolve
fear. Therapy is often used to help people overcome any specific fears and phobias. A couple other different
ways to cope with and manage fear is by systematic and exposure desensitization. Finally, we were to
describe a minimum of five ways in which you can improve your communication style. Five ways this can
be done is by: speaking with precision and directness, enhancing your vocabulary, avoid putting others on
the defensive, avoid information overload, and resolve problems when they arise. Speaking with precision
and directness is used to express yourself clearly.

Reference

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Journal Writing:
Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and Bringing

the Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found on pages 45 and 46 of

the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to understand

the importance of making them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in relationships

with yourself and others around you. This should be a minimum of one full page.

Take some time to write about whatever you came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically

when doing this practice for the first time.

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 When I first did the five minute mindful breathing exercise I found my mind wondering a lot.

My mind would often wonder over to the sounds of my baby breathing. I found myself dosing off to

sleep as I laid there focusing on my breathing in my belly, and one time I even had a thought about

how tired I was. I found that speaking to myself reminding myself to concentrate on my breathing was

how I was able to bring myself back into a meditation state. I know now for future reference that I

will need to ensure that there are minimal distractions in the room with me while trying to meditate to

include not even a sleeping baby. I thought for sure I would have been able to do this rather easily

since I try and give myself quiet time every day where I just sit and relax (a mediation practice that

works well for me) but I was wrong. Emotionally, I was in an overall good mood and not once did I

beat myself up over not being able to maintain my meditation for the solid five minutes.

While bringing the eight attitudes of mindfulness into my life. I practiced them while nursing

my daughter. Beginners mind, nonjudgment, acknowledgment, non-striving, equanimity, letting be,

self-reliance, and self-compassion really opened my eyes. It was such a unique experience to

approach the task like it was my first time ever feeding my daughter. I was able to focus in on exactly

what she was doing and how she was doing it. I felt the flow of the milk for the first time ever. I didnt

once judge myself. I acknowledged my self-reliance that I was able to care for my daughter by

providing her with food. I watch what I consume into my body but, was able to be more in tune this

time. I attempted to practice self-compassion and was able to become more aware that I am doing my

best. I had to practice non-striving because while nursing her my mind decided to wander and I had to

go back to the task at hand by gently bringing myself back. I did this by letting go of the worry at

hand of producing enough milk and letting my body do what it was made to do. Practicing the eight

attitudes of mindfulness helped me realize that the relationship and bond that my daughter and I have,

from me being able to supply her food, is something I would have never ever dreamed possible.

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 In summary, mindful breathing and bringing the eight attitudes of mindfulness into my life

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Unit

really helped me view things from a different perspective. With never practicing any of the eight

attitudes of mindfulness before, I was able to learn the importance of how they affect not only my life

but the ones around me as well. I will be sure to incorporate these techniques of mindfulness into my

daily life to help ease my stress and be content and happy with life the way it is.

References

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Hardy Personality. A hardy personality is one that seems to buffer against stress.
Characteristics that are included in this personality are commitment, control, and challenge. One
thing about having a hardy personality is that you can still exhibit Type A traits without having the
risk of heart disease (Seaward, 2015).

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 Key Learning Point: Personal Value System. Values are described as constructs of importance, personal
beliefs based on goodness, justice, and beauty that give meaning and depth to our thoughts, attitudes,
and behaviors. Some values even dictate our attitudes and behaviors such as love (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Prochaskas Model, Stages of Change. This model contains six steps. They are the
precontemplation stage, contemplation stage, determination stage, action stage, maintenance stage,
and the relapse stage. This model is used for health promotion planning in regards to weight loss and
exercise programs (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
In this exercise we were to answer a series of questions in a paragraph format. The first question
was to describe self-esteem and explain what role it plays in promoting and resolving stress. Self-esteem is
described by Seaward as, the sense of underpinning self-values, self-acceptance, and self-love; thought to
be a powerful buffer against perceived threats (2015). When it comes to self-esteem promoting and
resolving stress, having a higher self-esteem is the key. Next, we were to explain how relationships, values,
and meaningful purpose in life are affected by stress. When it comes to relationships there must be a
healthy balance between the two different types of relationships, internal and external. This is extremely
important to help keep your relationship with yourself and your family healthy. If there is conflict that will
bring on unneeded stress. Values are extremely important when it comes to our behavior. Certain values
help dictate what type of behavior we will have and how our self-esteem is affected, which in turn can also
affect our stress level. When you feel you have a meaningful purpose in life and it is destroyed by one
reason or another your stress level rises. Next, we were to explain our perspective on the differences
between values, attitudes, and beliefs. Many factors have contributed to who we are and how we view
ourselves. Values are something that are seen from many different perspectives but, are something someone
holds in high regard. They help guide the way we live our life. Not everyone will have the same values to
the same standard. Within my perspective, beliefs are created from an experience we have lived. This can
be anything from religion to morals. Beliefs are something we consider are important to us and believe
highly in for one reason or another. Attitudes are feelings or behaviors that seem to be directed toward a
specific group of people or objects. Attitudes can affect not only your mood but can really make others
really like you or become not very fond of you. Finally, we took one lifestyle activity through Prochaskas
Stages of change Model. I chose do bring a man name Billy through the lifestyle change of exercising.

References

Personal values, belief and attitude. Sielearning.tafensw.edu.au. Retrieved 13 June 2016, from

https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MCS/CHCAOD402A/chcaod402a_csw/knowledge/values/v

alues.htm

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

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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Journal Writing:
Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

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 Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body.

Directions are found on pages 74 through 77 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of

this Assignment, practice taking a moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any

physical sensations associated with strong emotions. This should be a minimum of three full

pages.

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

Anytime I feel fearful emotions like the ones circled above, I feel them in my chest all the

way up to my voice box. Sometimes my voice chatters and sometimes my heart starts racing. The

feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and worry usually manifest if I have an upcoming test. I feel on

edge or jumpy if my anticipation for something bad or scary is going to happen, and I often feel

overwhelmed when I have multiple tasks I have to complete with a time line I have to do them in.

Many thoughts come to mind when I read these words. They consist of taking my record Army

Physical Fitness Test, my current weight, scary movies, all the things I have to do and accomplish

in the next couple of weeks, and my husband being away from me for over a year now. All of these

thoughts come to my mind as I read those words.

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

The emotions circled above are usually felt in my stomach and my mind. Sometimes my

stomach gurgles and feels very uneasy. The feeling of uncertainty usually manifests when something

doesnt feel right. When I feel puzzled it is a feeling that comes on gradually as I try and figure out

how to fix something that doesnt seem to be correct no matter how I attempted to solve it. Chaotic

manifests when there is too much going on and people seem to be everywhere. Thoughts that come to

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my mind consist of spreadsheets at work, slide decks I have to prepare at work, large crowds, and

conference calls.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

With the emotions circled above the first thing I usually feel within my body is it tensing up. I

can feel my hands ball up in a fist, my teeth clench, and the expression my people use my blood

boil. These emotions usually manifest when something doesnt seem to go right or when someone

does me wrong. Sometimes I feel grumpiness, frustration, and irritation when I dont sleep good the

night prior. Thoughts that come to my mind when seeing these emotions are slow drivers on the road,

not sleeping well at night, a picture of someone who has betrayed me, and even the thought of my

spouse being unfaithful.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

When I feel the emotions of sadness I feel it in my heart. It affects my eyes as well in the sense

of crying. When I feel sadness I usually cry. Hopelessness, loneliness, and unhappiness all go

together. When I feel one usually I feel all. They manifest when I am alone. I had to move away from

all my family and friends for a job and went through my whole entire first pregnancy all alone. I now

have an infant with little support, no family, nor friends around. These feelings have been present

more than ever lately. Insecurity usually manifests when I think of how my husband now views me.

With us being separated and just having a baby I feel very insecure of myself. Thoughts that come to

my mind is being away from everyone that matters in my life except for my daughter. Another

thought is that my husband will find someone else who is closer and more suiting for him.

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

The emotions of shame are felt with in my heart and my mind. Feelings of guilt,

embarrassment, and regret manifest when I do something I shouldnt have done. When I have told a

white lie, said something I should not have said, or when I have done something silly without

thinking. These feelings bring thoughts of someone falling as they walk down the street and have had

a little too much to drink, tripping on something in front of people, and even saying something you

didnt think about before saying.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

With the emotions above the first thing I feel is a fullness in my heart. Sometimes I even feel

butterflies in my stomach. These feelings manifest every time I look at my daughter or am able to

spend time with my family and friends. Feelings of sympathy are condoled to my friends and family

in a time of grievance. Thoughts that come to my mind when seeing these words of emotions are

falling in love with my significant other, my family, candles, and things that really make my heart feel

happy.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

When I feel the emotions of joy I often feel them transgress through my body. Its a feeling

that is not describable. They manifest every time I have a sense of completion, experience something I

love to do, and when I am being positive. Some images that come to mind are my diploma, the good

grades I receive, and amusement parks. I get that feeling of enjoyment when I get to experience the

things I really enjoy doing.

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 In summary, emotions play not only parts on your mind but on your body as well. The feelings

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Unit

that transpire from emotions affect everyone differently. This exercise has helped me develop a

broader vocabulary, become familiar with how these emotions affect my body, what brings the

feelings on, and what thoughts or images come to my mind when experiencing/seeing them. This

journal has helped me grasp a better concept of how my mind and body are affected by comfortable

and uncomfortable emotions.

References

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Toxic Thoughts are repeated negative thoughts that tend to pollute our view of our
lives and ourselves. Pessimism promotes toxic thoughts. Pessimism is looking at the worst of every
situation. A technique that is used to convert negative thoughts is called thought stopping. It is a

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 coping technique where you consciously stops the negative thoughts that run through your head
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Types of humor. There are 12 different types of humor. They are: parody, satire,
slapstick, absurd or nonsense, double entendre, black humor, irony, dry, quick witted, puns, bathroom,
and sarcasm. Humor has two different definitions. The first one is the experience of things that bring
pleasure and enjoyment, and the second one is the quality of being funny and comical (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Money matters. There are four simple rules that Seaward explains to help someone
maintain their finances. 1. Make a budget and follow it. 2. Dont spend what you dont have. 3. Pay
all your bills on time. 4. Put away at least 10% of your monthly income into a savings account
(Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:
Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

Choose from either formal practice: Walking Meditation or Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and

Anxiety. Directions are found on either pages 58 through 60 or 119 through 121 of the Mindfulness

workbook. Upon completion of either practice, take a moment to reflect on whatever came up for you

mentally, emotionally, and physically. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

Take some time to write about whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally and physically when

doing this practice for the first time.

During my experience in the Mindful self-inquiry for stress and anxiety meditation, I started

by secluding myself to a quiet place in my house. I first became aware of my breathing and watching

my abdomen rise and fall. I didnt focus on anything else but that. No thoughts, emotions, or feelings

crossed my mind for what seemed like a long time but really was only four minutes. Next, I brought

in the physical aspect of sensations from body part to body part. I started with my feet. I was sitting

22
with my legs extended and ankles crossed. The first sensation in which I felt was tingling in my feet. I

then moved to my legs, but was unable to feel any sort of sensation. Moving up the body, I could feel

warmth on my buttock and my back from being in the sitting position leaning up against the wall.

Next, I felt a hunger sensation in my stomach, as I continued upward I felt the pounding of my heart

and of course the rise and fall of my chest. Moving down each arm, I didnt really feel any sensations

until I reached my hands where a sense of numbness kind of took over into my fingers. Finally, in my

head I could feel a pounding sensation as well. I have been suffering from a headache today and this

really pinpointed where the headache was actually at. I then slowly started investigating my emotions.

As I shifted to the mindful inquiry, I started out by thinking about the emotions and thoughts

that have been driving my anxiety and fears. As I did this, my body felt like it would tense up as I was

thinking about all these upcoming events that I will be encountering in my near future. I could feel my

heart start to pound harder as I thought about my fear of not being able to support my daughter, all the

life changing events that have taken place recently, and my upcoming move back to Tennessee. All of

things plus a few more ran through my mind. I did not attempt to analyze any thought, feeling, or

emotion as it crossed my mind. After I was done I reflected on all these things that kept running

through my mind faster than I was able to process. I discovered that within these feelings, thoughts

and emotions are playing a huge part in me feeling overwhelmed and stressed lately. I was able to

acknowledge some of these feelings by gathering an understanding of why things were happening and

that everything will be ok.

In summary, your body, mind, and spirit will benefit truly from meditating. This meditation

has helped me learn that acknowledging your emotions and fears, help with being able to let them go

and feel a sense of peace and understanding. It has helped me have an overall calmness about me for

the time being. By letting go of these thoughts you help yourself in a number of ways. You can start

23
by just being able to go with the flow of things. This being something I currently struggle with.

Taking the time to do this meditation has helped me tremendously in learning myself, understanding

my feelings, and letting go of my anxieties and fears. This is definitely something I will need to

continue doing. I often let my thoughts, fears, and emotions get the best of me. Being able to take

myself out of reality and break down everything is something I have never done before. I plan to

continue this type of meditation as often as I can.

References

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

24
Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

6
Unit

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is a relaxation technique that is
used to control breathing. It is often symbolic of a deep sigh that one uses to regroup or gain
composure. It involves breathing from the abdomen. It is called pranayama in Yoga (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Exclusive and restrictive meditation. Restrictive meditation is used to help increase
self-awareness and promote relaxation. Your concentration is usually focused on one object minus all
other thoughts that cross your mind. Exclusive meditation has the same exact definition as restrictive
meditation but generally exclusive meditation is practiced with a single focused thought. To prevent
distractions it is usually practiced with your eyes closed (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Mental imagery. It has several names it goes by. Its definition is, using the
imagination to observe images created by the unconscious mind. Visualization is often used hand in
hand with mental imagery and used as components of meditation. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
In this exercise we were to answer a series of questions in a paragraph format. The first question was
why is diaphragmatic breathing thought to be an effective relaxation technique? Diaphragmatic
breathing is thought to be an effective relaxation technique because of the vibrations related to the
heart. Breathing from the diaphragm, which accents long pauses, decreases this resonance, which
creates a calming effect (Seaward, 2015). The next question was what three steps are important to
engage in this technique? The steps to initiate diaphragmatic breathing are: to assume a comfortable
position, to concentrate, and to visualize. Each of these steps where empathized on in the assignment.
Next was, what effects does meditation have on the mind and body? One of the most important effects
it has, is how it calms the mind from sensory overload. The last question is to list three ways that

25
imagery and visualization can be useful for relaxation and why. Three ways that imagery and
visualization can be useful for relaxation are the techniques that are used. Three most common
techniques are tranquil nature scenes, behavioral changes, and internal body images. Each step is
broken down in the assignment to explain why.

Journal Writing:
Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Is Your Body-Mind Happy? Directions are found

on pages 151 through 153 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment,

practice identifying unkind messages you send to yourself and turn it around with positive

affirmations. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

26
Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

Thinking of how I interact with myself, I would never speak to anyone else in that manner. I

tend to be very unkind to myself and send myself messages of how stupid I am at times, how I feel

like a fat cow, and how sometimes I just feel hopeless. I would never ever even think those sorts of

things about people let alone say them. These messages definitely increase my stress, anxiety, and

affect my self-esteem. I used to feel confident but it seems as though once one thing started to slip, my

mind now feels like the goals I have are unattainable and impossible to achieve. Physically, I feel tired

and exhausted all of the time. I never really thought that the way I view myself could cause so many

negative affects until this journal.

Seeds of suffering?

If I stopped watering the seeds of my own suffering my confidence level, mood, and even my

physical wellbeing would be so much better off. My confidence level would boost, resulting in a

happier more outgoing mood like I used to have. My body would physically feel capable of achieving

my goals and I would be able to accomplish so much more stuff in a day. I also feel that if I stopped

water the seeds of my suffering, my daughter would witness this and hopefully learn that being happy

and saying good things about herself is important. I dont want her to have low self-esteem and I

know it is important to teach her this young. I also believe that with stopping my marriage would

benefit from my more positive happier mood, than how I feel now. I try not to show it but I do know it

shows especially after I look in the mirror.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

Currently, at my place of work I have difficulty communicating with my superior. She is one

of many but is the one I deal with on a daily basis. She is very difficult to talk to. I always feel like I

am not speaking clearly or that she does not understand what I am trying to say. When I speak to her

27
about anything it seems like she is always somewhere else and isnt listening to what I am saying. The

reason I say this is by the way she always looks at me or finishes my sentence. Bringing an open heart

and a beginners mind to this situation I may be able to understand her in a different since and

communicating may not be as hard. I am a very observant person and feel as though what she is

experiencing in her personal life may be the cause of the way she communicates. There are times she

even stops what she is saying and doesnt finish her sentence or she starts to ask me to do something

for her and changes her mind about me doing it for her half way through her question. I dont know

too much about her personal life outside of work but I do know she has a lot going on. I have that

from other people who have talked about her. She recently lost her father, her mother is sick, her

husband is in a different state, her sister has cancer, and she is battling some health problems herself.

Some of her positive qualities consist of her understanding if someone needs to leave early for an

appointment. She has a good demeanor about her and is always nice to my family. She is very caring

and puts family first which is a good attribute to have in my opinion.

28
Reflection on writing?

Interacting with myself the way I have has really played a huge impact on myself mentally and

physically. Now being able to see these things and how I was watering the seeds of my suffering, my

hopes are that I will be able to better myself for my family. If I can rid the negative and I can give

myself positive feedback I feel my house would be in a much better mood more often. Knowing how

difficult it is to speak to my superior, laying everything out on paper has provided me with much more

understanding of why things are the way they are. Everyone has their own problems and that can

affect their character in ways you wouldnt imagine. This journal writing has opened my eyes to

things I never realized. I plan on making the necessary changes to ensure that my thoughts do not

think so negatively about myself. I plan to stop watering the seeds to my suffering and look at things

from a different light. I also plan to be more mindful and take a different approach to communicating

to my superior. Just like the saying goes, you never know what someone is going through until you

walk in their shoes.

References

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

29
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

7
Unit

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Visualization and Imagery. These two terms are often used interchangeably but they
are not the same thing. Visualization is conscious direction/intention of images, and imagery is
images that come from the unconscious mind (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Types of visualization. There are three categories of visualization. Tranquil scenes,
behavioral change, and internal healing body images. Tranquil scenes often consist of beautiful
oceans, forest, or even mountains. Behavioral change can be quitting a bad habit or rehearsing
mentally for a sport. Internal healing is seeing images that rid diseases, injuries, or illnesses (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Incorporating visualization and imagery into your life. You must start by relaxing or
getting comfortable. Next, get focused or concentrate on what you are doing. Picture what you are
wanting the outcome to be. Finally, reinforce the image with positive words of affirmation (Seaward,
2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:
Self-Assessment Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

Unit 7

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

30
31
Self-Assessment Assignment

The formal practice of Sitting Meditation started out very relaxing. During the first part of

meditation I decided I was going to sit on the couch in complete silence with the lights dimmed and

no one around. I designated about 30 minutes to do this meditation. The very first part of the

meditation when it said, may you know that this is an act of love (Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E., 2010).

struck my mind instantly. I had to really work to stop and become present. I felt like it took me a long

time to be able to let things be the way they were. My mind was racing and everything was running

through my mind. It honestly felt like there were a ton of people in the room, when in reality there

was no one. After what seemed to be an eternity, I was finally able to focus on my breathing. I

focused on the rising and falling of my abdomen.

Next, I withdrew my awareness from the breathing and started focusing on the sensations with

in my body. All of a sudden I felt a pain in my lower back so I adjusted myself on the couch. I could

feel my heart beating, and I even felt a little pound in my head. I had trouble letting them soften so I

could relax so I just let them be. I then let go of the sensations in my body and focused on hearing and

observing sounds around me. I could hear the purr of the air conditioner, the sound of the phone

dinging, I heard myself swallowing, my heart pounding, and I even heard the birds that were outside

chirping.

During my observation of my thoughts and emotions within my mind. I felt like everything

was racing through. Thoughts and feelings were just coming and going so fast. One second I would be

thinking about how it is raining outside and the next I was thinking about if we would be able to go

somewhere to watch fireworks since it was supposed to rain. I felt sadness while thinking about the

rain and not being able to potentially watch fireworks. The sadness came into play because my

daughter is too little to take out in the rain. However, I want her to be able to meet some family

32
members that she hasnt been able to meet yet, so I feel so torn on what we should do. I know the

right thing to do would be not to take her anywhere where shelter is not available with her being just a

baby. Then jealously came into play because my husband, her father is getting to enjoy his weekend at

the beach on the East coast while we are stuck in the Midwest. So many thoughts and emotions. I let

them come and go. One thing that was pointed out was, the mind has a mind of its own (Stahl, B.,

& Goldstein, E., 2010). That is so true and I felt that feeling after coming back from being lost in all

these thoughts and emotions that were flooding my mind. I honestly struggled being able to not get

caught up in my thoughts and feelings. I kept trying to be able to just observe them like I was looking

in from outside. I just felt so frustrated and out of control. I had to return to focusing on my breathing.

During the choiceless awareness, I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride. So many sensations,

thoughts, and sounds flooded my mind that I felt like I was on a ride. One minute I felt upside down

and the next minute I was able to grab ahold of the handle and hold on. I could hear my daughter start

to cry in the other room. My mother was talking to her but I was still fully relaxed that I dont think I

ever really moved. It sort of seemed like I was having an out of body experience. Being able to see

everything from a different perspective all while sitting in the same location and not moving. I could

even say it could even be compared to a dream. It didnt feel like I came back to reality until I focused

back on my breathing and told myself I was now whole again.

This formal practice of sitting meditation really helped me realize that we actually have more

control than what we think if we just let things be. It is really hard to face all the things that we

experience on a daily basis but letting go of them and watching them from what I would call the

outside was truly an eye opener for me. I hope I will only get better at this meditation for my health

and wellbeing and to be able to teach others how to do it.

33
 References

8
Unit

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is one of the five paths and is the path of balance. The steps
to initiate hatha yoga are (1) moving into the pose, (2) maintaining the pose, and (3) coming out of
the pose (Seaward, 2015). This is a relaxation technique that is designed to be done slowly and
gracefully.
Key Learning Point: Tai Chi Chuan. Tai chi is a relaxation technique that consists of over 100 positions
or movements. It may seem relatively difficult. It was designed to be an egoless activity and you
shouldnt compare your movements with those around you. It is recommended to start with the
movements and then focus on the finer details later (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Types of physical exercise. There are six different types of physical exercise. They
are: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, agility, power, and anaerobic exercise.
Each one of these are a sort of physical activity and are good to help increase your overall health and
maintain your stress level (Seaward, 2015).

34
Self-Assessment Exercises:
Teamwork Self-Assessment Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

Unit 8

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Proposal for Health and Wellness Management

July 2017

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

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

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

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

The purpose of this proposal is to help create a stress free environment for healthcare workers

at Premier Medical Group. Everyone needs breaks throughout their day. A quiet relaxing place to go

would be very beneficial to their overall productivity and engagements throughout their workday. A

designated closed off room is important to have to ensure your employees have a place to re-group

after stressful situations they may encounter. In this field of expertise either you are more sedentary or

you are moving around constantly, but are always interacting with people with all different

personalities. With a good wellness program in place you will see an increase in productivity and

attitude. This can help the company in many ways. One way in particular is a decrease in your

employees calling in sick.

My proposal for mind body practices would be to have a designated space that is private for

employees only. This would be a place where they would feel comfortable going to perform

35
diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, and even tai chi. It should be relaxing in nature and include mats,

lights that can dim, a refrigerator for water, and a fruit basket. During the typical lunch hours (11-

12pm & 12-1pm) a quick 30 minute meditation session should be offered. This can switch daily to

account for all the employees needs. (Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation, Diaphragmatic breathing). A

calendar will be set up outside the room to provide employees with days and times the classes will

take place. This room should also be available for employees to go to just be able to escape after

encountering a stressful situation. They will be able to grab a bottle of water, a piece of fruit if needed,

relax at the table, or sink down into the couch, to engage in their thoughts and relax.

Some of the equipment that will be needed are a couple tables and chairs, a couch, a good

lighting system, yoga floor mats, a small stereo that has a CD player, and a refrigerator. I would say

an estimate overall startup cost would be around $10,000.00. This is important when it comes to the

overall setup of the room itself.

This program will definitely pay for itself in a matter of a couple years. Employees will be less

stressed and able to perform their duties with less errors. They will become more productive and have

more of a positive attitude. The physical exercise that is provided in the yoga or Tai chi can create

positive endorphins, lift their mood, improve self-confidence, lower blood pressure and allow them to

clear their mind (Seaward, 2015). The companys insurance prices will drop over time which in turn,

can also help the employees receive lower rates. The company should offer an incentive to the

employees to help encourage them to do these mindful exercises.

The startup time needed prior to the start date of the program should be roughly a year prior.

This will be an adequate amount of time for the contractors to get the room ready, the electricians to

set up the lighting, and for the refrigerator, matting, and couch to arrive. The initial length of the

36
program should be for one year to see how everything is working for the employer and the employees.

If everything is going well the program should be continued for an indefinite time.

Personnel needed for the program are instructors that specialize in the field of Yoga and Tai

chi. They would be needed on the designated days of classes. Often times there may be an employee

that specializes in one of these areas that may want to teach these classes. Lastly, a person is needed to

set up the room initially. This would usually be the program coordinator or could be an employee that

enjoys decorating.

I would estimate the total overall budget for the program would be close to $25,000, this price

includes all the equipment needed, the lighting, and the instructors for the classes. The instructors

would be paid based on the amount of classes they teach but would not exceed $50 per class. That

would be two classes of Yoga and two classes of Tai Chi taught each week for one year.

The purpose of this proposal is to help create a stress free environment for healthcare workers

at Premier Medical Group. Everyone needs to be able to relax and be less stressed throughout their

day. A quiet relaxing place to go is very beneficial to their overall productivity and engagements

throughout their workday. In this professional field of always interacting with people of all different

personalities being able to release that frustration is an important factor in ones health and wellbeing.

With a good wellness program in place as a company will see an increase in productivity and attitude.

With an employee that portrays a positive happy attitude the potential patient volume increases

tremendously helping out the company in multiple positive aspects. The employee will have an

increase in energy and will be healthier overall. I hope this proposal is something you will consider

for your company.

References

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

37
 MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Journal Writing:
Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

Melissa Benson

Kaplan University

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Creating Connection. Directions are found on

pages 161 through 163 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, practice

developing these qualities in building stronger and healthier relationships.

This should be a minimum of one full page.

38
OPENNESS: For this quality I was thinking of my superior at work. My first perspective of her

was she was stuck up and all about herself not the wellbeing of others. I was definitely

closed off and didnt trust her for quite some time. Someone mentioned to me that she was

kind and would actually go to bat for her Soldiers and would fight for what is right. I didnt

believe it until one day I came to work and something ended up happening and she stuck up

for me. When I look at this quality as one slice of pie in the case of trustworthiness, I have

begun to realize that the first impression is not always the last.

EMPATHY: Here lately I have been able to empathize more with my superior than I ever have before.

I recently had my first baby and have gained a different perspective on life as a mother. My superior

has a teenage daughter who recently went to stay in another state with her father. She called her mom

the other day and told her she wanted to stay there. She is old enough now to be able to choose. My

superior had been very quiet and stayed secluded most of the week. I didnt know what was wrong but

I thought I would try and cheer her up and buy her a small bouquet of yellow flowers. This brought

tears to her eyes and later she came to my office and told me what happened. I was able to empathize

with her from the perspective of imagining my own daughter telling me that.

COMPASSION: Since empathy and compassion go hand in hand the above statement also explains

compassion. I was compassionate because I wanted to ease her suffering. I attempted to do this by

buying her flowers to just try and cheer her up. I didnt know what was going on when I did this

however, once I have found out I have texted her to make sure she is doing ok and to see if she needs

anything.

LOVING-KINDNESS: As I imagined my superior as my own child I want nothing more than for her

to feel well and be happy again. In order to be able to extend these wishes I would pray for her. I

would continue to let her know I am here for her. It can be slightly challenging since she is my

39
superior but I will just continue to check on her and let her know I am here for her if she just needs to

get out of the office and have lunch.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: For this quality my first thought is my little sister. She has overcome so much

in her life. She often tells me she wishes she was like me and where I am in life. She has had it a lot

rougher than I have. I tell her all the time anything is possible if she keeps her faith in the Lord and

prays for strength. I express that I will help her any way I can. She has become such a wonderful

woman. She is strong, courageous, and such a kind hearted person. I pray for her to find joy within

her life.

EQUANIMITY: I think of how I acted towards the UPS delivery man at my job the other day. He was

delivering a package and needed my signature. Thinking back now I probably came across as rude. I

was in a hurry because I had a conference call I needed to be on. I basically stood there and rushed

him while he was trying to do his job. No one should be treated like that. I would never treat my

parents or someone I love like that. I feel terrible and will make sure I apologize when he comes in

next week.

In this journal we were to take the above qualities and write down what came to mind after

thinking about the person on your mind. This was a true eye opener for me. I never really thought like

this before consciously. It has changed my perspective of people in general and is something I will

consider from now on. I want to be considered kind, compassionate, and be able to help people feel

good about themselves.

References

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

40
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

9
Unit

Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Suggestions for the best personal stress management program. There are six
suggestions from Seaward. They are: Make a habit of spending some quality time each day to get to
know yourself, make a habit of reading your emotional barometer, practice the art of unconditional
love, nurture your creativity skills, balance all components of your well-being and take time to
nurture them, and finally be like a child (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Hobbies help reduce stress. Hobbies can help one reduce stress by allowing them to
actively escape. Active escapes are in other words interests and pleasures that help contribute to self-
esteem, character, and identity (Seaward, 2015). With being able to temporarily put your mind into
something you enjoy your stress level can decrease. It is thought that the amount of time that is put
into hobbies can help solve major problems in your life. Having the feeling of control over your life
and diverting your problems, helps focus your mind in a different direction helping it deal with the
issues you are dealing with better when you return. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Information seeking. To be able to conquer the fear of the
unknown seeking information is the best defense against stressors. Information seeking
involves collecting and processing facts about a stressful event or situation, which can be used to
solve the problem and regain emotional stability (Seaward, 2015).

41
Additional Information
Primary Source: Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and
well-being (8th ed.).

This was the text book that was used throughout the course. It is a great reference and has
great information to refer someone too.

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

This book is available for purchase online is one I will be sure to refer all my clients too. The
journals in this workbook were a tremendous help for me and I believe they will be for others
as well.

Secondary Source: Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. (2016).
Helpguide.org. Retrieved 17 July 2016, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-
management.htm

This website provides information on how to reduce, prevent, and cope with stress. This
information can also be found within the primary source written by Seaward.

Secondary Source: Tips for Managing Stress. (2016). WebMD. Retrieved 17 July 2016, from
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/tips-to-control-stress

This website gives 13 tips on managing stress. Its a great quick way to reference these tips to
provide to your clients. This information can also be found within the primary sources written
by Seaward and Stahl.

Secondary Source: Managing Stress. (2016). Mindtools. Retrieved 17 July 2016, from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-stress.htm

This website provides a toolkit for individuals to help them create a calm within their
workplace. It would be considered a secondary source because most of the information on this
site can also be found in the primary source written by Stahl.

42
 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.

43