Unit 9 stress management final paper

KAPLAN UNIVERSITYHW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention

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Program Resource Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide

By

Rebecca Esposito

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

9-6-2011

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Table of Contents

U N I T 1 T H E N A T U R E O F S T R E S SDefining stress, General adaptation syndrome, and Differences between the sexes and stress responseResources: discussions and exercises 1.2 Health and Wellness PhilosophyTools: Are you stressed journal 1.1

U N I T 2 T H E B O D Y A S B A T T L E F I E L DImportance of improvement of memory, Physiological effects on memory due to prolonged stress, Damage excess stress causes on the HippocampusResources: discussions and exercises 2.2 and 3.3Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing

U N I T 3 F E A S T O R F A M I N I N E Building blocks of psychological stressors, The subtleties of predictability, The subtleties of control Resources: discussions and exercises 5.1 and 5.9Tools: 4.1 Psychology of Your Stress

U N I T 4 O N E P L A N E T U N D E R S T R E S SStress prone personalities, Stress resistant personalities, Self-esteem and its effect on stressResources: discussions and exercises 7.6 and 7.8Tools: 6.2 Stress Prone Survey 6.3 Stress Resistant Survey

U N I T 5 U N D E R S T R E S S : W H A T N O W ? Successful aging, Vulnerability to learned helplessness, Principles of coping with psychological stressResources: discussions and exercises 9.1 and 15.1Tools: 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective

U N I T 6 A G E L E S S W I S D O M O F M E D I T A T I O N Breathing for relaxation, Meditation, Mental imagery and visualization techniquesResources: discussions and exercises 18.3 and 18.1Tools: 20.2 Short Guided Visualizations

U N I T 7 S I G H T , S O U N D , A N D B O D Y W O R K Stress and eating habits, Stress response triggering foods, Four domino factors of stressResources: discussions and exercises 27.1 and 27.2Tools: 27.3 Rainbow Diet

U N I T 8 T H E W E L L N E S S M A N D A L A Flushing stress hormones, Exercise and stress reduction, The mind-body connectionResources: discussion and exercises 28.1 and 28.2

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Tools: 28.3 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 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 seeking and stress, Hobbies and stress reduction, Forgiveness as a coping skillResources: discussions and exercises Tools: Journal Writing

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

Sapolsky, Robert. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping- 3rd Edition. New York, NY. St. Martin’s Griffin Press.

Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being 6th Edition. Boston, Massachussetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

This is one of the most helpful text books I have come across in my studies at Kaplan so far. I really like the information in the book and the way it was set up. It was an interesting read. I wish I had the hard copy of it; I would highlight it to no end.

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UNIT 1

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:

Defining stress- A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily and mental tension and is a cause for disease. Stress is whatever a person perceives as emotionally taxing. For some people, having too much to do in a day is stressful for others, stress can be a good thing as long as it is temporary to help them achieve their goals.

G.A.S. – General adaptation syndrome is broken up into three stages of adaptation by the body. The fight or flight response, resistance stage where your body is trying to relax but your mind isn’t ready and the final stage of exhaustion where chronic stress is present and can essentially kill you.

Difference between the sexes and stress response- Men respond with a different section of the brain than women. Men tend to use fight or flight response more and they use reason. Women tend to use emotions and social support systems to cope with stress.

Resources: Health and Wellness Philosophy- I liked this exercise because it brings to the front of my mind what is most important in life. The Paradigm asks questions that make you pinpoint your specific meaning of health and wellness to you. The stress test is important to understand what level we are to relieve stress in our lives as needed.

Tools: Journal 1.1 Are you Stressed?

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UNIT 2

Unit 2: The Body as Battlefield


Importance of improvement of memory- Improving our memories is beneficial so that we can get through stressful periods quicker and more efficiently each time we encounter a similar stressor we have had before. If we can get our minds to react and relax from a stressor there will be less chance for biological damage to the mind and body.

Physiological effects on memory due to prolonged stress- There are numerous physiological responses to prolonged stress. People lose sleep, appetite, and even hair. Other issues can be as severe as heart disease or obesity due to release of coritsol.

Damage excess stress causes on the Hippocampus- Chronic stress can cause the Hippocampus to lose its functioning little by little. The brain will lose memory and learning abilities can be hampered as well.

Resources: Ex. 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects- This exercise was very helpful in showing me where I hold on to stress too long or where I accurately let it go. This can really be helpful in the years to come so that I can always be aware of my triggers to stress and hopefully stop them in the first place.Ex. 3.3 My Health Profile- This was an eye opener for sure. I will keep this document and re assess myself every four months to try to make it better each time. Having a tool like this assessment can really give you an idea of where you are and where you need to be.

Tools: Journal Ex. 3.3 My Health Profile

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UNIT 3

Unit 3: Feast or Famine


Building blocks of psychological stressors- The building blocks are frustration outlets, social support, control, predictability, and the perception of things getting worse. Having these tools can really make a difference for stress especially in the work place or family situations when controlling stress is the most important and difficult.

The subtleties of predictability- Remembering the subtleties of predictability when faced with certain “future” stressors can be beneficial. Planning ahead for a major stressor may help reduce some of the stress in the first place.

Subtleties of control- These are just as important to keep in mind during times of stress. Some things are out of our control and when we understand that and move on to the best of our ability it makes for less stress. Trying to see the brighter side of a situation also helps reduce stress quicker.

Resources: Ex. 5.1 Anger Recognition Checklist- I like this one because I can really see where my anger is and stop it from happening.Ex. 5.9 Emotional Well-Being- The question in this exercise actually helped me notice some of my eating triggers and why I react to certain situations the way that I do.

Tools: Journal Ex. 4.1 Psychology of Your Stress

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UNIT 4

Unit 4: One Planet Under Stress


Stress prone personalities- There are type A and D personalities. Some people can do well with stress and use it to their advantage and succeed better under some stress. Many people have a hard time coping with stress and use it as a negative influence on their lives and get sick or fail time and again.

Stress resistant personalities- Hardy and survivor personalities and sensation seekers. There is a sense of commitment, control, and a challenge in these traits. There are the people who use daily stress as a catalyst to do better and stress can roll right off their backs with little or no biological effects.

Self-esteem and its effect on stress- Self-esteem low or high can influence how we relate to stress. If we have a low self-esteem we are likely to deal with stress poorly. If we have a high self-esteem we may not even feel stressors or deal with them more efficiently.

Resources: Ex. 7.6 Your Meaningful Purpose in Life- I like that this exercise breaks down and shows you that each part of your life is important and it helps to progress to the next phase in life.Ex. 7.8 Distraction of the Human Path- This exercise really opened my eyes to how many things in this day and age can take you away from what is really important in the balance of life.

Tools: Journal Ex. 6.2 Stress Prone Survey and Ex. 6.3 Stress Resistant Survey

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UNIT 5

Unit 5: Under Stress; What Now?


Successful aging- A healthy weight, exercise, balanced diet, avoiding smoking or alcohol, no depression, maturity and a resilient coping mechanism is a recipe for aging well. Keeping stress at bay can keep you looking younger longer and feeling good at any age.

Vulnerability to learned helplessness- Repeated feelings of loss of control of external issues. Many people have the same situation occur numerous times in life so they feel helpless and stressed.

Principles of coping with psychological stress- Exercising, meditation, use predictability and control in a positive way, and social support. For some people dealing with stress takes practice but once you apply the principles there will be less stress in your life.

Resources: Ex. 9.1 Value Assessment and Clarification- This was pleasant for me because it shows me that I am on an integral health path and that feel really good.Ex. 15.1 Time Crunch Questionnaire- This helped me see exactly where I am bad at time management. I know I am bad but I can never tell why. Seeing it on paper makes me get it much better.

Tools: Journal Ex. 8.1 Reframing; Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective

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UNIT 6

Unit 6: Ageless Wisdom of Meditation


Breathing for relaxation- Calming your breathing down can help reduce stress immediately. This can be practiced anywhere at any time so it is quite useful and effective.

Meditation- Inclusive and exclusive meditation are quite beneficial. Clearing your mind and focusing on one thing or just relaxing your mind and letting it go where it chooses are great ways to relax.

Mental imagery and visualization techniques- Mental imagery is an unconscious mode of relaxation and visualization is a conscious effort to bring up pictures in our minds to achieve certain goals. The two are similar in that you can relax and “get away” from stress any time.

Resources: Ex. 18.3 Bridging hemispheres of thought- This exercise taught me how I let my emotions rule my thoughts. I can now practice intentional left brain usage to get more balanced.Ex. 18.2 Too much information- This exercise made me realize I need to meditate more and quiet my mind. I spend too much time worrying about menial things.

Tools: Journal Ex. 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations

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UNIT 7

Unit 7: Sight, Sound, and Body Work


Stress and eating habits- Some people eat more some people skip meals during times of stress. Stress seems to cause bad eating habits either way. Eating or not eating both cause biological issues in the long run.

Stress response triggering foods- there are many foods to stay away from to prevent stress. Caffeine, processed foods, and sugars are the biggest culprits. These are not actually real foods anyway. Keeping them out of the diet or at least at a minimum would be optimal in stress reduction.

Four domino factors of stress- Dominos are nutrient depletion, bad eating habits, food stressors and triggers, and toxins accumulated from poor diet. This is a downward spiral. It is a good idea to keep a clean diet to reduce stress to start with.

Resources: Ex. 27.1 Stress related eating behaviors- This is one of the most beneficial exercises for me. My eating habits are definitely contributing to my stress and especially the use of caffeine. Ex. 27.2 Self- Assessment; nutritional eating habits- This too helped me see where my downfall is. I have a bad habit of eating too late and not eating enough in the early part of the day.

Tools: Journal Ex. 27.3 Rainbow Diet

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UNIT 8

Unit 8: The Wellness Mandala


Flushing stress hormones- It is important to help the body rid itself of stress hormones by meditation and exercise. If the body holds on to them too long it can hurt vital organs and eventually kill you.

Exercise and stress reduction- exercise can help reduce stress by ridding the body of toxins. Exercise releases the good hormones we need for optimal health. We can reduce all the signs of stress related illness with regular exercise. We can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and have better resting heart rates.

The mind-body connection- Having a healthy body can give you a calm mind and vice versa. Our beings are very connected by mind- body- and spirit. When one aspect is not functioning well then all three are affected. We need balance as it is in our nature to crave it.

Resources: Ex. 28.1 Physical exercise- This exercise states that exercise doesn’t have to be hard or take really long. I like to be reminded of that because it gives me motivation to do it again. I have a habit of all or nothing and I remember that something is better than nothing.Ex. 28.2 My body, my physique- this exercise prompted me to see me as I really am and to stay close to realistic expectations for my age and fitness level.

Tools: Journal Ex. 28.3 Your Circadian Rhythms

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UNIT 9

Unit 9: Applying Stress; Critical Management to your Professional Life


Information seeking stress- depending on the personality type seeking information can aid in stress reduction or cause more of it. If you get information that helps you understand better you will be less stressed. If you get information and ask a lot more questions and feel overwhelmed by the information you are more likely to be stressed.

Hobbies and stress reduction- Having a hobby is a great stress reducer. Keeping hobbies that are fun, peace inducing, and non- invasive type hobbies are the best kind. Meaning, don’t start a hobby that is too difficult to learn if you are still in a high-stress zone.

Forgiveness as a coping skill- Using forgiveness to cope with life and stress can really feel good. You can take huge weights off of your shoulders by forgiving someone and sometimes by being forgiven by someone.

Resources: discussions

Tools: Journal Ex. 11.1The Human Butterfly and 12.2 Working the Funny bone.

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Health & Medicine

Unit 9 stress management final paper