hw410-01-unit 9 project Critical Issues in Stress Management and Prevention

1

KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention Program

Resource Guide

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

Stress Management and Prevention

Program Resource Guide

By

Cynthia Grothe

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

1/14/2014

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

What Is Stress?

Types of Stress/ causes

General Adaption Syndrome

Resources: Exercise: EXERCISE 1.6 The Wellness Paradigm Revisited

Tools: Journal Writing: EXERCISE 1.4 A Good Night’s Sleep

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

Physiology of Stress

Stress Related Disease

Effects on Memory from Stress

Resources: EXERCISE 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects

Tools: EXERCISE 3.3 My Health Profile

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

Building Blocks of Psychological Stressors

Subtleties of Predictability

Subtleties of Control

Resources: EXERCISE 5.4 Anger: The Fight Response

Tools EXERCISE 4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress

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

Stress Prone Personalities

Stress Resistant Personalities

Importance of Self-esteem

Resources: EXERCISE 7.5 Your Personal Value System

Tools: EXERCISE 6.1 Under the Gun: Stress and Personality

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

Coping Strategies/Types

Vulnerability to Learned Helplessness

Applying the Principles of Coping to Psychological Stress.

Resources: None for this unit.

Tools: EXERCISE 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire

U N I T 6 R E L A X A T I O N T E C H N 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

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Inclusive and Exclusive Meditation

Mental Imagery vs. Visualization

Resources: EXERCISE 18.3 Bridging the Hemispheres of Thought

Tools: EXERCISE 17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditation

U N I T 7 S I G H T , S O U N D , A N D B O D Y W O R K

Four Stress Domino Factors

Effect of Stress on Eating Habits

Foods that Trigger a Stress Response

Resources: None for this Unit

Tools: EXERCISE 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behaviors

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

Importance of Flushing Stress Hormones Out of the Body

Specific Effects of Exercise on Stress

The Mind/Body Connection

Resources: None for this unit

Tools: EXERCISE 28.2 My Body, My Physique

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

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

Information Seeking- Promoting and Reducing Stress

Hobbies as a Coping Mechanism

Forgiveness as a Coping Mechanism


Tools: None for this Unit

U N I T 1 0 A P P L Y I N G S T R E S S : C R I T I C A L M A N A G E M E N T A N D

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

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Applying the Use of Guided Meditation.

The Benefits of Journaling


Tools: Final Reflections

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

(End of the Guide)

(This page intentionally left blank)

5

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:

What Is Stress? Stress is the body’s reaction to any perceived threat, real or imagined, to our

mind, body, spirit or emotions. (Seward, B. 2009, pg. 3) Any time one is experiencing stress, it

triggers a psychological and physiological response causing one to go into fight or fight mode. If

not shut down in a timely manner, it can also affect the body in negative ways, sometimes leading

to fatal illnesses. Knowing and recognizing stress makes it possible to begin to implement a

change in reactions to stress, and helps to create a calmer approach to the stressor, as well as help

to boost self-esteem, and decreases the potential of developing illnesses that will shorten a

person’s life span.

There are several types of stress in today’s society. Eustress is the good kind. It motivates a

person to optimal performance. Examples of this type include falling in love, the birth of a child,

or maybe finding a music album that is rare. Neustress is the stress that generally is dismissed as

inconsequential. Examples would include a tragic event in a part of the world that is removed

from a person and does into directly affect them. Distress is the stress that is response to a

negative event, and includes two additional types of stress: Acute and Chronic. Acute Stress is

intense but short in duration, say from getting pulled over and receiving a ticket. Chronic stress is

Unit

1

6

prolonged stress that is not as intense. Examples of causes for this include financial worries, or

relationship problems.

General Adaption Syndrome is in reaction to chronic stress and it includes: the alarm phase,

where the body prepares for flight or fight; the resistance stage in which the body attempts to

recover; and the exhaustion stage, when the body’s organs begin to fail. (Seward, pg. 13) In

knowing these stages, it makes it easier to identify what stage one is in and adjust treatment

accordingly.

Resources: Exercises:

EXERCISE 1.6 The Wellness Paradigm Revisited- This exercise helped me to evaluate my own

opinion of wellness in my own life. I had to look at the things that caused stress in my life and

begin to define what I needed to change. In doing so, I began to assess how much stress I actually

deal with on a daily basis.

Tools: Journal Writing:

EXERCISE 1.4 A Good Night’s Sleep – This section emphasizes the need for a good night’s sleep

and the effect of not getting enough on stress levels and on overall health. I include it here because I

had to examine my own sleeping habits (or lack of.) It made me realize how badly my body clock

is and got me thinking about what I would need to do in order to change it. The bottom line is that if

one does not get a good night’s sleep, it affects moods, stress levels go up and the body remains in

fight or flight until it has had a chance to relax. As a result, one is more susceptible to illness that is

stress related.

7

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress


Physiology of Stress: Stress affects several areas of the body, but most notably is the CNS, the

endocrine system and the immune system. The endocrine system releases signals to the central

nervous system to prepare the body for the fight or flight of a stressful situation. The endocrine

system includes the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the adrenal gland. (Seward, pgs. 41- 42)

When these are stimulated, they release Glucocorticoids, which are used as an energy supply. The

CNS is stimulated by the brain and will activate the nerves in preparation of flight or flight. With

the activation of these systems, the immune system will basically shut down until the perceived

threat is over, and will return to homeostasis once it is over. However, if the threat is continued,

through worry, or anger, the immune system will take longer to return to normal and leaves a body

susceptible to illness and disease.

Stress Related Diseases: One of the biggest relatable diseases caused by stress is

Cardiovascular. As your body goes into fight or flight, the heart is required to divert blood to

the extremities in order to make flight possible. If, however, this continues on for a prolonged

time, the heart muscles will eventually wear out, causing heart attacks and stroke. (Sapolsky,

2004, pg. 41) Another disease related to stress is caused by not eating properly. The body needs

sugar, but if someone is eating out of comfort, chances are they are not eating healthy. They are

Unit

2

8

grabbing food on the fly, and most fast foods are packed with sugars. Too much sugar in the

blood system causes diabetes. Combine this with lack of exercise in this mostly sedentary

world, and you have a recipe for disaster. The body is not able to properly process the sugars

and a build -up will cause other issues, such as a shut-down of the liver and kidneys. This can

lead to dialysis and possible death.

Effects of stress on memory: A person will remember details of an excitable event easier than

one that is relatively dull and boring, however, they will only remember the stress-related part

of the event. This flashbulb memory is easily retrievable, but events leading up to it are not. The

brain will “Fill-in” the missing details of an event in order to create uniform memory. Also, if

one is stressed out enough, remembering important dates in the future is very hard, if not non-

existent. This is because the brain is trying to do too many things at the same time and some far

off future event is not as important as what is happening in the here and now. (Gilbert, Daniel,

2005, pgs.87-92)


EXERCISE 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects- This exercise helped me

to point out what the signs of a stressful situation are, and how to pinpoint an area that I might be

able to disengage the stressor. It required me to list all of the physiological signs of my stress

response for both short term and long term effects such as susceptibility to flu and acne. By looking

at this list, I can see when I am experiencing a stress response and think the situation through to

defuse the response before it turns into a long-term stressor.

9


EXERCISE 3.3 My Health Profile- I am including this for a couple of reasons. First, knowing

what areas need to be improved in order to help alleviate the physical stress. It also begins to point

me in the direction of my health prescription. By learning what changes I need to make, I can focus

on that area that causes stress in my own mind and can help me to improve my self-esteem.

10

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress


The Building Blocks of Psychological Stressors- These include: outlets for frustration-maybe a

hobby, or taking a run. The idea is that it gives a person some place to focus their anger; Social

Support – where a person can go to talk out their feelings before they become overwhelming;

Predictability-knowing what to expect lessens the stress response; and Control- the belief that one

is in control of a situation gives them a sense of comfort(Sapolsky, 2004, pgs. 355-262). Using

these building blocks will help to lessen the stress felt by an individual.

Subtleties of Predictability- “Knowing the stressor is inevitable; the warning cannot change that,

just the perception of it (Sapolsky, 2004, pg. 266).” However, knowing what is going to happen

does not always help to alleviate the stress that goes along with it. It can, in fact increase the stress

as the time gets closer to whatever the event is.

Subtleties of control –This describes what happens to a person who think they are in control while

a situation is brewing, but when the situation explodes, they blame themselves. This also applies

to parents who have lost a child, they may not have foreseen that something terrible was about to

happen, but then afterwards, they blame themselves, saying things like “I should have done more,

If only I was a better parent, this would not have happened.”

Unit

3

11


EXERCISE 5.4 Anger: The Fight Response- in doing this exercise, I was able to really look at my

anger and how I tend to lash out when I am upset. I found that I classify as an exploder, where I

hold everything in and just explode all over the place, usually at people I am not really angry at.

Because of this exercise, I can start looking at ways to recognize hen this is happening and stop it

before it gets out of control.


EXERCISE 4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress- This Journal exercise helped me to break down

my day to day stressors, I was required to list my top stressors as anger based or as fear based. As a

result, I can pinpoint the stressor and what is actually behind it and then deal accordingly with the

underlying emotion.

12

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human Spirituality


Stress Prone Personalities- The most recognizable of these personalities is the Type A

personality. They are associated with time urgency and unresolved anger issues, they engage in

multitasking, are ultra-competitive, have rapid speech patterns, are ego driven, and are hyper

aggressive. (Seaward, B., 2009, pgs. 135-136) The personality is the Type D personality. They

are associated with anxiety and depression. Then there are the codependents, which have a habit

of putting everyone else’s needs above their own (Seward, 2009, pgs. 136-140) The next is the

helpless-hopeless personality and is based on low self-esteem.

The Stress Resistant Personality –The Hardy Personality leads this list. This personality type is

one who seems to be able to buffer against stressors. Their characteristics include Commitment,

control and challenge. The next would be the Survivor personality, who seems able to overcome

insurmountable odds to come out as the victor rather than as the victim. The next are the Type R

personalities, also known as the sensation seekers, who confront stress by calculating the risks in

extreme situations and then proceed with gusto. (Seward, 2009, pgs. 143 – 147)

The Importance of Self-esteem- Low self-esteem can be seen in the stress-prone personalities, as

they are the most vulnerable to feeling negative emotions, and High self-esteem is prevalent in

Unit

4

13

the stress resistant personalities, as they seem to be able to brush off stress and do whatever needs

to be done.(Seward, 2009, pgs. 147-150)


EXERCISE 7.5 Your Personal Value System- This section had me describing my personal values.

This was a little difficult for me as I had to think about it hard. I don’t often do this type of personal

moral inventory unless I am preparing to make a major change to my life.


EXERCISE 6.1 Under the Gun: Stress and Personality- For this Journal exercise, I had to describe

how I handle stress. Though I scored below the average for a co-dependent personality, I

discovered that the traits are still there.

14

Unit 5: DEALING WITH STRESS: COPING

STRATEGIES


Coping Strategies/Types- Coping is “ the process of managing demands that are appraised as

taxing or exceeding the individual’s resources. (Seaward, 2009, pg. 196) This can take several

forms, such as: palliative coping, where one is increasingly aware of one’s surroundings;

Instrumental coping, where a series of behavioral changes accompany this awareness; and

self-efficacy, describing an inner sense of faith Culminating in a can do attitude. (Seaward,

2009, pg. 196) These strategies make it possible for a person to deal with stressors in a less

combative mode and help them to get through whatever the situation is calmly and

effectively.

Vulnerability to Learned Helplessness – Some people are more resistant to learned helplessness

than other. Sapolsky talks about the one hostage out of ten who come out of captivity a mentally

healthier person than when they went in. (Sapolsky, 2004, pg. 392) It is this resistance to

helplessness that seems to define people with a Hardy Personality type.

Applying the Principles of Coping to Psychological Stress – With practice, people can change

how they react to stress and stressful situation. In some personalities, it may require the additional

Unit

5

15

assistance of a psychotherapist in order to recognize coping skills, but once it is learned, it will be

almost automatic.


None for this unit.


EXERCISE 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire- This section gave me a chance to evaluate

my time management skills. As this has always been an area that I have struggled with, it helped

me to see here I am already getting better and where I still need work. Time management has

always been a huge stressor for me and some days it seems as though there is not enough hours in

the day to accomplish what I need to.

16

Unit 6: RELAXATION TECHNIQUES 1:

BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND MENTAL

IMAGERY


Diaphragmatic Breathing- This is controlled deep breathing.(Seaward, 2009, pg. 344) This allows

the person to stop for a minute, take a deep breath and gain some control over them while in a

stressful situation. The breath is focused on expanding the lower abdomen rather than the chest.

This type of breathing is often used in Yoga and other types of meditation as a way to calm the

whole person down.

Inclusive and Exclusive Meditation – Inclusive meditation is where thoughts are invited into

awareness without emotional evaluation or judgment. An example would be Zen Meditation.

(Seaward, 2009, pg. 355) Exclusive meditation involves the restriction of consciousness to

focus on a single thought. Examples would include focus on a mantra, or on a visualized

object, repeated sounds, physical repetitions, or tactile repetitions. (Seward, 2009, pgs. 355-

357)

Mental Imagery vs. Visualization – Mental Imagery is used during meditation in order to put

someone into a state of calm. The teacher or guru will walk the person through the image

Unit

6

17

construction and any environmental sounds. It has been used for pain management such as

Lamaze breathing during childbirth. Visualization is often used to help promote a winning

attitude about a situation. Athletes will use it to “psych” themselves up before a game or

competition. It puts them in a winning mood so they tend to play better.


EXERCISE 18.3 Bridging the Hemispheres of Thought- This section helped me to analyze if I

was a right brain thinker or a left brain thinker. I discovered I am more of a right brained person

as I love academic pursuits, with left brain tendencies, as I enjoy the arts, being creative, music

and dance.


EXERCISE 17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditation – This was an interesting meditation technique, as I

was calling up an image of my being a dolphin. I was required to allow air and light go into and

out of a hole in the top of my head, rather than through my mouth. It was a new experience for

me to meditate this way.

18

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress


Four Stress Domino Factors- Domino one- Stress tends to deplete nutrients in the body.

Domino two- Current American lifestyles under stress do not promote or reinforce good

eating habits. Domino three- Some food substances are known to increase sympathetic drive

or other physiological response that keep the stress response elevated. Domino four- Many

processed foods contribute to a cumulative effect of toxins. (Seaward, 2009, pg. 489)

Stress Effect on Healthy Eating Habits- Stress slows down digestion and absorption of foods

and the blood may be redirected to the large muscle groups in preparation for flight or fight.

Toxic residue may build up in the lining of the small intestine and colon, which inhibits the

digestion and absorption process. Stress also decreases vitamins and minerals from being

absorbed, thus leaving a body vulnerable to illness.(Seaward, 20, pgs. 493-495)

Foods that Trigger a Stress Response – these would include carbohydrate rich foods, such as

sweets; High fat foods; an excess of simple sugars, such as white sugar and bleached flour; And

High levels of Caffeine, such as that found in coffee. (Seward, 2009, pgs. 496-497) Changing

eating habits will help, as well as learning other ways to cope with stress.

Unit

7

19

Resources:

None for this unit.


EXERCISE 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behaviors- I am including this one as it shows

my eating habits while I am stressed out or just in a hurry. I knew that I often skipped

meals but I wasn’t really all that aware of any other issues. Then again, I normally aren’t

until my blood sugar crashes.

20

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity


Importance of Flushing Stress Hormones from the Body- The build-up of the stress hormone

cortisol from chronic stress and no activity can cause a person to gain weight. The Hormone is

used as energy during flight or fight and if a person does some sort of physical activity, the

hormone is flushed. But if the person does nothing except sit on the couch, the hormone is

redistributed to the body and turns into adipose tissue (fat). (Seaward, 2009, pg. 524)

Specific Effects of Physical Exercise on Stress- Aerobic exercise burns off stress hormones. It

prepares the body for future stressful episodes. It can be used as preventive method because it

minimizes or neutralizes physical arousal to threats. It prolongs long-term efficient function of

several organ systems. (Seaward, 2009, pg. 516)

The Mind/Body Connection to Physical Exercise – Exercise provides a wonderful catharsis of

emotional frustrations. It creates a balance between a calm mind and a healthy body. In doing

exercise, it burns off stress hormones that cause fat and decreases feeling of sluggishness.

(Seaward, 2009, pg.524)


None for this Unit.

Unit

8

21


EXERCISE 28.2 My Body, My Physique - This exercise forced me to evaluate my body as

I see it. It helped me to pinpoint goals for my exercise program. As a result, I have a plan in

place to help me become more active.

22

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Management to

your Professional Life


Information Seeking- Promoting and Reducing Stress – Too much information can cause an

overload, and stress. When you look something up you can scare yourself by focusing on the

worse case scenario. But Information can be helpful as well. It can answer unknowns and being

informed makes it easier to know what questions need to be asked. (Seaward. 2009, pg. 326)

Hobbies as a Coping Mechanism- Hobbies can be used to help a person focus on something that

is constructive and pleasurable. In this way, they are not stuck in the quagmire. As a result, by

refocusing the mind elsewhere, the person can calm down and possibly come up with a solution.

(Seaward, 2009, pgs. 329-330)

Forgiveness as a Coping Mechanism- Forgiveness Helps a person to rid themselves of toxic

emotions. It helps a person return to homeostasis because the fight or flight is dissolved. In this

way, a person’s emotional health can be maintained. (Seward, 2009, pg. 330)


None for this Unit

Unit

9

23


None for this Unit

24

Unit 10: Applying Stress: Critical Management to

your Personal Life


What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation? – It is a progression of tensing and relaxing each part of

the body to achieve optimum relaxation. It is especially good for people who deal with a lot of

tension in the muscles as a result of stressful situations. (Seaward, 2009, p.456)

Applying the Use of Guided Meditation- In this area, it helps to have someone who can guide you

into a restful visualization. By concentrating on the direction of the other person, it puts you into a

deep and relaxed trance like position. It also helps you take your mind off of whatever is causing

the stress so one can face it with a fresh prospective.

The Benefits of Journaling – This technique give one a way to externalize emotion. One writes

down what the stressors are, and how they affect the emotions. It is another way to work through

the issue calmly.

Unit

10

25


None for this unit.


After listening to the meditation cd, it helped to calm my mind enough to focus on things in my

life. I was able to put myself into relaxation and helped me to come up with ways to face my day

to day stressors without triggering my anxiety again. After all that I have had to deal with over the

last couple of weeks, that was important to me, and it helped by calming me down enough to not

have to deal with the emotions going haywire.

26

Additional Information

Primary Sources:

Sapolsky, Robert M. (2004) Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, 3rd

Edition. New York, NY: St. Martin’s

Press.

Seward, Brian Luke, PhD. (202009) Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-

Being, 6th

Edition. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Secondary Sources:

Ahsan, Tanya. (2008) The Brilliant Book of Calm. Oxford, OX, United Kingdom: Infinite Ideas

Limited.

Banning, Beth. (2013) How to Do Meditation for Beginners: Answers to Your Biggest Questions and

Five Easy Meditations. Published by Focused Attention, INC.

Betteridge, Adam. (n.d.) The Art of Meditation: A Beginners Guide. Published By Passive Perfection.

Gilbert, Daniel. (2005) Stumbling on Happiness. New York, NY: Random House.

hw410-01-unit 9 project Critical Issues in Stress Management and Prevention

Education

i t y t r

e d i t

n s p i r i t u

t i o n t e c h n

t h e n

t h s t r e s s

d d i t i o n

t i o n end