Leticiajensen-Hw410-01 Unit 9 Stress Management Guide

KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention
Stress
Management and
Prevention
1
Program Resource
Guide
2
KA P L A N U N I V E R S I T Y
Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide
By
Leticia Jensen
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
April 04, 2018

Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS
Information to Remember........................................................................3
Self-Assessment Exercises.......................................................................3
Journal Writing.........................................................................................4
UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS
Information to Remember........................................................................6
Self-Assessment Exercises.......................................................................6
Journal Writing.........................................................................................8
UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS
Information to Remember......................................................................10
Self-Assessment Exercises.....................................................................10
Journal Writing.......................................................................................12
UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY
Journal Writing.......................................................................................15
UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES
Journal Writing.......................................................................................17
UNIT 6 REL AXATIO N TECHI QUES 1 : BREATHI NG , M EDITATI ON,
AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY
Journal Writing.......................................................................................21
UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS
UNIT 8 PHYSIC AL EXERCISE AND ACTIV ITY
Journal Writing.......................................................................................27
UNIT 9 APPLYING STRESS: CRITICAL ISSUES F OR M ANAGEM EN T
AND PREVE NTIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSI ONAL L IF E
ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N
REF EREN CES
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Unit
Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Our wellness depends on our ability to control our mind. This is mindfulness.
Stahl & Goldstein tell us that “Intention shapes our thoughts and words. Thoughts and words
mold our actions. Thoughts, words, and actions shape our actions (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).”
These three points alone show the domino effect that our mind has. If we can be mindful of our
thoughts we are making great progress. This truth applies to all of the components of the
wellness paradigm, but we can see how it can affect our body through shaping our behaviors.
Key Learning Point: “There are three types of stress: eustress (good), neustress (neutral), and
distress (bad).” Stress is not always a bad thing though unmanaged it can still create lasting
effects on our psychology and physiology. “Effective stress-management programming must
address issues related to mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being (Seaward, 2015).”
Key Learning Point: “Mindfulness is a way of learning how to relate directly to your life (Stahl &
Goldstein, 2010).” Practicing this in our everyday life can be done formally or informally.
Formally means that we will set aside time to practice bringing full attention into our actions of
breathing, posture, or thought. Informally means that we will pay attention to our daily
activities, such as walking, eating, or listening (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Self-Assessment Exercise:
Part 1: Construct your own wellness mandala.
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Part 2: Describe each of the four areas of the model and discuss why each area is important to
balancing your wellness and stress levels.
“A holistic wellness paradigm suggests that total wellness is the balance, integration, and
harmony of the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the human condition
(Seaward, 2015).” Just a wheel needs to be balanced in order to roll smoothly and in the desired
direction, so does our wellness paradigm. This particular paradigm suggests that each part of the
paradigm is included within the human organism, but each area has a particular dominance
throughout the growth cycle of every individual (Seaward, 2015).
Mental well-being is the ability to properly function as a communicator and process
information. When stressed, the mind can become overloaded and unable to fulfill tasks that
would otherwise seem unchallenging. Physical well-being is considered the “optimal functioning
of the body’s physiological systems (Seaward, 2015). Stress creates chaos within our bodies,
disrupts harmony, and causes imbalance. Without homeostasis in the body, ordinary functions
will fail, organs fail, and eventually health fails. Spiritual well-being determines our ability to
grow internally towards a stronger sense of consciousness and purpose. Stress can create road
blocks along this journey that can cloud our judgement and mind to the extent that it halts all
progress. Emotional well-being allows us to properly comprehend and act on our feelings. Stress
can reduce our emotional strength and inflict an impulsive behavior pattern which often leads to
depression.
As you can observe from my personal wellness paradigm, there is a lack of balance. I
tried to be honest with myself on, not only the value that I place on the specific aspects of
holism, but also where my current state of wellness is. I have found that I place less importance
on my emotional well-being as I have put more focus on strengthening my spirit and mind so
that my emotions can reap stability. Where I do believe that emotions and feelings are important,
I have given them less attention.
Part 3: Describe one environment that fosters a balance of your wellness paradigm and explain
how it does.
One environment that fosters a balance of my wellness paradigm is church. Church is not
just a location, or a religious event, but it is an experience for me. It is also a support group and I
find it healing when I can surround myself with others who are on the same path. It is easy for
me to be focused on my mental and physical well-being every day and practicing meditation has
helped me to focus more attention to my spiritual well-being, but this environment helps me to
stop the world around me and dedicate the time to search my soul. By softening my heart, I am
able to see areas that I should devote time to work on and further explore personally. It is also a
great place to find opportunities to help others within the community.
I find that my spirituality influences the harmony of my entire being and when I can re-
charge my spirit, I send the whole paradigm into a state of fullness. My spirit strengthens my
mind. When my mind is strong there is stability in my emotions. My strong mind and stable
emotions will determine my physical actions and follow through to a positive behavior change.
Stress can be detrimental to all aspects of our well-being and holism but learning about stress and
how it finds its way into our lives is the first step in being able to control it.
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Journal Writing:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: “How Stressed Are You?” Directions are
found on pages 11 and 12 of the Mindfulness workbook. List the situation on the left. Use a
rating scale of 1 through 10 for the start, midway, and end. You will use this Journal Assignment
as a way of mapping your stress throughout the course. Keep it handy and refer back to it often.
Situation Start Midway End

School (eustress/distress)-turning in assignments on time 6 5 4
and with my best work
Relationship (eustress)-spending time together when he is 4 4 3
not working and making sure my school work is done so we
can enjoy weekends and evenings
Health (eustress/distress)-making sure that I take time to 7 6 5
exercise daily for at least 30-45 minutes as well as meditate
Household (distress)-keeping up with all the cleaning, 8 7 5
cooking, groceries, meal prep, dogs
Sleep (distress)-making sure that I get adequate sleep for my 4 3 2
health and to be productive
Entertaining (eustress)-going above and beyond as a hostess 5 5 4
Family visits (eustress/distress)-trying to spend quality time 8 7 5
with everyone when I only have a short period of time
Career (eustress)-planning my options for after graduation 3 3 2
in a town with limited resources
Leisure time (eustress)-staying active, having fun, building 3 2 2
relationships, being involved, making the most of the day
Rehearsing (eustress/distress)-too much time spent planning 3 2 2
for the future when there are unknowns
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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress
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Unit
Key Learning Point: The Borysenko stress and disease model “outlines both a dichotomy of
autonomic dysregulation and immune dysregulation, and an immune activity matrix, which
classifies diseases into four categories: exogenous overreaction, endogenous overreaction,
exogenous underreaction, and endogenous underreaction (Seaward, 2015)”. Borysenko’s
dichotomy separates diseases and illnesses into two categories: autonomic or immune
dysregulation. The effects of these two dysregulations will either be increased metabolic rate of
organs or a decrease of functionality of the immune system (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: “The three physiological systems that are directly involved with stress response
are: the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system.” Because of the intricate
manner in which stress effects our mind and body it comes as no surprise that it is linked to so
many illnesses and diseases. Research even suggests that chronic stress has been shown to
atrophy the brain tissue (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: There is a substantial and significant link between mindfulness and stress
reduction and it is found in the mind-body connection, or psychophysiology (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). We may not be able to eliminate or change everything in our life that creates or adds to
our stress, but we do have the ability to change how we react and deal with this stress and
improving our overall wellness.
Neuroscience can be described as any and all of the sciences dealing with the structure
and/or functions of the nervous system and the brain (Nordqvist, 2018). “Neuroplasticity is the
brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life and this
ability allows the neurons in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their
activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment. ("Definition of
Neuroplasticity," 2018).” Any and all study of the brain will continue to increase our knowledge
of its function, but also of how intricately the brain is involved in the rest of our body functions
and systems. Understanding the concept of neuroplasticity and the ability of the brain to “bounce
back” from damage and injury allows further research and clarity into the reversible,
preventable, and permanent categories of brain dysfunction.
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The majority of the diseases that occur when the nervous system is affected by stress will
be due to sympathetic drive, response, or stimulation. This sympathetic stimulation caused from
the reaction to stress can cause short term changes in our body and functions, but when this stress
becomes “chronic,” or long term some organs and functions will begin to shut down altogether.
Bronchial asthma is diagnosed with increased secretion of bronchial fluids causing swelling in
the air passageways (Seaward, 2015). This cause choking, wheezing, and gasping for breath. The
swelling can be so extreme as to close passageways and be fatal. Tension headaches are brought
on by muscle tension, most often facial muscles, but can also originate in tension of shoulder and
neck muscles. Muscle tension is an involuntary response to stress and can reveal itself in the
form of a headache, or even lower back pain. A step further than tension headaches would be
migraine headaches. Where tension headaches are caused my muscle tension, migraine
headaches are caused by rapid dilation and constriction of the carotid artery, affecting blood flow
rate and volume (Seaward, 2015). Migraines can cause intense symptoms from throbbing pain to
vomiting.
Another disease caused by stress is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Stress targeting the
gastrointestinal tract can create “abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and
excessive flatulence (Seaward, 2015).” Because there are so many symptoms and they can be
different from person to person, IBS can be diagnosed improperly and medication can be
prescribed unnecessarily to treat the symptoms and not the root cause. Finally, coronary heart
disease has been directly linked to stress and is also one of the major killers according to the
American Heart Association. Stress hormones in the blood stream will start the process by
elevating the blood pressure. Over time all three stages of coronary heart disease will be reached:
atherogenesis, atherosclerosis, and arteriosclerosis. The end stage, which leads directly to a heart
attack, is described as the occlusion, or blocking and hardening of the arteries and their inability
to properly move oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to and from the heart.
These five diseases, which occur when the nervous system is negatively affected by
stress, have all been found to be prevented, eliminated, or in the least decreased in severity with
the use of relaxation techniques. Decreasing stress, and the bodies response to it, takes work and
sometimes professional guidance, but can reverse the damages that have occurred over time. It
would be a wonderful advancement if medical professionals to utilize this treatment before
turning to pharmaceuticals that could in return cause more life-threatening side effects and
continue masking the true issue.
The immune systems response to stress causes many diseases and complications as well.
One of the first diseases associated with stress was the ulcer (Seaward, 2015). The sharp stomach
pain that is often the first noticeable symptom is caused by a hole or breaking down of the lining
of the stomach. Sympathetic neural drive causes large amounts of norepinephrine to be released
and the end result is the decrease of protective mucous secretions in the stomach (Seaward,
2015). These secretions keep stomach acid and enzymes in balance and without them the
stomach seems to be eating itself. As with the nervous system, the immune system can benefit
from relaxation techniques and stress reduction to regain balance and healing.
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Journal Writing:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, explore: How is stress or anxiety affecting
your life? Directions are found on pages 33 through 35 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon
completion of this Assignment, you will take the first step toward greater well-being and become
aware of how stress is impacting your life. This should be a minimum of two full pages.
How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?
I have very strong connections with my close friends and family. When I see those that I
am close to going through hard or stressful times, I experience sympathetic and empathetic
feelings of stress, disappointment, pain, or frustration. I have been making an effort to listen
more attentively and offer positive feedback and encouragement, but mostly I pray for them and
try to leave the healing in the Lord’s hands. Offering hope to those I love during these times also
serves as a reminder to myself to remain positive through my own stresses and struggles.
How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?
I am currently a fulltime student. My work in the home consists of maintaining the
household: groceries and shopping, cleanliness and laundry, food preparation and the pets. I put
most of the stress on myself to fulfill these duties to a high standard and quality, but I know that
it helps others to maintain order. This stress should be minimal or non-existent, but I am working
to stay on a daily, weekly, monthly schedule so that I do not feel that I have to accomplish all of
duties at one time
How is stress or anxiety about the world affecting your life?
I try to stay away from too much social media and the news as I find the negativity takes
a toll. The mentalities are like poison, the violence and brutality are disturbing, and politics drive
me crazy. If I could watch the “Good News” every morning I definitely would, but I choose to
not give energy to the negative around me if I can help it. If I find myself getting “riled up” over
world news and the gossip of social media I try to turn my attention to other more important
tasks.
How is stress or anxiety about food and eating habits affecting your life?
I try very hard to set myself up for success is this department by meal prepping and
planning meals in advance. This is a priority in order to maintain health, energy, and metabolism.
However, having two roommates and living a very social life makes this a struggle more than I
would like it to be. Though I do a decent job practicing discipline and control, I also enjoy eating
all types of food and have a hard time saying “no” every time. I am hard on myself for poor
choices and try to make up for it in the gym but realize that the stress itself is probably causing
me more problems than the wings I ate.
How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your life?
I would love to get 8 hours of sleep every night. I have had to learn that 7 hours is
enough, but if I get 6 or less I try to take a nap to catch up if I can. I track my sleep through my
Fitbit and if I do not get “enough sleep” I think I make myself feel tired even if I probably got
enough sleep merely because I am tracking it. I started setting alarms as reminders to start
getting ready for bed, but again, with roommates, I feel my social side keeping me up later then I
would prefer. I need to be better about sticking to my schedule and making it a priority.
How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity affecting your life?
My daily minimal goal for physical exercise is 30 minutes. I prefer to accomplish this in
the morning before I start the rest of my day and find that if I do not I will get anxious about it as
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the day goes on. I try to remember that missing a day here or there is actually good to get rest,
but it is a struggle. The important part is that my health is good and to keep that the focus.
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Unit
In conclusion, I feel that I have a good handle on these areas of my life and realize that
the stress that I do feel is self-induced. I realize that I have control over my reactions and
responses to all of these categories and that it is imperative to my overall health to reduce the
stressors I have created. I take pride in my high standards, but have created a bit of a devil in
allowing the stress in. I am so grateful that I am surrounded by appreciative and loving people
who do not put this stress on me and support my efforts to meditate and do self-work.
Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Key Learning Point: Theorist Leo Buscaglia and his Lessons of Self-Love is a theory so very
different from the normal theories that we read about. Love is a very powerful emotion,
although it seems that very few people truly understand and practice love fully because they
have never learned to love themselves. “Love is the epitome of eustress; its absence, distress
(Seaward, 2015).”
Key Learning Point: Anger and fear are very similar stress emotions and are rooted in the drive for
survival. Anger creates the fight response and fear creates the flight response. Both emotions are
dangerous if left unattended and can lead to depression or the need for therapy. On a positive
note, both emotions can be greatly reduced with the use of coping and relaxation practices
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: “The attitudes of mindfulness are: beginner’s mind, nonjudgment,
acknowledgment, non-striving, equanimity, letting be, self-reliance, and self-compassion (Stahl
& Goldstein, 2010).” All of these attitudes are intertwined and will greatly benefit the healing
and growth necessary to improve the practice of mindfulness and wellness.
Part 1: What can be learned from the Tibetan culture about the mind and stress
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Joe Loizzo said “Tibet has probably the greatest treasure trove of ancient contemplative
knowledge, science and wisdom about how to influence the mind from the inside out (Gregoire,
2018).” There is much to be learned from the Tibetan culture about the mind and stress. “Four
essential lessons from Tibetan Buddhism that can help in your pursuit of happiness are: get
intimate with your own mind, practice compassion at every moment, connect with others who
support your journey, and embrace death-do not fear it (Gregoire, 2018).” We have all heard of
Buddha, the Enlightened One, who is probably the most popular Tibetan. The philosophy of
Buddhism came to Tibet over 1,000 years ago and, after the invasion of China in 1959, was
introduced all over the world (Seaward, 2015).
Meditation is “a quiet, humble work that takes place on a daily basis,” and is the
cornerstone of the Tibetan contemplative science (Gregoire, 2018). Becoming truly happy takes
mindful awareness and loving compassion. These two qualities will require the essential lesson
of becoming intimate with your own mind, which will begin with contemplative meditation.
Once we have confronted our mind and found where our stress has been rooted, only then can we
begin to overcome it to move forward in our happiness.
Part 2: What do the views espoused by theorists have in common?
A common undertone to all theorists would be teaching the importance of self-awareness.
Moving from a state of defense to a state of resolve is what is necessary in order to move
towards wellness. Until one can identify their desires, attachments, fears, and be able to face
their own dark shadows, there can be no resolution. The theories we have discussed all have the
same goal though they have very different recommended strategies to reach that goal. It is very
important to find a theory that works with your belief system and understanding of self. It is also
important to not choose a path based on its perceived simplicity because sometimes the harder
road will be the most rewarding.
Part 3: Describe one or more ways to cope with, manage and/or resolve fear.
The first, and most important, step to coping, managing and/or resolving fear is that it
must be confronted. Without acknowledging the issue, it will only get worse over time. “Basic
fears are: failure, rejection, the unknown, death, isolation, or loss of self-control (Seaward,
2015).” Once the fear has been confronted it can be explored and dissected. This may take time
and even professional guidance. People often say “you have to face your fears” and this speaks
of confrontation, but it is important to remember that this is a purposeful process and, if it is
attacked to vigorously, can cause the underlying fear to become worse.
Behavioral therapy is designed to desensitize you to the stressor, or cause of the fear.
Desensitization can be in a systematic or exposure form (Seaward, 2015). “Systematic
desensitization teaches ways to manage stress, or destress, in small doses (Seaward, 2015).”
Exposure desensitization provides controlled, small encounters with the feared object or situation
in order to create a type of immunity to it. The easiest fears to overcome are the irrational fears,
but whether fear is coming from a real danger or is simply exasperated in our minds, unresolved
fears lead to health concerns and depression.
Part 4: Describe five ways in which you can improve your communication style.
After reading through the list of ways to improve your communication style, I determined
that there are a few ways that I could increase my effort in communication clarity and
effectiveness. “Avoid putting others on the defensive” is something that I do try to do, but in
closer, personal relationships it becomes comfortable to say whatever comes to mind without
considering how it will be perceived (Seaward, 2015). Making sure that I am communicating my
feelings and not being accusatory is a good way to not put others on the defensive. There have
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been times that I have asked a third party if they have information on another individual to avoid
asking the person directly about a topic that may be touchy. I need to “avoid asking someone else
to speak for me” and go straight to the source (Seaward, 2015). This allows for immediate
resolution and no miscommunication of information between parties.
“Avoiding information overload” is a goal as I know that I talk a lot (Seaward, 2015).
Sometimes I forget that I do not need to explain myself in detail when all that is requested is a
“yes” or “no” answer. Saying what needs to be said and asking the other person if more
clarification is needed can be more acceptable often times. “Validating my assumptions” is
important because it can prevent many issues, or judgement, later (Seaward, 2015). Perception is
not reality, though I have had much training to convince me otherwise. We should always give
someone the ability to explain themselves.
Lastly, “resolving problems when they arise” has been a goal of mine for many years
(Seaward, 2015). I have seen a dramatic increase in my ability to confront concerns quickly and
it has helped me in my relationships and communication greatly. I will always focus on this
communication style as I lived the majority of my young life into adulthood as a “stuffer.” I
would want to know if I had offended or mislead someone, so I should do the same for others.
Journal Writing:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and Bringing
the Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found on pages 45 and 46 of the
Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to understand the
importance of making them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in relationships
with yourself and others around you. This should be a minimum of one full page. Take some
time to write about whatever you came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically when
doing this practice for the first time.
During this five-minute mindful breathing exercise, I tried to remain focused on my
breathing for the entire period. I also tried not to alter my breathing, but merely be aware of it. As
recommended, I paid attention to my nose, chest, abdomen and how they all moved and felt them
be a part of my breath. I chose to sit on a pillow with my legs crossed and my palms facing
upwards and open setting on my thighs. I closed my eyes and held a proper posture and straight
spine.
I feel that I did pretty well staying focused on the breathing alone, but thoughts of my
plans for the following day accomplishments came up. I quickly returned my focus to my
breathing. I definitely felt my body relax during the exercise and then found my mind being void
from thoughts of breathing and this brought my breath back to the forefront of my mind. I did
not experience any noticeable emotion, but I believe this may occur with more meditation and
longer periods of time.
I completed this exercise after finishing the reading on the “attitudes of mindfulness,”
which allowed me to understand specific qualities to be working on as I practice meditation. I
hope to focus on different qualities throughout the day with differing activities. I would like to
practice the beginner’s mind when I do daily chores, nonjudgement when I am out in public
running errands, self-reliance when I am evaluating my emotional and mental state, and self-
compassion when I conduct my physical fitness. These are a few examples of ways that I can
begin to incorporate these attitudes of mindfulness into my daily routine.
In summary, I enjoyed the reading and the activity this week. I realize that the practice of
meditation will become more natural and more beneficial the more that I realize it can be done
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throughout my day and not only in a five to thirty-minute period of specific set aside time.
Extending the period of meditation time will also allow for more mental, emotional, and physical
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Unit
awakenings to take place. Mindful breathing, harnessing the wandering mind, and proper posture
and practice will be a continual focus on the journey to “access deep inner resources for my well-
being (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).”
Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Key Learning Point: Self-esteem is “how we value ourselves” and self-image is “how we see
ourselves.” Self-esteem seems to be directly tied to stress and our ability to either create it or
destroy it. “Harris Clemes hypothesized that there are four elements to self-esteem:
connectedness, uniqueness, power, and models (Seaward, 2015).”
Key Learning Point: “Personality comprises several traits, characteristics, behaviors, expressions,
moods, and feelings as perceived by others.” There seems to be some personalities that are
drawn to stress and some that seem to be more deterred from it. Regardless of your personality
type, self-esteem definitely plays a large role in your ability to overcome stress and stressful
situations (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Body scan meditation can bring awareness and acknowledgment to the body.
Learning how to deal with and even heal physical pain through the practice of body mindfulness
includes: investigating the pain and tension that we are experiencing, working with and through
the emotions that we have about our physical pain, and learning to live in the present moment
and transform our perspective of our pain (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Self-esteem is described as the value that we place on ourselves (Seaward, 2015). This
value is important because it will determine how we respond to the world around us and will be
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reflected in our behavior. It is much easier to handle stressful situations when you believe that
you have the ability to work through them. Knowing that your special qualities make a
difference, feeling your inner strength, and being protective of your well-being will keep you
moving forward even in the face of adversity. You will only become more powerful as you
overcome the stressors of life and may even begin to see these situations as a challenge. Feeling
vulnerable to life leads us to giving up quickly, not seeing the point in trying, and being
influenced easily by others.
Stress affects our relationships, both internal and external, by stealing our focus and time
from what it most important. If we allow stress to overwhelm us, we will find it next to
impossible to make time for ourselves let alone friends and family. We cannot have successful
relationships with others if we do not first take the time to center, understand, and nurture
ourselves (Seaward, 2015).
Our values are reflected in our attitudes and behaviors and, when under stress, we will
see changes in both of these areas. We may find ourselves responding to stress with a poor
attitude towards others by being short with our co-workers or snapping at our loved ones. We
may drink alcohol or even smoke cigarettes when stressed even though it may be a typical
behavior. We may even skip our workout or lunch with a friend because we do not feel like it is
the best use of our time. Though these behaviors may not be negative under certain
circumstances or in moderation, they can cause more long-term damage over time.
“A major facet of the spiritual well-being model is represented by one’s meaningful
purpose in life (Seaward, 2015).” Without a purpose what is the purpose? Stress can make us feel
as though there is no end in sight and cause us to lose track of the end goal. In these situations, it
is important to take baby steps. No great thing ever came easy and making small goals, even like
getting out of bed, can be what it takes to get through stressful times in life.
Values are intangible concepts, such as how we perceive and the importance we place on
compassion, integrity, health, independence, etc. (Seaward, 2015). Values are typically acquired
over a lifetime and can change with experience, environment, and influence. An example of a
value would be achievement. Attitude, according to Oxford Dictionary, is “a settled way of
thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's
behavior.” Your attitude toward not winning a game could be optimistic and positive because you
achieved your personal best. This would be the attitude of someone who places value on
achievement. Behavior would be the result, or action, of your attitude. Your attitude toward
losing is positive and optimistic due to the value you place on achievement and hard work;
therefore, your behavior will be to congratulate the other team, not be opposed to try again, and
look for ways to improve.
Prochaska’s Stages of Change Model is a wonderful tool that helps us to better to
determine and track the progress through the behavior change process. Many people have been
successful in changing their diet, beginning an exercise routine, quit smoking, or start drinking
more water. All of these lifestyle changes followed a basic pattern of psychology. For someone to
start drinking more water on a daily basis the six stages would be:
1. Precontemplation stage would be identified by this individual drinking mostly coffee,
juice, tea, diet sodas, and the occasional energy drink. This person may not like the taste
of water or feel the need to drink water alone.
2. Contemplative stage would begin when the individual reads on a Facebook post that
everyone should drink water equal to one-half their body weight in ounces every day in
order to have proper bodily function. After more research, they find this to be the general
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consensus and also learn that what they are drinking on a daily basis is robbing their body
of hydration rather than adding to it.
3. Determination stage would be evident in the individual reading the symptoms of
dehydration and realizing that some of their physical concerns could be reversed with
proper hydration. The individual is deciding to change their behavior by trading out some
of their current beverages to water and also measuring the amount needed to make sure
that they are ingesting the recommended amount of water each day.
4. Action stage is when the individual puts their plan into action. They are drinking a set
amount of water as soon as they wake up, after their coffee and at lunch, and before and
during dinner. They add some lemon, or fruit, to add to the enjoyment of the water.
5. Maintenance stage is in effect when the individual has adopted the behavior and is not in
the routine of drinking more water throughout the day every day. They have water
available at home and make sure that they take water to work with them or when they are
out and about running errands.
6. Relapse stage is always a threat as the individual enters a new environment, influences, or
changes routines. This could happen after a vacation, when you do not have the tasty
water available, or you drink a few more alcoholic beverages throughout the day. These
times and events will occur, so it is imperative to acknowledge the set back and jump
right back on track.
Journal Writing:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body. Directions
are found on pages 74 through 77 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this
Assignment, practice taking a moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any physical
sensations associated with strong emotions. This should be a minimum of three full pages.
FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness,
uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.
Fear manifests itself in many ways physically. Reading these descriptive words and allowing
my mind to rehearse situations that have created these emotions seem to bring on similar physical
sensations. I feel a tightening in my chest and my heart rate almost immediately increases when I
think of anxiety, panic, worry, or fright. Sometimes I will experience fluttering in my stomach and
sensations down into my legs. Apprehension, uneasiness, or feeling overwhelmed create a mild
physical response for me, but still similar responses.
CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy, or
unaware.
15
I would most often describe a confused state as uncertain or perplexed. I find the physical
response to be contemplative. It seems to be a more inward and mental process. Being mystified
or chaotic would make me think that the confusion was experienced under pressure to perform.
Confusion under pressure would lead me to a panic stage and I would then begin to experience
similar responses as I would to fear. Edginess and nervousness would follow.
ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration,
irritation, grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.
Anger is most common for me in the form of agitation, annoyance, and irritation. These
emotions begin with a deep breath, closed eyes, and preparation for how to deal with the current
situation. I am very aware of these emotions as they arise and try to prevent the stage of physical
response that leads to increase heart rate and increased breathing. I do not experience much rage,
but it is typically a short burst that could be a curse word at a poor driver for example. In
moments of anger I do find that my chest will get red and my cheeks will get flushed, almost like
I am holding my breath.
SADNESS: alienation, anguish, despair, disappointment, gloom, grief, hopelessness, insecurity,
loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.
My common emotions of sadness are: disappointment, insecurity, and unhappiness. My
physical response to these emotions are, for the lack of a better word, down. I am quiet. I move
slower. I have a “blah” response and outlook on things throughout my day. This does not happen
very often, so it is very apparent when I am feeling sadness. Grief hurts the heart physically,
similar to a knot in your stomach and crying relieves much of the immediate pressure it creates.
SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification.
Experiencing shame begins with embarrassment for a poor decision, guilt for being
responsible, and regret that it happened. Physically my posture will change with this emotion. I
will put my head down or slouch a bit. My mannerisms and body language will be slower and
less energetic when I feel shame. We cannot change the past, but I have always considered this
emotion a consequence as well as a motivator. Shame is typically associated with an action or
situation that you take personal responsibility for. It is imperative to forgive yourself, but also
remember to learn from your mistakes so as not to revisit and relive this feeling.
LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness,
liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.
True love, whether given or received, gives me a physical feeling of being full in my
heart, similar to a full stomach. It feels warm. It is relaxed. I have often spent time with close
friends and family and upon leaving will send them all a message saying, “Thank you so much
for the time spent together. My heart feels so full!” Love shown in affection, like holding a hand
or a comforting embrace, can fill your spirit and heart in a way that nothing else can. This gives
me comfort as well and offers me peace and calm. Kindness and sympathy are actions that show
love to others in a great way, but that will leave you feeling wonderful even when giving them.
When I think of infatuation and arousal, I think more of a physical attraction in a lustful way. I
think that these feelings can be felt with people that you barely know at all and can easily be
misconstrued at love. These feelings also can lead to increased blood flow, flushed skin,
hypersensitivity to touch and what is not to love about those experiences? It is a rush.
JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement,
exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.
16
Happiness can come and go, but joy is a state of being that comes with a healthy spirit. I
most often think of contentment, enjoyment, optimism, and satisfaction as these are emotions
5
Unit
that I feel on a daily basis and are a frame of mind and an emotion. Excitement is more reserved
for certain activities or situations, maybe when thinking of the future or even opening a present. I
feel eustress when excited. The increase in heart rate that is positive. The butterflies in my
stomach when I have not seen someone I love in a long time.
In summary, I would say that this exercise was very helpful in dissecting some of the
more common emotions into more detail and using a more descriptive vocabulary. The more I
thought about different causes of these emotions, the more I was able to pinpoint my common
physical responses to them. I also found it amusing to allow my body to respond to these
thoughts and to realize how sensitive my body was to thoughts alone. I can see that my increase
in heart rate to several emotions is a danger and something that I need to be consciously reducing
on a regular basis.
Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping

Strategies
Key Learning Point: Prochaska’s Stages of Change Model is a wonderful tool that helps us to better
to determine and track the progress through the behavior change process. The six stages are:
pre-contemplation, contemplation, determination, action, maintenance, and relapse (Seaward,
2015).
Key Learning Point: Victor Frankl teaches that we have the ability to choose our own thoughts,
change our thought processes, and re-frame our outlook. We should not think of this process as
“giving in,” but as “going with the flow.” The four steps to change our thought process are:
“awareness, reappraisal of the situation, adoption of a new frame of mind, and evaluation of the
new frame of mind (Seaward, 2015).”
Key Learning Point: Humor is not an emotion but a perception, as stress is, and just as there are
several types of stress, there are several styles of humor. Regardless of the type of humor, it does
17
seem that good health and good humor seem to be connected. Studies have shown that humor
promotes mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being (Seaward, 2015).
Journal Writing:
Choose from either formal practice: Walking Meditation or Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and
Anxiety. Directions are found on either pages 58 through 60 or 119 through 121 of the
Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of either practice, take a moment to reflect on
whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically. This should be a minimum of
two full pages.
In reading the preface to this exercise, Stahl reminds us that most of us walk every day
without much thought or attention to it (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). I walk for exercise on a
regular basis and I also will walk on the treadmill while I read, but I realize that there are some
people who cannot walk or even have to re-learn to walk after an injury and I do not want to take
this ability for granted. I wanted to approach this practice in full mindfulness of the action, but
also with focus on all the muscles that I use when walking.
I began with attention on my standing posture and how easy it is balance after a lifetime
of practice. I shifted my weight back and forth in order to see what muscles would engage in
order to keep me from falling over. As I started walking very slowly I noticed my feet first with
each step, heel to sole to toes, as my step rocked from beginning to end. I observed from what
step to the next how each movement lead to the next and at what point in each step was the next
step beginning to ensure that there was always a foot on the ground.
After noticing my feet and my steps, I drew my focus to the legs that move my feet. I felt
the muscles in my hip flexors engage to raise my leg, my quadriceps move my leg forward, my
calf stretch as my foot flexed so that my heel would hit the ground first and then as this foot
landed, my hamstrings would tighten as it pushed my body into a forward motion. I walked very
slowly and with close steps in the beginning to observe the muscles, the movements, and the
sensations.
After taking note of my feet and legs, I drew my attention on the movement of my core
and how it stabilizes the upper body. I see the twisting of my body as my arms move with the
opposite legs and the posture that I hold as I walk. Once I was feeling every movement, muscle,
and action, would change my posture and see how it changed my gait. I increased my step length
and felt how much more seemed to work with a more powerful step.
This meditation exercise gave me a new appreciation for my ability to walk. I realized
that losing the function of one of even one of these muscles on one side of my body could make
this process painful, a challenge, or an exercise that I would have to re-learn altogether. “Mindful
meditation is an excellent way to get out of a stressful and anxious head and feel your feet on the
earth (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).”
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Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,
6
Unit
Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Key Learning Point: The word compassion literally means to “suffer with,” so self-compassion
would be described as “suffering with yourself.” Dr. Kristin Neff describes it like this, “Instead
of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-
compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings –
after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect (Neff, 2018)?”
Key Learning Point: Diaphragmatic breathing is noted to be the easiest way to relax and also the
most convenient as it can be practiced anywhere at any time. Although “belly breathing,” as it is
also called, is the way that we breath when we are sleeping, as it is an unconscious reflex, it does
take practice in the conscious state. It is also known to decrease chronic pain and taught in
birthing classes (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: “Mental imagery describes the ability of the unconscious mind to generate
images that have a calming, healing effect on the body and can be divided into three types:
peaceful natural scenes, behavioral changes, and internal body images (Seaward, 2015).
Visualization is a form of mental imagery that is conscious in order to escape a reality, promote
healing, or quiet the mind.
“There are two main types of breathing: costal (meaning “of the ribs”) or chest breathing,
and diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing (Types of Breathing, 2017).” Diaphragmatic breathing
is the most natural and unconscious way to breath, however, most of us only breath this way
when we are sleeping. Breathing exercises help you relax because they force your body to mimic
a relaxed state. “Deep breathing is not only one of the best ways to lower stress in the body, but it
is the easiest because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down
and relax (Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation, 2014).” There are many
benefits to diaphragmatic and controlled breathing to include: “decreasing resting heart rate,
promoting a feeling of relaxation, decreasing muscle tension, improving mental clarity,
19
increasing oxygen capacity in the lungs, and helping to deal with stress overload (Seaward,
2015).” The main physical benefits of diaphragmatic breathing are: providing the body with
sufficient oxygen, expelling carbon dioxide adequately, and improving circulation to the
abdominal organs.
Three steps that are important to diaphragmatic breathing are to be in a comfortable
position, concentrate, and visualize (Seaward, 2015). Laying down is one of the most effective
positions when first practicing diaphragmatic breathing, so that you can experience a full range
of motion and expanse of the abdominal area. It is also helpful to wear loose fitting and non-
restrictive clothing. Place a hand on your belly so that you can feel it rise and fall with each
breath cycle. It is important to concentrate during this exercise, even though diaphragmatic
breathing is unconscious and natural, we often tend to hold our stomachs in and resort to shallow
costal or chest breathing. Visualization during this exercise will allow you to intentionally breath
in the proper pattern and speed and to fully inhale and exhale with every cycle.
The primary purpose of meditation is to increase self-awareness by utilizing mental focus
and concentration, but the effects that it has on the mind and body are numerous (Seaward,
2015). Meditation has been used to fight against stress related heart disease, relieve the mental
and emotional pain of cancer, but also to enhance mood, increase immune function, improve
sleep, alleviate chronic pain, and benefit mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Meditation
is typically paired with controlled breathing, which eventually becomes an unconscious reflex
when bringing the mind to a state of full awareness.
Where visualization is defined as the conscious choice with intentional instruction,
imagery is more of a spontaneous pattern of thoughts, like daydreaming (Seaward, 2015).
Though imagery is born in the unconscious mind, it can be a vital resource in mental training and
mental rehearsal to enhance stress reduction methods. “When guided imagery is paired with
physical relaxation techniques, the aim is to associate the sensations of relaxation with the
peaceful visual image, so that future practice sessions involving imagery alone will quickly bring
back to mind the physical sensations of relaxation (Mills, Reiss & Dombeck, 2008).” With
purposeful exercises that include visualization of a peaceful place during meditation, the
association with this scene will become more spontaneous when trying to relax in the future.
Using these techniques to mentally detach from a stressful situation in which you must remain
present will allow for some relief and re-grouping without having to physically leave the
premises is another benefit. “Lastly, guided imagery can work through the associative process
described above, where scenes become a learned cue or trigger that helps recall memories and
sensations resulting from past relaxation practice (Mills, Reiss & Dombeck, 2008).” This is
helpful with the struggles of behavior change whether recalling negative or positive associations.
It is clear to see the importance of diaphragmatic breathing, as well as the benefits of
pairing these exercises with meditation in every day practice. Utilizing the added effects of
imagery and visualization during meditation will also create a familiarity and recollection to the
conscious use of them during stressful times. Practicing these proven techniques will help us to
improve our physical, mental, and spiritual wellness while embarking on our everyday activities.
20
Journal Writing:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled Explore: Is Your Body-Mind Happy? Directions are
found on pages 151 through 153 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this
Assignment, practice identifying unkind messages you send to yourself and turn it around with
positive affirmations. This should be a minimum of two full pages.
Mindful of how you interact with yourself?
I would definitely not talk to other people the way that I talk to myself. I realize that I
protect the feelings of others and try to always put a positive spin on everything, but I rarely do
this with myself. Through journaling, in this class and in a prior class, I have already been
working on this in my personal life. Negative talk does create feelings of stress, anxiety, and
unhappiness and it makes me feel tense physically especially when I want to wind down at the
end of the day. I have been trying to cut back on, and eliminate, the negative talk when I do not
feel that I was productive enough during the day and I did not complete everything that I wanted
to. Now I congratulate myself on what I did accomplish, especially if it was because I was able
to do something for someone else. I thank myself for helping others and tell myself that I will
have plenty of time to cross things off the list the following day.
I also now create a list that can be done over several days instead of one list for only one
day. I focus on getting my physical workout and household tasks done first, so that the
necessities are complete because I know they are the most important to me. So far this has helped
with managing my time and my attitude towards myself to a more positive one.
Seeds of suffering?
I have been made aware that I create a lot of my own stress because of the pressure and
“seeds of suffering” that I water in my own life. I have also been able to identify where these
“seeds” have come from over the years so that I can begin weeding my spiritual garden of these
life-choking plants from their very roots and not just what I see on the surface. My struggle with
personal acceptance in the categories of accomplishment and appearance are my deep seeded
areas of suffering. I continue to work on these daily and I am seeing progress by changing my
habitual thinking and some of my behaviors. I congratulate myself on my health and my work
ethic instead of the nit-picky specifics that I get caught up with and like to beat myself up over.
When I stop the negative self-talk, I experience less anxiety and tension. I am able to relax and
enjoy my day much more while accomplishing about the exact same number of tasks.
Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?
One difficult feeling that I have been dealing with could be resentment, or just hurt, from
my father. I have worked very hard to understand that people will always have different opinions
and beliefs and that this is ok. It is hard when it is your parents because, I know for me, I just
want them to be proud of me and be accepting of me. My father may not accept certain aspects
of my life and I have come to accept that, but when he feels it is still necessary to talk about it I
tend to just listen and let him say his peace. I listen to what he has to say out of respect, but I am
not sure if repeating my views will cause more discourse or if it is better to just let it go. I value
his belief system and his commitment to it, but I do wish that he would respect mine in the same
way. I do understand that he only wants what is best for me and that he would like to see my life
very much like his or to still be “doing things his way.” I am very fortunate to have a great father
and love him very much, but I struggle with the way that I feel about this situation. We have
come a long way, but at 37 I really just want to not talk about these differences anymore.
Reflection on writing?
21
I think that when Stahl & Goldstein referred to our negative rumination as manure a bell
went off in my head. I do not want to fertilize my negative seeds, but instead I want to discover
7
Unit
them and eliminate them. Keeping our dark shadow silent and out of sight will allow it to remain
powerful and grow beneath the surface. I realize through exercises like these that when I shed
light on them I am slowly killing them. Being aware of them and exposing their underlying cause
has helped me to start dealing with them and replacing the darkness with light. It is a humbling
process, but humility is a wonderful value to possess and unavoidable in self-awareness.
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Key Learning Point: Any food or beverages that contain caffeine will trigger the physical response
to stress. Caffeine is absorbed in the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body, with
direct effects on the brain and its activity. Methylated xanthine is the chemical that stimulates the
sympathetic nervous system, similar to an amphetamine, by arousing the brain and releasing
stress hormones (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Physical exercise is a form of stress that could be considered eustress (good
stress) in that it promotes health and can also lessen the effects of negative stress (distress) on
the mind and body. In order to begin benefitting from physical exercise it should incorporate
proper intensity, duration, frequency, and mode of exercise and it must be continued. Physical
exercise has also proven to improve self-esteem, which we have learned is important in
managing stress (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Spiritual nutrition includes eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains in
order to feed the seven primary chakras. It is important also to be aware of the acid/base balance
of these foods even though they are considered healthy/whole foods. What we eat has an effect
on all areas of our wellness, not only our physical wellness (Seaward, 2015).
Choose from either formal practice: Sitting Meditation or Mindful Lying Yoga. Directions are
found on either pages 87 through 89 or 91 through 107 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon
22
completion of either practice, describe your formal practice and take a moment to reflect on
whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically and explain.
For my assignment this week, I chose to practice Mindful Lying Yoga. I followed the
direction of Track 14 to do a 30-minute exercise and chose a quiet spot to ensure no
interruptions. I enjoy the sitting mediation, but I wanted to experience the mindful lying yoga.
Yoga is an important modality to become familiar with because it is “a rejuvenating practice that
offers many other health benefits, such as keeping aging bones, joints, muscles, nerves, and
organs healthy, supple, and flexible (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).” Because I had not practiced this
exercise before, I decided to go for the middle length of time and made sure to wear comfortable
clothing so as not to be restricted in movement (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
The supine pose and the supine full body stretch were executed at the beginning and
throughout the 30-minute routine as a starting point for most of the movements. I focused on my
diaphragmatic breathing and tried to take deep, cleansing breaths. The supine twist was a
wonderful lower back stretch and I felt some tension, but it released with several breaths. The leg
stretch was great since I had been on a distance run this morning. I rotated my feet around in
each direction during this stretch and felt the tingling sensation of increased blood flow as soon
as I released the pose. The single knee to chest was also exhilarating as I felt the blood flow into
my hip flexors as I pulled my knees deeper into my body.
The pelvic rock and tilt seemed preparatory for the bridge pose and again was good for
allowing increase circulation to the lower back. The bridge pose was one of the most challenging
poses and it required some strength to hold while focusing on the deep breathing. I liked the arm
stretch modification but understand the importance of continued advancement within this
modality. Rocking back and forth felt great after the bridge pose. I chose to grab my feet like a
baby and get an additional stretch while I rocked.
The leg side stretch took more strength and flexibility than I thought it would from
reading the description. Paying attention to my breath was my focus throughout and I felt myself
falling into more of a rhythm as I continued through the exercise. The instructor repeatedly
reminded me to be aware of my thoughts and let them be. I was having a thought filled day and
so this was challenging. I was not trying to not think about anything, but in the awareness of my
day, make an effort to let the thoughts pass in and out of my mind along with my breath.
The prone leg stretches prepared me for the cobra to follow. The stretching of the
abdominals and hip flexors again was a nice feeling and the strength of the hamstrings was
definitely noticed. I like the full cobra best. The cow and cat pose combo helped release some
tension in my shoulders and again it was the spinal elongation that felt very nice. The instructor
reminded again that the spine is the core of our nervous system and its maintenance is
imperative.
Child’s pose is a relaxing favorite whether arms are extended or by your side. The bird
dog is a pose that I would like to see myself in a mirror for. I tried to feel my body position and
be in tune to the straight line I was working for. This pose also was a challenge for an extended
period, but the releasing felt even better. I finished with a series of supine pose and full body
stretches and then also added the openness and corpse pose. I have to be careful to not fall asleep
in these poses, but at the end of a routine, it allows you to be more in touch with the body, blood
flow, breathing, and positioning.
In conclusion, I was aware mentally of the exercise and properly engaged with the
activity. I physically became aware of some tension, but also felt some of that subside even after
this brief exercise of stretching and focused breathing. Emotionally, I have had some things on
23
my mind today, but it was also good to be aware of the thoughts and practice leaving them alone.
This is not to say that they were ignored, but that they were acknowledged and allowed to pass. I
8
Unit
think that was the most beneficial aspect of this exercise for me. It is important sometimes to
take time away from your thoughts and allow for other positives to be focused on and present.
Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Key Learning Point: Interpersonal mindfulness is “being non-judgmentally present to the orchestra
of thoughts, feelings, and sensations occurring within us.” The six qualities of interpersonal
mindfulness are: openness, empathy, compassions, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, and
equanimity and developing these qualities will allow us to build stronger and healthier
relationships (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Key Learning Point: Hatha yoga translated is the balance of sun and moon. It is important to
remember that yoga should not include ego, but should focus on the unity of mind, body, and
spirit. Hatha yoga incorporates the art of breathing, conscious stretching, and balance.
Flexibility, muscle tone, and inner calm can all be attained with this practice (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: T’ai Chi is a form of exercise that encourages the proper flow of the body’s
energy and is known as the “moving meditation.” “The four principles of T’ai Chi are: fasting
the heart, returning to nature, Wu-wei, and winning by losing. When practicing this meditation,
we should breathe effortlessly, hold no excess muscular tension, maintain a perpendicular
stance, keep our center of gravity low, move at a continuous speed and integrate the mind and
body as one (Seaward, 2015).”
Self-Assessment Exercises:
Proposal for Health and Wellness Management
March 2018
Workplace wellness is growing in popularity because it is being seen as a necessity and

not as a luxury. Healthcare costs are at an all-time high and the proof of financial benefits
awarded to companies incorporating wellness programs is spreading rapidly. Wellness does not
24
only apply to physical health, but also entails mental, spiritual, financial, and occupational health
as well. Wellness programs are not only aimed to decrease absenteeism or healthcare costs, but
also to increase employee retention, productivity, creativity, and commitment to the company
("Workplace Wellness | Workplaces That Work | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca," 2018).
The workplace in which we will implement our workplace wellness and stress reduction
program will be a customer service call center with 40 employees located in Asheville, NC. This
office space consists of cubicles for all employees, 2 break rooms, 2 conference rooms, and an
outdoor seating area. The company takes great pride in the care of their employees and is
sensitive to the stress both physically and mentally of the job description. Implementing a
program that will initially focus on hatha yoga, guided meditation, and wellness awareness will
hopefully begin to show the benefits in stress reduction as well as interest in wellness among the
employees. As interest, participation, and benefits are seen there will be additions to the program
in categories of activities and incentives.
Implementing a workplace wellness program focused on stress reduction within this
organization will benefit the employees and the employers as individuals, but also as
professionals. On a personal level, this program can improve the employee’s health, behaviors,
risk of disease, and quality of life. On an organizational level, this program will decrease health
care costs and absenteeism, increase productivity, sense of value, morale, and commitment. As
the program grows, it will benefit the community by incorporating incentives from other local
businesses, involvement in community wellness activities, and overall awareness of better health
("Workplace Health Model | Workplace Health Promotion | CDC," 2016).
“Our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of our employees to create an
environment focused on productivity. We are committed to increasing the awareness and
knowledge of stress reduction on a personal and professional level. We will be incorporating
education and activities to ensure the management and prevention of stress and illness among our
employees along with increasing support of healthy behaviors to create lasting results. We aim to
promote positive attitudes toward healthier lifestyles and utilize the resources that the community
has to offer in order to benefit our employees, their families, and our organization as a whole.”
From the feedback that was collected from the original pitch of this program there was a
reduction in the beginning phase of the program in order to focus only on hatha yoga, meditation,
and education and activities pertaining to overall wellness and stress reduction. Also, the timeline
for operations was developed to determine how much time would be needed in order to begin the
program and there was a job description intact for the part-time wellness coordinator. Due to the
pitch feedback and alterations made, the budget was adjusted and recalculated.
The budgeted items for this wellness program will consist of: part-time salaried wellness
coordinator for education, support, and activities, yoga/relaxation room with equipment for each
employee, and bi-weekly health awareness luncheons. The part-time wellness coordinator will
receive $1,500 each month to cover 5 hours of yoga classes each week, 1 hour of guided
meditation each week, 2 hours for health awareness luncheons each month, 2 health awareness
newsletters each month, and correspondence with employees to answer questions, education
topic requests, plan activities, and discuss concerns. This position will grow as the program
shows growth and benefits. One conference room will be transformed into a yoga/meditation
room. There will be $350 spent on a unit to store each employees’ yoga mat, mediation cushion,
and shoes, $150 spent on a speaker and docking system for music and background noise, and
$1,000 spent for each employee to have their own yoga mat and meditation cushion for a one-
time cost total of $1,500. It will take two weeks to set up a schedule for the classes and design a
25
program for the company. While this is taking place, the set-up of the yoga/meditation room will
be in effect. The equipment will be ordered and received within this two-week period and an
initial newsletter and introduction to the program will created.
The yoga/meditation room will be able to comfortably facilitate 20 people at a time, so
the classes will be split into two 20-minute classes. This will be a mandatory hatha yoga/stretch
class at the beginning of the work day with a 10-minute work day meeting in between, which all
will attend. The schedules determining who takes which class time will alternate if necessary to
accommodate all employees. There will be two 30-minute guided meditation classes each week
during a lunch period. This class will be mandatory for the beginning of the program in order to
educate the employees of the benefits of meditations and teach some basic practices, but this
portion of the program will be optional after that. The yoga/meditation room will be open and
available during work hours if meditation or stretching is desired during mandatory break times.
This will be a no-talking area and enforced as a place of quiet meditation, with the exception of
meditation music or white noise. Wellness Wednesday educational luncheons will occur bi-
weekly. There will be a wellness topic and lunch will be provided to those who participate. This
luncheon will be planned and lead by the wellness coordinator and cover topics to increase
awareness, knowledge, and behavior change pertaining to physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual wellness.
The workplace wellness and stress reduction program has been designed to be sustained
over an unstated timeline. The aim is to employee a wellness coordinator that handles the
program on a part-time basis, which can be increased with growth. Having an in-house program
planner and implementer will allow for the constant evolution to ensure success and longevity.
The initial time period will be for a full fiscal year that will be assessed quarterly which will
allow for the tracking of expenditures, reimbursements, and salaries to be distributed and tracked
with ease of the company budget. The budget for the first quarter will be $6,000, due to the one-
time costs of set up, and $4,500 the following quarters to cover the salaried wellness coordinator,
for an annual total of $19,500. There will be bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activities
to track progress, motivate, receive feedback, and fine tune the program along the way. Quarterly
assessments will create tangible results along the way to show the participation and benefits of
the program.
Journal Writing:
Explore: Creating Connection. Practice developing these qualities in building stronger and
healthier relationships. This should be a minimum of one full page.
OPENNESS: a quality based on seeing the other person’s point of view. This quality is
definitely, like the book said, easier to do in a new relationship. In the beginning there are no
barriers. You like a person and they like you and you want this to continue. Listen as if for the
first time. Believe as though there is no reason to doubt. There is no competitive nature over
what is right and wrong between you. This will help grow your relationship, but also
remembering that being open means that you have to be open with your feelings as well and not
holding back, which creates a barrier.
EMPATHY: quality based on feeling what the other person is feeling. I like that the book
clearly stated that you must be able to understand your own feelings before you can identify and
relate to other peoples’ feelings. It is important to remember that everyone has the right to feel a
particular way and that it is not wrong to have emotions, but how these feelings and emotions are
managed is what really makes a difference in relationships. How you may feel or react to a
26
certain situation will be vastly different due to your life experiences and you may be able to offer
comfort and guidance from a more non-emotional stand-point, but do not do this in a criticizing
manner, but supportive.
COMPASSION: quality that utilizes empathy to create a desire to help others. You must
be a good listener. Be willing to just be a body, a sounding-board, and someone to hug/hold. You
are not trying to fix the problem but to walk with them through it to the other side. If they are not
ready to even walk, just be there.
LOVING-KINDNESS: quality in which you want the best for another. You must want
them to be happy, successful, feel loved, have fun, have a great day even. We cannot wish ill on
people and not expect it to affect our own awareness/mindfulness.
SYMPATHETIC JOY: quality of being happy that others are feeling happy and joyful. I
think that loving-kindness and sympathetic joy are very similar in that they both are a desire to
see and wish the best for others. Joy is a permanent form of happiness, not determined by daily
happenings. Happiness is more of a surface emotion that comes and goes. Now, with it being the
opposite of jealousy, envy, and resentment, it is no wonder that this can be more challenging with
“difficult ones.” Using the other qualities with difficult people will allow for a regression of
jealousy and a progression of sympathetic joy. It is not abnormal to rejoice when people that you
do not like struggle. We tend to see it as “karma” or a punishment that we do not have to be
responsible for, but we are responsible for the ill will that we feel.
EQUANIMITY: quality of wisdom to comprehend the interconnectedness of all life. This
is a great quality that our entire nation, and world, need to adopt. We are all created equal. We are
all very different, but much the same. We must realize that everyone we come in contact with is
someone’s son or daughter, maybe mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, sibling, wife or
husband, etc. Whatever the circumstance, we must realize that there is a reason that you
encountered them and also that theirs is a different story than yours and that their understanding
may be different than yours. The Golden Rule helps understand this quality also.
In conclusion, I will say that this exploration helped me to realize that there are some
areas that I need work on in my relationships with others, especially with difficult people.
Realizing that all people are really yearning to be accepted, loved, and to have security will help
me to cultivate the other qualities in my relationships. I will also remember that it is not
uncommon to not receive the same mindfulness in return, but that I am not responsible for the
actions of others, but only for my actions and reactions.
27
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for
9
Unit
Management and Prevention to your

Professional Life
Key Learning Point: “Whereas psychologists and stress-management counselors caution against the
hazards of avoidance, the practice of diversions has often been advocated as a bona fide coping
strategy (Seaward, 2015).” There is definitely a difference between avoiding and covering up
the underlying cause of the stress and not giving it the power to take over your life, your health,
your relationships, etc. I think the key to this type of “distraction” is that it is a “pursuit of
leisure that provides pleasure (Seaward, 2015).” Hobbies will allow for a break from the stress
which physiologically will allow our bodies to heal and return to homeostasis, or at least in part.
Key Learning Point: Not all strategies for coping with stress will benefit every individual equally. In
order for a coping method to be effective it must include one or more of the following: “increase
awareness of the cause of the stress, help process information about the stressor, and adjust
attitude and possibly behavior to work toward a peaceful resolution (Seaward, 2015).”
Key Learning Point: The secret to being successful in the management and prevention of our stress
is to utilize our own inner resources of intuition, creativity, willpower, faith, humor, love,
courage, self-reliance, and optimism. We should follow these steps: 1) identify our stressors 2)
consider interventions 3) integrate mind, emotion, body, and spirit 4) create a strategy (Seaward,
2015).
28
Additional Information
Primary Sources
Website: These two websites, MindBodyGreen and Well+Good, have a vast array of up-to-date
articles, videos, podcasts, and reviews on wellness. The journey towards reducing stress and
being able to properly manage it will mean working towards wellness in mental, physical,
emotional, and spiritual holism. These are good resources to be passed along to clients, or to
reference as a professional.
mindbodygreen. (2018). mindbodygreen. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/
Well+Good | Your Healthiest Relationship. (2018). Well+Good | Your Healthiest Relationship.
Retrieved 2 April 2018, from https://www.wellandgood.com/
Secondary Sources
Book: Essential Spirituality is a wonderful book by Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D. that I read for
another class focused on learning to create wellness through the psychological and spiritual
aspects of healing. Throughout this course on stress management and prevention I was able to
see how the overall spiritual wellness and growth will allow for stress prevention and reduction.
The information and exercises in this book would be a positive addition to the information given
on this subject and that I would keep in my library as a professional.
Carlson, R. (2017). Don't sweat the small stuff-- and it's all small stuff. New York: Hachette
Books.
Book: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff—and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson is a good read in
my personal library. This book is entertaining and applicable to the everyday stresses of life. It
does not attack stress in as much depth physiologically, but it is a beneficial tool on this topic, as
well as it gives some helpful tips to add to recommendations learned in this course.
Walsh, R. (2000). Essential spirituality. New York: Wiley.
Video: The video Stress: How to Manage and Reduce It found on WebMD is a short, but
informative tool for those who are looking for a few quick tips towards conquering stress on a
surface level. It is always good to have visual aids for those who may not want to sit and read for
an extended period. Though this is not an in-depth video, it will open up the door to deeper
discussion and guidance with the client.
29
Stress: How to Manage and Reduce It. (2018). WebMD. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from
https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/tips-to-control-stress#1
30
References
Definition of Attitude in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (2018). Oxford Dictionaries | English.
Retrieved 28 February 2018, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/attitude
Definition of Neuroplasticity. (2018). MedicineNet. Retrieved 13 February 2018, from
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40362
Gregoire, C. (2018). This Geographically Isolated Country May Have Found the Key to
Happiness. HuffPost UK. Retrieved 21 February 2018, from
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/06/buddhism-happiness_n_4719588.html
Mills, H., Reiss, N., & Dombeck, M. (2008). Visualization and Guided Imagery Techniques for
Stress Reduction. Mentalhelp.net. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from
https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/visualization-and-guided-imagery-techniques-for-
stress-reduction/
Neff, K. (2018). Definition and Three Elements of Self Compassion | Kristin Neff. Self-
Compassion. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from http://self-compassion.org/the-three-elements-
of-self-compassion-2/
Nordqvist, C. (2018). About Neuroscience. Neuro.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 13 February 2018,
from https://neuro.georgetown.edu/about-neuroscience
Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (8th
ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Stahl, B. & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA:
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation. (2014). WebMD. Retrieved 14 March
2018, from https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-
31
breathing-exercises-for-relaxation
Types of Breathing. (2017). Simonlaucentre.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from
http://simonlaucentre.co.uk/2017/02/04/types-of-breathing/
Walsh, R. (2000). Essential spirituality. New York: Wiley.
Workplace Health Model | Workplace Health Promotion | CDC. (2016). Cdc.gov. Retrieved 22
March 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/model/
Workplace Wellness | Workplaces That Work | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca. (2018). Hrcouncil.ca.
Retrieved 22 March 2018, from http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/workplaces-health-
safety.cfm
32

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KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Stress Management and Prevention

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

April 04, 2018

UNIT 2 THE PHYSIO LOGY OF STRESS

UNIT 3 PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS

UNIT 4 PERSONAL ITY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRITUAL ITY

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATE GIES

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

AND M ENTAL IM AGE RY

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

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

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

ADDITI ONAL INF ORM ATIO N

REF EREN CES

(This page intentionally left blank)

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Situation Start Midway End

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping

Meditation, and Mental Imagery

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Workplace wellness is growing in popularity because it is being seen as a necessity and

Management and Prevention to your

mindbodygreen. (2018). mindbodygreen. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from

Well+Good | Your Healthiest Relationship. (2018). Well+Good | Your Healthiest Relationship.

Retrieved 2 April 2018, from https://www.wellandgood.com/

Walsh, R. (2000). Essential spirituality. New York: Wiley.

Definition of Attitude in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (2018). Oxford Dictionaries | English.

Retrieved 28 February 2018, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/attitude

Definition of Neuroplasticity. (2018). MedicineNet. Retrieved 13 February 2018, from

Happiness. HuffPost UK. Retrieved 21 February 2018, from

Stress Reduction. Mentalhelp.net. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from

Compassion. Retrieved 2 April 2018, from http://self-compassion.org/the-three-elements-

Nordqvist, C. (2018). About Neuroscience. Neuro.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 13 February 2018,

ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

2018, from https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-

Types of Breathing. (2017). Simonlaucentre.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from

Walsh, R. (2000). Essential spirituality. New York: Wiley.

March 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/model/

Workplace Wellness | Workplaces That Work | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca. (2018). Hrcouncil.ca.

Retrieved 22 March 2018, from http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/workplaces-health-

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