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
Kathleen Iman
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
30 April 2013

Table of Contents
UNIT

THE

NATU RE

OF

STRESS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: My Health Philosophy
Tools: Journal Writing: Personal Stress Inventory
UNIT

THE

BO DY

AS

BATTL EF IEL D

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Immediate, intermediate, and prolonged
stress effect
Tools: Journal Writing: Physical Symptoms
UNIT

F EAST

OR

FAM IN INE

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Anger Recognition Checklist
Tools: Journal Writing: The Psychology of your stress
UNIT

ONE

PL ANET

UNDER

STRESS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Distractions of the human path
Tools: Journal Writing:Stress-prone personality survey
Stress-resistant personality survey
UNIT

UNDER

STRESS:

WHAT

NOW?

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: On-the-spot Assertiveness Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Reframing: seeing a bigger, clearer
perspective
UNIT

AGEL ESS

WISDOM

OF

M EDITATIO N

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Three Short Guided Visualizations
Tools: Journal Writing: Too Much Information

UNIT

SIGHT,

SOUN D,

AND

BO DY

WOR K

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Dolphin Breathing Meditation
Tools: Journal Writing: Self-Assessment: The Rainbow Diet
UNIT

THE

WEL L NESS

M ANDAL A

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Your circadian rhythms
Tools: Journal Writing: Physical Exercise
UNIT

APPLYING

PREVEN TIO N

TO

STRESS:

YOUR

CRITICAL

M ANAGEM ENT

PROF ESSI ONAL

AND

L IF E

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Video Tai Chi Trial
Tools: Journal Writing: Meditation 101
UNIT

1 0

APPLYING

PREVEN TIO N

TO

STRESS:

YOUR

CRITICAL

PROF ESSI ONAL

M ANAGEM ENT
L IF E

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
ADDITI ONAL

INF ORM ATIO N

(End of the Guide)

AND

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1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Assess your personal level of stress: When doing this important thing to
remember is something that stresses you greatly might not stress someone as
much. Another point is that stress will change throughout your life. Something
that stresses you now might not stress you in a couple months or it might be a
stress for the rest of your life.

Identify areas of possible health risks related to stress: If you feel like youre
overstressed it might come back to get you in more ways then one. Sometimes
if you have a stress from work that is affecting you and always on your mind it
will affect your body too. You might feel more tired or not be as happy.

Examine personal sleep habit behaviors that may be related to health

consequences of stress: According to Seaward, 2009 more than 60 percent of
Americans suffer from poor sleep. This can cause many problems such as
sleeping at work, marital problems and car accidents.

Resources: Exercises:
My Health Philosophy: This is a good way to find out about what you or
someone else feels about their health and wellness. This is simply a statement
about what you feel is important to your health and what health issues you
might have. This will also help others to find out where you want to be later in
life.

My Health Philosophy
Life is a kaleidoscope of the infinite variety. No two things are the same.
Everyones life is individual.
--Paramahansa Yogananda
We all have philosophies. Philosophies are nothing more than our opinions,
dressed
up with an introduction and conclusiona way to present to someone, even
ourselves,
what we really think about some topic or ideal. We have philosophies on
everythingthe types of music we like and listen to, the state of world affairs,
and
even the foods we eat at restaurants.
Now its time to examine your philosophy about your health. Based on what
you already know, and perhaps have been taught or exposed to, define as best
you can
what the words health and wellness mean to you. After having done this, ask
yourself
why health is so important and write a few lines about this.
Given the premise that every issue is a health issue, identify some seemingly
non-health issues such as the global economy, deforestation, or TV
programming. See
if you can discover the connection between these issues and your state of wellbeing.
How is your state of health influenced by stress? Finally, where do you see
yourself
twenty-five years from now? If you were to continue your current lifestyle for
the next
three to four decades, how do you see yourself at that point in the future? Your
health
philosophy guides your state of health. What is your health philosophy? What
has influenced
your philosophy up to now (e.g., parents, teachers, friends, books)? Be specific.
Take some time to write it down here now. If you need additional space to write,
use the extra pages provided at the back of this book.
My Health Philosophy

Health and wellness mean keeping your mind and body health and happy. I
think that by eating correctly and giving your body the nutriance it needs you
can keep it happy and by giving your mind not only the proper stimulus but

also the proper relaxation times you can keep your mind happy as well. I think
health is so important because you only have one body and if you mess up this
one there isnt another waiting around the corner. Your body can keep you
doing the things you love for a long time provided you give it everything it
needs. The biggest one I can think of is North Korea possibly calling off the
cease fire. The cease fire then affects people in a health way by causing them
stress which in turn causes them to eat more and gain weight which could
cause them to have heart problems or diabetes. My state of health is affected
by stress in the way that I tend to want to eat more and become less active. In
the future I see myself being able to handle stress in a much better manor. I
dont see me using food as a crutch to distress and finding another outlet for it.
My health philosophy is simple you are what you eat, you feel the way you eat.
The influences in my life have been purely the military and the classes Ive
taken so far for my bachelors. The military is a health conscious job. They are
always worried about the wellbeing of its members. The Physical fitness test is
the biggest way they show concern. The want to make sure your waist line is a
certain size and that you are healthy enough to run 1.5 miles. The classes Ive
taken for my bachelors have been an eye opener all together. I dont really
have one instance that I can pull out but all of the information on nutrition that
I have received so far has made me realize how horrible and how wonderful
some of the food we eat is for our bodies. This class is the first class that I have
taken so far that ventures into the health of the mind and Im hoping to learn
as much as I can to help me out with that part in my life.

Tools: Journal Writing:

Personal stress inventory: This is a list of your top ten stressors. You may go
further if you wish because this allows you to gain more understanding into
which sections of your life that stressor affects, how long its been in your life
and what your feelings are about it. This is also good because it makes you
think about your stress and gives you an idea of how long you may have been
dealing with it.

Personal Stress Inventory:

Top Ten Stressors
Its time to take a personal inventory of your current stressorsthose issues,
concerns, situations, or challenges that trigger the fight-or-flight response in
your body. The first step to resolving any problem is learning to identify exactly
what the problem is. Take a moment to list the top ten issues that you are
facing at the present moment. Then place check marks in the columns to
signify whether this stressor directly affects one or more aspects of your
health (mind, body, spirit, emotions). Take note of how many of your stressors
affect more than one aspect. Then, next to each stressor, chronicle how long it

has been a problem. Finally, check whether this stressor is one that elicits
some level of anger, fear, or both.

2
Unit

Stressor
Duration

Mental
Anger/Fear?

Emotional

Spiritual

Physical

of Problem
1. Lack of sleep

10 months

Anger
2. Work

3. Money

10 years

off and on

Unit 2: The Body as Battlefield

Information to Remember:
Explain the causes of stress: The causes of stress are too many to name.
According to Seaward (2009) Stress is the experience of a perceived threat.
This can be anything in your life that you see as a threat to the normal. This
also changes according to who is dealing with it.

 Discuss health consequences of stress: Health consequences are again

something that is too many to name. Stress can cause you to have something
as little as restless sleep to a heart attack. Its all about how you relieve that
stress and cope with it.

By comprehending that human beings are energy, one can begin to

comprehend new ways of viewing health and illness. Richard Gerber, M.D.: I
thought this quote would fit because its a different way to look at your body. If
you can think of yourself as energy and think of yourself as a healthy good
energy and illness as a bad energy that is invading it might help to gain an
understanding that you can get rid of any bad energy. This might get people
who dont see a way to get rid of illness to look at themselves differently and
begin to relieve the stress/illness.

Resources: Exercises:
Immediate, intermediate, and prolonged stress effects: This exercise is good
because it helps you to connect the idea of your body reacting to your mind. It
also gives you a good example of how your body reacts and what you should
be looking for. If you are not sure if you are stressed and you are having the
symptoms that are listed you might be stressing more than you think.

Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects

As noted in Chapter 2, the stress response has immediate (seconds),
intermediate (minutes to hours), and prolonged (days) effects through which
the symptoms of physical stress can manifest. To reinforce your understanding
of each phase of this physiological process, please take a moment to reflect on
how your body reacts to stress through these three processes.
1. What do you feel when immediately threatened?
a.

Tingling sensations

Yes

No

b.

Sweating

Yes

No

c.

Muscle tension (e.g., jaw muscles)

Yes

No

d.

Rapid heart rate

Yes

No

e.

Rapid breathing (or holding your breath) Yes

No

f.

Rush of blood to your face and neck (blushing)

Yes No

g.

Other __Clouded Thinking____________________________________________

2. How would you best classify your bodys intermediate (within hours)
response to stress?
a.

Tension headache

Yes

No

b.

Migraine headache

Yes

No

c.

Sore neck and shoulders

Yes

No

d.

Sore throat

Yes

No

e.

Allergies

Yes

No

f.

Stomachache

Yes

No

g.

GI tract problems

Yes

No

h.

Other ___Clouded thoughts_________________________________________

3. What do you notice as long-term effects of prolonged stress (five to ten

days)?
a.

Cold or flu

Yes

No

b.

Acne (broken-out face blemishes)

Yes

No

c.

Herpes flare-up (around lips)

Yes

No

d.

Menstrual period irregularities

Yes

No

Tools: Journal Writing:

Physical Symptoms Questionnaire: This gives the person taking it an idea of
how their stress is affecting their daily health. Most of the things on here most
people associate with just a routine day or dont think of it as stress related at
all. This might be another way to get people to see just how stressed they are.

 Physical Symptoms Questionnaire

Please look over this list of stress-related symptoms and circle how often they
have occurred in the past week, how severe they seemed to you, and how long
they lasted. Then reflect on the past weeks workload and see whether you
notice any connection between your stress levels and possible stress-related
symptoms.
How Often? How Severe?

How

Long?
(Number of days

(1 = mild; (1

in the past week)

5 = all day)

5 = severe)

= 1 hour;

1. Tension headache
345

01234567

12345 1 2

2. Migraine headache
345

01234567

12345 1 2

3. Muscle tension (neck and/or shoulders)

12345

01234567

12345

4. Muscle tension (lower back)

345

01234567

12345 1 2

5. Joint pain
345

01234567

12345 1 2

6. Cold
345

01234567

12345 1 2

7. Flu
345

01234567

12345 1 2

8. Stomachache
345

01234567

12345 1 2

9. Stomach/abdominal bloating
345

01234567

12345 1 2

/distention/gas

10

10. Diarrhea
345

01234567

12345 1 2

11. Constipation
345

01234567

12345 1 2

12. Ulcer flare-up

345

01234567

12345 1 2

13. Asthma attack

345

01234567

12345 1 2

14. Allergies
345

01234567

12345 1 2

15. Canker/cold sores

345

01234567

12345 1 2

16. Dizzy spells

345

01234567

12345 1 2

17. Heart palpitations (racing heart)

12345
18. Temporomandibular
345

01234567

12345

01234567

12345 1 2

19. Insomnia
345

01234567

12345 1 2

20. Nightmares
345

01234567

12345 1 2

21. Fatigue
345

01234567

12345 1 2

22. Hemorrhoids
345

01234567

12345 1 2

23. Pimples/acne
345

01234567

12345 1 2

24. Cramps
345

01234567

12345 1 2

joint dysfunction (TMJD)

11

25. Frequent accidents

345

01234567

12345 1 2

3
Unit

26. Other
345

01234567

12345 1 2

(Please specify: _______________________)

Score: Look over this entire list. Do you observe any patterns or relationships
between
your stress levels and your physical health? A value over 30 points most likely
indicates a stress-related health problem. If it seems to you that these
symptoms are related to undue stress, they probably are. Although medical
treatment is advocated when necessary, the regular use of relaxation
techniques may lessen the intensity, frequency, and duration of these episodes.
Comments:

Unit 3: Feast or Famine

Information to Remember:
Emotional consequences of stress: The emotional toll that stress can put on
someone is huge! Imagine your individual stress as bricks. Once you have too
many of them piled up on you they can fall over and bury you underneath
them. This can cause you to overload yourself and or become unstable in
dealing with problems.

12

 Spiritual health consequences of stress: Your spiritual health can also take a
heavy hit when you are overstressed. You might begin to question your way of
life or what you believe in. Sometimes what you think and believe in your life
can either help or hinder your problems you just dont know how to fit it into
your life.

Modern man is sick because he is not whole ~ Carl Gustav Jung: I like this
quote again because it reminds us that today in our everyday life we tend to
forget to focus on the whole self. We are a nation that is so fast paced that we
forget to take care of the mental, physical or spiritual self. Until a person takes
care of the whole person they can never be considered healthy.

Resources: Exercises:
Anger: the Fight Response: I chose this one because as everyone knows stress
can easily turn to frustration and then to anger. Most of us dont realize that
there are typical ways people lash out at others and this is a good way to let
them know how they do. Its also funny because its a way to look at coworkers
and tell how they are lashing out.

Anger: The Fight Response

Anger. The word itself brings to mind images of pounding fists, yelling, and
smoke pouring out of ones ears and nose. But anger is as natural a human
emotion as love. It is universal among all humans. Anger is a survival emotion;
its the fight component of the fight-or-flight response. We use anger to
communicate our feelings, from impatience to rage. We employ anger to
communicate boundaries and defend values. Studies show that the average
person has fourteen to fifteen anger episodes a day. These often arise when
our expectations are not met upon demand. Although feeling angry is within
the normal limits of human emotions, anger is often mismanaged and
misdirected. Unfortunately, we have been socialized to suppress our feelings of
anger. As a result, anger either tears us apart from the inside (ulcers) or
promotes intermittent eruptions of verbal or physical violence. In mostif not
allcases, we do not deal with our anger correctly.

Research has shown that there are four distinct ways in which people
mismanage their anger:
1. Somatizers: People who never show any signs of anger and internalize
their feelings until eventually there is major bodily damage (e.g., ulcers,
temporomandibular joint dysfunction, colitis, or migraines).

13

2. Self-punishers: People who neither repress their anger nor explode, but
rather deny themselves a proper outlet for anger because of guilty feelings
(e.g., eating, shopping).
3. Exploders: Individuals who erupt like a volcano and spread their temper
like hot lava, destroying anyone and anything in their path with either verbal
or physical abuse.
4. Underhanders: Individuals who sabotage others or seek revenge through
somewhat socially acceptable behavior (e.g., sarcasm, appearing late for
meetings).
Although we tend to employ all of these styles at one time or another, given the
situation and prevailing circumstances, we tend to rely on one dominant style
of mismanaged anger. What is your most dominant style? What situations
provoke an anger response in you? How do you deal with these feelings of
anger?
There are some ways to deal with anger correctly or perhaps even creatively.
For
example, (1) take a time-out from the situation, followed by a time-in to resolve
the issue, (2) communicate your feelings diplomatically, (3) learn to think
through your anger, (4) plan several options to a situation, (5) lower personal
expectations, and, most important, (6) learn to forgivemake past anger pass.
What are some ways you can vent your anger creatively?
Although anger is an emotion we all experience and should recognize when it
arises, it is crucial to manage it correctly. Sometimes just writing down on
paper what gets you frustrated can be the beginning of the resolution process.
And anger must be fully resolved.
Eruption is my most dominate style that I use but I dont use it in the typical
way that people think of. I dont tend to throw things or have outbursts and
yell at everyone. I might get angry enough to yell at someone but usually its at
who is angering me. Situations that anger me are when someone is doing
something that can get others hurt or in trouble. Usually I end up talking to
the person about what they are doing. Ive found its useless to get angry at
things that you cant directly control. Talking to people makes them
understand that whatever they are doing gets to you and most of the time
they will stop doing whatever they were doing.

14

Tools: Journal Writing:

The Psychology of Your Stress: This tells a good deal about aware you are of
your attitude and behaviors during stressful situations. It also gives you insight
into your dreams and what they are telling you. Giving you a look into the way
you react to stress will allow you to change unwanted behavior.

The Psychology of Your Stress

The following questions are based on several theories from Chapter 4 to help
you become
more aware of your perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during episodes of
stress:
1. In hindsight (because Freud said people are not aware at the time that they
are doing it), do you find that you use one or more defense mechanisms to
protect your ego? Reflecting on your behavior, which of the following do you
see as common behaviors in your psychology of stress profile?
a. Defensiveness (I didnt do it)

Yes

No

b. Projection (She did it)

Yes

No

c. Repression (I dont remember doing it)

Yes

No

d. Displacement (He made me do it)

Yes

No

e. Rationalization (Everyone does it)

Yes

No

f. Humor (I can laugh about this now)

Yes

No

g. Other
2. Carl Jung was adamant that we need to listen to the wisdom of our dreams.
Please answer the following questions based on Jungs theories related to
stress.
a. Do you often remember your dreams?

Yes

b. Do you make it a habit to try to understand your

15

No

dreams and dream symbols?

c. Do you have any recurring dreams?

Yes

No

Yes

No

d. Have you ever had a dream of an event that later

came to pass?

Yes

No

3. Kbler-Rosss stages of grieving are not just for cancer patients. These
same stages occur for the death of every unmet expectation. What recent
expectation was unmet that brought you to the door of the grieving process?
What stage of Kbler-Rosss progression have you currently reached with this
stressor?
The most current one I can think of is when I failed my Physical Fitness test for
the military. My Denial and Anger were a bit mixed together. I kept saying to
myself I cant believe I let myself fail and I was angry at myself for it. I guess you
can say I stopped at bargaining. I told myself I wouldnt let this happen again and
if I passed I could then relax a bit about running. I passed my test last week!
4. Refer to your Unit 1 Journal Writing Assignment, Exercise 1.5 (Personal
Stress Inventory: Top Ten Stressors).
Please list your stressors as
predominantly anger-based or fear-based stressors.
Anger-Based Stressors
a. _Lack of Sleep
b. __Work
Fear-Based Stressors
a. _Money

16

Unit 4: One Planet Under Stress

4
Unit

Information to Remember:
Evaluate the role of stress from a global perspective: Stress is something that affects the world not
just your or I. You have many types of stresses that effect everyone and you dont feel it until it
becomes too much.

Assess the impact of biological and ecological stress on the planet and on humans: Everyday stress
that we may not realize is the biological and ecological stress. The shifts in the economy stress
everyone out even if youre not really paying attention to the markets. Biological stress comes in the
form of pollution. Youre stressing your body with these and may not even know it.

Examine how planetary stressors such as overpopulation and poverty influence health outcomes:
Overpopulation can be a big stressorhaving to hear the old lady down the hall constantly nagging
at her husband can get on your nerves. Poverty can also play a huge part in some stress and very little
in others. Both affect health by spreading germs poverty in the way that they might not be the
cleanest and overpopulation because of sheer numbers of people touching things.

Resources: Exercises:
Distractions of the Human Path: This makes you go through and list the
distractions that pull you off your intended path. All of us have them and
whether good or bad there are always distractions. This makes you think about
them and put and answer to them of how to circumvent the problem and
continue on.

Distractions of the Human Path

17

Distractions can best be described as those things that pull us off the spiritual
path indefinitely. Distractions begin as attractions, but their allure can often
cast a spell of slumber on the soul-growth process. Although a respite on the
human journey is desirable and even necessary at times, a prolonged
distraction will ultimately weaken our spiritual resolve. The human spirit, like
energy, must flow, never stagnate. The lessons of distractions are quite
common in fairy tales. Whether it is the story of Pinocchio or Hansel and
Gretel, the warnings regarding distractions are as plentiful as the distractions
themselves. The lessons of distractions are common in the great spiritual
teachings as well. Here they are called temptations. Not always, but often,
attractions that become distractions have an addictive quality to them. What
happens when we become distracted? Metaphorically speaking, we fall asleep
on the human path. Like Dorothy and her friends on the way to Oz who
stepped off the yellow brick road to smell the poppies and fell fast asleep, we
too lose our direction, our mission, and our energy stagnates. The end result is
never promising. Unlike roadblocks, distractions are not meant to be
circumvented, dismantled, or even transcended. Rather, they are meant to be
appreciatedperhaps from afar, perhaps enjoyed briefly and then left behind.
Fairy tales aside, what are contemporary distractions? Common examples of
everyday distractions might include social contacts, alcohol, television, cell
phones, and the Internet. Take a moment to reflect on what might be some
distractions in your life. Make a list and describe each one in a sentence or
two. Upon recognition of these, what steps can you take to wake up and get
back on the path?
1. Job I know I put it as a purpose in life but it can also be a distraction.
Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what Im doing I neglect my family a bit. I
can get back on my path by leaving work at work and making sure I dont
overdo it.
2. Family Just like my job they can do the opposite for me in my job.
Sometimes I get wrapped up in my problems at home that it affects work. To
solve this I need to leave home at home and work at work.
3. Myself Sometimes I keep myself away from doing something due to not
believing I can do it. I can fix this by just trying to do things. If I fail I just need
to try again or know I wasnt capable of doing it at that time.

Tools: Journal Writing:

Both the stress prone and stress resistant surveys: these are both an excellent
way to find out how prone you are to stress. This will let you know how
stressed out your personality tends to be. By understanding this you might be
able to change a few things to make yourself less stressed.

18

 Stress-Prone Personality Survey

The following is a survey based on the traits of the codependent personality.
Please answer the following questions with the most appropriate number.
3 = Often
1.

2 = Sometimes

1 = Rarely 0 = Never

I tend to seek approval

(acceptance) from others
(e.g., friends, colleagues,

2.

family members).
I have very strong

3.

perfection tendencies.
I am usually involved in

4.

many projects at one time.

I rise to the occasion in

5.

times of crisis.
Despite problems with my
family, I will always defend

6.

them.
I have a tendency to put

7.

others before myself.

I dont feel appreciated for

8.

all the things I do.

I tend to tell a lot of white

9.

lies.
I will help most anyone in

need.
10. I tend to trust others
perceptions rather than my
own.
11. I have a habit of
overreacting to situations.
12. Despite great achievements,
my self-esteem usually
suffers.
13. My family background is

19

better described as victim

than victor.
14. I have been known to
manipulate others with acts

of generosity and favors.

15. I am really good at
empathizing with my
friends and family.
16. I usually try to make the
best impression possible
with people.
17. I like to validate my feelings
with others perceptions.
18. I am an extremely wellorganized individual.
19. Its easier for me to give
love and much more
difficult to receive it.
20. I tend to hide my feelings if
I know they will upset
others.
Total
score____33_____________
Score: A score of more than 30 points indicates that you most likely have
traits associated with the codependent personality, a personality style
known to be stress-prone.

Stress-Resistant Personality Survey

The following survey is composed of statements based on the hardy, survivor,
and
risk-taking personality traitsall of which share common aspects that resist
rather than attract or promote stress in ones life. Please answer the following
questions with the most appropriate number.
4 = Always
1.

3 = Often

I wake up each morning

2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely 0 = Never

4

20

2.

ready to face a new day.

I tend not to let fear run my

3.

life.
I would consider myself to

4.

be an optimist.
I tend to see problems as

flexible with my lifes day-

to-day schedule.
14. Sometimes having nothing

opportunities for personal

5.

growth and success.

Although I like to be in
control of my fate, I know
when to go with the flow
when things are out of my

6.

control.
Curiosity is one of my

7.

stronger attributes.
Life isnt always fair, but I

8.

still manage to enjoy myself.

When things knock me off
balance, I am resilient and

9.

get back on my feet quickly.

My friends would say that I
have the ability to turn

misfortune into luck.

10. I believe that if you dont
take risks, you live a boring
life and wont get far.
11. I like to think of myself as
being a creative person.
12. I believe in the philosophy
that one person truly can
make a difference.
13. I am both organized and

21

to do is the best way to

spend a day.
15. I trust that I am part of a
greater force of life in the

universe.
16. I believe in the philosophy
that you make your own
breaks.
17. I approach new situations
with the idea that I will
learn something valuable,
regardless of the outcome.
18. When I start a project, I see
it through to its successful
completion.
19. I am strong willed, which I
see as a positive
characteristic to accomplish
hard tasks.
20. I am committed to doing my
best in most everything in
life.
Total
score_61________________
Score: A score of more than 30 points indicates that you most likely have traits
associated with the hardy, survivor, and calculated risk-taker personalities, personality
types known to be stress-resistant.

22

Unit 5: Under Stress: What Now?

5
Unit

Information to Remember:
Evaluate the use of reframing to create a positive mindset: Reframing helps
you to see that your perspective is not always right. If you are the type to look
at things in a negative tone then if you use reframing you can begin to change
that to look at things more positively.

Assess the importance of maintaining a positive outlook on life as a way of

reducing individual stress: By looking at things in a more positive light you can
begin to see that not everything is as bad as it seems. That thing you wanted
might not be given to you right now but maybe there is a good reason for it.
Remaining positive will keep you from stressing about the what ifs.

Examine how assertion and boundary setting are positive coping mechanisms
for reducing stress: Assertion and boundary setting are an excellent way of
relieving stress. By simply saying no to someone that has been asking you to
do something you are uncomfortable with that sets a boundary with them. By
being assertive it avoids the what ifs again and also might give you some
clarity to situations.

Resources: Exercises:

On-the-Spot Assertiveness Exercises: These exercises allow a person to

practice what they would say to someone that was stressing them.
Sometimes people can be un-assertive and that causes them a lot of
undue stress which they can avoid just by speaking up.

On-the-Spot Assertiveness Exercises

23

The exercises below can help me practice being assertive at times when I am
put
on the spot. The task is to fill in the blank with an assertive response. I may
want to
practice these situations with someone I trust. This will give me direct practice
with
both the verbal (what I say) and nonverbal (what I do) parts of being assertive.
As I
practice, I remember it is important to stay calm. That is the key difference in
whether
I am being assertive or if I am acting in another way. If I am assertive, I am
calm and I
am respecting other people as well as myself. This makes me more likely to
have
my needs met.
1. I take my car to the garage for an oil change. When I see the bill, it is for an
oil
change plus wheel alignment and new spark plugs. I say:
2. I have a deal to take turns driving to work with a friend. Each time I drive,
she has
an errand to run on the way home. When she drives, there are no stops made. I
say:
3. When I have my coworkers at my house, they always talk about work. I am
planning a party and prefer to avoid the normal topics. I say:
(Bourne)

Tools: Journal Writing:

Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective: Reframing is taking a bad
situation and making it good or finding a positive. By doing this you are
releasing some stress about the situation. Many people tend to ask what if
about situations only to make them worry because they are only thinking bad.
By doing this you are allowing them to calm down on thinking negatively.

Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective

Anger and fear that arise from encountering a stressful situation can narrow our
focus and distort our perspective on the bigger picture. Although the initial
aspects of dealing with these situations involve some degree of grieving, the
secret to coping with stress is to change the threatening perception to a
nonthreatening perception. This worksheet invites you to identify three stressors
and, if necessary, draft a new, reframed perspective (not a rationalization) that
allows you to get out of the rut of a myopic view and start moving on with your

24

life.
Example:
Situation: Can never find a parking space close to the dorm/classroom
Reframed Perspective: Although nearby parking certainly saves time, there
is no
denying that the walk provides much needed exercise/activity
1. Situation: I can never find time to get my schoolwork done
Reframed Perspective: Although Im having a hard time getting my homework
done I am learning how to better manage my time. Plus after I get my degree
Ill have plenty of time to go do something I find fun.
2. Situation: I can never find time to go workout
Reframed Perspective: Although I cant seem to find time to workout I am
spending time with my Daughter and making memories. Plus If I work it into
my schedule (time management again!) I can work out with my Daughter and
teach her that exercise is good for her.
3. Situation: I feel like Im not paying enough attention to my Daughter
Reframed Perspective: Although I feel like Im not paying attention to my
daughter Im actually showing her skills that she will learn by watching me to
use later in her life. Also the time I actually spend just on her will be that much
more special.

25

6
Unit

Unit 6: Ageless Wisdom of

Meditation Unit
Information to Remember:
Assess the importance of learning the art of breathing as part of physical
relaxation: The art of breathing is easy and can be done anywhere. You can
learn to relieve stress by breathing properly and relaxing muscles. This can be
done in a chair at work or lying down in your bed before the night is over.

Identify the ways in which physical exercise helps to reduce stress: Physical
exercise helps stress by getting blood flowing at taking your mind off the
problems in your day. It can help by releasing hormones to relieve your stress
and allowing the body to relieve itself from harmful chemicals that have been
taken in.

Examine the impact of meditation on stress reduction and benefits to overall

health: Meditation helps to relieve stress by getting your blood pressure down
allowing you to focus on something other than the problems of your day.

Resources: Exercises:
Three Short Guided Visualizations: imagination is a powerful tool. By using it
with one of these visualizations you may be able to calm yourself anywhere.
One of these should give you the sense of relaxation and while its hard to do
while reading if someone reads them to you or you memorize them a bit and
make up some you can have a 5 minute vacation.

Three Short Guided Visualizations

A Point of Light in Space
This guided imagery is called a point of light in space. As with all types of
guided imagery, please adapt and embellish all suggestions you hear to best

26

promote a sense of rest and relaxation. To begin . . . . Close your eyes and
begin to focus on your breathing. Feel the air come into your nose or mouth,
down into your lungs, and as you inhale, feel your stomach area extend out
comfortably. Then when you begin to exhale, feel a deep sense of relaxation,
for there is no work, no effort, as you release the air from your lungs. This is
the most relaxed part of breathing. The exhalation phase of the breath cycle
requires no work, no effortit happens all by itself. Please repeat this cycle of
comfortably deep breathing two more times. Inhale (pause five seconds).
Exhale. Inhale (pause five seconds).
Exhale.
Now, with your minds eye, imagine a vast area of dark empty space in front of
you. As you look at this dark empty space, off in the distance you see a small
point of light: a brilliant, golden-white light. Allow your thoughts to slowly
bring this point of light closer to you. Think to yourself of the stillness that
surrounds the light. The stillness represents the quiet solitude that the mind
craves after a busy day of sensory overload. The point of light represents only
that which is essential to focus on for your higher good. All other thoughts are
unimportant at this time. Once again, focus on the small point of light.
Although this point of light is small, its bright and vibrant. This light is a
symbolic representation of yourselfyourself at complete homeostasis. As you
focus on this point of light, take a slow, comfortable, deep breathas slow and
comfortably deep as you can. As you exhale, place all of your attention, all of
your concentration, on this point of light. If your mind should happen to
wander, and most likely it will, simply direct all thoughts back to this point of
light in a calm sea of still darkness. As you focus on this point of light, think to
yourself that in the course of a busy day you are constantly being bombarded
with sensory stimulation and an abundance of information. Although the mind
seeks stimulation, the mind also craves time to unwind and relax. Balance is
essential. While it may be impossible to have no thoughts in your mind, it is
possible to focus solely on just one thought. Right now, the only thought you
need to focus on is this beautiful point of light. As you focus on this single point
of brilliant light, take one more slow, deep breath. As you exhale, feel whatever
tensions or excess energy you carry in your mind dissipate, thus allowing for a
deeper sense of relaxation of mind, body, and spirit. Take one more slow, deep
breath, and this time as you exhale, slowly allow this image of the brilliant
point of light to fade from your minds eye, yet retain the deep sense of
relaxation and calm it has instilled. And as you do this, begin to place all of
your attention on your breathing. Inhale and as you do, feel your stomach
begin to extend, then slowly come back in as you exhale. In this exhalation
process, become aware of a deep sense of complete relaxation. Although you
feel relaxed, you dont feel sleepy or tired. You feel refreshed and renewed. As
you become aware of this energizing sensation, begin to open your eyes to a
soft gaze in front of you and slowly bring yourself back to the awareness of the

27

room
you
are
now
Gentle Falling Snow

in,

feeling

refreshed

and

renewed.

Picture this: You are sitting by a large picture window in a warm log cabin on a
brisk winters day. You have the entire place to yourself, and the solitude feels
invigorating. There is a log fire in the wood stove radiating abundant heat.
Both the sounds of crackling wood and the scent of pine arouse your senses
and for a moment, you close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath, a sigh
that refreshes. As you exhale, you feel a wonderful sense of relaxation
permeate your entire body from head to toe, and it feels great. Consciously,
you take another slow, deep breath in through your nose. As you exhale
through your mouth, you become aware of the glorious stillness that surrounds
you in this cabin. From where you are seated, look out the window, and as you
do, you see falling snow, snow that falls gently to the ground in large flakes.
Everything outside is covered in white fluffy snow: the ground, the pine trees,
the aspensin fact, all the trees for as far as you can see are covered in snow.
As you look closely at the snowflakes descending from on high toward the
ground, you sense a calmness both indoors and outdoors. Other than snow
falling, everything is still. Everything is quiet. This stillness you observe is a
reflection of the tranquility you feel within yourself. This stillness is so inviting
that you slowly move off the couch and stand up. As you walk toward the cabin
door, you put on your warm winter coat, hat, and gloves. Then, slowly you
open the door and simply stand in the doorframe to observe the endless dance
of millions of snowflakes floating gentlyalmost in slow motionfrom the sky
down to the snow-covered ground. Listen closely. What do you hear? The
sound of snowflakes is so soft, so gentle, that the sound is barely audible. Your
ability to focus on this sound to the exclusion of all other thoughts sets your
mind at ease, like a broom that gently sweeps the floor of any remnants
needing to be cleaned. The snow-covered ground is a symbol of your mind:
clean, clear, and still. Take a slow, deep breath of this clean, fresh air and feel a
deeper sense of calmness throughout your entire body. As you step back inside
and close the door, you kick off your shoes, take off this jacket, hat, and gloves,
and return to the couch by the picture window. As you close your eyes to focus
on the sounds of stillness, take one final slow, deep breath and bring that
stillness into the center of your heart space. Now, slowly allow this image to
fade from your minds eye, but retain the sense of tranquility it inspired. Make
yourself aware of your surroundings: the room, the building, the time of day,
and perhaps what you will do after this relaxation session. Although you feel
relaxed, you dont feel tired. You feel rested and rejuvenated. Begin to make
yourself aware of your body. Stretch your arms and shoulders. When you feel
ready, open your eyes to a soft gaze in front of you, and as you do, retain this
sense of calm comfort throughout your mind, body, and spirit all day long.
A Walk on a Secluded Beach

28

The beach, from the warm turquoise waters of the ocean to the cool, gentle
breezes and warm sand, has served humanity for thousands of years as a
metaphor for cleansing the mind and relaxing the body. Sitting or walking
along a deserted beach and focusing on the gentle rhythm of the ocean surf
serve a primal desire for relaxation. It is this image that we wish to re-create in
the minds eye for the same purpose right now. The time of day is moments
before sunrise, or if you wish, sunset. The temperature is comfortably warm,
yet there is a gentle breeze in the air. The sky contains a few clouds, but only
enough to enhance the spectacle of reflecting the suns rays in concert with
the rotation of the earth. While there may be birds off in the distance, you
notice that the only sounds you hear are those of the ocean waves in perfect
rhythm with your relaxed breathing: inhalation and exhalation. As you stop for
a moment and look out to the horizon, the vastness of all you see in front of
you shrinks any and all problems, concerns, and issues you may have at this
time to their proper proportion. The immensity, as well as the beauty, of the
view you hold in your eyes is exhilarating. Stop for a moment and take a
comfortably slow, deep breath. Just as the oceans waves clean the shoreline,
so too does each exhalation cleanse your mind and body of any thoughts,
attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and feelings that, at one time, may have served
you but now only hold you back. Using the ocean surf as a metaphor for peace
and relaxation, breathe several times for the next several minutes in rhythm
with the oceans tide to instill a deep sense of peace and relaxation in both
your mind and your body.
Inhale . . . (pause five to ten seconds) . . . Exhale
Inhale . . . (pause five to ten seconds) . . . Exhale
Inhale . . . (pause five to ten seconds) . . . Exhale
Inhale . . . (pause five to ten seconds) . . . Exhale
And one more time: Inhale . . . (pause five seconds) . . . Exhale.
As you exhale, take a moment to look down in the sand. As you do, you notice a
seashell that catches your attention. You bend down to pick it up and feel the
soft texture of the repeated eons of surf on each side of this shell. With a smile
of recognition that we too will become soft to the touch with the repeated surf
of time, you place this shell in your pocket as a reminder of your own journey
of personal growth. Now, slowly allow this image to fade from your mind, but
retain all sensations of relaxation. As you do this, return all thoughts to your
breathing each breath comfortably calm and relaxed. Make yourself aware of
your surroundings. Remember, although you feel relaxed, you dont feel tired
or sleepy. You feel rested and rejuvenated. Begin to make yourself aware of
your body. Stretch your arms and shoulders. When you feel ready, open your

29

eyes to a soft gaze in front of you and bring yourself back to awareness of your
current surroundings. Thoughts and Experiences

Tools: Journal Writing:

Too Much Information: A lot of us dont realize the stress that is bombarded at
us every day. We say we are going to sit down and relax by watching TV but
chances are it will just stress you more. This journal allows you to understand
how to keep yourself from being harassed by your electronics and how to
avoid taking on other peoples stress when listening to them.

Too Much Information

If no one has officially said this to you yet, then you are overdue to hear these
words: Welcome to the information age! Satellite television, cable television,
the Internet, cell phones, and embedded computer chips are just a few things
that inundate us with a tsunami of information. As if this werent enough,
there are more things looming on the horizon, all of which are begging for our
attention. If you are like most people today, most likely you are drowning in
information. There is even a new name for this: information stress. Although
we take in information through all of our five senses, over 80 percent of all the
information we take in is received through the senses of sight and sound. Well
before the term information age was coined, it was very easy to experience
sensory overload from too much information taken from the eyes and ears,
such as from watching too much television to pulling an all-nighter to cram for
an exam. The consequence of sensory overload is becoming numb to it all and
walking around like a zombie. Its no stretch to say there are people who fit
this description. Living in the information age, discernment is essential.
Discernment means being able to distinguish truth from non-truth. Perhaps
more accurately, it means discerning news from marketing, news from
entertainment, and truth from hype and spin. There is a solution to information
overload. It is a practice called meditation: cleaning the mind of all the clutter
and useless information that bombards your attention span.
1. List five ways to successfully decrease the quantity of information with which
you are barraged every day.
a. Leave your cell phone alone when you are at home. (Dont touch it unless
someone calls you)
b. Go on a website (www.CNN.com) instead of watching the news that way you
get only the news you want to know about.

30

c. Dont cram or try to do a paper all in one day. Do homework gradually so you
arent overwhelmed by the paperwork.
d. If you work on a computer for your job dont be on a instant messenger finding
out all the juicy details about your coworkers.
e. Take all the news you hear with a grain of salt. Most of the time people are
blowing things out of proportion and it might not always be the truth.
2. People tend to mirror behavior, often not even knowing that they do this. In
terms of too much information, or TMI, people who take in too much information
often talk to their friends and share too much information (e.g., how much they
make, how many times they have sex per week, or how often they clean their
bathroom). There is a real art to sharing information without revealing
everything. As a rule, people who share too much information about themselves
have acceptance problems. Are you the kind of person who volunteers too much
information? If so, what can you do to filter out the less important facts and
perceptions and still get your point across?
I am the type of person to share too much information. I got divorced and my
entire workplace knew every detail about the situation as it happened. I have
found a good filter for myself and it is usually that I tend to listen more than talk
and if I do talk I ask myself does this person care to hear this. If I dont think they
would benefit or care to hear it then I omit it.
3. See if you can come up with a handful of ways to bring balance back into your
life by taking time to quiet your mind and explain them here.
I think I can bring balance back by first off just listening to people and not making
judgments in my head. If someone believes something then I just need to let them
be and not try to correct it unless its harmful to them. The other way I can is by
running more. I use running as a type of meditation. I focus on my breathing
while running and working out all the negative thoughts and stressors I had from
the day.

31

Unit 7: Sight, Sound and Body Work

7
Unit

Information to Remember:
Evaluate the use of mental imagery and visualization to manage and prevent
stress: Sight can help with stress relief in the way that if you see a relaxing
sight your body relaxes. Also by using mental imagery you can relax your body
slowly and maintain that relaxation anywhere.

Examine how the use of music therapy can help manage and prevent stress:
Sound can also be soothing just like sight. Many people use music to unwind
on the way home from work and dont even realize it. You can use any music
not just the slow voiceless music.

Assess the role of massage therapy and bodywork in managing and preventing
stress: This is a big business in the US. Massaging the body into relaxation is
the way many prefer after being stressed out for a long period.

Resources: Exercises:
Dolphin Breath Meditation: This is another meditation but it is a perfect
example of using visualization. By visualizing the energys moving about your
body and the negative flowing out you are able to gain full relaxation.

DolphinBreathMeditation
Meditation Script
Introduction

32

Breathing is, perhaps, the most common way to promote relaxation. Taking a
few moments to focus on your breathing, to the exclusion of all other thoughts,
helps to calm mind, body, and spirit. By focusing solely on your breathing, you
allow distracting thoughts to leave the conscious mind. In essence, clearing
the mind of thoughts is very similar to deleting unwanted emails, thus allowing
more room to concentrate on what is really important in your life, that which
really
deserves
attention.
Script
In a normal resting state, the average person breathes about fourteen to
sixteen breath cycles per minute. Under stress, this can increase to nearly
thirty breath cycles per minute. Yet in a deep relaxed state, it is not uncommon
to have as few as four to six breath cycles in this same time period. The
breathing style that produces the greatest relaxation response is that which
allows the stomach to expand, rather than the upper chest (this is actually how
you breathe when you are comfortably asleep). Take a few moments to
breathe, specifically focusing your attention on your abdominal area. And, if
any distracting thoughts come to your attention, simply allow these to fade
away as you exhale. Sometimes, combining visualization with breathing can
augment the relaxation response. The dolphin breath meditation is one such
visualization. Imagine if you will that, like a dolphin, you have a hole in the
crown of your head with which to breathe. Although you will still breathe
through your nose or mouth, imagine that you are now taking in slow, deep
breaths through the opening at the top of your head. As you do this, feel the
air or energy come in through the top of your head, down past your neck and
shoulders, and reside momentarily at the base of your spine. Then, when you
feel ready, very slowly exhale, allowing the air to move back out through the
dolphin spout, the opening situated at the top of your head. As you slowly
exhale, feel a deep sense of inner peace reside throughout your body.
Once again, using all your concentration, focus your attention on the opening
at the top of your head. Now, slowly breathe air in through this opening
comfortably slow, comfortably deep. As you inhale, feel the air move down into
your lungs, yet allow it to continue further down, deep into your abdominal
region. When you feel ready, slowly exhale, allowing the air to move
comfortably from your abdominal region up through the top of your head.
Now, take three slow, deep dolphin breaths, and each time you exhale, feel a
deep sense of relaxation throughout your body.
1. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
2. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
3. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
Just as you imagined a hole in the top of your head, now imagine that in the

33

sole of each foot there is also a hole through which you can breathe. As you
create this image, take a slow, deep breath and through your minds eye
visualize air coming in through the soles of each foot. Visualize the air moving
in from your feet, up through your legs, past your knees and waist, to where it
resides in your abdominal region. When you feel ready, begin to exhale slowly
and allow the air to move back out the way it came, out through the soles of
your feet. Using all your concentration, again focus your attention on the
openings at the bottom of your feet and once again breathe in air through
these openings, comfortably slow, comfortably deep. As before, feel the air
move up your legs and into your abdominal region as your lungs fill with air.
Then, when you feel ready, exhale, allowing the air to move slowly from your
abdominal region, back through your legs and out the soles of your feet. Once
again, please take three slow, deep breaths, this time through the soles of your
feet; and each time you exhale, feel a deep sense of relaxation all throughout
your body.
1. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
2. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
3. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
Now, with your concentration skills fully attentive, with your mind focused on
the openings of both the top of your head and the soles of your feet, use your
imagination to inhale air through both head and feet. As you do this, slowly
allow the passage of air entering from both head and feet to move toward the
center of your body, where it resides in the abdominal region until you exhale.
Then, when you feel ready, slowly exhale and direct the air that came in
through the top of your head to exit through the dolphin hole, while at the
same time directing the air that entered through the soles of your feet to leave
from that point of entry. Once you have tried this, repeat this combined breath
three times, and with each exhalation, notice how relaxed your body feels.
1. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
2. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
3. (Pause) . . . Inhale . . . five to ten seconds . . . Exhale
When youre done, allow this image to fade from your mind, but retain the sense
of deep relaxation this experience has instilled throughout your mind, body, and
spirit. Then take one final slow, deep breath, feeling the air come into your nose
or mouth, down into your lungs, and allow your stomach to extend out and then
deflate as you begin to exhale. Again, feel a deep sense of calm as you exhale.
When you feel ready, allow your eyes to slowly open to a soft gaze in front of you,
and bring your awareness back to the room where you now find yourself. As you

34

bring yourself back to the awareness of the room you are now in, you feel fully
energized, recharged, revitalized, and ready to accomplish whatever tasks await
you ahead
Thoughts and Experiences
I think this is a really good relaxation technique. It not only gets you to not think
about everything else in your life but it really makes you focus on your body and
how its feeling. I find a lot of the time when I relax like this I start to turn the
breaths more into the bad feelings or bad energy that Ive collected through the
day. Once I collect it all and get it mentally out of my body I fully relax and can
then sleep a lot better.
Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Tools: Journal Writing:

The Rainbow Diet: While massage therapy is good for the body diet is very
important. If you dont eat right your body lacks the ability to properly handle
everyday stress. The rainbow diet is a good way to eat for some of the
problems you may be having due to poor diet.

The Rainbow Diet

Food color is more important than just having a nice presentation on your
dinner
plate. Each color holds a specific vibration in the spectrum of light. When this is
combined with the nutrient value of food, it can help to enhance the health of the
physical
body. In the science of subtle energies, each of the bodys primary chakras is
associated with a specific color (see accompanying chart). It is thought that
eating fruits and
vegetables associated with the color of various chakras provides healthy energy
to that specific region. For example, women with urinary tract infections (root
chakra) are
encouraged to drink cranberry juice (red). Diabetic people with macular problems
are encouraged to eat blueberries and take the herb bilberry (blue). Moreover,
recent research

35

suggests that the active ingredients in fruits and vegetables that give them their
color, called bioflavonoids, help prevent cancer. Regardless of Eastern
philosophies or
Western science, the bottom line is to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables.
The following table identifies the seven chakras, their respective body regions,
and the color associated with each chakra or region. List five fruits, veggies, or
herbs for each color.
Chakra
7: Crown
6: Brow
5: Throat
4: Heart
3: Solar plexus
2: Navel
1: Root

Body Region
Pineal
Pituitary
Thymus
Heart
Adrenals
Spleen
Gonads

Color
Purple
Indigo
Aqua blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red

Food Choices
Grapes, Eggplant
Blue cheese
Water
Green beans, Peas
Banana peppers
Oranges
Strawberries

Additional Thoughts:
I Love this Idea and I do believe that this idea has something to it. If an Idea
has been around for a long time more than likely there is some truth to it.
Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights
reserved.

36

Unit 8: The Wellness Mandala

8
Unit

Information to Remember:
Evaluate the use of self-hypnosis and Autogenic as techniques to manage and
prevent stress: This is a good way to think of talking yourself into relaxing or
making the whole body take a break. By reaffirming to yourself that you are
calm your body will eventually respond.

Assess the role of physical exercise in managing and preventing stress: This is
a concept that a lot of people use. Physical exercise allows for hormones and
endorphins to enter the body causing it to relax.

Open your mind to the power of self-suggestion. Johannes Schultz: I liked this
quote because many people think that self-suggestion is just a silly thing crazy
people do they dont realize that its more helpful then crazy.

Resources: Exercises:
Your Circadian Rhythms: This helps people find out how much of a schedule
their bodies are on. Our bodies sensitive to the rhythm we put it in. By making
ourselves go off track we cause stress on our bodies.

Your Circadian Rhythms

Your body runs on a twenty-four-hour-plus clock, based on the earth spinning
on its axis around the sun. Research shows that people who keep to a regular
schedule tend to be healthier (fewer colds, flus, etc.) than those whose lifestyle
behaviors tend to be more erratic, because these tend to stress the body. In

37

this exercise you are asked to monitor your lifestyle behaviors based on the
time of day that these occur for the period of a full week.
Week of __April 8-14_____

Circadian
Rhythms
1. Time
that you
awake each
morning
2. Time
that you go
to bed
3. Time
that you
fall asleep
4. Time
that you
eat
breakfast
5. Time
that you
eat lunch
6. Time
that you
eat dinner
7. Times
that you
snack
8. Times of
bowel
movements
9. Times
that you
exercise
10. Times
that you
have sex
11. Other
regular
activities

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs.

Fri.

Sat.

0500

0500

0500

0500

0500

0500

0500

2200

2200

2200

2200

2200

2200

2200

2215

2215

2215

2215

2215

2215

2215

0600

0600

0600

0600

0600

0600

0600

1100

1100

1100

1100

1100

1100

1100

1830

1830

1830

1830

1830

1830

1830

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

Whenever
I feel like

0700

0700

0700

0700

0700

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Tools: Journal Writing:

Physical Exercise: This is a good way to find out what someone likes to do for
exercise. All humans like to do something that involves movement. This is a

38

good way to tackle two things in one. By exercising you not only de-stress but
you improve your health.

Physical Exercise
In simplest terms, we are physical animals with a human spirit. As human
beings we were never meant to sit behind a desk for eight to ten hours a day.
Human anatomy and physiology were designed to find a balance between
motion and stillness, stress and homeostasis, exercise and relaxation. Some
would say that the mounting incidence of disease and illness is a result of
being out of physiological balance. In this day and age, in which stress is at an
all-time high, our bodies kick out several stress hormones, which, if not used
for their intended purpose (to mobilize the bodys systems for fight or flight),
circulate throughout the body and tend to wreak havoc on various organs and
constituents of the immune system. Physical exercise is considered the best
way to keep the physiological systems of the body in balance, from stress
hormones and adipose tissue to the integrity of bone cells and macrophages of
the
immune
system.
Exercise doesnt have to be all that hard or time consuming. Perhaps more
important than what you do is just making the time to do it. Mark Twain once
said, Oh, I get the urge to exercise every now and then, but I just lie down till
it goes away. This may be humorous, but the truth of the matter is that
physical exercise is what we need to promote the balance and integrity of our
physiological systems. Although there is no doubt we seem to have a certain
magnetic attraction to the couch and TV, this pattern of behavior has proved to
be
hazardous
to
our
health.
1. Describe your exercise habits, including the formula for success (intensity,
frequency, and duration of exercise).
2. What are your favorite activities? If for some reason you were injured and
couldnt do your favorite activity, what would be your second option for
exercise?
3. What do you do to motivate yourself when you are less than inspired to get
up and out the door? What are some additional incentives to maintain a
regular
exercise
regimen?
4. Most people say that they cannot find the time to exercise. Considering
classes, studying, work, social obligations, and the like, it is hard to fit in
everything. So the question of priorities comes to mind. What are your
priorities in terms of your health? Do you see your perspective changing in the
course of your life? do to find (make) the time to get physical exercise
everyday?
5. Sketch out a quick weekly program of exercise, including days to work out,
time of day, and activity.
1. My exercise habits are good I think. Because of the military I exercise 5
days a week. Every time it is about an hour unless I just cant seem to make it

39

that long then I at least do 30 minutes. The intensity level is 3 moderate days, 1
hard day, and 1 easy day.
2. Some of my favorite exercises are running and doing kettle bells. If for
some reason I was injured I would not be able to do my exercises but I would find
something else to love. If I hurt my legs I could work out my arms more and go
swimming. If I hurt my arms I could still go running but I would have to start
working out my core muscles instead of my arms.
3. To motivate myself I now have my daughter. I tell myself that I need to
show her how to take care of herself. My particular incentives to maintain a
regular exercise schedule is I get to keep my job and I can run and play with my
child.
4. My priorities in terms of my health are to above all exercising and then eat
healthy. I find it easier to slack on my eating every once and a while because it
tends to be easier to bounce back from. I dont see myself changing that thought
process. Right now I can keep doing what I have been to continue to exercise
which is keep thinking of my daughter and plan it into my day.
5. Monday - 0500 Run 2 miles. Push ups/ Sit ups
Tuesday - 0500 Run mile do Sit ups/flutterkicks, mile push ups/burpees,
mile
situps/push ups. Do this 3 times
Wensday - 0500 Run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes. Sit ups. Push ups
Thursday - 0500 Run 2 miles, Push ups. Sit ups
Saturday - 0500 run 3 miles easy run

40

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical

9
Unit

Management to your Professional

Life
Information to Remember:
Evaluate the use of additional relaxation techniques such as Tai Chi in
managing and preventing stress: Tai Chi is a good example of both socialsupport and a good hobby. Both of these are a good way to relax and adding
Tai Chi in as exercise is an added plus.

Examine the role of progressive muscular relaxation as a supplementary

relaxation technique in managing and preventing stress: Muscular tension is
the most common form that people recognize as stress. By using this
technique to relax you are taking away a big portion of your symptoms but not
necessarily the problem.

Design a Stress Management and Prevention Program resource guide for use
in your professional life to manage and prevent stress: This resource guide is a
good example for others to use to make their own. If they tend to have an
extra stressful life they can make a book thats all about ways they know to
help their stress.

Resources: Exercises:
Video Tai Chi Trial

41

Video Trial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4BWuX20_nY
So many people are interested in Tai Chi but dont want to try it in a group or
dont have a group near them. I linked a video that shows beginners Tai Chi.
Give this a try and see if you like it.
(Pei, 2011)

Tools: Journal Writing:

Meditation 101: This is a idea that I got from a website. It talks about
meditation but I left out the visualization. I just wanted people to feel to gain a
better understanding of their bodies.

Meditation 101
Just sit: Commit to doing nothing and see what happens. Dont disrupt your
meditation with anything just sit. Observe your thoughts that arise and pass
through your mind. Do this for 10 Minutes and see how difficult it is for you.
Hopefully by doing this you will learn how restless your mind is and how hectic
your life is.
If you want to try something harder or to focus more just feel all around you.
The sensations you are feeling at that very moment. How is your body moving?
What sounds are you hearing? Just clear your mind and think of nothing but
what you feel. After all of this sit backwas it hard or easy?
Try keeping a journal and try doing this for a while and see if it helps or your
focus improves.
(Cummins)

42

10
Unit

Unit 10: Applying Stress: Critical

Management to your Personal Life
Information to Remember:
Evaluate the benefit of designing your own personal relaxation program:
Everyone is different and different things work for different people. If you
know what works best for relaxing you need to be aware of that and use those
techniques more often.

Evaluate the benefits of journal writing as a method of self-reflection in

managing stress: By writing a journal you are allowed to let your feelings out
un-interrupted. There is no one other than yourself that is going to read it so
you are able to write down anything and not feel judged for it.

Evaluate the benefit of using a relaxation CD with music and exercises for
relaxation and meditation: The benefit is that you have something to semi
focus on. Everyone tends to drift in their thinking while meditating. A CD
might also help you move faster though your meditations and relax faster.

Resources: Exercises:

Progressive Muscular Relaxation: I understand that muscle tension can be a

huge stress in ones life. My mother has so much tension she practically lives
on pain medicine. If she would do PMR once a day I bet she could lessen the
amount of medicine she takes.

Progressive Muscular Relaxation

Muscle tension is the number one symptom of stress. One often doesnt notice
problems

43

with tense muscles right away, but gradually muscle tension begins to distort
the alignment
of ones neck, shoulders, and spine. Muscle tension can affect the muscles of
your
jaw (known as temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJD), the muscles of
your
shoulders, and perhaps most commonly the muscles of your lower back.
Typically, it is
the muscles on the back of the body that are most affected by neural tension
and stress.
Progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) is one of the few relaxation techniques
developed by a Western physician to respond to chronic stress associated with
chronic pain. If you have never had muscle tension, consider yourself lucky. If
you
have had muscle tension of any type, consider yourself in good company. Even if
you
are somewhat relaxed, you can always become more relaxed, which is one
benefit of
PMR. (Reminder: PMR is not suggested for people who have been diagnosed
with
high blood pressure or hypertension.)
Assignment
Listen to the PMR exercise on the CD that accompanies Managing Stress and
then answer
the following.
1. What were your first impressions after completing the audio session of PMR?
How did it make you feel? Did this exercise make you more aware of how slight
muscle tension can be and still affect you?
After listening to the PMR I felt wonderful. I felt like I could comfortably go to sleep
on the floor. I was aware of my muscle tension but I didnt realize how much I had
until doing this CD.

Tools: Journal Writing:

The Art of Calm: I felt this was a good journal because it allows people
to come up with new ideas for relaxation. It gives the ability to relax
through other ways. The sense of taste, and touch can be very relaxing for
some but it was not something covered in this yet.

The Art of Calm: Relaxation through the

Five Senses

Please list ten ideas for relaxation for each of the five senses. Note that a sixth category,
the divine sense, was added for any ideas that might be a combination of these or perhaps
something beyond the five senses (e.g., watching a child being born). Describe
each in a few words to a sentence. Be as specific as possible, and be creative!
The Sense of Sight
The Sense of Taste

44

1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
The Sense of Sound
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
The Sense of Smell
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
The Sense of Touch
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
The Divine Sense
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

Additional Information
Bibliography
Bourne, E. (n.d.). TEACH. Retrieved from The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook: http://t-e-a-ch.org/pdffiles/Assertiveness%20-%20On%20The%20Spot%20Assertiveness
%20Worksheet.pdf
Cummins, C. (n.d.). Meditation 101. Retrieved from Yogajournal:
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1307
Pei, C. (2011). Tai Chi For Beginners. Retrieved from You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=H4BWuX20_nY
Seaward, B. (2008). The Art of Peace and Relaxation Workbook. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones
and Bartlett Publishers.
Seaward, B. (2009). Managing Stress. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

45