STRESS MANAGEMENT

An Introductory Guide for Eckerd Students

Eckerd College Counseling Services
Table of Contents
Introduction....3
Stress Assessments...............................................4
Dee !reat"in#.$$
Meditation Mantras....$3
Mandala Colorin# $%
&ournalin#..$'
(ro#ressi)e Muscle Rela*ation..$+
Mental Ima#er,-$
T"ou#"t Stoin#...-%
References.-'
2
It s competey norma for coege students to
experence stress. Common coege stressors ncude ncreased
academc pressures, roommate concts, homesckness, ong
dstance reatonshps, and nanca constrants.
Whe not a stress s consdered bad, heath professonas
ncreasngy nk stress to dsease and poor heath. Stress s a
eadng rsk factor for the number one cause of death, heart
dsease and s assocated wth many other heath probems
ncudng menta ness, cancer, and even the common cod.
More mportanty, stress s drecty assocated wth quaty of fe.
Therefore, everyone shoud earn to recognze the stressors n
ther fe and practce stress management technques.
Ths gude provdes basc nstructon for a varety of dherent
stress management technques. If you nd one actvty
partcuary hepfu, et a counseor know and he/she w provde
you wth more compete nstructon.
Take tme for yoursef, read through ths manua, and have an
open mnd! You mght |ust dscover reaxaton and a heather
happer YOU!
Eckerd Coege Counseng Servces
3
STRESS SELF ASSESSMENTS
Weber Unversty
One of the rst steps n stress management s understandng the current eve of stress
you are experencng and what parts of your fe are contrbutng to your stress. In ths
secton you w nd many dherent stress assessment nstruments to assst you.
(ercei)ed Stress Scale
For each queston choose from the foowng aternatves:
0 - never
1 - amost never
2 - sometmes
3 - fary often
4 - very often
____ 1. In the ast month, how often have you been upset because of somethng that
happened unexpectedy?
_____ 2. In the ast month, how often have you fet that you were unabe to contro the
mportant thngs n your fe?
_____ 3. In the ast month, how often have you fet nervous and stressed?
_____ 4. In the ast month, how often have you fet condent about your abty to hande
your persona probems?
_____ 5. In the ast month, how often have you fet that thngs were gong your way?
_____ 6. In the ast month, how often have you found that you coud not cope wth a the
thngs that you had to do?
_____ 7. In the ast month, how often have you been abe to contro rrtatons n your
fe?
_____ 8. In the ast month, how often have you fet that you were on top of thngs?
_____ 9. In the ast month, how often have you been angered because of thngs that
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happened that were outsde of your contro?
_____ 10. In the ast month, how often have you fet dmcutes were png up so hgh
that you coud not overcome them?
Fgurng your PSS (perceved stress scae) score:
You can determne your PSS score by foowng these drectons:
Frst, reverse your scores for questons 4, 5, 7, & 8. On these 4 questons, change the
scores ke ths: 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1, 4 = 0.
Now add up your scores for each tem to get a tota. M, total score is .......
Indvdua scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 wth hgher scores ndcatng hgher
perceved stress.
Scores rangng from 0-13 woud be consdered ow stress.
Scores rangng from 14-26 woud be consdered moderate stress.
Scores rangng from 27-40 woud be consdered hgh perceved stress.
The Perceved Stress Scae s nterestng and mportant because your percepton of what
s happenng n your fe s most mportant. Consder the dea that two students, |ohn
and Dan, coud have the exact same events and experences n ther ves for the past
month. Dependng on ther percepton, |ohn's tota score coud put hm n the ow stress
category and Dan's tota score coud put hm n the hgh stress category. Consder the
words of Raph Wado Emerson, Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
5
T"e In)entor, of Colle#e Students/ Recent 0ife E*eriences
The ICSRLE was desgned to dentfy ndvdua exposure to sources of stress or hasses
and aow for an dentcaton of the extent to whch those stressors are experenced
over the past month. The ICSRLE was deveoped unquey for coege students. As you
know, the sources of stress n a unversty envronment can be unque and dherent from
other settngs.
Pease ndcate for each experence how much t has been a part of your fe over the
past month. Mark your answers accordng to the foowng gude:
Intensity of Experience over the Past Month
0 = not at a part of my fe
1 = ony sghty part of my fe
2 = dstncty part of my fe
3 = very much part of my fe
____1. Concts wth boyfrend's/grfrend's/spouse's famy
____2. Beng et down or dsapponted by frends
____3. Conct wth professor(s)
____4. Soca re|ecton
____5. Too many thngs to do at once
____6. Beng taken for granted
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____7. Fnanca concts wth famy members
____8. Havng your trust betrayed by a frend
____9. Separaton from peope you care about
____10. Havng your contrbutons overooked
____11. Struggng to meet your own academc standards
____12. Beng taken advantage of
____13. Not enough esure tme
____14. Struggng to meet the academc standards of others
____15. A ot of responsbtes
____16. Dssatsfacton wth schoo
____17. Decsons about ntmate reatonshp(s)
____18. Not enough tme to meet your obgatons
____19. Dssatsfacton wth your mathematca abty
____20. Important decsons about your future career
____21. Fnanca burdens
____22. Dssatsfacton wth your readng abty
____23. Important decsons about your educaton
____24. Loneness
____25. Lower grades than you hoped for
____26. Conct wth teachng assstant(s)
____27. Not enough tme for seep
____28. Concts wth your famy
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____29. Heavy demands from extracurrcuar actvtes
____30. Fndng courses too demandng
____31. Concts wth frends
____32. Hard ehort to get ahead
____33. Poor heath of a frend
____34. Dskng your studes
____35. Gettng rpped oh or cheated n the purchase of servces
____36. Soca concts over smokng
____37. Dmcutes wth transportaton
____38. Dskng feow student(s)
____39. Concts wth boyfrend/grfrend/spouse
____40. Dssatsfacton wth your abty at wrtten expresson
____41. Interruptons of your schoo work
____42. Soca soaton
____43. Long wats to get servce (e.g., at banks, stores, etc.)
____44. Beng gnored
____45. Dssatsfacton wth your physca appearance
____46. Fndng course(s) unnterestng
____47. Gossp concernng someone you care about
____48. Fang to get expected |ob
____49. Dssatsfacton wth your athetc sks
Scoring the ICSRLE Add your tota ponts: ________
8
Your score on the ICSRLE can range from 0 to 147. Hgher scores ndcate hgher eves
of exposure to hasses. Focus on two key outcomes from your resuts. Frst, you can
determne your current eve of stress by addng your score for each hasse and gettng a
tota. Second, you can dscover whch of the hasses pay a greater part n your fe.
Hgher scored tems that you rated wth a 3 ndcate those stressors are more of an ssue
for you.
Tombstone Test
How do you want to be remembered? Do you want to be remembered for beng a
workahoc? Do you want to be remembered as the one who aways won the argument?
Do you want to be remembered for makng more money than your neghbor? Do you
want to be the one who never forgave someone who wronged you? Or, do you want to
be remembered as a good parent, spouse, and frend? Do you want to be remembered
as someone who was whoe and baanced n body, mnd, and sprt? Do you want to be
remembered for the servce you provded to those who needed hep?
Take a few mnutes rght now to wrte down how you want to be remembered. What do
want others to say and thnk about you when your fe s over? Make a st of the
quates and characterstcs you want to be remembered for. Are you vng your fe n a
way that demonstrates the quates and characterstcs you vaue?
The choces you make every snge day determne to a arge extent the stress you
experence. Your day work, whch at tmes can fee ke drudgery, can actuay become
a sgncant stress managng mechansm when you vew your work as part of your
contrbuton to bgger prortes. Thnkng about today, ths mnute, the task at hand n a
postve manner can brng peace and contentment. There s a story about two peope
ayng brcks. A man passng by asks, What are you dong? The rst worker answers,
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Layng brcks. The other worker answers, Budng a cathedra.
Assess what s most mportant n your fe. When your choces are guded by the vaues
and goas that are most mportant to you, your fe can be fu and actve, yet not
stressfu. Decde how you want to be remembered - and then ve your fe so that
happens.
S,mtoms of Stress In)entor,
Usng the tabe beow, assess the frequency that you experence these common
symptoms of stress.
1re2uenc, of s,mtoms
S,mtoms
Amost
a day,
every
day
Once
or
twce
day
Every
nght
or day
2-3
tmes
per
week
Once a
week
Once a
month
Neve
r
Headaches
Tense
musces,
sore neck
and back
Fatgue
Anxety,
worry,
phobas
Dmcuty
fang
aseep
10
Irrtabty
Insomna
Bouts of
anger/host
ty
Boredom,
depresson
Eatng too
much or too
tte
Darrhea,
cramps,
gas,
constpaton
Restessnes
s, tchng,
tcs
Dee !reat"in# E*ercises
*Excerpt from !he "elaxation # Stress "eduction $orkbook%
!reat" Countin#
1. St or e n a comfortabe poston wth your arms and egs
uncrossed and your spne strat.
2. Breathe n deepy nto your abdomen. Let yoursef pause before
you exhae.
3. As you exhae, count one to yoursef. As you contnue to nhae
and exhae, count each exhaaton: Two. . . Three. . . Four.
4. Contnue countng your exhaatons n sets of four for ve to ten
mnutes.
5. Notce your breathng graduay sowng, your body reaxng, and
your mnd camng as you practce ths breathng medtaton.
11
T"e Rela*in# Si#"
&uring the day you probably catch yourself signing or ya'ning( !his is
generally a sign that you are not getting enough oxygen( Sighing and
ya'ning are your body)s 'ay of remedying the situation( A sigh is
often accompanied by a sense that things are not *uite as they should
be+ and a feeling of tension( Since a sigh actually does release a bit of
this tension+ you can practice sighing at 'ill as a means of relaxing(
1. St or stand up strat
2. Sgh deepy, ettng out a sound of deep reease as the ar rushes
out of your ungs.
3. Dont thnk about nhang-|ust et the ar come n naturay.
4. Take eght to tweve of these reaxng sghs and et yoursef
experence the feeng of reaxaton. Repeat whenever you fee
the need for t.
0ettin# Go of Tension
1. St comfortaby n a char wth your feet on the oor.
2. Breath n deepy nto your abdomen and say to yoursef, Breath
n Reaxaton. Let yoursef pause before you exhae.
3. Breath out from your abdomen and say to yoursef, Breath out
tenson. Pause before you nhae.
4. Use each nhaaton as a moment to become aware of any
tenson n your body.
5. Use each exhaaton as an opportunty to et go of tenson.
6. You may nd t hepfu to use your magnaton to pcture of fee
the reaxaton enterng and the tenson eavng your body.
12
MEDITATI3N MANTRAS
*Excerpt from ,ocalpointyoga(com
Mantra Medtaton s the technque of usng SOUND to open the heart
and mnd. Ths s the Medtaton Technque of Devoton, a deepy
sprtua and sacred practce for many medtators, but you do not need
to be "a regous" person to experence the gfts Mantra Medtaton has
to oher. Mantras (sounds) can be whatever you choose - they do not
need to be Sanskrt Mantras (Sanskrt s an Ancent Language of Inda,
used frequenty n Yoga). A Mantra s a sound repeated over and over
unt t ntegrates nto your conscousness - frees the mnd from ts
constant DOING, and eevates you to an atered state of awareness. In
ths state, you can connect wth your sou at ts most profound eve,
achevng a state of unversa conscousness.
You can use whatever sounds you ke. Durng an nhaaton you may
say "I am" and durng your exhaaton "at peace." You may say smpy
"I am". Mantra s often taught usng Sanskrt phrases.
Commonl, used Mantras in Sans4rit
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3M - the sound of the Unverse (vbraton of a vng thngs)
Sat Nam - Truth
So 5am - Lfe/Death, ght/shadow, nhaaton/exhaaton - the yn and
yang - the ntegraton of oppostes (ths s a beautfu and powerfu
mantra, honorng both the ght and the shadow)
3m Nama" S"i)a,a - the phoenx rsng, creaton born of change,
TRANSFORMATION
3m Namo !"a#a)ate 6asude)a,a - I surrender to/|on wth the
dvne w
A"am !ra"masmi - I am the creatve force
Tat Tuan Asmi - I am that I am
S"anti7 S"anti7 S"anti - Peace, peace, peace

Some common Mantras in En#lis"
I am
I surrender to 8our 9ill :God7 Goddess7 ;ni)erse7 <"at IS=
0o)e
(eace to all
I am oen to <"at IS
A00 IS <E00


53<>T3
Mantras ma, be said silentl, to ,ourself7 9it" ,our o9n inner
)oice7 9"isered7 or out loud. ?Sa,in# Mantras out loud is a4in
to t"e tec"ni2ue of C5ANTING.@ 1ind t"e met"od t"at
resonates 9it" ,ou.

1. If you are usng a 1-syabe Mantra (such as OM), begn by
concentratng on the rhythm of your breath. As you nhae, say
to yoursef 3M. As you exhae, count. Inhae 3M, Exhae 1
(one), Inhae 3M, Exhae 2, and so forth unt you count up to the
number 10 and then start over agan. Sometmes, you w go up
to the number 12, or 13 or hgher. If you notce ths, |ust go back
to the number one on the next exhaaton. The dea s that the
mnd shoud go to the number 10 and be wng to start over
agan. There s no destnaton here - ths Medtaton technque s
about THE PROCESS - cearng the mnd of a thought but the
Mantra.
2. For onger Mantras such as the Mantra So Hum use the foowng
technque:
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a. Begn wth deep, reaxed breathng - camng the mnd and
body. Begn to be absorbed wth the rhythm of the breath -
deepy connected to the rhythm.
b. On the Inhaaton, mentay repeat So
c. On the Exhaaton, mentay repeat HUM
d. Begn to ow wth the rhythm of sent sound and breath.
Observe the sound ntegratng nto your conscousness.
Vsuaze the nhaaton as fe force energy movng nto
your body and down your spne, and the exhaaton as
energy owng up the spne.
e. En|oy the practce of ths mantra technque, wthout the
need to acheve anythng. En|oy the process. In tme, your
breath and Mantra w become ONE. Soon, you w notce
your whoe beng begnnng to respond to the vbratons of
the sound of the mantra. Ths s caed Japa
Mandala Colorin#
*!aken from '''(mandalapro-ect(org
The word "mandaa" s from the cassca Indan anguage of Sanskrt.
Loosey transated to mean "crce, a mandaa s far more than a
smpe shape. It represents whoeness, and can be seen as a mode for
the organzatona structure of fe tsef--a cosmc dagram that
remnds us of our reaton to the nnte, the word that extends both
beyond and wthn our bodes and mnds.
Descrbng both matera and non-matera reates, the mandaa
appears n a aspects of fe: the ceesta crces we ca earth, sun,
and moon, as we as conceptua crces of frends, famy, and
communty.
STAGES 31 MANDA0A DRA<ING 13R STRESS RE0IE1
By Brent Bechamber (www.coortherapy.com)
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Sta#e $ A Discern t"e Inner Dialo#ue
Begn Mandaa coorng. Notce that, whe coorng, your nner daogue
may try to sneak or stea some of your attenton from tme-to-tme.
Recognze that coorng doesnt need nner daogue and that you can
coor wthout t. Return to Mandaa coorng. Your Inner daogue may
forcefuy try to manpuate you nto payng attenton to t and you may
succumb, but return to your Mandaa coorng.
Sta#e - A Susend t"e Inner Dialo#ue
After one or severa Mandaa coorng sessons, you w have notced
sma perods of suspended nner daogue growng. Contnue to
practce stage 1 and watch your moments of suspended nner daogue
become onger and more frequent throughout your coorng sessons.
Sta#e 3 A Mana#e t"e Inner Dialo#ue
As you coor and progress through the stages of attanng onger
duratons of suspended nner daogue, you w key access feengs of
greater awareness and nd an attendant phenomena ke
synchroncty, grace, psychc and/or teepathc senstvty n your fe
and on the rse. So now that you know a tte more, begn to manage
the nner daogue to be better suted to your highest needs and
nterests! Contnue to graduay suspend the nner daogue more and
more often throughout your day and nght.
&ournalin#
Eli.abeth Scott+ '''(about(com
Sometmes the best way to reax s to get the thoughts, questons, and
nner daogue that may be causng stress onto paper.
53< T3 &3;RNA0
1. Set Aside Time One of the most dmcut aspects of |ournang s
not the |ournang tsef, but ndng time to wrte. Its mportant
to bock oh about twenty mnutes each day to wrte. Many
peope prefer to wrte n the mornng as a way to start ther day,
or before bed, as a way to reect upon and process the days
events. However, f your unch break or some other tme s the
ony wndow you have, take the tme whenever you can get t!
16
2. !e#in <ritin# Dont thnk about what to say; |ust begn wrtng,
and the words shoud come. If you reay need some hep gettng
started, here are some topcs to begn the process:
o Your dreams
o Your possbe purpose n fe
o Your chdhood memores and surroundng feengs
o Where youd ke to be n two years
o The best and worst days of your fe
o If you coud have three wshes.
o What was mportant to you ve years ago, and whats
mportant to you now
o What are you gratefu for?
3. <rite About T"ou#"ts and 1eelin#s As you wrte, dont |ust
vent negatve emotons or cataog events; wrte about your
feengs, but aso your thoughts surroundng emotona events.
(Research shows much greater benets from |ournang when
partcpants wrte about emotona ssues from a menta and
emotona framework.) Reve events emotonay, and try to
construct soutons and nd the esson. Usng both aspects of
yoursef heps you process the event and nd soutons to
probems.
4. Bee 8our &ournal (ri)ate If youre worred that someone ese
may read your |ourna, youre much more key to sef-censor,
and you wont acheve the same benets from wrtng. To prevent
the worry and maxmze |ournang ehectveness, you can ether
get a book that ocks or keep your book n a ocked or very
hdden pace. If usng a computer, you can password-protect your
|ourna so you fee safe when you wrte.
TisC
1. Try to wrte each day.
2. Wrtng for at east 20 mnutes s dea, but f you ony have 5
mnutes, wrte for 5.
3. If you skp a day or 3, |ust keep wrtng when you can.
4. Dont worry about neatness or even grammar. |ust gettng your
thoughts and feengs on paper s more mportant than
perfecton.
17
5. Try not to sef-censor; et go of shouds, and |ust wrte what
comes.
&ournalin# E*erciseC Gratitude &ournal
What are you thankfu for? Include simple moments that you may
have experienced today /hearing the laughter of children+ seeing a
pretty 0o'er+ tasting a delicious cookie etc(1
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Dd someone or somethng make you augh today?
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________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Is there someone speca n your fe who has made you a better
person? How?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
What opportuntes do fee you ucky you have had?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Progressive Muscle Relaxation
George 2oeree
St n a comfortabe char--recnng arm chars are dea. Bed s okay
too. Get as comfortabe as possbe--no tght cothes, no shoes, don't
cross your egs. Take a deep breath; et t out sowy. Agan. What you'
be dong s aternatey tensng and reaxng specc groups of musces.
After tenson, a musce w be more reaxed than pror to the tensng.
Concentrate on the fee of the musces, speccay the contrast
between tenson and reaxaton. In tme, you w recognze tenson n
any specc musce and be abe to reduce that tenson.
Don't tense musces other than the specc group at each step. Don't
hod your breath, grt your teeth, or squnt! Breathe sowy and eveny
and thnk ony about the tenson-reaxaton contrast. Each tensng s
for 10 seconds; each reaxng s for 10 or 15 seconds. Count "1,000
2,000..." unt you have a fee for the tme span. Note that each step s
19
reay two steps--one cyce of tenson-reaxaton for each set of
opposng musces.
Do the entre sequence once a day f you can, unt you fee you are
abe to contro your musce tensons. Be carefu: If you have probems
wth pued musces, broken bones, or any medca contrandcaton for
physca actvtes, consut your doctor rst.
1. 5ands. The sts are tensed; reaxed. The ngers are extended;
reaxed.
2. !ices and trices. The bceps are tensed (make a musce--but
shake your hands to make sure not tensng them nto a st); reaxed
(drop your arm to the char--reay drop them). The trceps are tensed
(try to bend your arms the wrong way); reaxed (drop them).
3. S"oulders. Pu them back (carefu wth ths one); reax them. Push
the shouders forward (hunch); reax.
4. Nec4 (atera). Wth the shouders straght and reaxed, the head s
turned sowy to the rght, as far as you can; reax. Turn to the eft;
reax.
5. Nec4 (forward). Dg your chn nto your chest; reax. (brngng the
head back s not recommended--you coud break your neck).
6. Mout". The mouth s opened as far as possbe; reaxed. The ps are
brought together or pursed as tghty as possbe; reaxed.
7. Ton#ue (extended and retracted). Wth mouth open, extend the
tongue as far as possbe; reax (et t st n the bottom of your mouth).
Brng t back n your throat as far as possbe; reax.
8. Ton#ue (roof and oor). Dg your tongue nto the roof of your
mouth; reax. Dg t nto the bottom of your mouth; reax.
9. E,es. Open them as wde as possbe (furrow your brow); reax.
Cose your eyes tghty (squnt); reax. Make sure you competey reax
the eyes, forehead, and nose after each of the tensng--ths s actuay
tough.
10. !reat"in#. Take as deep a breath as possbe--and then take a
tte more; et t out and breathe normay for 15 seconds. Let a the
breath n your ungs out--and then a tte more; nhae and breathe
normay for 15 seconds.
20
11. !ac4. Wth shouders restng on the back of the char, push your
body forward so that your back s arched; reax. Be very carefu wth
ths one, or don't do t at a.
12. !utt. Tense the butt tghty and rase pevs sghty oh char; reax.
Dg buttocks nto char; reax.
13. T"i#"s. Extend egs and rase them about 6" oh the oor or the
foot rest--but don't tense the stomach' reax. Dg your feet (hees) nto
the oor or foot rest; reax.
14. Stomac". Pu n the stomach as far as possbe; reax competey.
Push out the stomach or tense t as f you were preparng for a punch
n the gut; reax.
15. Cal)es and feet. Pont the toes (wthout rasng the egs); reax.
Pont the feet up as far as possbe (beware of cramps-f you get them
or fee them comng on, shake them oose); reax.
16. Toes. Wth egs reaxed, dg your toes nto the oor; reax. Bend
the toes up as far as possbe; reax.
Now |ust reax for a whe. As your days of practce progress, you may
wsh to skp the steps that do not appear to be a probem for you. After
you've become an expert on your tenson areas (after a few weeks),
you can concern yoursef ony wth those. These exercses w not
emnate tenson, but when t arses, you w know t mmedatey, and
you w be abe to "tense-reax" t away or even smpy wsh t away.
Mental Ima#er,
American Institute of 3reventive 4edicine
'''('ellnesscheckpoint(com
Experience not only the sights !ut the
soun"s the smells the tastes an" the
touches#
21
T"e Sea By deveopng soothng pctures n the mnd, the
body can experence physca reaxaton. Reaxaton
s more compete when a ve senses are nvoved n
pcturng the scene. To practce ths exercse, aow
for 10 mnutes of unnterrupted tme n a quet pace.
Begn by becomng very famar wth ths scrpt unt
menta pctures are formed.
Introduction Sit !ac$ into the chair ma$ing yourself
as comforta!le as possi!le#
Close your eyes an" !ecome very much
a%are of ho% your !o"y presently feels
noting %hich parts of your !o"y are
feeling tense an" those that are more
relaxe"#
&o% ta$e a fe% "eep !reaths ta$ing the
air in through your nose hol"ing it
momentarily an" then slo%ly letting the
air out your mouth# 'ith each exhale
(n"ing yourself relaxing more an" more
"eeply more an" more completely#
)a$ing the air in an" letting the air out#
*llo%ing yourself to relax+relax+relax+#
You are experencng not ony the sghts, but the
sounds, the smes, the tastes, and the touches.
!e#in ,ou are %al$ing along the ocean !each+ it is
mi"-July+it is very very %arm outsi"e+it.s
late in the "ay#
)he sun has not yet !egun to set !ut it is
getting lo% on the hori/on# )he sun is a
gol"en !la/ing yello%#
)he s$y a !rilliant !lue#
)he san" a "a//ling glistening %hite in
the sunlight#
22
0eel the cool %et (rm har"-pac$e"
san" !eneath your feet#
Smell the salt in the air#
,ou can taste the salt as you lic$ your
lips#
Hear the !eating of the %aves+#the
rhythmic lapping to an" fro# !ac$ an"
forth of the %ater against the shore# 0ar
o1 in the "istance you can hear the cries
of sea gulls# 'atching as they gli"e
through the s$y+#s%ooping "o%n into
the sea an" then 2ying o1 once again#
*s you %al$ further along the shore you
su""enly come to a san" "une 3 a moun" of
pure %hite san"# Sitting "o%n you ga/e out at
the sea staring very intently at the rhythmic
metho"ical motion of the %aves as they roll
into shore 3 !rea$ing against the coast 3rising
slo%ly up%ar" along the !each leaving an aura
of %hite foam an" then slo%ly retreating !ac$
out to the sea# 4nly to !e replace" !y another
%ave that crashes against the shore 3 %or$s
its %ay up the !each+an" slo%ly retreats !ac$
out to the sea#
'ith each motion of the %ave as it gli"es in
an" as it gli"es out (n"ing yourself feeling
more an" more relaxe" more an" more calm+
more an" more serene+*n" the %aves are
gli"ing in+the %aves are gli"ing out+)he
%aves are gli"ing in+an" the %aves are
gli"ing out+)he %aves are gli"ing in+an" the
saves are gli"ing out 3 feeling more an" more
relaxe"+more an" more calm+%ith each
rhythmic metho"ical motion of the %aves#
0eeling very soothe" !y their rhythmic lapping
to an" fro# )he %aves are gli"ing in+the
%aves are gli"ing out+
&o% staring o1 into the "istance the sun is
!eginning to ma$e its %ay "o%n into the
hori/on# )he sun is starting to sin$ into the sea
an" you feel more an" more relaxe" as you
see its movement going "o%n+"o%n+"o%n+
)he s$y is turning !rilliant colors of re"+
23
orange+yello%+green+!lue+an" purple+as
the sun sets sin$ing "o%n+"o%n+"o%n+into
the sea# 0eeling very relaxe" an" soothe"#
'atching the sun as it sin$s "o%n+"o%n+
"o%n+"o%n+"o%n###)he !eating of the
%aves the smell an" taste of the sea the salt
the cries of "istant gulls the %armth against
your !o"y all leaves you feeling very soothe"
very calm very serene#
Relax+Relax+Relax+#
*t conclusion
Slo%ly open your eyes an" ease !ac$ into
your activities#
If the !each scene "oes not seem relaxing
choose another scene li$e a forest or a
peaceful sunrise# * Personal Mental Imagery
can even !e a place of fantasy# )hen ta$e an
imaginary visit there an" relax in the process#
Imagine this peaceful situation using the
follo%ing 5 steps6
+ Stes 7# 0in" yourself a comforta!le sitting or
reclining position#
8# 9ently close your eyes#
:# &otice nothing !ut your o%n gentle
!reathing pattern#
;# <egin to thin$ a!out your favorite
relaxation# Picture %here you are an"
%hat you "o %hen your min" an" !o"y
are so very very relaxe"# Pause to create
an" capture the image of your =uiet
place#
># Preten" that you are really there in your
special relaxing environment# Picture all
the colors+Hear the soun"s+Smell the
aromas+)aste+)ouch your surroun"ings
24
as if you are really there+En?oy+Relax+
@# 0eel the calm an" peace+*llo% yourself
to feel goo"+Let your %hole !o"y relax
an" en?oy the moment#
A# Pause for > to 7B minutes an" !ecome
(lle" %ith relaxation#
C# *llo% the relaxation to re-energi/e your
!o"y an" min"#
5# *s you feel comforta!le slo%ly open your
eyes feeling totally refreshe"#
Escape to your special place anytime you
%ish to relax if even for a moment#
T53;G5T ST3((ING
$eb4& '''('ebmd(com
25
Thought-stopping to relieve stress
Thought-stoppng s a process of concentratng on an unwanted
thought and then suddeny stoppng and cearng your mnd. When you
practce ths process repeatedy on an unwanted thought, over tme
the unwanted thought occurs ess often. Eventuay the thought may
not occur at a or w be easy to dsmss mmedatey.
1. Identif, ,our most stressful t"ou#"ts, those that
nterfere wth other actvtes. You wsh you coud stop havng
these thoughts, but they keep occurrng.
2. Ima#ine t"e t"ou#"t. Cose your eyes. Imagne a stuaton
n whch you mght have ths stressfu thought. Then aow
yoursef to thnk and even concentrate on the thought.
3. Interrut t"e t"ou#"t. Startng yoursef s a good way to
nterrupt the thought. Try one of these two technques.
o Set a tmer or aarm cock for 3 mnutes. Then start
thnkng as expaned n step 2. When the tmer or
aarm goes oh, shout "Stop!" You may accompany the
shout wth an acton, such as rasng your hand or
standng up. Ths s your cue to stop thnkng about
anythng, empty your mnd, and try to keep t empty
for about 30 seconds. If the upsettng thought comes
back durng that tme, shout "Stop!" agan.
o Instead of usng a tmer, you may tape-record yoursef
oudy shoutng "Stop!" at ntervas of 3 mnutes, 2
mnutes, and 1 mnute. Proceed n the same way as
wth the tmer. Hearng your own voce commandng
you to stop heps strengthen your commtment to
gettng rd of the unwanted thought.
4. After practcng steps 1 through 3 on a thought unt the
thought goes away on command, try the process agan. Ths
tme nterrupt the thought wth the word "Stop!" n a norma
voce.
5. Fnay, after your norma voce nterrupts the thought
ehectvey, try whsperng the word "Stop." Eventuay you
can |ust magne hearng "Stop" nsde your mnd. At ths
pont, you can nterrupt the thought whenever and wherever
t occurs.
Whenever the unwanted thought occurs, nterrupt t as soon as you
recognze t.
References
26
Stress Assessment
Opn, Mchae. (2006). Stress assessment. Retreved September 20,
2006, from Weber Unversty: Heath 1110 Stress Management
http://facuty.weber.edu/mopn/heathcasses/1110/1110syabus.htm
Dee !reat"in# E*ercise
Davs, Martha et a. The Reaxaton & Stress Reducton Workbook.
Oakand, CA: New Harbnger Pubcaton, Inc., 2000.
Meditation Mantras
Anonymous. (2006). Mantra medtaton. Retreved September 20,
2006, from Foca Pont Yoga
http://www.focapontyoga.com/mantra_medtaton.htm
Mandala Colorin#
The Mandaa Pro|ect, Author Frst Name. (2006). The mandaa
pro|ect . Retreved Septmeber 20, 2006, from The Mandaa Pro|ect
http://www.mandaapro|ect.org/
Bechamber, Brent. (2006). Why coorng and what's the therapy?.
Retreved September 20, 2006, from Coorng Therapy
http://www.coorngtherapy.com/t_on_coorng_therapy.htm
(ro#ressi)e Muscle Rela*ation
Boree, George. (2006). Progressve musce reaxaton. Retreved
September 20, 2006, from Progressve Musce Reaxaton
http://www.shp.edu/%7Ecgboeree/muscereaxaton.htm
Mental Ima#er,
Anonymous. (2006). Menta magery. Retreved September 26, 2006,
from Systematc Stress Management
http://apm.wenesscheckpont.com/brary/banner_man.asp?
P=14885AASMAD
&ournalin#
Scott, Ezabeth. (2006). How to: the benets of |ournang, how to get
started. Retreved September 20, 2006, from About.com
http://stress.about.com/od/generatechnques/ht/howto|ourna.htm
T"ou#"t Stoin#
Anonymous. (2005). Thought stoppng to reve stress. Retreved
September 20, 2006, from WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/hw/heath_gude_atoz/ta4818.asp
27