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KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in


Management and Prevention

Stress
Management and
Prevention
1

Program Resource
Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention


Program Resource Guide

By
Joann Myers
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
30 September 2014

Table of Contents
UNIT

WHAT

STESS?

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT

PENNY

F OR

YOUR

THOUG HTS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT

CONTROL

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT

WHO

ARE

YOU?

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT

DEAL ING

WITH

STRESS:

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT

DAYDR EAM

AWAITS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing

COPING

STRATE GIES

UNIT

DON T

TAKE

M Y

CHOC OL ATE

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT

PHYSIC AL

EXERCISE

AND

ACTIV ITY

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT
AND

APPLYING

PREVE NTIO N

STRESS:

CRITICAL

TO

PROF ESSI ONAL

YOUR

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
Tools: Journal Writing
ADDITI ONAL

INF ORM ATIO N

ISSUES

F OR

L IF E

M ANAGEM EN T

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Unit

Unit 1: What Stress?


Information to Remember:

What is Stress?

Everyone can say they get stress but not everyone one

knows what exactly happens to the body when it gets stressed. A stressor can
be defined as anything that throws the bodys attempt to restore allostasis
(Sapolsky, R. 2004). In other words, once a stressor enters your body it throws
your hormones out of whack, and until you reach a state of relaxation, your

body will eventually cause other issues such as illnesses.


Stress Men vs. Women: Generally speaking, men are prone to act more
hostile [to stress] while women have a proclivity to be more nurturing
(Seaward, B. 2009). I was actually very surprised to read that men were
generally used in testing for stress levels for both genders. If I had not read
about it I would assume that men and women do respond to stress differently.
Just being around my husband and seeing how he deals with stress compared

to myself really gave me that answer.

Stress does affect every person

differently, some people face stress face on and are more relaxed and able to
overcome it while others can become sick, angry, or even depressed in a way.
Men will face stress on there own where women tend to (not all) turn to
friends and family for help on the problemTend and befriend: A theory
presented by Shelly Taylor that states that women who experience stress dont
necessarily run or fight, but rather turn to friends to cope with unpleasant

events and circumstances (Seaward, 2009)


Types of Stress: when people think of stress they think something bad
causing itstress is usually associated with too much work, money and bills,
ensuring family happiness and other issues. What most people do not know
though is that stress comes in three types, eustress, which is a good type of
stress, neuters which can be seen as not bad or good, and the distress which is
what most people experience, or know they are experiencing (Seaward, B.
2009).

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 1.1 Are You Stressed? (Seaward, B., 2012)
Though there are so many more questions one could ask about being
stressed this journal was a great realization tool to show how stressed you
really are. Actually seeing what causes stress in your life and how much really
causes stress can help one pinpoint what needs to be worked. I choose this
journal because it was a great start to leading us into the class to know what
areas we could work on using the tools we learned in coping and relaxation.

Unit 2: A Penny for your Thoughts

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Unit

Information to Remember:

The mind and body are one: Without our mind, our functioning brain, we
can not feel, think, act, or move.

When it comes to stress our minds are

brought into overdrive, which sends signals to the rest of the body and causes
us to react.

Psychophysiology reflects the fact that a sensory stimulus

(threat) that prompts the stress response must be processed at the mental
level before it can cascade down one or more physiological pathways

(Seaward, B., 2009).


The hippocampus: The Hippocampus is the part of the brain that stores
memory and allows you to retrieve memory from the cortex. When stress is
prolonged the hippocampus begins to deteriorate which stops the process of
being able to obtain and remember new things you see or learn. According to
our text Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers, there are four areas of the brain that
when affected by prolonged stress cause damage to the hippocampus. First is
the increase of glucocorticoids; once the glucocorticoid levels go from the

range seen for mild or moderate stressors to the range typical of big time
stress,

the

hormone

no

longer

enhances

long-term

potentiation.

Glucocorticoids now disrupt the process (Sapolsky, R. 2004). The second


area damaged is neurons, when neurons get disconnected information is lost.
The third step of prolonged stress in that neurons will not grow back until the
stress disappears. And lastly the hippocampal neurons become endangered
(Sapolsky, R. 2004). Which means if the stress continues the neuron will
eventually die.

All these effects working in the brain cause damage to

hippocampus.
Stress and Disease: Stress affects the mind and body; the more a person
prolongs stress the more health issues will arise.

Many things including

hereditary, viruses, and germs can cause disease. What people do not realize
is that stress can cause disease and make certain disease even worse.
Psychosomatic: A term coined from Franz Alexanders term organ neurosis,
used to describe a host of physical illnesses or diseases caused by the mind
and unresolved emotional issues (Seaward, B., 2009).

Resources: Exercises:
EXERCISE 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects
(Seaward, B., 2012) - This exercise was all about helping a person understand
how their body effects to stress. As stress continues over minutes, hours, and
days, your body starts to react and change because of that stress. Knowing how
stress effects the body can help people learn when to step back and re-evaluate
a stressful situation and try to eliminate before it gets prolonged.

Tools: Journal Writing:

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Unit

EXERCISE 2.1 Stress Physiology Review (Seaward, B., 2012)


Knowing your body is a most. If you can't tell when your body is reacting
to something or you feel a certain reaction is normal, you will never be able to
learn how to handle certain situations. This journal allows you to learn about
how your hormones work and react to stress. I chose this because it taught me
how to react depending on how I am feeling, what techniques to use and how to
relax when

Unit 3: Control
Information to Remember:

Subtleties of Control: If you can control an outcome, or see the bright


side of what ever the stressor
control,

is rather than only the bad, then you are in

or in other words "Subtleties of Control" - seeing the bright side of

a stressful situation: "that was awful, but think of how bad that could have

been if I hadn't done X", (Sapolsky, R.. 2004). When you allow something to
make you angry without looking at both sides, then you will become
stressed. Taking a step back will not only help bring the stress level down
but it will also help you find a good outcome.

Subtleties of Predictability: Imagine knowing what will cause stress for


you in advance.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

According to the

subtleties of predictability this can be a bad thing because it will cause stress
to arrive even earlier.

When you know something is going to cause you

stress you will stress over that this is coming. Why would you want to cause
that extra stress by knowing what is ahead of you? If you do know what is
ahead of you though trying finding a positive out of it, control it, rather then
have it control you (Spalosky, R. 2004)
Stress and Depression: Depression is a serious illness that thousands of
individuals find themselves in everyday, for weeks, for years.

The longer

youre are depressed the more harm you do to your body and mind. The
more stress a person puts himself or herself under the more likely they are to
become stressed. People who are undergoing a lot of life stressors are more
likely than average to succumb to a major depression, and people sunk in
their first major depression are more likely than average to have undergone
recent and significant stress (Sapolsky, R. 2004).

Resources: Exercises:
EXERCISE 5.1 Anger Recognition Checklist (Seaward, B., 2012)
This exercise was a great tool to put your anger issues in perspective.

Some people know they get angry, but this really showed how angry you could

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Unit

get! Knowing this can help with seeing the signs of anger and trying to prevent
it before allowing it to explode.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress (Seaward, B., 2012)
This journal helped determine what makes you angry. When you know the
signs, and even the contributors, you have a much better chance on learning
how to handle a situation. This will help eliminate anger and unwanted stress
levels in the body and mind.

Unit 4: Who are You?


Information to Remember:

Stress-Prone Personalities:

There are three types of stress-prone

personalities each giving stress a different face. Type A personality is all about
getting things done according to a schedule and doing it your way because any

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other way and any other help will slow down a process. Codependency, this
type of personality brings everything on the shoulders of this one individual.
The person needs to feel in control and has to be the one who can fix anything
and everything and does not depend on the help from others. Then you have
the helpless-hopeless personality, this person has a low self-esteem and feels
like nothing can go their way and that with anything they do they are always

failing regardless the outcome (Seaward, B., 2009).


Stress-Resistant Personalities: I would love to work towards one of these
personalities to help control my overall stress level.

Being able to use

stressors to see the bright side of things, to become a stronger person is great.
The stress-resistant personalities contain the Hardy personality, the Survivor
personality, and the Sensation seekers. These three personalities allow people
to take stress on, they find a challenge and overcome it; the confront stress,

and control it (Seaward, B., 2009)


Self-Esteem and Stress: When we place little or no value on our self, we
become quite vulnerable to the perceptions of stress (Seaward, B., 2009).
When you so not love yourself, or care much about what happens to you, you
will find your self in more stressful situations than the average person. This is
a topic to remember because if you can see low self-esteem in yourself or
others you can help bring yourself or others out of it. As a leader in the Army
this is important especially when going to war.

Resources: Exercises:
EXERCISE 7.8 Distractions of the Human Path (Seaward, B., 2012)

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In all our lives we have things that can take us away from what really
needs to be done. Doing this exercise helps you realize what distractions in
your life prevent you from getting things done, from not exercising, or even
spending time with the family. Writing things down and actually seeing what
can and needs to be changed will help a person change those things.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 6.1 Under the Gun: Stress and Personality (Seaward, B., 2012)
This journal helped you take control of one stressor in life and see how
you compared with the hardy personality. I enjoyed it because it helped me
determine how much I can handle in a stressor and how much I have to work on
in the stressor.

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Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

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Unit

Information to Remember:

Humor: This is a good comping strategy because laughter will take you away,
even just for a moment from the stressor. Laughing will help you release the

stress response and sooth tension.


Time Management: Time management is a big thing when it comes to
coping with stress and relieving it. When you can manage your daily workload
and activities then you will become less stressed.

Doing less things

throughout the day and focusing on one thing at a time is the key.
Positive Mind Set: This can be very difficult but when you can look at more
things positively it will cause less stress symptoms to your body. Sometimes if
you can take second to step back and re-evaluate a situation and find the
positive in it, youll be doing a lot better.

Resources: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire (Seaward, B., 2012)
This was a great exercise to show you where you need to work on time
management. Actually seeing the areas, I have trouble in with time, has

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allowed me to make necessary changes to help cut out stress due to time

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Unit

management issues.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective (Seaward, B.,
2012)
This exercise let me take on stressor in my life and look at in a way so I
can find a way to take me away from the stress. Learning how to make a
situation benefit rather than cause stress is a great way to prevent unneeded
stressors.

Unit 6: A Daydream Awaits


Information to Remember:

Diaphragmatic Breathing: Stop, take a deep breath in and let it out, just
breath.

This is a great tool to help you relax at any time of the day.

Diaphragmatic breathing is ultimately just a deep breath, one that goes deep

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into your stomach, down past the diaphragm. When you can learn to take a
deep breath through diaphragmatic breathing you will clear your mind just for
a moment because you bring complete thought and control to what you are
doing. "Diaphragmatic breathing is perhaps the simplest way to initiate the

relaxation response" (Seaward, B., 2009).


Mental Imagery and visualization: Feeling as you are on vacation just for
even a few moments can help you relieve that stress. Though this technique
can cause more danger if not done correctly it can help take a person away
from stress by taking them to another world and sometimes even having them
imagine that the stress, the problem no longer is a problem. It helps people in
a sense find a way away from the stressor. These states bring a person to a

relaxed state causing the stress hormones to stop working.


Meditation: Meditation is an increased concentration and awarenessa
process of living in the present moment to produce and enjoy a tranquil state
of mind (Seawrd, 2009). When you are under stress you mind is working twice
as hard, it is full of what ifs, and how do I get myself away from this.
Meditation can come in many forms but each essentially relaxes the mind and
body.

Resources: Exercises:
EXERCISE 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations (Seaward, B. 2012)
Lets talk about getting rid of all distractions and traveling to a whole new
world! Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the gentle, rolling waves of
the oceanyou feel completely relaxed (Seaward, B. 2009). This exercise was
great in teaching a way to step away and escape without actually leaving.

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Learning to do this can help clear your mind before bed, before or after work,

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Unit

or even before or after school.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 18.1 Too Much Information (Seaward, B. 2012)
Sometimes when I lay down at night, even when I am really tired, it can
take me forever to fall asleep because the thoughts in my mind just will not stop
rolling. This journal helped me learn ways to relax my mind and body by
showing myself what I can do when I am being overwhelmed with too much
information.

Unit 7: Dont Take my Chocolate


Information to Remember:

Stress and Eating Habits: Eating is definitely a relaxation technique, for


when food enters the stomach, a sense of calm ensues (Seaward, B. 2009). A
scheduled eating plan, planned dinners, and healthy food choices are the way

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to go. But, when it comes to stress people can run to their comfort food and
when you are always stressed you are always running to that comfort food. If
you can control the temptations and you can control what and how much you
eat. Stress and overeating have always been a combination and can cause

someone to fall into bad habits.


The Domino Effect: There are four dominos that if one is dropped the others
are not far behind. Domino 1 is when the body falls into the state of stress, it
causes the reduction of nutrients, energy is expelled and you fall into domino 2
craving that comfort food. Bad eating habits do not replace the nutrients that
are being expended.

Once in that state your body will fall into domino 3

craving more and more because it is not getting what it needs, eventually you
will fall into the fourth domino which brings your body into illness because it is

lacking proper nutrients and minerals (Seaward, B. 2009).


Eat Healthy: Eating healthy, this means giving your body all the proper
nutrients and minerals in the proper amounts it needs and not overdoing it on
those comforts foods you just cannot stay away from. By eating healthy your
body will absorb, digest, metabolism, and eliminate. When your body gets
what it needs it will work properly and do what it is meant to do.

Resources: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behaviors (Seaward, B. 2012)
I enjoyed this journal writing exercise because it let me see first hand my
eating habits. Knowing your eating habits and then being able to calculate
what these habits can do for your health is awesome. A lot of people to believe
that something can be bad for them until they see actual facts. Exercise as

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these dont show affect but they can give a a good idea of what can and will

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Unit

happen to you and your body depending on your eating habits.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 27.3 The Rainbow Diet (Seaward, B. 2012)
Before this journal writing and before I read the chapter in our text I have
never heard of chakras, let alone that the different collared foods can benefit
different parts of our bodies. I really enjoyed doing the research for this journal
because it widened my knowledge on healthy eating for mind and body.

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity


Information to Remember:

Managing and Preventing Stress:

Key learning point from the unit about The Wellness Mandala <insert your
text>

Key learning point from the unit about The Wellness Mandala <insert your
text>

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Resources: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 28.2 My Body, My Physique
Well now you know my secrets! Not everyone likes their body, but if you
always list the things you dont like you will always feel bad about it. When it
comes to your appearance you always try your best to look good but there is
always that part of you that you dont like. Doing this journal helped me realize
in depth the things I do not like showing me what I need to work on, but it was
also very helpful in showing me what I do like about my body. Both are equally
important because they help balance things out and show that working towards
the good is possible.

Tools: Journal Writing:


EXERCISE 28.3 Your Circadian Rhythms
Until you actually write it down you will not see how truly un scheduled
your day is. Unless you already go off a calendar your day usually is not exactly
like it was the day before. You also cannot always control everything that
comes up throughout the day causing changes in your schedule. Doing this
journal allowed me to see how I do need to add extra time in for things that I
miss through out the day. I also enjoyed it because it teaches that an un
scheduled day causes you to change your habits daily.

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Unit 9: Do your Thing

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Unit

Information to Remember:

Hobbies:

This is a great peace of information.

Hobbies can be good for

stress or be bad for stress, so when it comes to hobbies choose wisely. If you
do a hobby that is fun, exciting, and does not require a lot of thinking, it will
help you escape from that thing called stress. A hobby that allows you to relax
and just breath is the kind of hobby you need. Some hobbies require a lot of
thinking and a lot of dedication, which means if you feel that something is
going wrong, it can cause more stress. Some hobbies produce tension and

frustration when expectations are not met (Seaward, 2009).


Tai Chi: When it comes to stress we have found that healthy eating, exercise,
and relaxation are all ways to help prevent and reduce stress. Tai chi is a
technique that provides all of that Tai Chi is a series of exercises using slow,
smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation of body and mind
(Klass, K, 2014). Tai Chi can be used for daily exercise, daily relaxation, and as
a hobby to help cope with stressful situations.

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Just Do It: this goes for everything that involves coping with stress! Holding
off on sleep, on relaxation time, exercise time, and eating properly. Dont
save your stress management for the weekend, or for when youre on hold on
the phone for thirty seconds.

Take the time out to do it almost daily

(Sapolsky, R. 2004). Taking time every day will help release stress and allow
your body to go back into a relaxed state rather than constantly allowing to
build and build until you blow or cause serious health issues. Stop breath,
relax, and think.

Additional Information
Though I still have a long road ahead of me, I feel that this class has helped by giving me tools
and teaching me ways to cope with, handle, and rid of stress and anger based life habits and
issues.

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References:
Klass,K.(2014,September15).TaiChiofferspeaceformind,bodyandspirit.
Retrievedfromhttp://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/life/2014/09/15/taichi
offerspeacemindbodyspirit/15696591/
ThisarticlewasfunandtoldyouallaboutthebenefitsofTaiChi.Ittoldyou
whatitis,howtodoit,andwhypeoplelikedit.TaiChiisagreathobby,
exercise,andrelaxationtechnique.
Sapolsky, R. (2004). Stress and Memory. In Why zebras don't get ulcers: The
Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Disease and Coping. (Vol. 3, pp. 215225). N.Y: W.H. Freeman. (PRIMARY SOURCE)
Seaward, B. (2009). Managing stress: principles and strategies for health and wellbeing (6th ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett. (PRIMARY SOURCE)

Seaward,B.(2012).Theartofpeaceandrelaxationworkbook(7thed.).Burlington,
MA:Jones&BartlettPub.(PRIMARY SOURCE)

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