kaplan university - beautifullybalanced117.files.wordpress.com file · web viewkey learning point:...

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

Sydni Murphy

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

2 August 2017

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............................................................4Self-Assessment Exercises...........................................................4Journal Writing.............................................................................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...........................................................6Journal Writing.............................................................................7

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..........................................................10Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................10Journal Writing...........................................................................11

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..........................................................17Journal Writing...........................................................................17

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..........................................................23Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................23

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..........................................................28

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

2 9

R E F E R E N C E S 3 0

(This page intentionally left blank)

Unit 1: The Nature of StressInformation to Remember:

- Key Learning Point: As humans, we spend the majority of our time either rehearsing (living in the present) or rehashing (living in the past) and little time in the present moment. Mindfulness can be described as, “cultivating of the mind and body and living in the here and now” (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). This universal practice is about living in the present moment, without judgement and has been proven to benefit anyone in multiple aspects of their life.

- Key Learning Point: Stress is defined as, “The experience of a perceived threat (real or imagined) to one’s mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of physiological responses and adaptations.” (Seaward, 2015). This is brought on by changes in our life such as jobs, finances, weather, location, plans, etc. that force us out of our comfort zones and cause us to be uncomfortable. Unhealthy ways of coping with stress, such as avoidance, contribute to the onset of lifestyle related diseases. “The American Institute of Stress (www.stress.org) cites the following statistics: 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress. 80 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders.” (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Journaling is a practice that has been used for centuries for other purposes but has more recently been proven to be an effective coping strategy for stress. The practice enhances self-awareness and mindfulness, is relaxing, and clears the mind while creating closure. Journaling is effective because it “initiates the communication of self-reflection between the mind and the soul”. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:The Unit 1 Self-Assessment Exercise was the creation of a mandala emphasizing the components of mental, spiritual, and physical and emotional wellbeing in order of importance to me. While evenly spaced, because I do believe that a balance and harmony between each aspect of health is important and crucial in order to be in good health and wellness, I placed my components in the following order: Mental well-being, Physical well-being, Emotional well-being, Spiritual well-being.

Unit

1

5

http://www.stress.org/

References:

University of Sunderland. (2017). Stress and Mental Wellbeing. Human resources department. Retrieved fromhttp://services.sunderland.ac.uk/hr/forstaff/supportandwellbeing/stressandmentalwellbeing/

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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

End

Not being able to get ahold of my husband during training or when one of us is away

5 5 3

Visiting crowded areas such as the mall or grocery during holidays

6 5 5

Tuesdays if I haven’t completed all my school work for the week

8 7 6

Driving in traffic to work in the morning 4 4 3My husband pointing out when I have done something wrong; receiving criticism

6 4 3

Receiving too much information at one time 5 5 5Being rushed to meet a deadline; not having time to plan 6 5 5Being put on the spot; evaluated 7 6 5My child whining when I get home from work 4 3 2Making on the spot decisions 8 8 6References:

Seaward, B. (2015). 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.

6

http://services.sunderland.ac.uk/hr/forstaff/supportandwellbeing/stressandmentalwellbeing/

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:- Key Learning Point: “fight or flight” response use to be initiated physiologically when in a

life-threatening situation when it was necessary. The body and mind redirects energy from the immune system and other physiological systems. It begins to over produce epinephrine and norepinephrine along with cortisol. Now the “fight or flight” or stress response takes place in situations that is it not necessary such as sitting in traffic. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: While we cannot always control what happens to us, we can control the way we react. The way we react to stressful events is our choice and, with practice, we can learn to deal with these situations in a healthy manner. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: “Sociologists and psychologists see dangers with a hyperkinetic mind that doesn’t know how to unplug, turn off, and relax.” Stress is shown to have negative effect on the immune and nervous systems and can lead to short and long-term illness and diseases such as the common cold, migraine, cardio vascular disease, ulcers and types of cancer. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:“Neuroscience is a field of study that deals with the structure, function, development, genetics,

biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology of the nervous system, divided into the

central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), and the peripheral nervous system, consisting of

the myriad nerve pathways running throughout the body.” (Science Daily, 2017). Neuroplasticity is

the capacity of the brain to develop and change throughout life. This means that both the physical and

functional anatomy have the ability to change through thinking, learning, stimulation etc. Stress has

been shown to have a negative effect on both the nervous and the immune systems. Nervous system

issues caused by stress include migraines, peptic ulcers, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome,

coronary heart disease. Autoimmune diseases are those that “occur because of an overactive immune

Unit

2

7

system, which “attacks the body”. (Seward, 2015). Examples of this include lupus and rheumatoid

arthritis.

References:



Journal Writing:Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment

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

life? Directions are found on pages 33 through 35 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of

this Assignment, you will take the first step toward greater well-being and become aware of how

stress is impacting your life. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

I constantly question the status of my close relationships. Am I contributing enough to the

relationship? Is the person upset with me? Do they think I don’t care when, in fact, I have just been

extremely busy? When my husband and I are apart for long periods of time (which is frequent since

we are dual military) I question whether I make him happy despite him telling me often that I do. I

worry constantly about what people think about me and whether they like me or not. First encounters

and impressions give me anxiety and are something I think about for days.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

Regardless of how much praise, how many awards or what people tell me about my

performance at work I often feel as though I am not performing well enough and that I am just

mediocre. I often feel overwhelmed and as though there is never a second of my day I do not have

some sort of work to do. I am very afraid of failure both personally and professionally in the work

place and care very much about what my peers, subordinates and leaders think about me. Saying or

doing the wrong thing often keeps me from making decisions.

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

The level of violence in the world, the increase in drugs use among teens and kids, and other

things scare me now that I have a daughter of my own. I worry often about her future and she is not

8

even three yet. I have put myself through and been through things that I do not want her to ever

experience. I worry that she will also develop anxiety or that mine will make her life difficult.

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

Both my parents are diabetics and this among other diseases and obesity run in my family.

Although I am intentional about eating a nutrient dense diet and staying pretty active, I worry that one

day I will fall into their lifestyle or get injured or something. I have been a very picky and finicky

eater since I was young and I also worry about developing diet related diseases such as osteoarthritis

and osteoporosis. My interest in health and nutrition stems from watching all of the medications and

stress my parents and others in my family have struggled. I definitely want my daughter to grow up in

a healthy environment and learn about the importance of balance and activity.

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

Although I do have anxiety, I take medication for it and have never had much trouble falling

or staying asleep. I do find that I have nightmares and dreams about work and other things a lot and

that my mind racing when I fall asleep does affect my quality of sleep. I prefer to practice a relaxation

technique and drink some herbal tea rather than start taking sleep medication since I do not usually

have an issue in this area.

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

I did not grow up playing a bunch of sports and both of my parents were mostly sedentary

when not at work. My mom enjoyed activities but my dad enjoyed spending time watching tv, going

out to eat, etc. I did do gymnastics and loved it and became much more active at about 17 when I

started considering going to the military. Now, I am 24 and getting out of the military soon. Without

the time specifically dedicated to physical activity I worry that I will fill my schedule with all the

other things that must get done and not prioritize exercise. I know that exercise is also a great way to

help relieve stress and anxiety and I am going to take steps to ensure I make it a priority. I have

sciatica and I know that physical activity helps me with that as well.

Summary: Simple things like going to the grocery store or cleaning the house make me

anxious. Especially recently, I am tired most the time and feel exhausted. I have been considering

starting cognitive behavioral therapy since it was suggested to me about a year ago. This class is

perfect as my last class of my degree and while I am transitioning out of the military.

References:

9



Unit 3: Psychology of StressInformation to Remember:

- Key Learning Point: While technology has shown to be helpful in many different aspects, it has also been proven to compromise communication skills and contribute to the 24/7 multitasking way of life of the population today. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: There are healthy ways to manage anger, and then there are unhealthy ways of managing anger. The unhealthy styles include somatizers, self-punishers, exploders and underhanded. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: The grieving process is one that contains 5 different stages that one must go through. The stages of grieving are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and they are followed in this order. Sometimes, people skip stages and stay in one longer than other stages. This process is not just associated with death but is applied towards traumatic situations such as the loss of a job, a break up, the loss of a pet, and other changes or losses that occur in one's lifetime. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Creating “balance” is how you achieve wellness. Feelings of anger, anxiety, fear, worry, etc.

all bring a negative energy and effects both our mental and physical health. Tulku Thondup, a Tibetan

teacher, stated that stress is, “the mind’s grasping for things that it cannot own, but merely enjoy.”

(Seaward, 2015). Dr. Leo Buscaglia taught about the concepts of love and self-love and how you

could not love others unless you loved yourself first. He stated, “Love brings with it change, and

Unit

3

10

change requires adaptation, which like other types of stress can produce either pleasure or pain.”. That

“unattended and unnurtured, it will evaporate and disappear.” (Seaward, 2015). Fear and anger, and

how we choose to cope with these feelings, are great contributing factors to stress. Two ways to cope

with anger that I have found especially helpful and are mentioned in our reading are to set realistic

expectations for ourselves and others and to stay in shape. Communication style, both internally and

externally, effect whether we are stress resistant or stress prone. Some ways to improve

communication style include listening without judgment, maintaining eye contact, communicating

confidently and addressing issues instead of festering.

Journal Writing:Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and Bringing the

Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found on pages 45 and 46 of the

Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to understand the

importance of making them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in relationships with

yourself and others around you. This should be a minimum of one full page.

Summary:

Meditation is a practice that seems as though would be extremely easy. While this may be true

for some, especially those with practice, it was has never been easy for me. Struggling with

generalized anxiety, my mind is constantly in the past or future and is always racing. Upon sitting

down to meditate I realized a couple different things. The first being that I needed to sit up because if

I were to lay down I would fall asleep. Also, that it was actually a struggle to keep my mind in the

present as a pose to thinking about all the things that needed to be done around the house, what all I

needed to get done at work tomorrow, when I am going to go to the grocery store, etc.

As I became intentional about focusing on my breathing I realized that I was forcing myself to

follow a certain breathing pattern as a pose to inhaling and exhaling naturally. I fixed this and almost

instantly felt more relaxed. My mind very quickly wandered and went back to the “list” and the fact

that this assignment was going to be late and I would have another week’s work of work to do in my

two classes. From here, I began to think about our training schedules and my husband leaving for

training in less than a week. I began to feel overwhelmed and sad. I refocused my attention on my

breathing and breathing with my belly. I imagined my exhales to look similar to dark clouds, getting

lighter or cleaner with each inhale and exhale. This is a tactic I learned in a class that I do not

11

remember the name of at the moment. When my clouds began to be a clean white color I took a

couple more breaths and decided to end the exercise and open my eyes. This is partially because I

began to fall asleep.

References:



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

- Key Learning Point: Personalities and behaviors play a huge role in stress resistance and those who are prone to stress. Stress prone behaviors include types A and D personalities, codependent personality traits and helpless-hopeless personality traits. Stress resistant personality traits and behaviors include the “hardy” personality, which is considered a personality of resiliency, survivor personality traits, sensation seekers, and those with high self-esteem. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Religion and spirituality are separate but related topics. As Seaward states, “Spirituality is inclusive whereas religions are exclusive”. (Seaward, 2015). Both, spirituality in particular, have been shown to be a cornerstone of mental health. There is no one definition for spirituality as it means something different across the nation and world, but the one provided by Seaward is an outstanding example. Seaward states that spirituality is, “the maturation process of our higher consciousness as developed through the integration of three facets: an insightful, nurturing relationship with oneself and others; the development of a strong personal value system; and a meaningful purpose in one’s life. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Much focus was placed on the values, attitudes and behaviors and how they make up our personality in a healthy or unhealthy way. Stress can occur when changes in any of these areas. Likewise, changes can occur in our values, attitudes and behaviors when

Unit

4

12

we experience stressors. In this unit we reviewed the “stages of change” model which presents behavior change as a process containing 6 steps. This process can be applied to any type of behavior change such as getting active, quitting smoking or drinking, etc. The steps are precontemplation, contemplative, determination, action, maintenance, and relapse. The “relapse” stage is included because it is understood and almost expected that at some point in your journey of behavior change, you will experience a relapse. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:In Unit 4 we discussed the impact our values, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and relationships

have on our stress management. Brian Seaward describes self-esteem as, “self-value, self-respect,

even self-love…described as the harmony or discrepancy between actual self-image and ideal self-

image, where high self-esteem is harmony between the actual and ideal, and low self-esteem is the

distance between the two”. He states, “High self-esteem is considered the best defense against stress;

strategies used to combat stress are useless without a strong feeling of self-worth or self-value.”

(Seaward, 2015). Having a meaningful purpose in life, setting short and long-term goals and giving

ourselves a purpose is a way to increase self-esteem and self-worth. Reaching these goals, or not

reaching the and setting new ones is a healthy way to build self-confidence. Internal and external

relationships both effect and are affected by stress. They take work and energy and if that energy is

being used stressing out, we are starving our relationships that are our potential coping strategy for

stress.

References:



13

Journal Writing:Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body.

Directions are found on pages 74 through 77 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this

Assignment, practice taking a moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any physical

sensations associated with strong emotions. This should be a minimum of three full pages.

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

uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

Sadly, I think this is the group of emotions I experience the most. Before this assignment I did

not realize that these emotions I so often feel stemmed from fear. I spend a great amount of my time

anxious which I used to think was normal. I wear many hats and hold myself to extremely high

standards as a mom, wife, soldier, student, leader, etc. but become overwhelmed by simple tasks such

as dishes and homework. The feeling starts in my chest and I feel as though I have difficulty

breathing. It transfers to my hands and they become shaky and my mind becomes clouded. I am

unable to think and this usually causes me to make mistakes and forget things. When I am nervous I

struggle to control my breathing, I become lightheaded, my mind becomes cloudy and I can hear

myself talking but feel as though I am hearing someone else talk and not thinking or saying the words

myself. These emotions also cause my muscles to tense up and is the reason I have muscle spasms

and knots in my back. Images that come to mind include worst case scenarios, failure at a specific

thing, and sometimes I have bad vivid dreams about situations. I have learned, however, that certain

things help with these feelings I experience because of fear. Meditation helps to calm and quiet my

mind, exercise changes my mood and creates positivity, and making a constant effort at changing the

way I think and react to things helps me avoid becoming overwhelmed and anxious to begin with.

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

Confusion originates in my mind and clouds my thinking. When I feel mystified or perplexed I

am intrigued. When I am foggy and chaotic it causes me to become overwhelmed and increases my

anxiety levels.

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

grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

14

When I get angry the first thing I notice is the fact that I cannot think clearly. I begin to feel a

heaviness in my chest and a rise in adrenaline. I imagine worst case scenarios. An example being if I

am frustrated with traffic, I imagine myself being late to work and getting fired or in trouble. This

applies to missing appointments and other situations as well and is a reason I almost always leave

super early for everything. If I argue with my husband I imagine him leaving and this causes me to be

very anxious.

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

loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

The feelings associated with the emotion of sadness follow a similar physical pattern as

feelings of fear for me. When disappointed, lonely or unhappy I lose all energy and become sick to

my stomach. I want to just lay in bed and lose motivation to do anything. I tend to fall into negative

thinking traps and mope struggle to differentiate thoughts from feelings. I am often unable to eat

when I feel this way and end up having a headache.

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

Upon feeling embarrassment, humiliation, or other feelings of shame I feel as though I am the

only one in the room; like everyone is staring and glaring at me and my face becomes flush and I

cannot focus or create clear thoughts. I image everyone is silently judging me, talking about me, etc.

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

liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

Feelings brought on by the emotion of love feel warm. They create a sense of security,

stillness and calm. You can feel it in your whole body. I can definitely tell the difference as my body

is relaxed and there is no tension in my muscles. It is similar to feeling nervous but in a good way. I

feel butterflies in my stomach but my mind is at ease and I am happy. I don’t think there is anything

better in the world than the feeling of loving and being loved.

15

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

exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

It may sound silly, but feelings of joy start in my heart. From here my mind is filled with

positivity and I experience an increase in energy. I feel on top of the world, filled with positivity and

have a clear mind. Quite the opposite feelings of when I am anxious, fearful, overwhelmed, etc.

Images that come to mind are succeeding in endeavors, my daughter and husband’s happiness,

receiving recognition or awards at work and school. References:



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

- Key Learning Point: We are unable to control most of the things that happen around us on a day to day basis. Taking this and the list of individual stressors we all have into consideration, along with the fact that many people already struggle with mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression, it is no wonder that we are all stressed out. The issue is that we put stress on the back burner, per say, ignoring it as if that will make it go away. When we do this it actually festers and becomes worse the longer we hold onto it by failing to confront it. Seaward states, “The answer isn’t to turn away; it’s to turn around, like turning into the skid.” (Seaward, 2015). This can be done through becoming mindful, or present in the current moment. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Meditation of different forms are a helpful way to increase mindfulness and decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. In unit 5 we learned about an informal

Unit

5

16

practice titled RAIN; this acronym is a tool to use for mindful self-inquiry at any time or place. It stands for Recognize when a strong emotion is present; Allow or acknowledge that it’s there; Investigate the body, emotions, and thoughts; Not-identify with whatever is there. This allows you to remove yourself and look at the situation as a bystander and gain a deeper understanding. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Another key focus of this unit, in the terms of mindfulness, was mindful yoga. This is not only an effective way to increase mindfulness, both physically and mentally, but to increase flexibility and decrease any pain that may be caused by stress or anxiety. Several exercises are given in the Stress Reduction Workbook that can be used alone or in sequence to increase awareness and mindfulness. (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and Anxiety. Directions are found on either pages 58 through 60 or

119 through 121 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of either practice, take a moment to

reflect on whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically. This should be a minimum

of two full pages.

This exercise was much more difficult for me than I expected it to be. I was excited about the

idea of taking a half hour completely to myself to hopefully release some stress and anxiety. With that

being said, I ended up having to do it more than once.

The first evening I attempted it was Monday night after an extremely long day at work and a

particularly rough night with my almost three-year-old daughter. She is realizing that her dad is gone

and is acting out constantly. I put a cartoon on for her, gave her a very late dinner, and went into the

spare room to meditate. I noticed when focusing on my natural breathing my breaths were shallow

and it was difficult for me to take full breaths. I have anxiety and this is something that happens

before I have an anxiety attack. After some time, I was able to control my breathing and I got through

about 15 minutes of the exercise before I fell asleep…sitting up. When I woke up and realized what

had happened, I just completely broke down. I felt exhausted and defeated. I know in an earlier

exercise it was stated that if this happened, we probably should listen to our self and get some rest. I

also woke up instantly thinking about the list of things that had to be done the following day and the

fact that my daughter and I would now be waking up in less than 6 hours. This half of the exercise

taught me a couple things.

1. I cannot meditate lying down or I will fall asleep.

2. I am pretty sure I am at an unhealthy level of exhaustion on a daily basis.

3. I hide and store a lot of baggage that affect me more than I once believed.

17

I rewound the track and finished the last 20 minutes three days later. I decided to do it sitting

on the couch and in the evening as a pose to late night. Just as we must be intentional about improving

our physical health, we must be intentional about improving or mental and spiritual health. I spent the

majority of this exercise lost in thoughts about the past and future. Focusing on the present and

stopping my mind from racing was only accomplished in small windows of time. This is discipline

and it will take time and practice to accomplish. I accepted this fact and tried to avoid judging myself

for what I initially viewed as failing. I came to realize that I judge myself quite often and beat myself

up about small things. Something I noticed physically, is that I have lost a lot of muscle in my core.

Sitting without support for a period of time over a couple minutes without slouching was painful. I

have muscle spasms in my back which I now realize are likely linked to stress and anxiety.

I plan on using the mindful breathing exercise often as a way to avoid oncoming anxiety

attacks. I think I may also try the walking meditation because walking is something I enjoy doing and

find helpful for relieving stress. Also, I am going to start keeping a journal so I can keep track of how

each exercise and different situations affect my stress levels. I look forward to using the tools learned

in this class to reduce my stress levels, change my way of thinking and finding some sort of balance.

References:



18

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery Information to Remember:

- Key Learning Point: Diaphragmatic breathing is controlled, deep breathing from the lower stomach (diaphragm) as a pose to the chest. This practice is the easiest relaxation method and is, or once used to be, a natural function that could be performed without thought. Many people who struggle with anxiety and stress do not find this as natural and easy and unintentionally hold their breath instead of exhaling. This is called “anxiety breathing” and causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, result in more stress. This practice is fairly easy to learn through guided meditation, yoga, or even just practicing on your own. (Stahl, 2010).

- Key Learning Point: The advancement of technology and overuse of internet and social media have led to our population virtually having no boundaries and a 24/7 “always on” mentality. The result of this is, “an inundation of information and distractions that overwhelm the mind”, or a sensory overload. The need to calm the mind, rid it of distractions, decompress and relax are essential for a healthy mental state. This can be done through different kinds of meditation, yoga, exercise, and other activities. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Seaward refers to lack of self-compassion and self-love as an epidemic. He discusses the fact that as a society we are very harsh and hard on ourselves. Even that we speak to ourselves in a negative way that we would never speak to our friends. This type of negative self-talk contributes to suffering and the causing or worsening of anxiety, depression, stress, pain and illness. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Diaphragmatic breathing is, “the most basic relaxation technique; breathing from the lower

stomach or diaphragm rather than the thoracic area.” (Seward, 2015). This practice is one that is used

to help those experiencing a panic or anxiety attack, in calming exercise routines such as yoga and tai

Unit

6

19

chi, and in childbirth. Much of the nation's population today has a 24/7 mentality between working,

school, technology, etc. Being “always on” has been proven to cause a decline in mental, physical and

emotional health. It is necessary that we engage in some sort of activities to decompress and clear our

minds. Meditation has been proven to be an effective way to improve mental and physical health.

Mental benefits include reduction of stress, anxiety and depression; a clearer mind free of negativity,

anger, fear and judgement; and increase in self-compassion, self-love, and happiness. The physical

benefits include improved immune system, decrease in high blood pressure and tension related pain

such as muscle spasms and headaches, and an increase in energy levels. (art of living, 2017).

References:Seaward, B. (2015). 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.

Journal Writing:Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment

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

The way I speak to myself and the messages I send myself are the polar opposite of how I interact

with others. I make it a point to build up and encourage those I care about. I am much more forgiving

and understanding of those around me than I am on myself. When I do not perform something to the

standard of myself or others I beat myself up, tell myself I am not good enough, and other negative

messages that cause anxiety. I also tend to link times of failure together and think more about those

then times of success. When I do this is increases my anxiety because I worry about what my

husband, boss, friends, soldiers, etc. think about and if they think less of me. When I feel as though I

failed at something or did not measure up it physically and mentally exhausts me. I fixate on it.It

makes me sad to come to this realization because many people who know me would describe me as

positive and motivating person but this is the opposite way of how I treat myself.

Seeds of suffering?

20

If I were to stop planting these seeds of suffering I could more easily take criticism, bounce back or be

more resilient after failure, and have a higher level of self-confidence. These traits are what make

successful people both personally and professionally. Another thing that may be different is my

anxiety level.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

I do terrible in times of conflict, whether it with my husband, boss, coworkers, or random people.

Because I am so hard on myself I tend to take things very personally and this is something that I have

been working hard on changing. One of my coworkers tends to be stand offish or cold when having a

bad day and it used to bother me not knowing whether I was the cause. I work in a stressful

environment where feelings are not really thought about accomplishment of the mission is priority. If

something is done wrong it should be corrected, regardless of the person or rank. While the right thing

to do is take criticism as a learning experience and move on, I assume the person thinks I’m

incompetent, stupid, or they don't like me. I have made a conscious effort at changing the way I react

to these types of situations and have noticed a difference. As a leader, it is important to be able to be

able to give and take criticism and be corrected without developing resentment.

Reflection on writing?

Reflecting on my writing, and the whole process of writing this assignment, was difficult for

me. Self-love, self-awareness and self-confidence are areas that need improvement in my life. One of

the reasons I chose this degree plan was because of my compassion to help others feel good about and

love themselves. The feeling of helping people feel empowered and accomplish their goals makes me

happy. Digging deep, I realized that this was a reflection of how I wanted to feel. I put my energy into

helping people to deflect from helping myself. There are unresolved issues in my past that I am going

to have to confront to reach a place of self-love a lot work to be done finding myself. I have hidden

these things away, packed my plate and mind full of priorities and things to be done in order to avoid

thinking about them. All this did was lead to anxiety and a decline in my mental and physical health.

This class has forced me to take a deep look at some of these issues and the choice I made to just not

address them, but it gave me the courage to put my fear aside and change that.

References:



21

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:- Key Learning Point: The stress response (fight or flight), “compromises the ability to digest,

absorb, metabolize, and eliminate nutrients.” (Seaward, 2015). Taking this and the fact that nutrition guidelines are already difficult to meet with the vast amount of poor but convenient food choices we have, it is no wonder why we have such a high obesity rate but also a population that is not meeting the nutrition recommendations. Instead of using food what it was intended for, to nourish and fuel our bodies and fight disease, we have began fueling lifestyle related diseases with our diets. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Four dominoes are used to represent the relationship between nutrition, stress and the immune system. “Domino 1: Stress tends to deplete nutrients in the body. Domino 2: Current American lifestyles under stress do not promote or reinforce good eating habits. Domino 3: Some food substances are known to increase sympathetic drive or other physiological responses that keep the stress response elevated. These include caffeine, processed sugar, processed flour, and salt. Domino 4: “Many foods that are processed contribute to a cumulative effect of toxins.” (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: For many of us, our days and our lives follow a schedule. While this may help us in the aspect of planning and preparing, it also contributes to our lives becoming a mundane pattern. We develop habitual patterns caused by our anxiety, stress and depression and we fail to realize that our reactions to these feelings are not improving our mental state but deteriorating it. It is easy to become trapped and stuck inside these habitual thought and behavior patterns. Practicing mindfulness can get us out of this frame of mind or off the tracks, per say. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Practices such as meditation and yoga are becoming more and more popular across the nation.

These, along with other practices that are shown to improve physical and mental health, have been used in

other countries for centuries. I found that practicing yoga was much easier for me than sitting or lying

meditation. Having back pain, it was difficult for me to sit straight for the duration of the exercise without

Unit

7

22

experiencing pain which distracted me from the goal at hand. Including visualization and mindful breathing

into the routine add to the positive effects. The idea that I am simultaneously letting go of negativity and

stress while also increasing my flexibility, improving posture and building strength is something that makes

me happy.

References:



Unit 8: Physical Exercise and ActivityInformation to Remember:

- Key Learning Point Obesity, like stress, is a growing epidemic in our nation. These two diseases have much in common and each have a great effect on the other. When experiencing stress, the fight or flight response is set into motion and this causes an increase of cortisol which can contribute to weight gain. This factor and inactivity together, make for a very dangerous path. Exercise is an important to strengthen our mind and bodies, and one of the few positive and healthy ways to relieve stress when done properly. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Just as the way we communicate internally through styles of thinking can play a huge role in our stress levels, the way we communicate with others (interpersonal communication) also plays a role. Because relationships and communication are so important to our livelihood, it is crucial that we are developing healthy ways to interact with others and

Unit

8

23

build relationships. Qualities of interpersonal mindfulness include openness, empathy, compassion, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: Hatha yoga is, “a series of physical movements that promote a sense of inner peace and tranquility” (Seward, 2015). These slow and deliberate stretching movements are supposed to be done while removing the ego and unifying your mind, body and spirit. This creates balance, both mentally and physically. There are many other physiological and psychological benefits as well that have been discovered since the 21st century when the nation made this mainstream practice. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercises:This Units Self-Assessment Exercise was creating a corporate health and wellness program.

Corporate wellness programs are on the rise and a heavily focused on topic with the dramatic rise in

lifestyle related disease and illness and health claims. The purpose of the corporate wellness program

is to create a healthy and positive environment for employers and employees, reduce health claims,

and improve the overall health and wellness of those in the company through education and action.

The proposal included the rationale, programs or practices, capital outlook or expenses, and benefits or

return investment. Some of the mind/body programs and practice suggestions listed in my program were

yoga, tai chi, meditation, acupuncture, workout dvds and stress management training. While some of these

will require outside resources, once training is given employees wil be able to utilize the OMG or quiet

room to conduct these on their own.

References:

Seaward, B. (2015). 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.

Journal Writing:Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Creating Connection. Directions are found on

pages 161 through 163 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.

24

OPENNESS: When we connect and interact with those close to us, those whom we know well, it can

be difficult to use the quality of openness and not become closed off or defensive. Coming into the

interaction with an open mind, with no assumptions, judgements or expectations, makes it possible for

each person to gain an understanding of the others perspective. Using openness while I interact with

my husband increases the likelihood of having a positive conversation where we both understand the

other's point of view.

EMPATHY: As I interact and connect with my husband, I began to imagine the situation as though I

were in his shoes. As I identify with his feelings I can tell he is refreshed that I understand where he is

coming from and is appreciative that I am actively listening and engaging, making an effort to

connect with his feelings. This makes his him feel accepted, loved and secure.

COMPASSION: Using empathy (placing myself in the shoes of the person) I begin to identify and

imagine my husband's pain and disappointment. I understand that he is in a vulnerable and

uncomfortable place choosing to share these feelings with me. By comforting him and creating a safe

environment to open up in, the relationship is strengthened and our communication is deepened.

LOVING-KINDNESS: Interacting with my husband focusing on the loving-kindness quality we are

both joyous as we discuss goals, aspirations, and plans for the future. Independent and shared goals

are discussed and we let go of judgement, fear and past situations that cloud our judgement.

SYMPATHETIC JOY: A quality that comes naturally to me, whenever I interact with my husband,

friends, acquaintances, anyone really and they express joy, happiness or excitement, it is natural for

me to be happy with and for them. My husband and those close to me especially bring me great joy

and happiness with their expressions of these emotions.

EQUANIMITY: Communicating while balanced and calm we discuss upcoming changes in our

schedule due to us both being active duty military. We realize that one of our issues is no more

important than the other, that we are equals and our issues are of equal weight. Staying composed and

actively listening we come up with solutions and realize one another's need for kindness, love and

security.

References:



25

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for Management and Prevention to your Professional LifeInformation to Remember:

- Key Learning Point: Mindful eating is not only another way to practice mindfulness in our daily activities, but it is an extremely beneficial way to control what, when, how and how much we are eating. Many of us link food to different feelings and mindful eating is a way to recognize this and break the habit. With busy lifestyles, we rush through meals and place little to no focus on what we are eating. When we consume food, we are nourishing our mind and body and we should absolutely stop and take the time to be aware during this process. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: As much as we are programmed to believe the opposite, rest is essential. The 24/7 “always on” mentality is a huge contributing factor to mental illness and the worsening of symptoms. Going to bed earlier, taking a short nap, taking time to be quiet and still, taking in nature, these are all good ways to rest our bodies and our minds. (Seaward, 2015).

- Key Learning Point: There are many ways, both healthy and unhealthy, to cope with stress. Different methods work better or worse for different people based off lifestyle, faith, passions, interests, etc. Some healthy coping methods include prayer, confiding in friends, meditation, hobbies, counseling or therapy, social orchestration and engagement in physical activity or other activities of interest. Avoidance, the most common coping mechanism is very unhealthy. (Seaward, 2015).

References:

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being.

Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning

Unit

9

26

Additional Information All resources are secondary resources:

Choose MyPlate. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2017, from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

McGonigal, K. (2013, September). Retrieved August 08, 2017, from https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript

Micozzi, M. S. (2015). Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine. Philadelphia: Elsevier.

SparkPeople. (2017). Retrieved August 08, 2017, from http://www.sparkpeople.com/

27

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

References

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


University of Sunderland. (2017). Stress and Mental Wellbeing. Human resources department.

Retrieved from


28


kaplan university - beautifullybalanced117.files.wordpress.com file · web viewkey learning point:...

Documents