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
David Williams

Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
11/18/2014

Table of Contents
U NIT

THE

NATUR E

OF

STRES S

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
U NIT

THE

P HYSIO LOGY

OF

ST RESS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
U NIT

PSYCH OLOGY

OF

STRESS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
U NIT

PERSO NAL ITY

TRAITS

AN D

THE

HUM AN

SPIRIT UAL ITY

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
U NIT

DEAL I NG

WITH

ST RESS:

COPI NG

STRATE GIES

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
U NIT

REL AX ATIO N

TEC HI QUES

IM AGE RY

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing

1 :

BRE ATHI NG ,

M EDITATI ON,

AN D

M ENTAL

U NIT

NUT RITI ON

AND

STRESS

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
U NIT

PHYSIC AL

EXE RCISE

AND

ACTIV ITY

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
U NIT

APPLYI NG

PRE VEN TIO N

TO

STRES S:

YOUR

P ROF ESSI ONAL

Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
Tools: Journal Writing
AD DITI ONAL

CRI TICAL

INF ORM ATIO N

ISSU ES
L IF E

F O R

M A NAGEM EN T

AN D

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1
Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:

What is the definition of stress and stressor? According to Seaward, the

definition of stress is the experience of a perceived threat (real or imagined) to
ones mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of
physiological responses and adaptations (2008). Stressors are any real or
imagined situation, circumstance, or stimulus that is perceived to be a threat
(Seaward, 2008). Learning the definitions of stress and stressors and figuring
out what my own stress and stressors are, will better prepare me when I
initiate a plan to help me relieve stress.

Do men and women respond to stress the same way? If not, how do their
responses differ? I think that men and women definitely respond to stress
differently. I think that men take a more defensive stance when there is a
threat to him or his family and women give people the benefit of a doubt. I
think that men react to stress in the fight response and women chose the flight
response more. If I were put in a stressful situation, my first reaction would be
to defend myself or protect myself. I have worked in my job long enough as a
Marine to be able to not let stressful situations get me out of character. When
dealing with stress at work I dont yell, I normally just go in my office alone
and try to think things over. If that doesnt work then I use the gym as my
outlet.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD is a more severe type of stress. It is

mainly associated with military members that have returned from combat, but
it can be found in individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences not
associated with combat. Some of the symptoms of PTSD are normal stress
symptoms like: restlessness, insomnia, and loss of appetite. The more severe
symptoms may include chronic anxiety, nightmares, memory loss, emotional
detachment, suicide tendencies and substance addictions. Several symptoms
are experienced at the same time. If someone is experiencing symptoms of
PTSD then they should seek help immediately. With early help they can
decrease the traumatic effects.. I found this information to be very helpful in

my field of work. I can use the symptom checker as a Marine to help identify
speculations of PTSD in myself and my fellow Marines.

Resources: Exercise: My Health Philosophy

Exercise 1.2: My Health Philosophy

Life is a kaleidoscope of the infinite variety. No two things are the same. Everyones life is
individual.
--Paramahansa Yogananda
We all have philosophies. Philosophies are nothing more than our opinions, dressed up with an
introduction and conclusiona way to present to someone, even ourselves, what we really think
about some topic or ideal. We have philosophies on everythingthe types of music we like and
listen to, the state of world affairs, and even the foods we eat at restaurants.
Now its time to examine your philosophy about your health. Based on what you already know,
and perhaps have been taught or exposed to, define as best you can what the words health and
wellness mean to you. After having done this, ask yourself why health is so important and write
a few lines about this.
Given the premise that every issue is a health issue, identify some seemingly non-health issues
such as the global economy, deforestation, or TV programming. See if you can discover the
connection between these issues and your state of well-being. How is your state of health
influenced by stress? Finally, where do you see yourself twenty-five years from now? If you were
to continue your current lifestyle for the next three to four decades, how do you see yourself at
that point in the future? Your health philosophy guides your state of health. What is your health
philosophy? What has influenced your philosophy up to now (e.g., parents, teachers, friends,
books)? Be specific. Take some time to write it down here now. If you need additional space to
write, use the extra pages provided at the back of this book.
My Health Philosophy
Health to me is being able to meet my needs physically, emotionally and mentally. Meeting
these needs will allow me to know that I am doing the right thing to be able to keep going.
Wellness to me is exercising, eating healthy, and doing all the proper things to become and stay
healthy.
Health is important to me because it determines whether I will be around to see my children
grow up or if I die young because Im not taking care of myself. Meeting my needs physically will
allow me to be able to keep up with my children and be active. Emotionally I will be able to talk
to and express my feelings to my children. Mentally I will be able to guide my children when
making decisions.
Non-health issues that I deal with are my job, typhoon season, and going TAD. My job has an
effect on my state of well being because it can cause a great deal of stress, which can lead to
effecting my health if I cant cope with them. Typhoon season affects my state of well being
because if there is a typhoon then my family will worry and stress about what to do in this
situation. TAD affects my state of well being because I have to leave my family behind and go
somewhere else and Im worrying about them.
My state of health is influenced by stress in two different ways. When I am stressed because of
a negative situation, then it affects me mentally and causes me to worry plenty. When I worry I
may sometimes not eat or eat too much. This can affect my state of health by me overeating

and becoming obese or not eating enough and becoming malnutrition. In a positive situation
stress can cause me to be motivated. If I accomplished a goal like losing weight, then this could
increase my stress level and motivate me to continue exercising and losing weight.
Twenty-five years from now I see myself still going to the gym working out or still coaching or
being involved in coaching. I will be retired again from my second career; which will allow my
wife and I to be able to travel and vacation when we want.
If I continue my current lifestyle for the next three to four decades, I will be good shape. My
lifestyle now consists of eating healthy and exercising daily. This should decrease or eliminate
most diseases that I would be prone to if I didnt do these things.
My health philosophy is take care of your body and your body will take care of you.
The many people who influenced my health philosophy are my mother-in-law, my kids, and
definitely my wife. My mother-in-law influenced my health philosophy because she was
hospitalized a few years ago due to congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
She didnt eat healthy, exercise regularly and she smoked. This is when I found out that diabetes
and high blood pressure was common in their family history and that if my wife didnt start
practicing healthy eating and exercising, she too could end up with these diseases, so we made a
change in our eating habits and added daily exercising to our schedule. My kids influenced my
health philosophy because I want to make sure that they pick up healthy habits all through out
life. If I make healthy choices maybe they will choose to make healthy choices also. My wife has
really helped shaped my health philosophy because she pulls everything together. She makes
sure that healthy meals are provided and keeps the kids active while I am at work or away for
long periods of time. She mainly motivates us to eat healthy because she does the cooking.

My Health Philosophy: I enjoyed creating my health philosophy. It helped me map

out how I view health and wellness and what it means to me. It made me realize
that health is important to me because it determines whether I will be around to
see my children grow up or if I die young because Im not taking care of myself.
My health philosophy also showed me how stress is influences my state of health.
Ive learned that when I stress I can eat too much or too little which both can
affect my health. A very important lesson that I learned with this exercise is that
there can be positive stress, which can motivate me to accomplish a goal that I
am trying to accomplish.

Tools: Journal Writing: Exercise 1.1: Are You Stressed

Exercise 1.1 Are You Stressed?

Although there is no definitive survey composed of 20 questions to determine if

you are stressed or burnt out or just exactly how stressed you really are,
questionnaires do help increase awareness that, indeed, there may be a
problem in one or more areas of your life. The following is an example of a
simple stress inventory to help you determine the level of stress in your life.
Read each statement, and then circle either the word Agree or Disagree. Then
count the number of "Agree" points (one per question) and use the Stress
Level Key to determine your personal stress level.
Statement:

Agree

Disagree

1. I have a hard time falling asleep at night.

2. I tend to suffer from tension and/or migraine headaches.
3. I find myself thinking about finances and making ends meet.
4. I wish I could find more to laugh and smile about each day.
5. More often than not, I skip breakfast or lunch to get things done.
6. If I could change my job situation, I would.
7. I wish I had more personal time for leisure pursuits.
8. I have lost a good friend or family member recently.
9. I am unhappy in my relationship or am recently divorced.
10. I haven't had a quality vacation in a long time.
11. I wish that my life had a clear meaning and purpose.
12. I tend to eat more than three meals a week outside the home.
13. I tend to suffer from chronic pain.
14. I don't have a strong group of friends to whom I can turn.
15. I don't exercise regularly (more than three times per week).
16. I am on prescribed medication for depression.
17. My sex life is very satisfying.
18. My family relationships are less than desirable.
19. Overall, my self-esteem can be rather low.
20. I spend no time each day dedicated to meditation or centering.
Stress Level Key
Less than 5 points
More than 5 points
More than 10 points
More than 15 points

You
You
You
You

have
have
have
have

Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree

Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree

a low level of stress and maintain good coping skills.

a moderate level of personal stress.
a high level of personal stress.
an exceptionally high level of stress.

Are You Stressed?: This journal entry was very helpful because it showed me how
stressed I really am. The inventory contained 20 questions that I had to either
agree with or disagree with. At the end of the test my results showed that I have
a moderate level of personal stress. After completing this survey I learned that
most of the things I do in my daily life may have some connection to stress. Now
that I have identified this, I can move on to ways of coping with these stress
related items and make my life less stressful.

2
Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:

The physiological effects of prolonged stress on memory could lead to memory

loss. Stress causes a chemical to be released that is very harmful to the parts
of the brain used for memory. With constant release of the chemicals in the
brain leads to constant memory loss. Once the chemicals damage the organ
that is used for storing memory there is no way to reverse the process. I think
this is important because people may now know what is causing their memory
loss. They can then use coping strategies o help lower the amount of stress
they have, so that they wont further damage the brain by the chemicals
released when they stress.

We need to be alert and focused in stressful situations to be able to understand

what is going on. During stressful situations there are short-term stimulations
that enhances our memory. By improving our memory we can use it as a
learning mechanism. We can use memory to help lower stress levels. This is
important so when you get in a stressful situation you will remember the
strategies you used before to get you out of that situation and you can either
avoid it or find another way to deal with it.

Damage to the hippocampus from excess stress.

The hippocampus is
positioned within the limbic system of the brain. Conscious memories and
emotional events are formed by both the hippocampus and the amygdala. The
hippocampus is highly sensitive to the stress hormone cortisol. If there is
continued stress then there is more cortisol produced which speeds up the
process of aging in the hippocampus. Chronic stress may affect memory and
the learning processes. One particular disorder is highly connected to stress
and the hippocampus, that disorder is known as PTSD or Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. The amount of stress that a person with PTSD suffers from
causes the stress hormone to deteriorate the hippocampus. The brain cells
are damaged and this damage cant be undone.

Resources: Exercises: Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged

Stress Effects

Exercise 2.2: Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects

As noted in Chapter 2, the stress response has immediate (seconds), intermediate (minutes to
hours), and prolonged (days) effects through which the symptoms of physical stress can
manifest. To reinforce your understanding of each phase of this physiological process, please
take a moment to reflect on how your body reacts to stress through these three processes.
1. What do you feel when immediately threatened?
a. Tingling sensations

Yes

No

b. Sweating

Yes

No

c. Muscle tension (e.g., jaw muscles)

Yes

No

d. Rapid heart rate

Yes

No

e. Rapid breathing (or holding your breath)

Yes

No

f.

Yes

No

Rush of blood to your face and neck (blushing)

g. Other _______________________________________________________
2. How would you best classify your bodys intermediate (within hours) response to stress?
a. Tension headache
Yes
No
b. Migraine headache

Yes

No

c. Sore neck and shoulders

Yes

No

d. Sore throat

Yes

No

e. Allergies

Yes

No

f.

Stomachache

Yes

No

g. GI tract problems

Yes

No

h. Other _______________________________________________________
i.

Other _______________________________________________________

j.

Other _______________________________________________________

3. What do you notice as long-term effects of prolonged stress (five to ten days)?
a. Cold or flu
Yes
No
b. Acne (broken-out face blemishes)

Yes

No

c. Herpes flare-up (around lips)

Yes

No

d. Menstrual period irregularities

Yes

No

e. Other _______________________________________________________
f.

Other _______________________________________________________

g. Other _______________________________________________________

Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects: This exercise was

beneficial to me because it allowed me to recognize how the body reacts to the
stress response system. The stress response system has 3 phases. The
immediate phase which happens in seconds after the stress has begun, the
intermediate phase, which begins hours after the stress has begun and the
prolonged phase which could last five to ten days after the stress has begun.
Learning these phases and symptoms will help me better recognize which
phase of the stress response I am in.

Tools: Journal Writing: Stress Physiology Review

Exercise 2.1: Stress Physiology Review

First, read Chapter 2 in Managing Stress. Given the nature of the content (lots of
left-brain facts), you might want to reread it before starting this exercise. One
reason why experts in mind-body medicine think its a good idea to understand
the physiology of stress is that this knowledge helps with various relaxation skills,
including mental imagery, autogenic training, and biofeedback. Having this
knowledge of how your bodys physiology works during times of stress augments
your ability to promote a deeper sense of relaxation and healing. In this case,
knowledge is power.
This hormone is released from the hypothalamus:
1. Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is released from the hypothalamus.
This hormone is released from the pituitary:

2. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is released from the pituitary.

This hormone is released from the thyroid:
3. Thyroxine and triiodothyronine hormones are released from the thyroid.
These hormones and catecholamines are released from the adrenal gland:
1. Glucocorticoids
2. Mineralocorticoids
3. Epinephrine
4. Norepinephrine
These catecholamines are released from the neural endings:
1. Epinephrine
2. Norepinephrine
This hormone is associated with mood; a decrease is associated with depression:
1. Serotonin
This hormone is associated with a good nights sleep:
1. Melatonin

10

Stress Physiology Review: This exercise was important because I never knew how many
chemicals are released just during the stress process that can affect our brains as well as our
body. Knowing how and why these chemicals are released will give me a better understanding
how to control them so that they can have positive effects instead of negative effects on my
body.

3
Unit

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:

The Building Blocks of Psychological Stressors was very important. It

explained what is needed to deal with stress so that we can decrease our
chances of diseases caused by excessive amounts of stress. The Building
Blocks of Psychological Stressors states that a person needs an outlet for
frustration, social support, predictability, control and perception of things
worsening (Sapolsky, 2004). This helped me list some of my outlets that I use
like running, having my family as my social support, preparing myself when I
am facing a stressful situation, being in control of the situation and being able
to look at the positive outcomes of a situation rather than the negatives of the
situation.

The Subtleties of predictability was important also because it is like a

forewarning of what is going to occur next. Even though you are given a small
chance of knowing something is going to happen it doesnt always make the
stress go away, sometimes it can increase your stress level. Adding in your
emotions will also change the subtleties of predictability. Your emotions are
ever changing depending on what you are going through. When you obtain
predictabilities your emotions will effect those and how stressed out you will
be. This information will be taken into account when I learn of a situation that
is bound to cause stress. I know that if my emotions are negative it will most
likely lead to being more stressful.

11

The Subtleties of Control is another key point that I think was important to this
unit. It is important to know the Subtleties of Control. This basically means
that you think you control of a situation and then it takes a turn for the worse.
Using the Subtleties of Control in a real life situation happens everyday.
Although you do everything in your power to control the situation, it just
doesnt end up the way you want.

Resources: Exercises: The Fight Response

Exercise 5.4 Anger: The Fight Response

Anger. The word itself brings to mind images of pounding fists, yelling, and smoke
pouring out of ones ears and nose. But anger is as natural a human emotion as love. It is
universal among all humans. Anger is a survival emotion; its the fight component of the fight-orflight response. We use anger to communicate our feelings, from impatience to rage. We employ
anger to communicate boundaries and defend values. Studies show that the average person has
fourteen to fifteen anger episodes a day. These often arise when our expectations are not met
upon demand. Although feeling angry is within the normal limits of human emotions, anger is
often mismanaged and misdirected. Unfortunately, we have been socialized to suppress our
feelings of anger. As a result, anger either tears us apart from the inside (ulcers) or promotes
intermittent eruptions of verbal or physical violence. In mostif not allcases, we do not deal
with our anger correctly.
Research has shown that there are four distinct ways in which people mismanage their anger:
1. Somatizers: People who never show any signs of anger and internalize their feelings until
eventually there is major bodily damage (e.g., ulcers, temporomandibular joint
dysfunction, colitis, or migraines).
2. Self-punishers: People who neither repress their anger nor explode, but rather deny
themselves a proper outlet for anger because of guilty feelings (e.g., eating, shopping).
3. Exploders: Individuals who erupt like a volcano and spread their temper like hot lava,
destroying anyone and anything in their path with either verbal or physical abuse.
4. Underhanders: Individuals who sabotage others or seek revenge through somewhat
socially acceptable behavior (e.g., sarcasm, appearing late for meetings).
Although we tend to employ all of these styles at one time or another, given the situation
and prevailing circumstances, we tend to rely on one dominant style of mismanaged anger. What
is your most dominant style? What situations provoke an anger response in you? How do you
deal with these feelings of anger?
There are some ways to deal with anger correctly or perhaps even creatively. For
example, (1) take a time-out from the situation, followed by a time-in to resolve the issue, (2)
communicate your feelings diplomatically, (3) learn to think through your anger, (4) plan several
options to a situation, (5) lower personal expectations, and, most important, (6) learn to forgive
make past anger pass. What are some ways you can vent your anger creatively?
Although anger is an emotion we all experience and should recognize when it arises, it is
crucial to manage it correctly. Sometimes just writing down on paper what gets you frustrated
can be the beginning of the resolution process. And anger must be fully resolved.
My most dominant style out of the four would have to be self-punisher. I chose self punisher
because most of the time, I dont show my anger at first, but then it is very unlike me to not

12

address a situation that is bothering me. I didnt chose somatizer because I dont let my anger
cause major bodily harm, maybe a headache every now and then but not on a daily basis. I
didnt chose exploder because I dont believe in putting my hands on people when I get angry
because it really doesnt help the situation it just makes it worse. I didnt chose underhanders
because I dont try to sabotage anyone for any reason, even if they have made me angry, but I
do tend to use sarcasm when I am angry.
I think that dishonesty provokes an anger response in me more than anything. If I feel that you
are being dishonest with me and I have been honest with you, then I will become very angry. I
also become angry when someone has told me that they are going to do something and it
doesnt get done.
The way I handle these feelings of anger is to talk about it and try to understand things the
other persons way and also have them to try to understand things my way. Once we have
talked, came to a conclusion or agree to disagree, there is no more anger and we can move on.
Some ways that I deal with anger creatively is to walk away from the situation and to be alone,
maybe playing video games or listening to music. I also use the gym as another way to get away
from being angry and to clear my mind and think about the discussion to come.

Anger: The Fight Response: This exercise was significant to me because it made
me realize how I deal with anger and what type of person I am and the types of
other people in the world and how they deal with their anger. There are four
types and I would have to classify myself as a self-punisher although I do
present some qualities of the others. With this exercise I can use it to classify
others who I may work with or come in contact with in my future career. This
can help me with ways to deal with them and different situations because I have
an idea of how they will react.

Tools: Journal Writing: 4.1: The Psychology of Your Stress

Exercise 4.1: The Psychology of Your Stress

The following questions are based on several theories from Chapter 4 to help you
become more aware of your perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during
episodes of stress:
1. In hindsight (because Freud said people are not aware at the time that they are doing it), do
you find that you use one or more defense mechanisms to protect your ego? Reflecting on your
behavior, which of the following do you see as common behaviors in your psychology of stress
profile?

13

a.

Defensiveness (I didnt do it)

Yes

No

b.

Projection (She did it)

Yes

No

c.

Repression (I dont remember doing it)

Yes

No

d.

Displacement (He made me do it)

Yes

No

e.

Rationalization (Everyone does it)

Yes

No

f.

Humor (I can laugh about this now)

Yes

No

g.

Other _______________________________________________________

2. Carl Jung was adamant that we need to listen to the wisdom of our dreams. Please answer
the following questions based on Jungs theories related to stress.
a. Do you often remember your dreams?
Yes
No
b.

Do you make it a habit to try to understand your

dreams and dream symbols?

Yes

No

c.

Do you have any recurring dreams?

Yes

No

d.

Have you ever had a dream of an event that later

Yes

No

came to pass?

3. Kbler-Rosss stages of grieving are not just for cancer patients. These same stages occur for
the death of every unmet expectation. What recent expectation was unmet that brought you to
the door of the grieving process? What stage of Kbler-Rosss progression have you currently
reached with this stressor?
My grandmother who raised me passed away in June 2014. To me it was expected but not
unexpected. She was 90 years old, so I knew it was going to happen soon. It was unexpected
because she had just celebrated her 90th birthday with friends and family members. I can
remember going through all the stages of grieving and I can say that I am in the final stage of
acceptance. I have accepted that there is nothing that I can do about her passing, she lived a full
life and that she would want me to continue living my life, which is what I am doing.
4. Refer to your Unit 1 Journal Writing Assignment, Exercise 1.5 (Personal Stress Inventory: Top
Ten Stressors). Please list your stressors as predominantly anger-based or fear-based
stressors.
Anger-Based Stressors
a. Not enough sleep
b. Relationship strains
c. My job
Fear-Based Stressors
a. Worrying about families health
b. My kids
c. Frequent headaches

14

The Psychology of Your Stress: This exercise was beneficial to me because it made
me more aware of how I see things when I am in a stressful state. I found out
that I dont blame others but I tend to see the positive side of things and make
note that no one is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. I also learned that
there are stages to the grieving process and knowing these stages can help you
determine where you are and how grieving can affect your life at different
stages.

This exercise also helped me to identify which of my stressors were

anger based and fear based. By identifying these, I can move on and face these
stressors and start a coping strategy to overcome them.

4
Unit

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:

Stress-Prone personalities are the people with Type A personality,

codependent personality, and helpless-hopeless personality. A person who falls
under the Type-A personality multitasks, have rapid speech patterns and has
time urgency, they may be stress-prone because they are trying to accomplish
more than one thing at one time and may seem that they arent getting
anything done. A person who is codependent is a perfectionist, manipulator,
super-achievers, and are approval seekers, they increase their stress by not
achieving their goals and then blame themselves. A person who is a helplesshopeless has very little self-motivation, they are usually emotionally
dysfunctional, and are always thinking of the worst-case scenario.

Stress-Resistant personalities are the people with a hardy personality, survivor

personality and Type R personality. A person who has a hardy personality
takes control of a situation, likes a challenge and is committed. A person who
may belong to this category may be a lawyer or a housewife. A person with a

15

survivor personality trait is proud and humble, stubborn but compliant, is

optimistic, and they may seem selfish but humane. According to Seward, the
survivor personality isnt determined by genetic make-up. Instead, those who
study the survivor personality agree that these traits can be learned and
practiced by anyone (2008). A person with the Type R personality is
considered sensation seekers. They like to take risks and partake in high
adrenaline activities. Someone with this type of personality likes to windsurf,
skydive, hang glide and do activities that are thrilling and takes risks.

It was important to learn how self-esteem affects a persons stress level. Selfesteem is how a person sees himself or herself and it also includes how
confident a person is. If a person has high self-esteem then they may not let a
situation affect them because they overlook it, but if a person has low selfesteem, then stress may easily affect them. I tend to think that I have a fairly
high self-esteem overall. I dont let much bother me and I know that anything I
am working on, I will complete it and it will be of quality.

Resources: Exercises: 7.8 Distractions of the Human Path

EXERCISE 7.8 Distractions of the Human Path
Distractions can best be described as those things that pull us off the spiritual path indefinitely.
Distractions begin as attractions, but their allure can often cast a spell of slumber on the soulgrowth process. Although a respite on the human journey is desirable, and even necessary at
times, a prolonged distraction will ultimately weaken our spiritual resolve. The human spirit, like
energy, must flow, never stagnate. The lessons of distractions are quite common in fairy tales.
Whether it is the story of Pinocchio or Hansel and Gretel, the warnings regarding distractions are
as plentiful as the distractions themselves. The lessons of distractions are common in the great
spiritual teachings as well. Here they are called temptations. Not always, but often, attractions
that become distractions have an addictive quality to them. What happens when we become
distracted? Metaphorically speaking, we fall asleep on the human path. Like Dorothy and her
friends on the way to Oz who stepped off the yellow brick road to smell the poppies and fell fast
asleep, we too lose our direction, our mission, and our energy stagnates. The end result is never
promising. Unlike roadblocks, distractions are not meant to be circumvented, dismantled, or
even transcended. Rather, they are meant to be appreciatedperhaps from afar, perhaps
enjoyed briefly and then left behind. Fairy tales aside, what are contemporary distractions?
Common examples of everyday distractions might include social contacts, alcohol, television, cell
phones, and the Internet. Take a moment to reflect on what might be some distractions in your
life. Make a list and describe each one in a sentence or two. Upon recognition of these, what
steps can you take to wake up and get back on the path?
1. Facebook: This can be a distraction to me because I get caught up on there trying to
see what my friends and family has been up to while I am away in Japan. One thing I can do to
wake up and get back on the path once I get off is to shut the phone off completely or come up
with a time for me to go on Facebook and only go on there during that time.
2. Television: This is a distraction for me because I will start doing something or getting
ready to go to the gym and a program, probably sports, will come on and before I know it, an
hour has gone past. The only thing I can think of is to set the television to record which shows I
think am going to watch and not turn the television on while I am getting ready for the gym.

16

3. Video Games: I dont normally play video games, but when I do, I am on them for
hours. This is a distraction because I could probably be doing something else more productive.
This takes away from my schoolwork, family time and also gym time. To get me away from this,
I can make sure that all my schoolwork is caught up, or ahead, include my family in the games
that I play, and make sure that I complete my gym workout first before playing the video games.
4. Having an open door policy at work: This can be a distraction because if I am working
on something and my Marines keep coming in asking me questions, I have to keep stopping and
that could cause me to get behind on my work. I could change this by working with my door
closed and adding maybe some kind of basket on my door for messages. Also add a sign stating
to only interrupt for emergencies. When I am done working or every hour, I can come out and
check my messages. If I am not working on anything important or urgent then I can leave the
door open.
5. Gym: This can be a distraction from my family. I enjoy going to the gym and it is a
very important part of my career, so sometimes I get so focused on making sure that I am in
weight standards, I tend to push everything to the back burner and the gym comes first. To
change this from being a distraction, I could make sure that I eat healthy and workout daily so
that I am constantly keeping up with the standards instead of trying to get into standards all in
one or two weeks, therefore taking time away from my family.

Distractions of the Human Path:

This exercise was important to me because it taught me

that even though most things that I enjoy can become a distraction from other
things that may be more important, like family and work. By finding out my
distractions, I came up with ways to get rid of them. I am still working on
completely becoming not distracted but because I know what the distractions
are, I can work on them not being distractions. By learning what your
distractions are and how to fix them can help keep you on the right path of
getting things done.

Tools: Journal Writing: 6.3 Stress-Resistant Personality Survey

Exercise 6.3: Stress Resistant Personality Survey

The following survey is composed of statements based on the hardy, survivor, and risk-taking
personality traitsall of which share common aspects that resist rather than attract or promote
stress in ones life. Please answer the following questions with the most appropriate number.
4 = Always

3 = Often

1.

I wake up each morning ready to

2.
3.

face a new day.

I tend not to let fear run my life.
I would consider myself to be an

4.

optimist.
I tend to see problems as

2 = Sometimes

1 = Rarely

0 = Never

17

opportunities for personal growth

5.

and success.
Although I like to be in control of
my fate, I know when to go with
the flow when things are out of

6.

my control.
Curiosity is one of my stronger

7.

attributes.
Life isnt always fair, but I still

8.

manage to enjoy myself.

When things knock me off
balance, I am resilient and get

9.

11.

wont get far.

I like to think of myself as being a

12.

creative person.
I believe in the philosophy that
one person truly can make a

difference.
I am both organized and flexible
with my lifes day-to-day

14.

schedule.
Sometimes having nothing to do

15.

is the best way to spend a day.

I trust that I am part of a greater

16.

force of life in the universe.

I believe in the philosophy that

17.

you make your own breaks.

I approach new situations with
the idea that I will learn
something valuable, regardless of

18.

luck.
I believe that if you dont take
risks, you live a boring life and

13.

back on my feet quickly.

My friends would say that I have
the ability to turn misfortune into

10.

the outcome.
When I start a project, I see it
through to its successful
completion.

18

19.

I am strong willed, which I see as

a positive characteristic to

20.

accomplish hard tasks.

I am committed to doing my best
in most everything in life.

Total score: 68
Score: A score of more than 30 points indicates that you most likely have traits associated with the
hardy, survivor, and calculated risk-taker personalities, personality types known to be stress-resistant.

Stress Resistant Personality Survey: This survey was beneficial to this unit because
it showed if you have traits related to being stress-resistant. On this survey I
scored a 68, which revealed that my personality type is stress-resistant. I
thought this was a good outcome because it described how I would react to
certain situations. It shows that I am optimistic when facing situations, which
definitely helps with dealing with stress. If you are optimistic in situations you
are able to deal with the good and the bad.

5
Unit

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:

Applying principles of coping with psychological stress helps a person cope

with stress so that may be less stressful. According to Sapolsky, we can
change the way we deal with stress, both physiologically and psychologically.
We grow, learn, adapt, get bored, develop an interest, drift apart, mature,
harden or forget (2004). By using these coping skills we can change the
amount of stress that we encounter and lower the chances for harmful
chemicals being released in the body, which leads to lowering the chances of
developing ulcers and other harmful diseases caused by stress.

The factors for successful aging is basically keeping your body healthy, no
smoking, exercising, little to no alcohol use, maintaining a good body weight,
stable relationships, little to no depression. This seems like it would be

19

common sense but lots of diseases are from all of these underlying conditions.
So if you stick to this list then you should pretty much age successfully.

Vulnerability to learned helplessness is when a person gives up on a situation

after they have lost control. They start feeling helpless and just give up. If a
person constantly grew up in a certain environment and have learned how that
environment works and another person who didnt grow up in that same
environment was placed there, the person who was unfamiliar with that
environment would probably give up on a situation that happens in that
environment and the situation will probably not affect the person who was
raised in that environment.

Tools: Journal Writing: 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire

Exercise 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire

The following is a survey based on the traits of the codependent personality. Please answer the
following questions with the most appropriate number.
1 = rarely
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

2 = sometimes

3 = often

I tend to procrastinate with projects and responsibilities.

My bedtime varies depending on the workload I have each day.
I am the kind of person who leaves things till the last minute.
I forget to make To Do lists to keep me organized.
I spend more than two hours watching television each night.
I tend to have several projects going on at the same time.
I tend to put work ahead of family and friends.
My life is full of endless interruptions and distractions.
I tend to spend a lot of time on the phone.
Multi-tasking is my middle name. I am a great multi-tasker.
My biggest problem with time management is prioritization.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to getting things done.
I never seem to have enough time for my personal life.
I tend to set unrealistic goals to accomplish tasks.
I reward myself before getting things done on time.
I just never have enough hours in the day to get things done.
I can spend untold hours distracted while surfing the Internet.
I tend not to trust others to get things done when I can do them
better myself.
If I am completely honest, I tend to be a workaholic.
I have been known to skip meals in order to complete projects.
I will clean my room, garage, or kitchen before I really get to
work on projects.
I will often help friends with their work before doing my own.
Its hard to get motivated to get things done.
Total Score:

20

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

1
1

2
2

3
3

1
1

2
2

3
3

45

Questionnaire Key
025 points = excellent time management skills (keep doing what you are doing!)
5026 points = fair time management skills (time to pull in the reins a bit)
7551 points = poor time management skills (time to reevaluate your life skills)
The Time-Crunch Questionnaire: This questionnaire was very helpful because I learned that I
need to organize my schedule to become less stressful. I scored a 45 on the questionnaire and
that told me that I have fair time management skills. I definitely need to start working on ways
to organize my time so that I get things done on time in a qualitative manner. I can start with
prioritizing my to-do-list.

6
Unit

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Information to Remember:

Exclusive and Inclusive meditations are two different types of meditation

techniques that people use. Exclusive meditation involves the restriction of
consciousness to focus on a single though and inclusive meditation is a form of
meditation where all thoughts are invited into awareness without emotional
evaluation, judgment, or analysis (Seaward, 2009). Some types of exclusive
meditation include: chanting, visual concentration, nadem, and physical
repetition like breathing. A type of inclusive meditation includes Zen. These
two types of meditation can be useful when relieving or coping with stress.
The closest I have gotten to meditation would have to be focusing on my
breathing while running so that would fall under exclusive meditation.

Diaphragmatic breathing helps the body return to a calm state. I think that
this is most effective because anyone can be taught how to do it. This was
very helpful to me because I could use this technique with my son who has

21

asthma. When he does vigorous physical activity, I can teach him how to
breathe from his diaphragm and bring his breathing back down to a relaxed
state.

Visualization is a guided exercise that controls mental images to support

health and healing.
Mental imagery is when a person uses their
unconsciousness to create mental images through imagination.
Both
techniques would seem to help when relieving stress. Using images that show
positive things can help soothe a person so that they can relax.

Resources: Exercises: Bridging the Hemisphere of Thought

Exercise 18.3: Bridging the Hemisphere of Thought

In 1956 a researcher named Roger Sperry conducted some experiments on a handful of patients
with grand mal epileptic seizures. In the procedure he created, he cut the corpus callosum, the
bridge of neural fibers that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Not only did the
operation reduce the number and intensity of the grand mal seizures, but it also soon gave
credence to a whole new concept of how the mind, through the brain, processes information.
Roger Sperrys research led to a Nobel Prize in medicine and to the household expressions rightbrain thinking and left-brain thinking.
Left-brain thinking skills are associated with judgment, analysis, mathematical and verbal acuity,
linear thought progression, and time consciousness; right-brain functioning is associated with
global thinking, holistic thinking, imagination, humor, emotionality, spatial orientation,
receptivity, and intuition; Western culture grooms and rewards left-brain thinking. It is fair to say
that judgmental thinking is one of our predominant traits. Although it is true that Western
culture is left-brain dominant in thinking skills, the truth of the matter is that to be dominant in
one style of thinking is actually considered lopsided and imbalanced.
1. How would you describe your dominant thinking style? Would you say that your left-brain or
right brain dominates?
My dominant thinking style I think is being able to adapt to different changes. I believe that
I am a more hands on, physical, and seeing type person. I would say that my right brain is
more dominant because I understand and remember things better by seeing them, like
remembering a person by their face instead of their name.
2. If you were to make a guess or assumption as to why your thinking skills gravitate toward
one direction or the other, what would be your explanation?
I think it would have to do with my personality and how I perceive things. I dont think that
thinking skills would gravitate towards being left-brained because I really dont like analyzing
or dealing with mathematical functions. I did gravitate toward being right-brained because I
like being humorous and using my imagination. I dont show much emotions and I dont tend
to let emotions effect my decisions.
3. One of the basic themes of wellness is balancein this case, balance of the right-brain and
left-brain functions. Based on your answer to the first question, what are your dominant
thinking skills and your non-dominant thinking skills? What are some ways you can balance
your patterns by bridging between the right and left hemispheres of your brain?

22

My dominant thinking skills deal with being visual, using imagination, humor and being
receptive. My non-dominant thinking skills is analyzing, mathematics and language
(speaking).
I think that one way that I can balance my patterns of bridging between the right and left
hemisphere of my brain is by using more visual ways to help with mathematical concepts.
When it comes to language and speaking, I can be more receptive to learning how to speak,
by taking a public speaking class or taking lessons on words, phrases that I tend to misuse or
pronounce the incorrect way.
Bridging the Hemisphere of Thought: This exercise was significant to this unit because it showed
me how I think and whether I was considered being left-brained or right-brained. I would say
that my right brain is more dominant because I understand and remember things better by
seeing them, like remembering a person by their face instead of their name. This exercise
taught me that my personality has a lot to do with how I think. It also showed me how I could
find ways to balance out my left and right brain so that one would not be dominant over the
other.

Tools: Journal Writing: 18.1 Too Much Information

Exercise 18.1 Too Much Information

If no one has officially said this to you yet, then you are overdue to hear these words:
Welcome to the information age! Satellite television, cable television, the Internet, cell phones,
and embedded computer chips are just a few things that inundate us with a tsunami of
information. As if this werent enough, there are more things looming on the horizon, all of which
are begging for our attention. If you are like most people today, most likely you are drowning in
information. There is even a new name for this: information stress.
Although we take in information through all of our five senses, over 80 percent of all the
information we take in is received through the senses of sight and sound.
Well before the term information age was coined, it was very easy to experience sensory
overload from too much information taken from the eyes and ears, such as from watching too
much television to pulling an all-nighter to cram for an exam. The consequence of sensory
overload is becoming numb to it all and walking around like a zombie. Its no stretch to say there
are people who fit this description.
Living in the information age, discernment is essential. Discernment means being able to
distinguish truth from non-truth. Perhaps more accurately, it means discerning news from
marketing, news from entertainment, and truth from hype and spin.
There is a solution to information overload. It is a practice called meditation: cleaning the mind
of all the clutter and useless information that bombards your attention span.
1. List five ways to successfully decrease the quantity of information with which you are
barraged every day.
a. The first way to successfully decrease the quantity of information in which I am barraged with
every day is to make a list and prioritize the information.
b. Figure out if the information you are receiving is worth keeping and if not, then get rid of it.
c. Stick to a time to deal with different types of information. If you need to return phone calls,
do this early so that you can send new calls to voicemail when you start working on replying to

23

emails.
d. Take the time to step back and just leave everything alone. If you are on vacation, dont let
whats going on at the office effect you.
e. If you are home and the TV is on, youre on the computer, and nothing is getting done. Turn
those things off and take a break from them.
2. People tend to mirror behavior, often not even knowing that they do this. In terms of too
much information, or TMI, people who take in too much information often talk to their friends
and share too much information (e.g., how much they make, how many times they have sex per
week, or how often they clean their bathroom). There is a real art to sharing information without
revealing everything. As a rule, people who share too much information about themselves have
acceptance problems. Are you the kind of person who volunteers too much information? If so,
what can you do to filter out the less important facts and perceptions and still get your point
across?
I am not the type of person who shares too much information. I do on the other hand know
some people who do. A co-worker was having trouble at home with his wife and he gave too
much detail about the situation when all he had to say was that he feel that his wife are not on
the same page when it comes to parenting and its beginning to clash and cause problems.
3. See if you can come up with a handful of ways to bring balance back into your life by taking
time to quiet your mind and explain them here.
One way that I use to quiet my mind and bring balance back into my life is by running. When I
get really frustrated and need to clear my mind and go running. I use this time to think and
relax.
Another way that I use to quiet my mind and bring balance back into my life is listening to
music. The music soothes me and relaxes me. It calms me down.

Too Much Information: This exercise helped me to realize how much information
stress I may have. After I listed the ways that information overtook me
everyday, I had a chance to view how I could change this. I have added some of
these techniques to my everyday life and it has seem to be working. A big one
that I am still working on is turning off the television while I am working on my
computer. As far as TMI from friends and co-workers, they still seem to want to
tell me everything, down to the last detail of what is going on in their personal
life. If we are in our work environment, I stop them and let them know that they
are not in the right place for this discussion. I also let them know when they are
giving out too much information.

24

7
Unit

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:

How does stress affect eating habits: Too much stress can have an affect on
our bodies and our eating habits. Stress can cause some people to eat too
much and it can also cause some people to eat too little. By stressing and not
eating or eating too much you can cause your body to become weak and cause
damage to the immune system. Too much or too little of anything can be
harmful.

What foods trigger the stress response: Foods that trigger the stress response
include caffeine containing products, carbohydrates, alcohol, and processed
foods. Additionally, several substances, when ingested, tend to mimic or induce
the stress response or decrease the efficiency of the bodys metabolic
pathways, thus setting the stage for a more pronounced physiological reaction
to stress. (Seaward, 2009). Caffeine containing products cause the body to
produce more adrenaline, which speeds up the heart rate and can cause
stress. Too many carbohydrates can cause the body to malfunction and cause
stress on the body as it tries to break it down. Carbohydrates also can cause
the glucose levels in our bodies to rise Alcohol can cause stress on the body it
can affect the amount of insulin the body produces. Processed foods contain
so many different toxins that can trigger the stress response.

What are the four stress domino factors: The four stress domino factors are:
stress that depletes nutrients in the body, stressful lifestyles that dont
encourage or emphasize healthy eating, the sympathetic drive or other
psychological responses increasing, consuming to much processed foods.
When the stress domino factors are involved it can lead to a person becoming
sick. These four things throw the bodys immune system off track and
increases the chances for a person to become sick.

Tools: Journal Writing: 27.3 The Rainbow Diet

Exercise 27.3 The Rainbow Diet

25

Food color is more important than just having a nice presentation on your dinner plate. Each
color holds a specific vibration in the spectrum of light. When this is combined with the nutrient
value of food, it can help to enhance the health of the physical body.
In the science of subtle energies, each of the bodys primary chakras is associated with a specific
color (see accompanying chart). It is thought that eating fruits and vegetables associated with
the color of various chakras provides healthy energy to that specific region. For example, women
with urinary tract infections (root chakra) are encouraged to drink cranberry juice (red). Diabetic
people with macular problems are encouraged to eat blueberries and take the herb bilberry
(blue). Moreover, recent research suggests that the active ingredients in fruits and vegetables
that give them their color, called bioflavonoids, help prevent cancer. Regardless of Eastern
philosophies or Western science, the bottom line is to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables.
The following table identifies the seven chakras, their respective body regions, and the color
associated with each chakra or region. List five fruits, veggies, or herbs for each color.
Chakra
7: Crown

Body Region
Pineal

Purple

Color

6: Brow

Pituitary

Indigo

5:Throat

Thymus

Aqua Blue

4: Heart

Heart

Green

3: Solar Plexus

Adrenals

Yellow

2: Navel

Spleen

Orange

1:Root

Gonads

Red

Food Choices
Eggplant, Grapes,
Plums,
Blackberry, Prunes,
Raisins,
Boysenberries, Black
Cherries
Blueberries, Borage
flowers
Lettuce, Green
beans, Kiwi, Limes,
Broccoli, Oregano
Pineapples, Butternut
Squash, Lemon,
Pineapples, Parsnips
Orange, Carrots,
Pumpkins, Sweet
Potatoes, Peaches,
Apples, Strawberries,
Cherries, Tomatoes,
Beets, Cayenne

Additional Thoughts:
My wife normally tries to make out dinner plate look more appealing for our kids, by using lots of
different colorful foods. They like the way the colors look but they dont know that they are also
getting beneficial nutrients. Its a tricky way to get them to eat, but it works. Fruits, vegetables
and herbs can be used to keep you healthy if you get the right amount and the right ones. They
are so beneficial to our health. My family has started incorporating more vegetables into our diet,
because we were really lacking in that area.

The Rainbow Diet: I think this exercise was very beneficial because it gave a lot of
insight on why our plates should include fruits and vegetables of different
colors. I now have an idea of the types of foods that I should include in my diet

26

and a little extra if I am having complications with certain parts of the body. I
will definitely be including more greens, yellow and indigo colored foods in my
diet to help keep my heart, adrenals and pituitary going strong.

8
Unit

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:

What are the specific effects of physical exercise on managing and preventing
stress: I think that physical exercise gives a person a sigh of relief when it
comes to dealing with stress. The majority of my stress is released when I go
running. I think that exercise helps a person to be able to think about what is
going on and concentrate on a way to fix it.

When exercising there is an increase of blood pressure and heart rate that
redistributes blood the abdominal region to the large-muscle groups.
Increased ventilation and circulation provide a greater supply of oxygen to the
working muscles (Seaward, 2009). By the body being able to flush stress
hormones out the body it gives the body cleaner oxygen to distribute to the
muscles so that you fell better and are able to exercise. When I feel refreshed
and not stressed, I am able to exercise longer. If I am stressed when I start
exercising, as I continue to exercise and deal with stress, I tend to want to
continue with my exercising.

The mind/body connection and physical exercise is part of the holistic stress
management because I think the mind and body have to work together to keep
stress away or keep it at a low state. When someone is stressed, their mind is
affected and also their body is affected. In holistic they view everything as a
whole, so when one thing is out of balance, then everything is out of balance.

Tools: Journal Writing: 28.1 Physical Exercise

Exercise 28.1: Physical Exercise

In simplest terms, we are physical animals with a human spirit. As human beings we were never
meant to sit behind a desk for eight to ten hours a day. Human anatomy and physiology were

27

designed to find a balance between motion and stillness, stress and homeostasis, exercise and
relaxation. Some would say that the mounting incidence of disease and illness is a result of being
out of physiological balance.
In this day and age, in which stress is at an all-time high, our bodies kick out several stress
hormones, which, if not used for their intended purpose (to mobilize the bodys systems for fight
or flight), circulate throughout the body and tend to wreak havoc on various organs and
constituents of the immune system. Physical exercise is considered the best way to keep the
physiological systems of the body in balance, from stress hormones and adipose tissue to the
integrity of bone cells and macrophages of the immune system.
Exercise doesnt have to be all that hard or time consuming. Perhaps the more important thing
than what you do, is just making the time to do it. Mark Twain once said, Oh, I get the urge to
exercise every now and then, but I just lie down till it goes away. This may be humorous, but
the truth of the matter is that physical exercise is what we need to promote the balance and
integrity of our physiological systems. Although there is no doubt we seem to have a certain
magnetic attraction to the couch and TV, this pattern of behavior has proved to be hazardous to
our health.
1. Describe your exercise habits, including the formula for success (intensity, frequency, and
duration of exercise).
I would describe my exercise habits as fit just for me. I have tried numerous different
workouts with other people who I have had the opportunity to workout with, but there was
always something that didnt work out for me. So I put together an exercise routine that
worked for me. With my exercise routine I can add and take away different exercises to use
depending on whether I am bored with it or want to focus more on one body part. I make
sure that the intensity of my exercise is moderate intense and sometimes I go beyond to
make the exercise worth it. The frequency of exercising for me is daily, but I work on a
specific body part each day. The duration of my exercises is 3 Sets and 15 repetitions. When
my body is used to that I normally increase the weight.
2. What are your favorite activities? If for some reason you were injured and couldnt do your
favorite activity, what would be your second option for exercise?
My favorite activities is playing basketball and working out my chest. If for some reason I
got injured and couldnt do my favorite exercises I would probably try to get in a lot of time
in the swimming pool, because even though I am in the water just moving around I am still
getting in a lot of cardiovascular activity that increases my heart rate.
3. What do you do to motivate yourself when you are less than inspired to get up and out the
door? What are some additional incentives to maintain a regular exercise regimen?
My main motivation is that its a part of my job. I have to keep a certain height/weight
standard. But other than that, my motivation is to be healthy and be able to run around with
my kids so, me being physically fit is a big part of that.
4. Most people say that they cannot find the time to exercise. Considering classes, studying,
work, social obligations, and the like, it is hard to fit in everything. So the question of
priorities comes to mind. What are your priorities in terms of your health? Do you see your
perspective changing in the course of your life? Right now, what can you do to find (make)
the time to get physical exercise every day?
Like I said earlier exercising is a part of my job, so it is high on my priority list. I am working
on getting eating healthy up to the top of my priority list also. I can see me just being more
active in the course of my life. I dont see my exercising and physical activity decreasing any

28

time soon. I am lucky to get physical exercise in everyday, but someone who doesnt can try
getting up earlier, going during lunch, or even at night. They can use at-home workout
programs also. They can walk to work or take a brisk walk/jog during their lunch break.
5. Sketch out a quick weekly program of exercise, including days to work out, time of day, and
activity.
Cardiovascular

Muscular Strength
& Endurance

Daily
3 Days a week

Moderate-Intense
Moderate-Intense

30 minutes
1.5-2 hours

Running
Basketball

Monday

Overloading:
Increase weights
by 5lbs each week

3 Sets 10 Reps
95lb bar

Military/Behind the
Neck Shoulder
Press
Incline
Chest/Lateral
Dumb bell press
Dynamic
Stretching

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Stretch to the
point of mild
tightness
Overloading:
Increase weights
by 5lbs each week
Stretch to the
point of mild
tightness.

3 Sets 10 Reps
70lb bar/dumb
bell
10-30 seconds
2-4 Repetitions
3 Sets 25 Reps

Decline Sit-Ups
Crunches

10-30 sec
2-4 Reps

Static Stretching

Progressive
Overloading

3 Sets 10 Reps
70lbs

Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
Leg press

Stretch to the
point of mild
tightness
Overloading:
Increase weights
by 10lbs each
week

10-30 sec
2-4 Reps

Dynamic
Stretching

3 Sets 10 Reps
25lbs

Preacher Curls
Triceps Pull Down

Stretch to the
point of mild
tightness.

10-30 sec
2-4 Reps

Static Stretching

Overloading:
Increase time by 5
sec. Increase set
by 1 and Reps by
5

45 sec 3 Sets
3 Sets 15 Reps

Planks
Leg Lifts

Stretch to the
point of mild

10-30 sec
2-4 Reps

Dynamic
Stretching

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Saturday

tightness
Overloading:
Increase weights
by 5lbs/Increase
by 1 set and 5
Reps

Sunday

3 Sets 15 Reps

Lunges
Squats

Stretch and run

Physical Exercise: I really enjoyed completing this exercise. It gave me a chance to

review my exercise program and see what I was missing. I think this exercise
was very good for people who dont know where to start. They can write down
what it is they want to do and then they can start there and then continue to
tailor their exercise program as the progress. My exercise regiment has a lot to
do with my job. I have to stay physically fit for it. It is my motivation when I
dont feel like doing it. I try to make sure I keep it interesting and challenging.

9
Unit

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:

Forgiveness: According to our textbook, forgiveness is described as an internal

healing process where self-esteem is restored through de-victimization, where
toxic thoughts and emotions are diluted and released, and where one can
begin to move on with ones life, not by just forgetting the past, but by coming
to terms with stressful issues to find peace (Seaward, 2008). By learning to
forgive it will help a person with stress, because once you forgive, you are no
longer letting that problem affect you. It is best to not forget because you can
use this the next time you think the situation is about to repeat itself.

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Hobbies: Hobbies can help a person cope with their stress, because it gives
them a chance to do something that they like and they dont have to compete
with anyone while doing it. They can relax while doing their hobby. By having
a hobby you are giving yourself a chance to step away from all stressful
situations and calm yourself down.

Information seeking can both reduce and promote stress. A person who seeks
information can get information and not like the information so this could
promote stress. A person who seeks information and gets good information
can reduce their stress. I think that getting any information could lead to
either one of these but it could also not affect the person at all. When I look
for information, I hope that it will be the kinds that will reduce stress instead
of promote stress.

Additional Information
References:

Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers. 3rd Ed. St. Martins Press

Seaward, B. L. (2008). MANAGING STRESS 6E VITALBOOKS, 6th Edition. [VitalSource

Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from
http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781449665159/id/ch01fig04

Seaward, B. L. (2011). The Art of Peace and Relaxation Workbook, 7th Edition.
[VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from
http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781284048476//1

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