tina samaniego resource guide

KAPLAN UNIVERSITYHW410 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 SI T Y

Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide

By

Tina Samaniego

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

September 27, 2015

Table of Contents

U N I T 1 T H E N A T U R E O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember............................................................3Self-Assessment Exercises........................................................3-4Journal Writing..........................................................................4-5

U N I T 2 T H E P H Y S I O L O G Y O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember............................................................6Self-Assessment Exercises........................................................6-7Journal Writing........................................................................7-10

U N I T 3 P S Y C H O L O G Y O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember..........................................................11Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................11-12Journal Writing......................................................................12-13

U N I T 4 P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S A N D T H E H U M A N S P I R I T U A L I T Y


U N I T 5 D E A L I N G W I T H S T R E S S : C O P I N G S T R A T E G I E S

Information to Remember..........................................................20Journal Writing......................................................................20-21

U N I T 6 R E L A X A T I O N T E C H I Q U E S 1 : B R E A T H I N G , M E D I T A T I O N , A N D M E N T A L I M A G E R Y


U N I T 7 N U T R I T I O N A N D S T R E S S

Information to Remember..........................................................26Self-Assessment Exercises....................................................26-28

U N I T 8 P H Y S I C A L E X E R C I S E A N D A C T I V I T Y


U N I T 9 A P P L Y I N G S T R E S S : C R I T I C A L I S S U E S F O R M A N A G E M E N T A N D P R E V E N T I O N T O Y O U R P R O F E S S I O N A L L I F E

Information to Remember..........................................................35

A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N 36

R E F E R E N C E S37

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Unit 1: The Nature of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: There is a physiological reaction called “fight of flight” within the body when dealing with a stressful situation. Fight is triggered by anger, whereby flight is a response to fear (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Although stress typically has a negative connotation, there are good forms of stress. Eustress is the type of stress that pushes you toward accomplishing a goal or something that would prove to be positive in your life (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is an awareness of what is happening right now, in the present. Mindfulness is known as originating in Buddhism, but has evolved to being practiced all over the world (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:The largest percentage of my mandala is physical well-being because I have a chronic illness

that I treat by eating a healthy diet and by being physically active. Mental and emotional well-being

share equal shares in my mandala. The smallest percentage in my mandala is spiritual well-being.

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

When I am at my gym in the early morning, I am able to find the most balance in my work

day. This is the time where I am able to focus on my physical well-being, my emotional state is

happy, my mental well-being is sharp and focused and spiritually I am at peace.

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Nurturing my relationship with myself and with others can be adversely affected by stress

which impedes my spiritual growth. Stress and worry related to circumstance outside your own

control effects your spiritual well-being by distracting focus on your own well-being. Practicing

meditation and concentrating on breathing are two such ways to bring homeostasis back to your

spiritual purpose. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Journal Writing:Unit One Journal Writing

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: “How Stressed Are You?” Directions are found on

pages 11 and 12 of the Mindfulness workbook. List the situation on the left. Use a rating scale of 1

through 10 for the start, midway, and end. You will use this Journal Assignment as a way of mapping

your stress throughout the course. Keep it handy and refer back to it often.

Situation Start Midway EndWork - when my manager and co-workers have unrealistic expectations of deadlines or when they expect me to drop the projects I'm working on and complete what they need in the moment.

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Money - over the past 5 years I've been laid off from a job where I was employed 15 years and have worked at 3 jobs since. I am always concerned I may lose my job and not be able to meet the needs of my family or my household.

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Son's health - my son is HIV-positive and is a recovering drug addict. I am worried about him relapsing and the possibility of some of his life choices affecting his disease.

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Daughter - my daughter is a single mother of 2 beautiful young girls. Although she has her MSW, I am concerned about her health and finances because she is always stressed out and worried. I want to do more for her than what is within my means.

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My health - I have SLE and other auto-immune diseases. Although I try to be as healthy as I possibly can be, I often tend to put others and other responsibilities in front of taking care of myself.

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Concern for all animals - I am a vegan and love all animals. 6

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I get extremely concerned when I hear about animal abuse or neglect.School - I work full time and go to school (almost) full-time. I often worry about not being able to complete my school work on time or to the best of my ability.

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Marriage - I have been married four times and I bring baggage from my former marriages into my current relationship. I am always ready to "leave" when I feel situations from previous relationships appear in my current marriage.

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Siblings - I am estranged from 3 of my 4 siblings. They are pretty nasty people. When my father passes away I will have to interact with them and choose not to include them in my life.

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Unit 2: The Physiology of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Two parts of the central nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system is what is engaged when a flight or fight stressor is triggered and the parasympathetic nervous system is what calms the body (Seaward, 2015). When the sympathetic nervous system is constantly stressed it can lead to chronic disease.

Key Learning Point: The immune system is affected by an increase in stress hormones. Migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure are conditions related to an increased release of stress hormones (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: There is a connection between mindfulness and the ability to reduce stress. Stress hormones are increased when you are experiencing stressful situations. If you can learn how to identify the stressful triggers that affect your body and mind, you will be able to learn new methods of better balance in your daily life (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Neuroscience is the fascinating study of the nervous system, how it evolves, the physical attributes

and how it relates to the brain. The neuroscience of the brain relates to what impact it has on behavior and

cognitive functions (Nordqvist, 2012). As neural science evolved, scientist found that the brain had more

functions including generating new cell growth and connections to various brain cells which is called

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neuroplasticity (Seward, 2015). An example of neuroplasticity is how the brain is able to recover cognitive

and physical capabilities after an injury.

Stress, where the nervous system is affected, can trigger a myriad of diseases. Irritable bowel

syndrome (IBS), ulcers, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and tension headaches have some correlation

to being triggered, exacerbated or caused because the nervous system is affected by stress. Another

condition related to the nervous system being affected by stress is tension headaches.

Stress where there is an increase in adrenaline that raises the heart rate and increases blood

pressure can cause long-damage to the cardiovascular system. People who have this level of stress in

their life could be subject to heart palpitations, a heart attack or stroke (Bushak, 2014).

Asthma is another disease that can be caused to the affects stress to the nervous system. Stress

can cause a physiological reaction that constricts airways and trigger asthma. People with asthma

experience shortness of breath and use cortisone inhalers to un-constrict the blood vessels in their

lung which allow them to breathe easier. Individuals who experience panic attacks may

hyperventilate, and appear they're gasping for breath. Meditation and breathing therapies are helpful

for those affected by asthma and breathing conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus are auto-immune diseases which are negatively affected by

stress. RA and lupus share symptoms of joint inflammation which is caused by an over-reactive immune

system targeting joints which causes pain and swelling. During periods where there is a higher level of

stress in individuals with RA, joint pain can become increased. Inflammation can also be seen in the

skin, heart, lungs and kidney (Seaward, 2015). One condition which lupus patients experience is a rash

(referred to as a butterfly rash) that covers the facial cheek area and over the bridge of the nose.

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Journal Writing:Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

I would love to falsify my answer to this question and say that I don't let other people affect

my life, but that would be a lie. Generally, however, I don't get anxious about people but I do get

anxious in the environment others can cause in my life. I've been judged and bullied my entire life by

my siblings and sometimes by my father which has in-turn given me a thick skin towards how I allow

other people to affect my life. I moved out of my childhood home when I was 17 years old, and I

didn't ask for financial support from my parents since then. I have many accomplishments which I

have earned on my own. I didn't need the support from my family and sadly I have also learned that

friendships can also be disposable so the successes I have earned, I fully believe are my own and I am

proud of them.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

This question, unfortunately, sums up the largest portion of stress in my life. I am a software

analyst for a logistics firm in a northwest suburb of Chicago. I am the only female in my department,

and over the course of my career in the Information Technology field have found very few other

females in this role. I find that in my role I am expected to just do my job and to not expect anything

in return but my paycheck. The males in my department seem as though they compete for attention

from the Sr. Management staff to receive accolades for their work with giving little to no

acknowledgement of my contributions. I usually have a tension headache by 10am each day due to

the unrealistic timelines given for projects. My manager does not know how to say, "no" to others

which contributes heavily to the stress in our work environment. Almost every day I am pulled off

one "urgent" task that was supposed to be completed by the end of the day to move to another "hot

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issue" that just needs to be done right now because someone screamed louder about their needs.

There is no logical prioritizing of projects within my team which leads to our group being very tense

and stressed. I go to the gym after work so I don't bring the stress from my job into my home. When

I work out for an hour after work, I am able to release the stress and tension from my body and am

able to go home and just be happy with my husband and dogs.

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

I don't often feel stressed of anxious about world events. I do feel sympathetic towards the

families of terrorist attacks or natural disasters. There are many other countries where people live

with many more challenges than I face living in the Midwest of the United States. Tornadoes are the

only known natural disaster I'm aware of living in my area which is far less likely than devastating

earthquakes in Japan. Random crime is one of the only other stressful situations I am faced with in

my geographical area, and is far less likely than living in an urban city. For these reasons, my level of

stress or anxiety regarding world issues is low.

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

Stress and anxiety about food and eating habits is prevalent in my life. I firmly believe that a

healthy diet and good nutrition is the key to good health and happiness. I began eating a vegan diet

about 10 years ago and find myself defending my decision not to eat any animal products on a daily

basis which becomes stressful. I don't ask others why they choose to eat animals, and I believe in bio-

individuality and each person needs to find the diet that works best for them. It's difficult to go out to

dinner when I eat vegan and try not to eat foods containing gluten. When asked to meet for dinner by

family or friends, I am anxious because I assume that the restaurant won't have anything that I can eat

except a garden salad or something unhealthy like french fries. I also get anxious when I want to eat

something I know is going to adversely affect my health, like french fries or other fried vegetables.

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Vegan desserts are also relatively not healthy because they include higher amounts of oil and sugar to

make them taste similar to desserts that have dairy in them.

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

I have slight anxiety about not being able to go to sleep or when I wake up in the middle of the

night, I am not able to go back to sleep. There have been many occasions where I've had very little

sleep and I need to go to work. When I don't get at least 5 hours of sleep before a work day, I know

I'm going to feel bad-tempered during the day and I don't like feeling that way toward others.

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

I have to plan my weekly workouts in advance. If I don't have a dedicated workout plan for

my week, I get very stressed and anxious. Physical activity is my prescription for feeling better

emotionally and physically. It brings back mental clarity after a long stressful work day.

Summary

It's apparent from working through this journal assignment, and as much as I want to fight

stress and anxiety in my life, its present and something I need to recognize and learn alleviate and

deal with. As mentioned in History of Discrimination against Women: Past and Present

(NoBullying.com, 2015), "Discrimination against women is something that many people have grown

accustomed to, and that is a problem. Accepting and forgiving discrimination—even in small amounts

—will lead to continued discrimination throughout future generations", discrimination in my

workplace is something I need to deal with instead of condone. The stress which is caused during the

8 hours of each of my work days causes physical and emotional distress. If I can learn ways to

eliminate this undue stress from such a large portion of my life, my health and emotional well-being

will improve.

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Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: The Tibetan culture, which can partly be explained from the teachings of Buddha

who was referred to as the enlightened one who extensively studied the concept mind and how it relates to suffering (Seaward, 2015). The philosophy of Buddha is known as Buddhism explains that stress is the tension between self (ego) and the greater mind (higher self). When desires or expectations become unreasonable, they cause stress. In order for one to calm their stress, they must tame their mind which brings healing and inner peace (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: The most common process among theorists is self-awareness. When an individual needs to resolve issues in their behavior or to manage anxiety or stress in their lives, they need to confront (or bring to the forefront or awareness) what is causing the behavior or anxiety in their lives. Sometimes this can be a painful process because it can be difficult for some individuals to see what causes they may be contributing to the issues in their lives. Defensiveness is common when beginning to move out of the role of victim and into moving forward with making positive changes to better cope with anxiety, stress or change behavior (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mindful breathing is a meditation practice that calms the mind and allow you to relax. When you practice mindful breathing you should be in a comfortable position in order to feel relaxed and so while you focus on your breathing you’re not thinking about feeling uncomfortable. While practicing mindful breathing your mind will likely wander and this is fine. When you’re ready to go back to focus on your breathing, do so without forcing the issue (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:One way to cope, manage and resolve fear is by using the A.W.A.R.E. system. Accept the anxiety,

watch the anxiety, act normally, repeat the aforementioned steps, and expect the best (Tyrrell, n.d.). I

have not experienced much fear or anxiety in my life, but I have family member who have issues dealing

with anxiety and this system sounds like it would be something that may be helpful with certain

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situations. Meditation techniques, such as focusing on breathing would also be a helpful method to ease

the mind and relax the body when someone experiences a high level of fear.

According to Seaward (2015), speaking with precision and directness, avoiding information

overload, listening and interpreting information, and speaking clearly and directly are methods you can

use to improve your communication style. It's important to not speak in a way that you mis-

communicate information to your intended audience

Journal Writing:Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

For our unit three journal writing assignment, I congratulated myself for taking some time to

meditate which means that I was also focusing on self-compassion because I rarely take time all to

myself. One time which my mind wandered during my meditation was thinking about the amazingly

wonderful feeling I felt in relaxation and trying to just focus on breathing from my abdomen. This led

to me then thinking about what reasons I may have for not taking more time solely for myself. Would

I feel selfish if I weren't always doing things for others and spreading myself to thin? Was I trying to

avoid portions of my current life that I didn't want to deal with by always putting others first? Or, do

I feel that I don't deserve to take time for myself because I'm not always the best person? As my

thoughts were rolling into the negative area of beating myself up for not always being a good person,

I remembered that I was exercising mindfulness and needed to re-focus on my breathing. Once I was

able to fully focus on my breathing, feeling my stomach rise and fall with each breath, a warm feeling

came over my being. I am typically cold and wear many layers or have a blanket around me, however

with this warm feeling there was no need for layers or a blanket. It was as if this warmth equaled

comfort for me to stay right where I was, just breathing. My mind once again began to wander, but to

a happy place where I began thinking about all the blessings and happiness I have in my life. I didn't

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think about dysfunction and situations which made me anxious. I was just thinking about happy

things which had recently happened. Once I was able to go back to just feeling my breath, I

congratulated myself for taking the time to meditate, as mentioned in Stahl & Goldstein (2010), and

for achieving a few minutes to be happy with myself.

I start my day trying to be positive and deal with the stressful situations at my office better

than the previous days. I really do have good intentions, however it doesn't take very long before the

tension begins and I start getting ice pick headaches. As a matter of fact, I had these headaches this

afternoon. Tomorrow, when the tension builds, I am going to find a place to take a 5 minute

meditation break and although frustration and negativity may seep into my thoughts, I believe that I'll

be able to turn this time around to begin again fresh and without judgment.

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human SpiritualityInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Self-esteem is defined in levels, as Seaward (2015) discusses in Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Wellbeing. People with low self-esteem appear to have Type A personalities which are stress prone, whereas as those with high self-esteem have stress-resistant personalities. Self-esteem is portrayed in how an individual behaves and how they're able to interact with others (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Values feed beliefs which attitudes are stemmed from. Values are life rules I learned from my parents, teachers, and role models in my life. I formed my own personal beliefs from what I learned in life based on the values

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which were instilled in me. And, I believe that attitudes which I portray are from the beliefs I've developed. Personal beliefs are learned and built over your lifetime which give substance to the way we think and how we act. When someone doesn't share the same value you may strongly believe in, or try and push their own belief on you, this can cause stress (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: The body scan is a method of meditation where your focus is on what the present moment is within your internal body. This brings awareness to what or how you’re feeling within your body. The body scan allows you feel what is happening with your body instead thinking about it. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Prochaska’s Stages of Change Model is a tool that can be used when an individual needs to change

a behavior. For example, if someone recognized they needed to increase their physical activity, their stages

of change model could be the following:

Precontemplative stage: they wouldn't necessarily feel that there is a real need to exercise more and

would find excuses why they don't need to.

Contemplative stage: someone such as a Dr. or a trusted family member or friend has given the

individual information which has made them think they should consider adding exercise into their

daily routine.

Determination stage: in this stage, the individual would begin making decisions to make a plan to

start exercising.

Action stage: the individual would be actively working the exercise plan they had put together in the

determination stage.

Maintenance stage: this would be the stage that the individual would make exercising part of their

daily transformation.

Relapse: during this stage the individual may either exercise less or completely stop exercising for a period

of time.

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Journal Writing:Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

With fear, I identify with tenseness and feeling overwhelmed. I mostly feel fear while I am at

my job. It's not a feeling of deep despair of worry, but more a feeling that I'm not able to do my job,

to the best of my ability, because of others ego's and their own fears. I get tension headaches,

sometimes I get ice pick headaches, usually before lunchtime. My head throbs and I feel tightness in

my temples. Other parts of my body which are affected by the emotion of fear are my hands and

chest. I find myself fidgeting and clenching my fists. When I experience severe tension, I feel

tightness in my chest and also that I begin breathing more rapidly. The words that are associated with

fear are feelings I try and avoid. When I fear fearful, I usually try and take a walk to remove myself

from the atmosphere that's causing these feelings.

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

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I am more familiar with feeling uncertain than the other words for confusion. When I think

about confusion, I associate this with a feeling of either not wanting to understand something or a lack

of caring to understand a situation. When I am confused, I generally tend to feel uncertain about a

situation, however I do my best to end the confusion as quickly as possible, otherwise I end up feeling

like I'm not intelligent. I tend to feel confusion in my eyes and my temples on either side of my head.

When I'm confused I usually have a dumbfounded look on my face, my mouth is open and my

eyebrows are raised. Confusion generally makes me stop talking so I can think about the situation I

am confused about. I will try and alleviate the feeling of confusion as quickly as possible. Confusion

brings to mind shaking your head back and forth and shrugging shoulders. I have also seen others

who panic when they feel confusion. Not knowing or understanding something about a situation can

affect people in different ways. I feel more frustrated than panicked when I'm feeling confused.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

I can identify aggravation, agitation, annoyance, disgust, frustration, and irritation with the

emotion anger. I wish I could be less angry because I do believe that the negative energy I associate

with anger is a waste of time. I feel anger in my entire body. My fists are typically clenched, my

facial expressions are strained and my heart is racing. I associate anger with the word ugly. I don't

think I look attractive when I'm angry and I also don't know anyone else who looks pretty or

handsome when they're angry. I understand that anger is part of life and in some ways necessary to

produce positive outcomes in situations. I get irritated with myself when I'm feeling angry because I

don't want anything to affect me to the point of feeling anger. I think the words aggravation,

agitation, annoyance, disgust, frustration and irritation are milder than the actual feeling of anger. It

takes a lot to make me feel anger, and the feeling is usually short-lived.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

Disappointment and unhappiness is what comes to mind with the emotion sadness. I like to

think I am a compassionate person and I feel mild sadness for others who are in unfortunate situations

or for others who are sad. I try not to be sad for myself, however there are times that I do fee sadness.

When I experience this emotion, I cry and talk to myself. I feel that trying to talk through the sadness

can be helpful. I also think that I feel sadness in my hand expressions. I have a tendency to throw my

hands up in the air, and run my fingers through my hair when I am feeling sadness. Depending on the

reason I am feeling sadness, I will either want to be by myself or I desire to surround myself with

people who extend warm and positive energy. I am not a person who likes to talk to others about

sadness, but this doesn't mean that I want to alienate myself away from others. I just don't necessarily

like telling others my issues which are associated with sadness, but I prefer sharing happiness.

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

The words I can relate to with the emotion shame are guilt, embarrassment, and humiliation. I

think as I get older, I don't feel shame as much as I did in my younger years. The parts of my body

that identifies with shame are my head, hands and stomach. I shake my head at myself when I am

feeling shame. I also wave my hands around and usually feel sick to my stomach. Shame is

something I feel is brought on because of something you've done to yourself and I am very hard on

myself so this is not a pleasant emotion for me to experience. I would like to hope that I don't

deliberately do things that would bring shame to my emotions, but there are times that I do things that

I may have not thought all the way through which causes the feeling of shame. Feeling shame is

definitely a call to action for me to right what I feel I've done wrong.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

Love makes me think of affection, caring and compassion. For me, love is such a strong

word. I am guarded with who I gift with my love. When I feel love, it is felt with my entire being.

There is a tingly sensation throughout my body and my heart feels soft. I reserve this feeling for

others who I only feel deserve it. I also think that love is one of the most gentle and strong, at the

same time, emotions there are to be felt. I feel love from others in my eyes, mind and heart. My

belief is that the physical act of love is secondary to the emotion of love. Love makes me feel full,

warm and comfortable. Love gives me compassion for others. I also feel there is a tremendous

difference between the emotion of love and the feeling of being in love. For me, being in love adds

the words attraction and desire. Love can also be felt during times of extreme sadness. When my

mother died, I felt nothing buy love for her and extreme sadness for myself.

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

Joy reminds me of fun, bliss, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement, and exhilaration.

Joy consumes my entire body and soul. I can honestly feel joy inside my skin and organs. I have a

permanent smile and am filled with exuberance. I have a strong desire to share my joy with others.

Joy also leads to compassion for me. When I am feeling such happiness and enthusiasm, I want to

cure the world of sadness. If there were a way to bottle joy to use whenever I liked, I would make

that my career.

Summary

There are a lot of descriptive words that may explain certain emotions. Time and experience

is what has molded the words I identify with each of the emotions in this assignment. When I think of

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the emotion on a singular level, I can identify certain feelings. However, certain emotions can

intertwine with another emotion as in the example I gave about love and sadness. I also believe that

anger can lead to shame, fear and sadness. There may be a little part of each emotion in different

feelings. Although some emotions may have a negative connotation, I think they're all equally

important as long as you're able to allow yourself to feel the emotion and deal with the feelings and

process any emotion that may negatively affect your life.

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: There are different theories which have been developed to find out why people laugh. When you laugh at another’s expense, this is called the superiority theory. When something doesn’t necessarily make sense and seems silly, this is the incongruity theory. The divinity theory is the belief that laughter is a gift from God (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: There are behaviors that influence behavior. Type-A personality, workaholics and procrastinators are three of the seven personality types which are defined in Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Wellbeing. (Seaward, 2015). Type-A personality’s rush to finish their work, whereas workaholics work many hours to complete theirs, and procrastinator’s wait until the last minute and rush to complete their work (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mindfulness is an effective method to reduce stress and anxiety. There are mind traps that can intensify stress and anxiety, such as negative self-talk. It’s common to speak negatively about oneself. Practicing mindfulness is one way to identify what’s in your mind and to alleviate some of the traps that may cause stress and anxiety (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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Journal Writing:Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

For the unit 5 Journal exercise, I chose to go to one of my favorite places to walk. It's a place

where I go with my dogs and where I go to walk alone. It is a forest preserve called, Moraine Hills

State Park, located about 10 miles from my house. I've walked the trails at this nature preserve for at

least 10 years. To me, this is a safe, happy place where I've gone during some of the hardest times of

my life. I chose to go to Moraine Hills because I knew I would be able to work on this journal

exercise with the least amount of outside distractions and also because it's a place I already practice

mindfulness.

Although I thought the location would matter in helping me to keep my mind from wandering,

it was still difficult to get started. My first few steps were hurried and instead of focusing on my heel,

then toes touching the crushed limestone of the path, I was trying to figure out which bird's chirps I

was hearing. I was also lavishing in the smell of sunflowers and lavender, to be completely honest.

Instead of getting frustrated, I just kept trying. After focused concentration, first on my feet, then

ankles, knees, hips, lower back, abdomen, chest, upper back, neck and finally my head, I got the hang

of mindful walking.

I do some form of scheduled, dedicated fitness each day. I have a fracture in my right foot,

AVN in my right knee and an impact fracture in my right femur. I am always conscious of these

injuries and am always careful not to move in such a way to aggravate them to the extent I will need

to go and get a cortisone injection. What I noticed while I was doing my mindful walking, and

instead of concentrating on the injuries, I was paying attention to the mechanics of the physical body

movement involved in walking and the fear I typically have while exercising had subsided. My

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interest shifted from caution to trying to gain a deeper understanding of the procedures involved in

each movement within my body while walking.

I am very interested in anatomy and physiology, so this Journal exercise was very enjoyable. The

longer I took mindful steps, the more I was quizzing myself on which bones and muscles were involved

in the particular movement which brought my mind back to where I was walking and out of mindfulness.

Taking the time to actually walk slowly (my usual pace is very hurried), tune out distractions, the goal of

getting somewhere and just doing mindful steps was very worthwhile.

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing, Meditation, and Mental Imagery Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Decreased oxygen consumption, blood lactate levels, heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension have been noted in individuals who regularly meditate. In addition to the physiological effects from meditation, a greater sense of calm and well-being is also experienced by those who practice meditation regularly (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mental imagery can be used to promote a physical calm. Daydreaming is the most common form of mental imagery. When you need to take a break from a stressful situation, you can take a mental break and think about a place where you would like to be that makes you happy (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mental imagery focused on healing internal body images which may be affected by stress that can cause chronic disease. Some factors needed to be successful in healing using internal body images are "willpower, or the desire to take responsibility for health status, and faith, the belief that self-generated thought will bear fruit and are not an exercise in futility" (Seaward, 2015).

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Self-Assessment Exercise:There are coping strategies that are effective in managing stress. Diaphragmatic breathing is where

you focus on the entire breath from the time is passes through your nostrils and/or lips, through your throat

and down into your abdomen. Breathing is affected by stress. Seaward (2015) mentions there are 4 phases

of each breath. The first phase consists of taking the air into your lungs through the nose or mouth; the

second phase is a very slight pause before exhaling; exhalation, or releasing the air from your lungs through

the passage it entered is phase three; and phase four includes another slight exhalation before beginning the

next breath.

Mental imagery focused on healing internal body images which may be affected by stress that can

cause chronic disease. Some factors needed to be successful in healing using internal body images are

"willpower, or the desire to take responsibility for health status, and faith, the belief that self-generated

thought will bear fruit and are not an exercise in futility" (Seaward, 2015). This is the thought process that

if you have health issue caused by some adverse behavior such as drinking alcohol in excess, if you take

responsibility that this behavior caused the health issue, you're more prone to relax and alleviate some of

the symptoms you may be experiencing.

Journal Writing:Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

I am my own worst critic. When I look in the mirror I dissect each and every one of my flaws.

"I am so fat", "My face is beginning to age and sag", "I need plastic surgery", "and My hair is getting

so grey". I systematically pick apart each area of my physical being and say something negative

about it to myself. When I'm lying in bed before I doze off to sleep I think of what I feel is the perfect

me where I'm young, thin and beautiful. I think that my life would be so much better and all my

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problems would go away if I looked different than I do. I am not negative about my intelligence,

ability or any other facet of my life. My appearance has always been scrutinized by my father and

siblings to the degree that I was anorexic in junior and high school. Since I turned 50 last year I've

noticed how many of my normal bodily functions have slowed down. I walk slower. I think slower.

Almost everything I do is slower. I don't necessarily find too much wrong with slowing down. I've

lived a pretty face-paced life up to this point. I would have preferred to slow down by my own

decision and accord. I often say to myself, feel sorry for myself that I'm not able to do some of the

things I used to or to the ability I used to do. My hands don't work right, my eyes can't see or focus

like the used to. It can become frustrating and I get angry at myself although I have no control on

how my body’s abilities react any longer. I get upset because I eat a healthy diet and exercise, but

still blame myself for my own aging process. I do appreciate that I am able to do a lot more than

some people and that I have the ambition to get out of bed every day and keep forging ahead.

Seeds of suffering?

I do have a tendency to frequently water seeds of my own suffering. It's silly to say that I feed

my own suffering, but there are times where it feels like I want to do nothing but feel sorry for myself.

I realize that in my life I will never be pretty enough, smart enough or competent enough for certain

others. However, I also know that I am pretty and smart and competent enough for myself. Part of

my use of growing those seeds of suffering is due to trying to remain humble and to not be arrogant of

conceited. I don't think I'm better than others but I also should not compare myself to others or think

they're better than me. By comparing myself to others with regard to looks, financial worth or status,

sets myself up for watering the seeds of suffering.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

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I truly do my best at not being resentful, but I'm human and there are times I'm resentful. I

have spent most of my adult career in a male-dominated field. I've learned, over the past 25 years,

which no matter what is in my control, I will never be effective in this career. Some days I just shrug

my shoulders and persevere, however there are other days where I let the feelings of bitterness seep

through my cracks. The real kicker to this is that by allowing myself to be resentful, I'm giving

control back the male domination of the situation. I know I matter, my thoughts and contributions to

projects at my job matter. I know this. I can't control what others do with my ideas and contributions,

however. One way to make me seethe with resentment is to take my idea and take credit for it, which

does happen frequently. It's difficult for me not to be bitter at my work environment. I can, and I

should remove myself from this career and find something that can lesson or even eliminate the

likelihood of feeling resentful.

Reflection on writing?

Trying not to speak negative about myself or talking down to myself is easier said than done.

I grew up in an extremely judgmental household. I had siblings that were constantly cutting down

each other and myself. My father idolized Archie Bunker and condoned calling others inappropriate

names. Growing up in this environment, although I was told and educated against judgment, planted

the seeds of criticizing myself more so than not. Although I've had more positive influences in my

life than negative, and I know I shouldn't be so hard on myself, it still happens. I feel I'm fortunate

that I am more positive with my self-image. I don't take criticism from others to heart so I shouldn't

take my own self-criticism to heart either. I will forever be a work in progress.

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Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: Physical activity and nutrition are paramount in reducing stress. The physiological

effects of physical exercise are lower resting heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension, better sleep, cholesterol and immunity to viruses. Increased cardiac health is a seen with physical activity which is done on a on-going basis (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Chronic stress can lead to poor nutrition. Stress depletes nutrients in the body which are required for internal bodily functions. When some individuals are in a stressed state, they tend to eat poor quality food which further depletes nutrients in the body and can lead to chronic disease. Overeating is also a habit seen in individuals who are stressed and leads to obesity (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress can cause eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are two well-known eating disorders. Anorexia is when starvation and excessive exercise is used to lose weight. Bulimia is when food is consumed and then purged. Both conditions are very serious and can lead to serious medical issues if these practices continue for long periods of time (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:I am extremely fortunate to have a close friend who decided to be a yoga instructor. I met her

in a Les Mills Body Pump class. Body Pump is a barbell strength group fitness class that was offered

through our local park district. Her journey began from strength training and she also had taken belly

dance classes at a gym where we were both members. I'm not exactly certain what propelled her into

her Yoga practice, but as we were both going through a transition in our lives, she chose Yoga and I

chose Boxing. I'm fully aware of and have practiced the poses in the Mindful Lying Yoga practice in

A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook, Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). The reason I

chose this as my self-assessment assignment is because when I regularly practiced these poses, I felt

Unit

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the benefit physically, emotionally and mentally. For one, I am not disciplined at stretching before or

after any form of exercise. My hamstrings are extremely tight. This has caused bursitis in my back

and tendonitis in my neck from over compensating with tendons for tight muscles. I know stretching

is one of my weaknesses, however except for about one year of dedicated Yoga practice, I continue to

be a "bad stretcher". I physically felt better doing these Yoga poses and it also allowed me to step out

of my normal life routine and spend an hour each class to shut off everything but working on my body

and flexibility that I desperately needed.

So, I begin this practice in my basement, on the floor, on my yoga mat. I envision my friend,

Laurie sitting with me on her mat, we both hug each other. Good friends never seem to see enough of

each other and seem to never have enough to talk about together. OK, now I need to focus on this

practice. So, I open the book my book and look at page 92 and 93, "Supine Pose, Supine Full Body

Stretch, Supine Twist (oh I can't wait to do this one because it really feels great on my lower back),

Supine Full Body Stretch” (Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E., 2010). I can remember these. So I begin,

trying to stop thinking about outside situations and focus on my poses and how my body feels.

Physically, everything is tight as I expected. I used the Supine Pose to shut my mind off and

concentrate on my breathing for a while. I wasn't timing each pose, I just allowed myself to hold the

pose until I was ready to move to the next. The Supine Full Body Stretch doesn't feel as nice as you

might think when you have tight muscles and tendons. I stretched long at first and then just dialed it

back so that it didn't feel like I was pushing the stretch. I've been working on allowing myself to do

what I can and try not to push myself further than my body really wants me to go, so this was a good

validation that I am able to dial back when I need to. I tried not to rush into the Supine Twist, but I

know how much it helps loosen my lower back and hips. Doing this pose is definitely a feel good

practice and I practiced this longer than the other two poses because I was relishing in the feeling of

26

my spine going from popping and cracking to feeling loose and comfortable. It dawned on me that

maybe I should do this pose several times each day to help keep my back loose. I know I'll likely not

do this practice daily, but it's a nice thought.

I worked through the remainder of the poses in the practice. I was mostly concentrating on

doing the pose correctly. Once I was able to relax and not focus on perfecting the pose, I was able to

feel how my body reacted to the stretch. All of the poses proved to be a very positive physical

experience. I wasn't aware of how this practice enhanced my emotions or spiritual state. I did feel

that while working through the poses, I felt happy and secure. I felt proud and confident that I had

made this time to do nothing but yoga poses. No work, no kids, no husband, no work drama, no cell

phone or computer. It was just me, my mat, my body and my mind. Nearing the end of my practice, I

felt calm. Not just calm like I drank a soothing cup of coffee or tea, but calm in my physical and

emotional state. I felt like no matter what stresses the remainder of the day may bring about, it would

be OK and I would handle these situations with grace and patience.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and ActivityInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: The body needs physical exercise for physiological homeostasis. There are six components of physical exercise – cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, agility, power and anaerobic exercise (Seaward, 2015).

Unit

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Key Learning Point: Exercise that increases cardiovascular endurance help keeps the body’s physiological systems in balance. When bodily processes are not balanced organs can absorb trace minerals which can cause dysfunction (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: We interact with others each and every day. Creating interpersonal mindfulness will enrich relationships with others. Loving-kindness is where you genuinely with another well. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Self-Assessment Exercises:Provide a summary of the Proposal for Health and Wellness Management

September 2015

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

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

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

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

RATIONALE

The purpose of the health and wellness management program is to allow the employees of the

company to enhance their sense of well-being, promote healthy lifestyle choices throughout the work

days and offer opportunity’s to staff to choose ways to reduce stress. The benefit of this program is

two-fold. First is to benefit employees, and the second is to increase productivity, enhance job

satisfaction and improve employee retention (Federal Worksite Wellness Programs, n.d.).

MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES

The practices in this program which are available for company employees include:

Meditation practices may include:

o Exclusive meditation

o Breathing exercises

o Mental imagery and visualization

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o Chanting

Yoga practices may include:

o Stretching

o Balance

o Asanas

Exercise practices may include:

o Walking/Power walking/Jogging

o Stairs

o Calisthenics

CAPITAL OUTLAY

The only capital require the business would need to provide is space where employees can take their

break and if they choose, they could meditate or exercise. The exercise space would be large enough

to accommodate several employee’s doing calisthenics at the same time. There would also need to be

provisions that employees are able to leave the premises to walk or jog outside when the weather

permits. The business would not need to purchase any equipment. The meditation and yoga space

needs to be in a remote and quiet location within the office.

BENEFITS

The benefit of this program is two-fold. First is to benefit employees, with giving staff time and space

to relax during their hectic work day, and allowing them to practice mindfulness will likely help keep

them well and reduce the risk of some common disease. The second benefit is to the company and

would increase productivity, enhance job satisfaction and improve employee retention (Federal

Worksite Wellness Programs, n.d.).

TIMELINE

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In order for this program to begin and succeed, it would take about a month of planning and

adequately instructing personnel on the purpose and use of the wellness space. Clearing out the

rooms for both the meditation/yoga space and exercise space would rely on staff volunteers and

would take one week. This program would be the initial proposal that would hopefully call to action

building on this premise over the next 5 years. This would be an on-going wellness program for the

business.

PERSONNEL

One staff member from the Human Resources department would oversee the program and the

receptionist would be their backup. Cleaning people would be responsible for keeping the room

cleared of debris, emptying garbage cans and vacuuming the floors.

TOTAL BUDGET

The total employer budget for this program proposal is $2,500 per year which includes the office

space, HR resource to oversee the program and cleaning services.

PITCH

I would like to propose a workplace wellness stress reduction program that would include a dedicated

area for employee's to take their 15 minute morning and afternoon break where they're able to

meditate and a separate area for employees to exercise.

Meditation provides a place where employees are able to step away from stressful situations in the

workplace and spend time focusing on things that will calm their mind. Having a quiet calming area

where they're able to turn off the noise in their day focus on breathing or to use some mental imagery

to relax.

In stressful situations in the workplace that elevate blood pressure or increases adrenaline, physical

exercise can be a good release for these physiological changes due to stress. Seaward (2015)

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mentions, "exercise is viable as both a relaxation technique and a coping technique to deal with

stress". 15 minute exercise intervals during work hours can also help mental alertness and increase

employee’s healthfulness.

Companies which allow their employee's to remove themselves from the stressful situations that can

occur in the workplace, will likely have a higher rate of employee retention. Employees who are able

to remove daily stresses would be happier and more productive and effective in their jobs.

CLASSMATE FEEDBACK

I only received feedback from Professor Davis on this assignment:

Tina, the long-term benefits of a less-stressed workforce sound good. But, of course, they are long-

term and difficult to quantify, especially where the company is focused on quarterly profits and

monthly work quotas. Be sure to keep the costs in a range that businesses would find minimal.

SUMMARY

My proposal would be a good test of concept program for any business who is thinking about

implementing a wellness program in their business and do not want to spend a lot of capital while

they test this program. This program would be a first step in moving toward the possibility of a more

in-depth program in the future.

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Journal Writing:Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

OPENNESS: In my personal life I selectively exhibit openness. When I’m happy, feel secure and

comfortable, I am able to embrace others from the perspective of just letting them be. However, when

I am upset or angry, I put my walls back up and no matter what is said or done I am just closed off

until I have worded through my feelings. I was at a crossroads with my marriage earlier this year.

Being newly married to my husband, and although I’ve been married previously, I have a tendency to

leave the relationship when I am not happy. I have spent the past six month immersing myself in the

new concept of allowing my husband to just be himself, not criticizing or judging, but understanding

where his behavior is coming from. There has been a tremendous amount of peace in our relationship

and I’ve grown to be comfortable with his quirkiness and idiosyncrasies.

EMPATHY: Since a very early age, I feel that I have always exhibited at tremendous outpouring of

empathy. Some would say I was a sensitive child. For example, if my brothers were getting punished

I would cry and wail as if it were me who was being disciplined. When my loved ones are happy, I’m

ecstatic and when they’re sad, it hurts my heart. Stahl & Goldstein (2010) mention that in order to

cultivate empathy you should practice getting in touch with your own feelings. I have a difficult time

doing this because sometimes it is too painful. Feeling for others seem to be easier for me to do.

COMPASSION: This is quality that I also feel that I have been cultivating for most of my life. When

others are sad, I truly feel it in my heart. I recently had a co-worker whose adult son relapsed with

crack cocaine on his wedding night. He left his new wife, took their wedding gift money and spent it

all on a 24-hour drug bender. When she was telling me this story, I could actually feel the pain that

she was experiencing and just spent time listening to her, holding her hand and giving her hugs.

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LOVING-KINDNESS: It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable with this quality. When

someone has hurt me or deliberately hurt another person, it has been difficult for me to understand

their motives and push aside my thoughts and feelings and wish them well. I think Stahl &

Goldstein’s suggestion to think about a person as my own child in order to facilitate loving-kindness

towards them.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: This quality is another which it’s taken me many years to grow within.

Jealousy seems to overtake my emotions at times and it’s difficult to express sympathetic joy. I

understand that jealousy and negative feelings hurt me and I’m going to work on eliminating them

quicker and trying to feel sympathetic joy towards others.

EQUANIMITY: This quality is something I need to work on. As much as I try to treat others with

compassion, empathy and openness, I still have a tendency to be selective with who gets which and at

what time(s). I think all beings are worthy of kindness and love, and in order for me to treat them as

such, the first thing I need to do is slow down and allow myself to look at each one of them as

someone who needs my kindness.

Summary

Qualities of interpersonal mindfulness are such important qualities to have in enjoying life.

Where on one hand it seems impossible to be happy and express all of these qualities all of the time, I

feel that I will be a healthier person if I am able to work on cultivating the properties openness,

empathy, compassion, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Instead of focusing on

negative qualities, working toward these will decrease anxiety and enhance my mood.

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Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your Professional LifeInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: A hobby is typically something you choose to do on a scheduled basis that you’re passionate about and enjoy doing. Part of the reason I chose my hobbies is because they’re a way I can remove myself from my busy lifestyle and focus on activities which simply just make me happy. Hobbies allow me to control what I wish to do and when I want to do them versus the lack of control I have in my job and builds confidence. Seaward (2015) mentions, “many people find that their time spent in the pursuit of hobbies transfers to solutions for major life problems” (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Taking the time each day for self-exploration is one step in creating a personal stress management program. Planning this time in your day will require some practice and skill. You can start with a small amount of time such as five minutes, and hopefully over time you learn that you deserve this time for yourself and increase the amount of time you spend on yourself each day (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Eating is crucial to life. When you pay attention to the colors, textures and smell of the food you’re preparing, you’re practicing mindful eating. Taste is just one piece of the enjoyment of food. Seeing the beauty in what you’re eating can enrich the eating pleasure (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Additional Information

Unit

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Eat, Pray, Love (Gilbert, 2006) is a book I read a year after my mother had passed away and

while I was going through a divorce that should have ended many years earlier. The woman in this

book had just gone through a difficult divorce and was trying to find her way in life by traveling

through Italy, India and Indonesia. The eat section of the book is when she travels to Italy to spend

her time indulging in pleasures through food. Pray is when she goes to India to get in touch with her

spiritual life. And finally Love, is where she goes to Indonesia and meets a man with whom she falls

in love. This book was written as a memoir of the author and is a primary source. Reading this book

gave me hope and enlightenment when I felt dark. It spoke to me and said keep going, don’t give up,

it will get better. I wanted to mention this book in my resource guide because it was the first part of

ever having a spiritual journey in my life. I learned that it was good to indulge in pleasures without

feeling guilty. I learned to love myself and that I didn’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. And,

I learned how to love others more deeply.

References

Bushak, L. (2014). Stress Affects Your Heart, Muscles, Nervous System, Digestion, And Even Sexual

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Drive, Medical Daily, retrieved August 10, 2015 from http://www.medicaldaily.com/stress-

affects-your-heart-muscles-nervous-system-digestion-and-even-sexual-drive-300668

Federal Worksite Wellness Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2015, from

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/health-wellness/

Gilbert, E. (2006). Eat, pray, love: One woman's search for everything across Italy, India and

Indonesia. New York: Viking.

NoBulling.com, The Long History of Discrimination against Women: Past and Present, June 2015,

retrieved from http://nobullying.com/discrimination-history-against-women/

Nordqvist, C. (2012). What is neuroscience? Medical News Today, retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248680.php

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.

Tyrrell, Mark. "5 Sure-fire Ways to Overcome Fear and Anxiety." Uncommon Help. N.p., n.d. Web.

18 Aug. 2015. http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/overcome-fear-and-anxiety

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http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/overcome-fear-and-anxiety

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248680.php

http://nobullying.com/discrimination-history-against-women/

tina samaniego resource guide

Education