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HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in

Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention

1
Program Resource
Guide

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Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide

By

Shirrell Cummings

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

10 March 2020
Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 2 THE PHYSI OL O GY OF STRESS

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 3 PSYCHOL OGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 4 PERSONAL I TY TRAITS AND THE HUM AN SPIRIT UAL IT Y

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATEGIE S

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 6 REL AXATIO N TECHI QUE S 1 : BREATH IN G, M EDITATIO N, AND MENTAL

IM AGERY

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................
UNIT 8 PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND ACTIVITY

Information to Remember..........................................................................
Assignment.................................................................................................
Journal........................................................................................................

UNIT 9 APPL YING STRESS: CRITICAL ISSUES F OR M ANAGEM EN T AND

PREVEN TIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSIO NAL L IF E

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

ADDITI ON AL INF ORM AT IO N

REF EREN CES 2 7

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Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: My mental well-being is my first priority. “Mental well-being is
the ability to gather, process, recall and communicate information (Seward,
2017).”
Key Learning Point: My second priority is my physical well-being. “Physical well-
being is the optimal functioning of the body’s eight physiological systems
(Seward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: “Emotional well-being is the ability to feel and express the full
range of human emotions and to control these feelings, not be controlled by
them (Seward, 2017).” I need to focus on how to control my feelings because I
tend to let them control certain situations.

Assignment:
The wellness paradigm also known as a mandala is made up of four different areas.
The mandala reflects all components that are present within the human organism.
The four areas that are represented within the circle are physical, emotional,
mental, and spiritual well-being. Every component is different and “holds specific
dominance at different phases of an individual’s growth cycle (Seward, 2017).”

Journal:
Unit One Journal Writing

Formal Practice: Mindfully Eating a Raisin

At the beginning of most mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, we


introduce this practice, which involves eating a raisin mindfully, to demystify
the concept of meditation. (If you don’t have a raisin, any food will do.) As you
do this practice, put aside all distractions, turn off the phone, and focus direct,

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clear awareness on each aspect and each moment of the experience. You can
practice by listening to Mindfully Eating a Raisin (directions found under
course resources) or by reading the following text, taking some time with each
instruction. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

Place a few raisins in your hand. If you don’t have raisins, any food will do.
Imagine that you have just come to Earth from a distant planet without such
food. Now, with this food in hand, you can begin to explore it with all of your
senses. Focus on one of the objects as if you’ve never seen anything like it
before. Focus on seeing this object. Scan it, exploring every part of it, as if
you’ve never seen such a thing before. Turn it around with your fingers and
notice what color it is. Notice the folds and where the surface reflects light or
becomes darker. Next, explore the texture, feeling any softness, hardness,
coarseness, or smoothness. While you’re doing this, if thoughts arise such as
“Why am I doing this weird exercise?” “How will this ever help me?” or “I hate
these objects,” then just see if you can acknowledge these thoughts, let them
be, and then bring your awareness back to the object. Take the object beneath
your nose and carefully notice the smell of it. Bring the object to one ear,
squeeze it, roll it around, and hear if there is any sound coming from it. Begin
to slowly take the object to your mouth, noticing how the arm knows exactly
where to go and perhaps becoming aware of your mouth watering. Gently place
the object in your mouth, on your tongue, without biting it. Simply explore the
sensations of this object in your mouth. When you’re ready, intentionally bite
down on the object, maybe noticing how it automatically goes to one side of the
mouth versus the other. Also notice the tastes it releases. Slowly chew this
object. Be aware of the saliva in your mouth and how the object changes in
consistency as you chew. When you feel ready to swallow, consciously notice
the intention to swallow, then see if you can notice the sensations of swallowing
the raisin, sensing it moving down to your throat and into your esophagus on its
way to your stomach. Take a moment to congratulate yourself for taking this
time to experience mindful eating.

Mindful Eating Journal: What did you notice with the raisin (or whatever food)
in terms of sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste? Was anything surprising? Did
any thoughts or memories pop up while doing this practice? Take a few
moments to write down your reflections.

I didn’t have any raisins, so I decided to go with almonds. I notice that the

appearance of it showed different shades of brown, from light to dark. It was

solid but displayed a bumpy texture which was rough. I didn’t notice a smell,

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but I could hear the grittiness of it and the crackling of the skin which stayed

intact. During this time of inspection, my mouth started to water, and I started

to get hungry. My brain told me to eat it and while it didn’t have much of a

flavor, it did feel gritty. Between chewing it and my saliva moving it around, I

had to wash it down with water. During this time, I was thinking how it was

made, why made it so expensive, and if chewing it up made almond milk. The

memories that popped up was how much I enjoy eating food and was happy

doing this experiment.

(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).


References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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2
Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: The first significant disease associated with stress is muscle tension which develops
when the body is stressed. In other words, it is a reflex reaction to stress. The nervous system
considers stress as pain or injury on the muscles and therefore seeks a way of guarding hence causing
muscle tension (American Psychological Association, 2017).
Key Learning Point: Heart diseases or cardiovascular system disorders are the other type of illnesses that
develops when the body is stressed, and the nervous system is forced to react. The cardiovascular
system is comprised of the heart and the blood vessels, which are in charge of providing oxygen to
the body organs. The problem comes in when the body is subjected to acute stress which forces the
two elements to react (American Psychological Association, 2017).
Key Learning Point: One condition that develops as result of the impact of stress on immune system is
the increased blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Morey, Boggero, & Segerstrom, 2015).
Chronic inflation leads to a weak immune system and the inability of its response to stressors, which
can cause high blood pressure (Morey, Boggero, & Segerstrom, 2015).

Assignment:
The study of the nervous system in relation to its functions, development and structures, is known as
neuroscience. It mostly involves the study of the brain as well as the effects it has on behavior and
cognitive functions. In most cases, the main focus not only relies on the normal functions of the nervous
system but also on the entire major disorders that take place in the nervous system (Georgetown
University Medical Center, 2019).

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Journal
Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, Explore: How is stress or

anxiety affecting your life? Directions are found in Chapter Two 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?

Just trying to make people happy or being able to please people is stressful to

me. It affects me in a negative way because I am always trying to please people

around me so that they are proud of me. I try to perfect everything I do

especially at work, because people hold me to a higher standard and expect

more from me. Therefore, if I do fail at a task, criticism, or even having

someone disappointed with me can cause me to think about it all day.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

I just changed career fields in the Air Force, and I am still waiting for a slot so I

can go to school for it. As of right now, I take my work home so that I can learn

it on my own time as well. I am overwhelmed and feel like everyone has a high

expectation of me so I cannot fail them. This is affecting my life because I am

taking away from my school time as well as my personal time.

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

I am not that stressed out about what is going on in the world, but I am always

vigilant of my surroundings due to all the mass shootings recently. I do not

watch the news as much as I should, but I do keep up with the breaking news.

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

When I stress out, I tend to eat junk food which causes me to breakout. Then I

stress about breaking out and still eat bad. Some days, I eat junk food in bed

because that brings me comfort.

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

I typically get 4-6 hours of sleep but with everything going on right now, my

thoughts keep me up and I still have to wake up early for the gym. For example,

I am thinking about sleep as I type up this paper. Stressing over the lack of

sleep is not a common thing for me but I know I don’t perform well if I am

exhausted.

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

life?

Exercising is my stress reliever so when I cannot make it to the gym, I do get

upset. I stress over that and then I gain weight which can cause me to be sad

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Unit

for a period of time. I have to keep up with being physically fit because of my

job so when I notice that my physical performance is declining, it can cause

more unnecessary stress.

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Love is difficult to define. “Love is a response to a learned group of stimuli and
behaviors (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: Happiness doesn’t come from one source but can be multiple things. Happiness may
be many things to many people, and there may be many things that cause one to be happy, including
wealth, a quality standard of living, and great relationships, but research suggests that trust, more than
income, fame, or even health, is the biggest factor in determining happiness (Seaward, 2017).
Key Learning Point: One way to cope with fear is to understand and embrace it. “If you always avoid
situations that scare you, you might stop doing things you want or need to do (Mental Health
Foundation, n.d.).” If someone can expose themselves to their fear it can help them overcome it.

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Assignment:
From Tibetan culture, the cause of stress is the tension that exists between people's mind and the ego. The
source of this tension could be the demands that come with the expectations that people have in life
(Sharapan, 2016). As people strive to achieve results, the stress level increases, and this has a massive
impact on the state of mind. Furthermore, we learn from the Tibetan culture that people need to have
mindful awareness to bring the brain into its most plastic, growth-oriented state and support the
development of a more significant state of consciousness (Nair & Pandit, 2017). It is one of the best
approaches to help in dealing with stress.

Journal:
Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing

and Bringing the Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are

found in Chapter Three 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 Meditation, it took a few

seconds for me to focus on what I was doing. I felt like my mind was thinking

about a million things at once and it was hard for me to focus. The first time I

did this, I had to restart and try again because I could not focus on the objective

at hand. Once I was able to focus on my breathing and clear my thoughts, I felt

relaxed. Mentally it was a challenge for me since I randomly think about things

when it is awfully quiet. I was sitting on the floor with my legs crossed, palms

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rested on my knees facing upwards. I felt comfortable in this position and calm

enough to the point where my shoulders started to feel at ease. I stayed

focusing on breathing in and out of my nose and taking deep breathes.

Emotionally, I felt like I was calming my body down and my thoughts started to

slowly drift away. I honestly been feeling overwhelmed lately with moving to a

different state, learning a new job, and juggling three classes this term. During

this meditation, I did not think about anything that was going on around me.

Physically, I was focused on my breathing and feeling the rise and deflation of

my chest. After this meditation session, I told myself that I needed to practice

meditation more and actually put the effort and time into it. Practicing this a

few times throughout the week made my mood change, and I felt more focused.

I was able to prioritize my tasks and work on one thing at a time instead of

trying to tackle multiple issues at once. Now I tell people who are stressed out

to take the time to meditate to help clear their mind.

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human


Spirituality
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Many people do not feel a loyalty to one particular religion. “Spiritual hunger, a
term that describes a searching or longing for that which cannot be attained by traditional religious
practices (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: Being able to associate certain words with certain emotions and memories. “To
define a term or concept is to separate and distinguish it enough from everything else to gain a clear
focus and understanding of what it really is (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: “The human spirit has been described as a gift to accompany one through life, an
inner drive housed in the soul, and even a living consciousness of a divine-like presence within us
and around us (Seaward, 2017).” To live life with a free flow spirit.

Assignment:
It makes one of the many different opinions people have on self-esteem, which is
known to play a significant role in stress promotion and resolution. Mruk defines
self-esteem based on two psychological processes; evaluation and affect (Mruk,
2013). The evaluation has an emphasis on the role of cognition on self-esteem,
while affecting focuses on the role of feelings. Self-esteem involves the attitude
that one holds towards a given object. Psychologically, it means the feeling-based
responses a person holds towards themselves, which can either be acceptance
versus rejection (Mruk, 2013).

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Journal:
Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions

in the Body. Directions are found in Chapter five 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.

The words that stand out to me are apprehension, anxiety, nervousness,

worry, and feeling overwhelmed. When I think about these words, my heart

starts beating faster than normal. My hands start to get clammy and I feel the

blood draining from my face making it pale. All these words represent different

scenarios for me. When I think about apprehension, the fear being stagnant at

work comes to mind. For anxiety and nervousness, the fear of having to teach

others about a job that I am learning myself comes to mind. The fear of being a

failure is real to me and disappointing people I care about is something I never

want to do. I constantly feel worried and overwhelmed due to the fact that I put

so much on myself and being the oldest child in my family puts a lot of pressure

on me. My mom isn’t the best role model for me and my siblings, so it is

important that I set the standard. As I type this, I realize I am highlighting what

is making me mentally exhausted.

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CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic,

foggy, or unaware.

Uncertain, chaotic, and foggy are the words that I am familiar with.

Uncertain because I think about the next day and if I will be able to wake up

from my sleep. Chaotic because I have so much that I have to do within a day

that I don’t give enough attention to my social life. I do remind myself that I

need to take it day by day and that my friends will understand that my career

and school takes precedence over them for now. The little free time that I do

have, I make plans with them. Foggy because every day is a routine for me, and

I can barely keep up with dates and days. If I don’t have my meetings written

down or reminders, I will forget what needs to be done or who I need to have

meetings with. The emotion that I feel with these words in mind is antsy. I am

not for sure why I feel this way, but I want to say it is because I feel like I am

limited on time and need to get everything done at once.

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

frustration, irritation, grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

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Aggravation, agitation, envy, frustration, irritation, and grouchiness are

some words that I can relate to. Plenty of thoughts came to mind when I was

typing those words. Aggravation, agitation, and irritation are grouped together

for me. I feel that way when I have to deal with certain people, if something

doesn’t go as planned, and if I don’t have time to do the things I love to do, like

go to the gym. I deleted my social media due to the fact that I was envying other

people’s lives. I get frustrated sometimes but I easily just remind myself that I

can’t stress out on things that I can’t control. I get grouchy when I don’t make it

to the gym, or I don’t get enough sleep. I am averaging about four to five hours

of sleep on the weekdays which is good for now but there are days where I have

to talk myself into having a good day. I can feel myself getting mad just thinking

about certain situations and old memories.

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

hopelessness, insecurity, loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

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Sadness! This word brings back memories that hurts my heart.

Disappointment, grief, hopelessness, insecurity, loneliness, unhappiness, and

rejection. I have been let down by people who were close to me, so

disappointment isn’t new to me. Grief and hopelessness bring back the time

that I lost my son shortly after birth. That was traumatic for me and I lost

myself to the point where I didn’t want to do anything but lay in bed. I can feel a

wave of sadness come over me when I think about that time in my life, I am

actually tearing up right now. I have some insecurities that I need to overcome

and adds to me being unhappy with myself. In this world, being a relationship

and finding someone to love is super glorified. So, I think that plays into me not

wanting to die alone and rejection from someone is care for can cause me to be

upset.

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

mortification.

Guilt, embarrassment, and humiliation. I was always taught to tell the

truth and integrity first, so I always admit to something being my fault if I have

done something wrong. I cannot live with a guilty conscious, it will eat me alive.

I have anxiety when it comes to guilt. When I think about embarrassment and

humiliation, one thought comes to mind. When I embarrassed myself by falling

in front of my entire English class during the first day of my freshman year.

Although, I have a lot of embarrassing moments, that one in particular stands

out.

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

infatuation, kindness, liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

All of these words I can relate to. When I read all of those words, I felt my

heart ache in a good way. I thought of a person who could make me feel that

way and it made me smile. The image that comes to mind is an old couple living

happily together experiencing the ups and downs of a marriage but not giving

up on each other.

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

enthusiasm, excitement, exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

Amusement, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement, hope, optimism, and

satisfaction. I find amusement through little things that I see throughout the

day. For example, seeing other people smile, laugh, or just being happy brings

enjoyment, excitement, and hope to me. I get excited thinking about my

potential and my future. I think about the people in my life and how grateful I

am to be here right now. I am thankful for everybody and everything that is in

my life at this moment.

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Comic relief can help deal with stress. “In simplest terms, the use of humor is a
defense mechanism (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: I can use humor therapy as a coping mechanism. “Humor Therapy is the use of
humor and comic relief as a means to relieve and reduce emotional stress by focusing on the funny,
humorous, and positive aspects of life (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: “Laughter appears to have both short-term and long-term effects on the body’s
major physiological systems (Seaward, 2017).” This taught me if all fails, then just laugh.

Journal:
Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment

Choose from either formal practice: Walking Meditation or STOP. Directions


are found in Chapter four 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.

Take some time to write about whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally
and physically when doing this practice for the first time.

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For this journal writing assignment, I decided to practice STOP while I

was at work. I deal with a lot of people who want things done right away and

they do not realize how long it takes to accomplish a task or how there are

priorities before them. So, I tend to say things out of frustration towards my

computer and then take a deep breath. This week, I switched out the mumbling

with STOP.

I shut my office door so that I would not be interrupted during this time. I

sat down and closed my eyes, kept my feet flat on the floor and focused on my

breathing. My body was tensed, and I realized that I have not used the restroom

since I had been at work. I can feel like the weight of my daily tasks, the

demanding people, and life stressors were rolling off my back like melted

butter. I just felt at peace during that moment and forgot that I was at work for

a few seconds.

I had another moment where I needed to apply STOP. I had to pick my

sisters up from practice after work and instead of telling me that they were

going to stay for an extra hour, I waited in the parking lot for 20 minutes. I had

a strict schedule that I was trying to stick to, and they were aware of that.

While I was in the parking lot, I turned off my music and put down my phone. I

took a deep breath multiple times because I was pretty livid. At this time, my

body was telling me that I was hungry, thirsty, and tired. Instead of wasting my

time waiting for my sisters, I decided to run errands. Although, I was not happy

about all the driving I did, I was able to take care of some errands that I wanted

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Unit

to do this weekend. I do find myself applying STOP multiple times throughout

the week

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,


Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: To practice Diaphragmatic Breathing. Assume a comfortable position, concentrate,
and visualize (Seaward, 2017).
Key Learning Point: There are different types of meditation that can be practiced. I practice restrictive
meditation where my concentration is focused on one object to the exclusion of all other thoughts, to
increase self-awareness and promote relaxation (Seaward, 2017).
Key Learning Point: Every time that I feel like I don’t have time to meditate, I think about the benefits.
“Longtime meditators who meditate on the theme of loving kindness and compassion produce a
significant level (30 times stronger) of gamma brain wave activity (Seaward, 2017).”

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Assignment:
Diaphragmatic breathing has been around for decades. “Diaphragmatic
breathing is as old as the ancient exercises of yoga and T’ai chi ch’uan, and it is
a fundamental component of these practice (Seward, 2017).” There are three
different steps to practicing this technique. The three steps are to assume a
comfortable position, concentrate, and visualize. This technique helps engage
the mind and the body. Diaphragmatic breathing can be practiced anywhere
and is commonly known as the most accessible technique to help relax.

Journal:
Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Is Your Body-Mind Happy?

Directions are found in Chapter eight 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 tend to find myself talking out loud. When I mess up, I call myself an

idiot or if I know the answer to something but forget, I’ll call myself slow. When

people give me compliments on s how I look on social media, I always ask if

they have seen me in person. Sometimes I give myself praise for doing

something good, or when I have an amazing workout. Other than that, I do not

give myself positive affirmations on a daily basis.

Seeds of suffering?

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I am horrible at giving myself compliments. So, to turn that around, I’ve

written words of encouragement and compliments on my mirror, sticky notes on

my computer, and I have a positive note on my white board in my office. I told

myself that I need to stop being my worst critic and that I am way beyond

where I need to be in life.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

I am pretty good with looking at situations from a different perspective.

The person that was in my position before me, did not take care of his

subordinate or the people we service. To be honest, I was frustrated that I was

in a position that had horrible rapport with other units. I could not understand if

it was because this person was lazy or if he didn’t have the proper training. I

was able to have a discussion with him to see why things were not getting

accomplished and why there was a lack of continuity. Instead of assuming he

was lazy and that he did not care much for his job, I found out that he did not

get the proper training for that position. He was barely doing the minimum just

to get by and did not have time to get things in order before my arrival.

Reflection on writing?

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Message to myself: Please understand that you are beautiful inside and

out, you are one of a kind and capable of conquering any goal you put your

mind to. Do not surround yourself with the lies of social media because people

only portray the good times and not the bad. You are your only competition, and

nobody can compare to you. Not that many people can say they have traveled to

multiple countries, accomplished two degrees, and started a career. You are

always actively pursuing to become a better person and to be a great role model

for your sisters so start thinking positively about yourself because you are an

amazing woman.

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Unit

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Exercising is part of my daily routine and it helps me relieve stress.
“Parasympathetic rebound is the relationship between physical exercise and relaxation (Seaward,
2017).”
Key Learning Point: “The Ayurvedic principles from India suggest that people eat foods, specifically
fruits and vegetables, that correspond to the colors of the energy centers (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: I take supplements to help with stress and help promote brain activity. “Nutrition
plays a crucial role in both minimizing and increasing the physiological arousal of the stress response
(Seaward, 2017).”

Journal:
Unit Seven Journal Writing Assignment

Choose from either formal practice: Sitting Meditation or Mindful Lying Yoga.

Directions are found in Chapter six of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon

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. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

For this practice, I went with the Lying Yoga. I put my yoga mat down,

turned off the lights so that my Himalayan salt light will illuminate the room. I

also have my aromatherapy going on which has a few drops of eucalyptus in it. I

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didn’t go through and do all of the postures but instead opted of the corpse

pose.

While I was getting everything prepared for tonight’s meditation, I was

thinking about how long of a day I had. I typically start my day at 4AM by

getting ready for the gym. I have to be at work by 730AM and I get off at

430PM, eat dinner and take a shower by 730PM, and then spend 3 to 4 hours on

homework. I am usually asleep by 11PM so my days are pretty long. My body

was mentally and physically tired by the time I started this meditation around

8PM.

This time, it wasn’t hard for me to shut off my thoughts. I just focused on

my breathing and had a vision of this beach in Thailand. Every time I took a

breath, it resembled a wave gently touching the sand. It never fails, that my

body feels like it is releasing energy through my palms. I get a weird tingly

sensation that runs through my fingertips when I am completely relaxed. My

toes tend to twitch a little and I feel like dead weight. When I come out of

meditating, my body feels at ease and I use to get tired, but I feel like I am more

aware of my senses. I also realized, I have stress, but I am not stressed out and

that I have a lot on my plate, but I am not overwhelmed. In the beginning of this

class, I use to tell people that I am stressed out and overwhelmed with

everything that is going on in my life but at this moment, I feel calm and

content.

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8
Unit

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity


Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: My body adapts to stress in a negative way which includes overeating and the lack
of sleep. “Physical exercise allows the body to use stress hormones for their intended purposes,
detoxifying the body of stress hormones by utilizing them constructively (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: I can create my own workouts. “To get the benefits of physical exercise, four criteria
must be met: intensity, duration, frequency of training, and mode of exercise (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: Some food can induce stress, so I am trying to limit my intake. “Excess amounts of
sugar, caffeine, salt, and foods poor in vitamins and minerals weaken the body’s resistance to the
stress response and may ultimately make a person more vulnerable to disease and illness (Seaward,
2017).”

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Assignment:
Proposal for Health and Wellness Management. The purpose of this program is
to enhance the health and wellness within the Force Support Squadron. This
program would help reduce the stress within the work center and help boost
the morale. Overall providing a healthy environment for their employees.

Journal:
Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Creating Connection.

Directions are found in Chapter nine of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon

completion of this Assignment, practice developing these qualities in building

stronger and healthier relationships.

This should be a minimum of one full page.

The person I decided to connect with during this process is my mom.

OPENNESS:

We do not have a very close relationship, but I care about here tremendously. I

am open to see how she comes up with certain decisions and what her

reasoning was behind the decisions she made. I often question what she does

and how she operates. It has been difficult to accept her how she is because I

want her to change for the better.

EMPATHY:

It is not hard for me to show empathy towards my mother. Anything she feels, I

feel. I try to relate to her on an emotional level and see where she comes from.

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When she feels a certain way, I try to justify why she feels that way. When she

cries, I cry. I actually cry watching shows because I can relate to certain

situations or I put myself in certain situations.

COMPASSION:

I can relate to any situation and feel compassion for someone. I try to cheer

people up when I can or see what I can do to help their situation. My mom was

born and raised in Laos and she often speaks about her life there. I try to

imagine what my life would be like if she stayed in Laos and never came to

America.

LOVING-KINDNESS:

I always tell my mom to spread happiness and joy. I pray for people who need

prayers and I pray for people who are succeeding as well. We both believe in

karma and what we give is what we will receive in return.

SYMPATHETIC JOY:

I can remember the time when my mom was super sick and in the hospital the

week before Christmas. She was upset that she would have to spend Christmas

in the hospital. Well, she was able to get out on Christmas Eve and she was

super happy. In that moment, she forgot that she had all these health conditions

and to see that, it made me happy.

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EQUANIMITY:

I teach everyone equally until they give me a reason not to. I do get irritated

when something does go as plan or is out of my control. In those situations, I

ask myself questions that can calm me down or I will vent to someone. My mom

would vent to me if something made her mad or upset. When I do get mad at my

mom, it doesn’t last long, and I always apologize. I also will tell her if she was

wrong or right in the situation and try to explain to her my feelings.

SUMMARY:

This task was difficult for me to accomplish because I didn’t really understand

what needed to be done. I am not for sure if I did this correctly, but it was hard

for me to associate these words with the relationship bond I have with my

mother or with anyone I care about. Overall, those words did bring back certain

memories, which I was able to discuss.

References

Seaward, B. (2017). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and

well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

29
9
Unit

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for


Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: I learned that I use avoidance to cope with stress which is a negative coping
technique. When this does occur, I know how to approach it with hobbies that can be used as positive
diversion tactics that allow for a healthy release from daily stressors (Seaward, 2017).
Key Learning Point: On stressful days, I have an open conversation with myself in a secluded area which
allows me to vent out in the open. “Prayer, the original chat room, is one of the oldest coping
techniques known to humankind (Seaward, 2017).”
Key Learning Point: In the city I live in, there are a few hospitals that are vocal about religion. “The
relationship between stress and spirituality is gaining more and more attention in the allied health
fields (Seaward, 2017).”

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Additional Information
A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
 Chapter 7: Meditation for Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia

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References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Stress effects on the body. Retrieved February 3, 2020,

from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body

Georgetown University Medical Center. (2019). What is Neuroscience. Retrieved February 3, 2020,

from https://neuro.georgetown.edu/about-neuroscience/

Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). How to overcome fear and anxiety. Retrieved from

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/overcome-fear-anxiety

Morey, J. N., Boggero, I. A. & Segerstrom, C. S. (2015). Current Directions in Stress and Human

Immune Function. Current Directions in Stress and Human Immune Function, 5, 13-17.

Mruk, C. J. (2013). Self-esteem and positive psychology: Research, theory, and practice. Springer

Publishing Company.

Nair, P., & Pandit, M. (2017). Depression among Children of Tibetans in Exile: A Socio-Cultural

Perspective. Institutionalized Children Explorations and Beyond, 4(2), 140-146.

Sharapan, M. (2016). Tibetan cultural identity in Nepal: Change, preservation, prospects. Journal of

Intercultural communIcatIon research, 45(5), 374-390.

Seaward, B. (2017). 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.

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