HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and

Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention Program
Resource Guide

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Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide

By

Natalya Voyer

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

April 2020
 Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS

Information to Remember.......................................................................................................4
Assignment.............................................................................................................................4
Journal.....................................................................................................................................4

UNIT 2 THE PHYSI OL O GY OF STRESS

Information to Remember.......................................................................................................6
Assignment.............................................................................................................................6
Journal.....................................................................................................................................6

UNIT 3 PSYCHOL OGY OF STRESS

Information to Remember.......................................................................................................8
Assignment.............................................................................................................................8
Journal.....................................................................................................................................8

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

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................10
Assignment...........................................................................................................................10
Journal...................................................................................................................................10

UNIT 5 DEAL ING WITH STRESS: COPING STRATEGIE S

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................13
Journal...................................................................................................................................13

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

IM AGERY

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................15
Assignment...........................................................................................................................15
Journal...................................................................................................................................16

UNIT 7 NUTRITI ON AND STRESS

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................18
Journal...................................................................................................................................18
UNIT 8 PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND ACTIVITY

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................20
Assignment...........................................................................................................................20
Journal...................................................................................................................................20

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

PREVEN TIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSIO NAL L IF E

Information to Remember.....................................................................................................22

ADDITI ON AL INF ORM AT IO N ...................................23

REF EREN CES........................................................ 24

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Unit

Unit 1: The Nature of Stress

Information to Remember:
 Stress can have incredible impacts on the body. Stress contributes to a multitude of health issues
including anxiety, depression, digestion, heart disease, sleep issues, and memory (Mayo Clinic,
2019).
 It is imperative to take a personal inventory regarding stress levels. In order to figure out what we
can do to help alleviate our stress, we can determine which parts of our health we prioritize. This
is called the “wellness paradigm” and includes the categories of mental, physical, spiritual, and
emotional (Seaward, 2018).
 Mindfulness is a practice that can help reduce stress. This state of awareness and focus of the
present moment can alleviate stress in both the short-term and long-term. It applies to many
aspects of the wellness paradigm including mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional (Seaward,
2018).

Assignment:
The Unit 1 assignment was to create a “wellness mandala”, essentially a pie chart that weighs different
aspects of wellness in order of importance. The categories were mental wellness, physical wellness,
spiritual wellness, and emotional wellness. I weighted each aspect of the mandala equally, because I have
a holistic viewpoint of my health. I have noticed that each aspect of wellness ties into each other, such as
my physical health declines when my mental health takes a spill. Additionally, in the assignment, I had to
determine whether my home environment fosters a balance of my wellness paradigm. I concluded that
my home environment is one that encourages balance of my personal wellness (Feldman et al, 2020).

Journal:
Formal Practice: Mindfully Eating a Raisin
At the beginning of most mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, we introduce this practice, which
involves eating a raisin mindfully, to demystify the concept of meditation. (If you don’t have a raisin, any
food will do.) As you do this practice, put aside all distractions, turn off the phone, and focus direct, clear
awareness on each aspect and each moment of the experience. You can practice by listening to Mindfully

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Eating a Raisin (directions found under course resources) or by reading the following text, taking some
time with each instruction. This should be a minimum of two full pages. Place a few raisins in your
hand. If you don’t have raisins, any food will do. Imagine that you have just come to Earth from a distant
planet without such food. Now, with this food in hand, you can begin to explore it with all of your senses.
Focus on one of the objects as if you’ve never seen anything like it before. Focus on seeing this object.
Scan it, exploring every part of it, as if you’ve never seen such a thing before. Turn it around with your
fingers and notice what color it is. Notice the folds and where the surface reflects light or becomes
darker. Next, explore the texture, feeling any softness, hardness, coarseness, or smoothness. While you’re
doing this, if thoughts arise such as “Why am I doing this weird exercise?” “How will this ever help
me?” or “I hate these objects,” then just see if you can acknowledge these thoughts, let them be, and
then bring your awareness back to the object. Take the object beneath your nose and carefully notice the
smell of it. Bring the object to one ear, squeeze it, roll it around, and hear if there is any sound coming
from it. Begin to slowly take the object to your mouth, noticing how the arm knows exactly where to go
and perhaps becoming aware of your mouth watering. Gently place the object in your mouth, on your
tongue, without biting it. Simply explore the sensations of this object in your mouth. When you’re ready,
intentionally bite down on the object, maybe noticing how it automatically goes to one side of the mouth
versus the other. Also notice the tastes it releases. Slowly chew this object. Be aware of the saliva in your
mouth and how the object changes in consistency as you chew. When you feel ready to swallow,
consciously notice the intention to swallow, then see if you can notice the sensations of swallowing the
raisin, sensing it moving down to your throat and into your esophagus on its way to your stomach. Take
a moment to congratulate yourself for taking this time to experience mindful eating. (Stahl & Goldstein,
2019).
Mindful Eating Journal: What did you notice with the raisin (or whatever food) in terms of sight, touch,
sound, smell, and taste? Was anything surprising? Did any thoughts or memories pop up while doing this
practice? Take a few moments to write down your reflections.
I chose to eat an apple because I hate raisins. So when looking at it from the perspective of this
assignment, it was hard to determine that the apple was actually edible. It looks as foreign as a food could
look. What I noticed while consuming it was how hard it was to bite into. I noticed that it had a waxy
shell and a meatier insides. From how the waxy skin tasted I would expect it to be flavorless, but it
actually was overwhelmingly sweet. I could not detect any particular smell of the apple. Nothing was that
surprising because I have an active imagination. I for some reason was thinking about when I was
growing up my mom would peel apples for baking and I would eat the skins as a snack.

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Unit

Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Stress can be caused by a number of different factors. The state of the world, family issues, work issues,
or money can cause stress. (Seaward, 2018)
Stress has many different health consequences. It mostly affects the nervous and immune systems by
compressing their functions. Many different nervous system diseases can stem from stress, like
TMJD, heart disease, and headaches (Seaward, 2018).
We can analyze which aspects of our lives contribute our stress levels in order to figure out how to
manage it. When we take stock about environmental stressors- relationships with people, work, sleep,
or eating habits- we can determine what actions need to be taken. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Assignment:
The Unit 2 assignment was all about neuroscience and the physiological correlation between stress and the
nervous system. We had to discuss diseases that can occur when the nervous system is affected by stress.
I chose to discuss headaches (tension headaches from muscle contraction and migraines from rapid
dilation of the baroreceptors—Livingston, 1966), TMJD (jaw dysfunction from clenching and grinding),
IBS (digestive issues), and coronary heart disease (resulting from hypertension or other blood pressure
issues). Also in this assignment we explored the relationship between stress and the immune system. I
discussed how ulcers can result from increased release of stress hormones and breaks down the inner
lining of the stomach wall or colon (Seaward, 2018). It was fascinating to research the many ways stress
can make us fall ill before we even realize it.

Journal
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, Explore: How is stress or anxiety affecting your life? Directions
are found in Chapter Two of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will
take the first step toward greater well-being and become aware of how stress is impacting your life. This
should be a minimum of two full pages. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

I think stress or anxiety about people affects my life even without me realizing it. I have always
leaned more towards being more introverted. I grew up 45 minutes out of town in Germany so being social

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was often limited to school and sports because it was a lot of driving for my parents to pick us up and drop
us off at friends’ houses. They also were very particular about who my brother and I hung out with, and I
always tended to choose friends who my parents would not necessarily approve of. As an adult I have the
freedom to do what I wish and hang out with who I want to, but growing up feeling as if certain kinds of
people were forbidden, I end up feeling awkward and some residual guilt when I try to make friends. I
really felt social when I was single and using dating apps, but making female friends is really difficult and I
have a few close female friends but due to our military upbringing we all have ended up in different parts of
the country. It makes me anxious because even though I really do prefer to spend time alone or with my
partner and it fulfills me, I feel societal pressure to have more of a group of friends to lean on.

How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

I love my job, but the anxiety I feel from work is due to not having any PTO. I also feel as if
although I can pay my half of rent and all my bills with some income to spare, I still feel very paycheck-to-
paycheck and broke so much of the time.

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

The world stresses me out because I spend a lot of time thinking about society. I think about the
influence technology has on society, the consumerism in America, American attitudes in general. Spending
the first 18 years of my life in Germany shifted my perspective and I analyze American way of living a lot
more critically even though after living here for 4 years I have assimilated to it.

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

My food and eating habits do not stress me out or cause any anxiety. I love food and eat a pretty
well balanced diet, with occasional treats here and there. I love a glass of wine at night but am good at
moderating my alcohol intake.

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

I do not often stress about my quality of sleep because I sleep soundly through the night. However
sometimes I wonder if there’s more I could do to get more sleep or just better quality sleep. I would not say
it stresses me out though.

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

Stress and anxiety about physical activity does not stress me out unless I need to skip the gym for
some reason, like I get a new tattoo and need to take a few days off from weightlifting to prevent bacteria
from entering the open wound. I am avid in my yoga practice however so I always keep it moving, but
lifting weights is my preferred method of exercise for 5 out of 7 days a week.

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Unit

Unit 3: Psychology of Stress

Information to Remember:
Stress has some emotional and spiritual consequences. When we are stressed, we are more inclined
towards negative emotions such as anger and are at risk of lashing out at those around us. Tension
should be handled and eliminated in order to reduce stress and experiencing those negative emotions
are full force (APA, 2020).
Communication is key to create harmony in our interpersonal relationships, whether personal or
professional. Communication is not just face-to-face in this day and age, however, with technology at
our fingertips we must be mindful about how we communicate online (How Technology has
Changed the Way we Communicate, 2016).
Mindfulness is a useful technique to promote balance and reduce stress. Meditating daily can help
promote mindfulness in our daily lives (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

Assignment:
The Unit 3 Assignment maintained a focus on theories that attempt to explain the psychological nature of
stress. I discussed how Tibetan culture and its Buddhist influences explain stress as a consequence of
“desires with strong attachments” (Seaward, 2018) that without regulation, can manifest negatively in
one’s life. I also discussed theories from famous psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
These men theorized that stress is dealt with by the ego, and the dream life, respectively. This assignment
also focused on fear, and how when we can process and manage our fear, we can accomplish so much
more of our goals. Our communication styles can also impact our lives and cause more stress than we
think possible. I determined some ways to improve my communication style such as listening better,
putting effort into more face-to-face connections, and giving people more benefit of the doubt.

Journal:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and Bringing the Eight
Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found in Chapter Three of the Mindfulness
workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to understand the importance of making

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them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in relationships with yourself and others around
you. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

This exercise was very insightful for me because although I do try to bring meditation into
my daily routine as often as I can, I slack off on it sometimes and have been lately. It was really nice to take
five minutes to meditate and let my mind wander a little but always brought it back to breathing. It reminds
me of when I used to go to hot yoga all the time and at the sav asana relaxing time at the end of practice, it
was so peaceful just to lay down with a cool towel on my face and reflect on the practice. During
meditation my mind always drifts to things that stress me out at the moment, and with all the craziness
going on with coronavirus lately, there has been an abundance of stress and tension. But I realized that
although there are lots of people out there whose lives have been affected in dramatic ways, mine has not. I
usually end up going from work to home and back again anyways, and my job is not at any risk of closing
down since I work in healthcare. So I brought my thoughts back together and focused on just breathing. It
was really nice to just focus on breathing and let the stresses melt away. I think people really could benefit
from engaging in meditative practices during times like we’ve been having lately. Meditation really slows
my heart rate down as well, I tend to run pretty high around 80-110 but when meditating it drops down to
around 50-60. Focusing on breathing is really important to me to keep my body in check because I’ve been
watching how my physical health changes as I try to quit smoking. I noticed breathing is a lot easier since I
cut back and threw away my Juul. Meditation I have heard is a good technique for people quitting smoking
so I might need to make more effort daily to meditate to continue helping me in my fight against nicotine
addiction.

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Unit

Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human

Spirituality
Information to Remember:
People may be stress-prone or stress-resistant, depending on their personality. One type of stress-resistant
personality is a hardy one. These kind of people can take control of their lives and handle stress in
constructive ways and are a model example of how best to deal with stressors (Seaward, 2018).
Self-esteem is a crucial aspect in how we manage our stress. Self-esteem essentially is the way we
perceive ourselves, and if we perceive ourselves in a positive light, it helps shine that light on other
aspects of our lives and makes the hard parts of life easier to swallow (Seaward, 2018).
Mindfulness has benefits that help alleviate chronic pain. By investigating pain and tension in the body,
working with how pain makes us feel, and living in the present moment aside from the pain, chronic
pain can be managed and relieved even without medication (Mind Deep, 2010).

Assignment:
The Unit 4 assignment was all about self-esteem, personal values, and stages of behavior change. I analyzed
how self-esteem can resolve stress because when we feel confident and good about ourselves, the
inclination to feel stressed fades. Values guide our moral compass, attitudes determine how we see the
world, and beliefs are what we see as truth. I analyzed Prochaska’s stages of change model and how it
ties in with my pursuit of quitting my nicotine addiction. I currently am in the determination stage of
change, which is where I decide what action I need to take to change my behavior. I have decided that as
my first step in quitting smoking is reducing my amount of nicotine. I only vape in the car and smoke
cigarettes at work, as opposed to doing both pretty constantly either at work, at home, or out in public. I
am interested to see health benefits from cutting back on nicotine intake.

Journal:
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body. Directions are found
in Chapter five of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, practice taking a
moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any physical sensations associated with strong
emotions. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).

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  FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness,
uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.
Fear for me is felt in my gut. I associate fear with anxiety or general unease, and this always tends to
upset my stomach. I’ll have nausea, cramping, issues with my bowels, or excessive gas in times where I
feel particularly anxious. This emotion of fear is not very foreign to me and I had about two years where I
was so anxious all the time it made me constantly ill. What comes to mind when I read through the
emotion words for fear is thinking of when I worked as a dishwasher in a kitchen, sorting dishes and
putting them away but fighting off anxiety and the stomach upset that came along with it.
CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy, or unaware.
Confusion is another emotion I felt a lot during the time when I was consistently anxious. I felt like my
head was in a cloud and I could not make sense of the situation. The level of confusion I felt made me
want to crawl out of my skin. My skin felt too tight for my body and I felt as if in the event I could crawl
out, I would be able to think more clearly and feel free.
ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration, irritation,
grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.
Anger is an emotion that seems familiar to me. I tend to be really grumpy when I do not eat for a while or
sleep very well and it seems like with my partner and I seeing more of each other due to the current virus
measures, he has more access to my grumpy morning self than usual. But anger on a deeper level is also
something I have felt before. Thankfully it is not a huge presence in my life other than morning
crankiness but anger in the past has made me feel like I am swelling. I feel hot and irritated, and like my
head is getting bigger to the point it may explode. When I have been truly angry before it’s like my brain
left my body and I spoke whatever came in my mind. I truly do have no boundaries in cussing people out
when I get really angry. Luckily this doesn’t really happen, but my anger is really something to behold
when it happens.
SADNESS: alienation, anguish, despair, disappointment, gloom, grief, hopelessness, insecurity, loneliness,
misery, unhappiness, rejection.
Sadness loops back in with the fear and confusion I felt during a period of my life I mentioned above.
The disappointment, and general gloom and unhappiness are things I have felt before. Sadness for me
feels like it manifests in my heart, I can always feel it ache. It makes my limbs feel heavy, my neck feels
heavy and strips me of my energy. Sadness is probably one of the easiest emotions that can overwhelm a
person.
SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification.
Shame is an emotion I have definitely felt before but is over all not a huge factor in my life. I do not
really regret my choices and tend to view things as concrete lessons. There are points in my life I can
look back on and remember feeling guilt or humiliation for the things I have done, but then I remember
that every person has these kinds of experiences and emotions. I don’t really trip too hard about it when I
remember that in general, the human experience is the same for everyone.
 LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness,
liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.
Love is an emotion very familiar to me. This covers all the synonyms listed above. My home life is
excellent, filled with warmth and fondness for all of us-myself, my partner, and our dog. We all love each

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Unit

other so much it is just the best feeling ever. It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy. Love also includes
compassion and sympathy, however, which I feel for my patients when I am at work. I truly love the ones
I try to spend time with and it warms my heart to relate to people. I frequent one particular memory care
and one particular involuntary mental health facility the most. The residents at these 2 places are my
ultimate favourite. So many different personalities and I really have so much love in my heart and can
level with them with ease. These demographics can be really challenging to work with but I actually
really enjoy it. Feeling a deep sympathy and compassion for a particular demographic is an indicator of
how good you would be at working with them.
JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement, exhilaration,
hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.
Joy is an emotion I have felt a lot and it ties in with love. Enthusiasm, eagerness, and pleasure from life
are things I really value and experience often. There is so much positivity to be experienced in life.
Especially in my workplace, where things can be so serious and downright depressing. I try to bring more
joy into peoples lives, and joke around and have fun with people. It astounds me how so many people do
not really do this in healthcare because they get so caught up with maintaining professionalism they end
up losing every ounce of appearing compassionate and fun.

Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies

Information to Remember:
Yoga is a wonderful tool to help cope with stress in life. When paired with the RAIN model (Recognize,
Allow, Investigate, Non-identification), yoga can help make significant breakthroughs regarding the
outcomes of stressful situations and minimize the effects of stress. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Our attitudes can affect our physiology. When we maintain a positive attitude, it helps our bodies
maintain homeostasis and reduces risk of chronic illnesses. With a negative attitude, more stress
responses are engaged within our bodies and the risk of dealing with potentially serious health issues
increases (Harrell, 2016).
It is possible to change our behaviors by recognizing where we are at in Prochaska’s Stages of Change.
The first step of Prochaska’s model is the precontemplation stage, which is where a person is in
denial that they have a problem; the second step of Prochaska’s model is the contemplative stage, and

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 this is where people start to think that changing their behavior might be worthwhile decision to make;
the third step, the determination stage, is where a person decides what action they are going to take in
order to change their behavior; the fourth stage is action, where action is taken but a person still
makes mistakes; and finally, the fifth stage in Prochaska’s behavior change model is the relapse stage,
where old behavior is resumed for a while until the new behavior comes back into a person’s life
(Seaward, 2018). 

Journal:
I chose to do the walking meditation exercise from the workbook. There is a trail walking through
the forest around the college across the street from my apartment. The workbook made me laugh when it
noted how humans miraculously can walk and balance despite our anatomy. IT was really interesting to
participate in this exercise and actually take note of the way my feet move while walking. I tend to land
heel first when I walk and I tried to focus on landing toe first while walking during this exercise because I
read somewhere that this is better for posture and balance. When I first got out there I noticed the breeze,
how it was starting to drizzle, and how the air smelled really fresh. Pretty typical Portland weather. It was
pretty grey outside but not nasty enough to make me want to stay inside my house. So I began walking on
the trail and for some reason once I started becoming aware of my walking I felt like I was losing my
balance. It’s like when we walk normally without even thinking about it, it’s easy and comes as second
nature but when you become aware of your gait, that’s when you start walking weird. It’s like walking by
someone you feel like you need to make a certain kind of impression on. All of a sudden, walking feels like
the hardest thing in the world. Do I walk too slow or too fast? Do I move my legs weird? These were the
thought that popped up into my head for some reason. But then I just circled bac and started focusing on
how my body felt while doing this exercise. Shifting my weight was really interesting because it called to
my attention how much balance actually is required to walk and it blew my mind. I have pretty good
balance but it made me think of people who have had stroke or amputations and how difficult it must be to
learn how to effectively distribute weight again when key aspects required to walk are missing. I also
noticed that I tend to hold my arms up when walking or put them in my pockets. I don’t know what this
adds to how I move around but it was definitely interesting to note how awkward it felt for me to try to let
my arms dangle on the side while walking. I tried to do the thing that the workbook said which is to clasp
my arms behind or in front of me and it felt a lot more comfortable but I probably looked weird walking
around like that. Additionally, when walking I noticed just how sore my feet were from work during the
past week or so, especially in my left foot. I could feel the tension travelling all the way up to my knee
which usually I do not notice unless I’m running or engaging in other exercise that has a high impact on my
joints. Ultimately, even this ten minute walk felt really long because of all the different observations I was
making and sensations I was feeling.

This exercise was extremely meditative because although I had a lot of thoughts floating around in
my head, they were focused to the task at hand. I like exercises like this because they are a nice distraction
from all the stressors of the day especially in times like right now where it can feel like the global pandemic
is all-consuming and there is no life before or beyond what is happening right now. But by being aware of
the present moment, I realize there is so much more to life than this pandemic, especially when there is
work to go to and patients to help guide during times like this. I have to be thankful that I can go to work,
go home, spend time with my loved ones unlike my residents who are all locked down on quarantine with
one another and experiencing cabin fever to some degree. I really liked this walking exercise because it got

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 6
Unit

me in tune with my body and feeling a mind-body connection I’ve been missing since my gym closed and I
find it hard to try to get exercise at home. I never realized certain aspects of walking like the distribution of
weight or how I move my arms while walking. This is a body movement I think we take for granted
because it really does require certain movements of the body in order to be fully accomplished. It’s
interesting to reflect on how no one really remembers learning to walk, it’s just kind of something that we
all do without thinking about it.

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Information to Remember:
Meditation has many effects on the mind and body. It lowers blood pressure and increases self-
awareness. Lowering blood pressure prevents many negative effects on the body, and increasing self-
awareness helps to make stressful evens easier to manage (Seaward, 2018).
Imagery and visualization are other good tools that can be used for relaxation. These tools of creating
mental pictures helps to distract the mind from stressful events and visualize the best possible
outcome, rather than the worst (Seaward, 2018).
Self-compassion is having love, patience, and faith in oneself. It is a valuable tool used to foster
harmonious relationships with those around us. When we feel that we can exist in harmony with the
people in our lives, we feel more prepared to handle stressful situations.

Assignment:
In Unit 6, the assignment was all about relaxation techniques to help minimize or prevent effects of stress. I
talked about diaphragmatic breathing, which is where breathing is controlled and deep. This differs from
subconscious breath patterns because when focus is maintained on breathing, it helps to calm the nervous
system. In Seaward’s guide to managing stress, it states that focusing on each component of breath and
visualizing things. Some recommended visualizations were imagining breath going in one nostril or out

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 another, or thinking that each exhale is allowing toxins to leave the body (Seaward, 2018). Another
relaxation technique that proves useful for managing stress symptoms is meditation. This practice of
increased concentration on the present moment is advocated by the American Heart Association as “a
preventative health measure in conjunction with proper diet and aerobic exercise to reduce risk factors for
coronary heart disease” (Seaward, 2018), which is one of the diseases that can stem from chronic stress.
Another useful relaxation technique is imagery and visualization. By visualizing calming scenes, the
brain is distracted from stressful situations and prevents sensory overload.

Journal:
Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

I don’t really send myself unkind messages anymore, but I used to beat myself up a lot. I would tell myself
I was crazy, I wasn’t cool enough, I was too different from people to ever live a normal life. Not making
friends easily was something I took extremely personally and was convinced something was wrong with
me. I had a partner at the time who pretty much confirmed those thoughts in my head and made me feel
worse. I was so anxious all the time and it made me extremely exhausted, and I felt sick to my stomach all
the time. I also got migraines. I changed my thought patterns over time and do not have that voice in my
head anymore. I don’t get the migraines or the nausea anymore.

Seeds of suffering?

For the time in my life I was talking about above, I was planting seeds without realizing it. I stayed in a
relationship with a person who did not want me to feel good about myself in order for them to have more
control over me. I allowed myself to confirm my negative thinking by isolating myself and holding people
at arm’s length. But once I broke up with that person I was aware that I had been encouraged to feel bad
about myself for two years and I did not have to feel that way anymore. I spent a lot of time meditating and
seeking out positive experiences. I was doing yoga and going to the gym, eating well and staying hydrated.
I also was socializing a lot more and it made a huge difference in how I felt about myself. I was huge on
positive self-affirmations at the time and had daily talks with myself in the mirror every morning. It was so
freeing to let go of the negative thought patterns.

Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

I think I can be guilty of having feelings of resentment in day-to-day life. I can be kind of a judgmental
person and this leads to me resenting people. I also encounter difficult people in the workplace because we
work in a high-stress environment and some people take it out on their coworkers instead of finding healthy
ways to cope with the heavy nature of our field. I can think of one particular coworker who irritates me
almost every shift we have together. I think the challenges they face are definitely connected to their words
and actions. This particular coworker is kind of a micro-manager and makes snide comments to everyone.
They are usually shift lead, which does come with its own responsibilities and a slightly higher pay, but
they let it go to their head. Some people find themselves in a slightly higher position and end up taking it so
seriously they burn bridges with everyone around them. I think this person’s struggles as a trans person in a
world where it is not universally understood or accepted has led to this kind of behavior. They felt inferior
for so much of their lives, being put in a position where they are the boss makes them feel like they need to

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 7
Unit

overcompensate. I understand it and have compassion. I don’t live inside their mind or know what all their
thoughts are. But if they go overboard I just tell them “I know you are stressed out right now but you are
kind of jumping at our throats a little bit” and usually they back down. Their positive qualities are that
despite throwing criticism at others so freely, they are receptive to advice for themselves. They care about
the residents and maintaining their mental health. They are punctual, and work very hard to ensure
everything gets done and are meticulous about it.

Reflection on writing?

This kind of writing definitely is not easy to get so personal about things. But when we hold onto any kind
of suffering or negativity it just prevents us from achieving full mindfulness and awareness. I liked thinking
about what seeds I used to sow for myself to feel badly about myself and I remembered through this
exercise how much work I put in to free myself from those kinds of thought patterns that did not really
serve me or my well-being.

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress

Information to Remember:
Many people do not realize how stress affects digestion, absorption, and elimination functions of the
body. Stress can suppress our appetites, bloat the body, or reduce metabolism. These digestive issues
can cause fatigue or other more serious body reactions (Seaward, 2018).
We can find ways to incorporate mindfulness even in the most mundane of activities in our daily lives.
When we focus on the individuals sensations we experience while doing things like brushing our
teeth, doing our makeup, or getting dressed, this increases our awareness and ability to live in the
moment to prevent anxiety (Boggs, 2017).
Some foods can trigger a stress response within the body. Sugary foods reduce vitamin levels in the body
and can lead to fatigue, irritability, or nutrient deficiencies. Caffeine also triggers a stress response
because it is a stimulant and releases hormone that are typically released during stressful experiences
(Seaward, 2018).

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Journal:
I loved this week’s journal activity. I chose to do the Mindful Lying yoga because I love doing yoga but
have been slacking on my practice since quarantine begun. Go figure! Mentally it was hard at first to get
myself into the right headspace. I’m used to doing most of my yoga at the studio and being in the
environment that serves that specific intention is a lot easier for me to get my mind in the right frame to
stimulate a deeper yoga practice. So I started in corpse pose and focused on breathing and getting my
focus back into the yoga practice. It was so calming to lay in corpse pose and I completely forgot how
nice it is to meditate in that position. It was a different sensation doing this pose at the beginning of the
practice, rather than at the end during sav asana like I am used to. However it was a nice way to begin the
practice. Then goig into the supine stretch and twist felt SO GOOD on my back. I’ve still been working
and when I am home I’ve been lounging around all the time. I didn’t realize how badly my back needed
to be stretched out! The same applied for the leg stretch, which also helped me to stretch my knee which
has been giving me trouble the past couple weeks. I modified this stretch by repeating it a few times to
really stretch out my knee and reap more benefits from this particular pose. This was deepened with the
next stretch of single knee to chest, which I also modified by repeating it again a few times to stretch my
hamstring and knee. The pelvic rock and tilt introduced some interesting physical sensations, because it is
a really localized stretch to the lower back. I have always had some lower back issues for whatever
reason and this stretch was honestly a little painful because I have not been exercising my core like I
normally do when my gym is open. Going into bridge pose helped soothe this back discomfort especially
going into it with the arm stretch. I really need to do stretches like this on the daily was my main thinking
points during this point in the activity. I already was feeling so much looser and relaxed. I had not
realized how much the stress of work lately has manifested itself as tension in my body. It seemed like all
my muscles were stiff and tense and in need of stretching. The rocking back and forth pose is something I
remember from Pilates class I took at the college I used to go to. It really helps to build that mind-body
connection with the lower back, or really the entire posterior of the body. The leg and other spine
stretches (cat cow, child’s pose, cobra) are all staples in my own yoga practice because they make a great
warm up. Ending the practice in corpse pose got me back to feeling that calm meditative state I
experienced before the start of this practice.
I really can’t say that I felt much emotional sensations other than feeling kind of guilty for not making
yoga daily habit like I used to. It can make us feel worse about things when we think about what we’re
putting off or not doing, that we should and would make us feel better. Especially during time like this
quarantine, it can be easy to be caught up if people are working from home or laid off and can’t find the
motivation to be productive. I think it’s important to keep in mind that every small effort to maintain our
health should be celebrated during times of national crisis like what we are experiencing right now.
Mentally, I felt a lot of great benefits from this short yoga sequence. It feels really good to get moving,
stretch out, and focus on one thing undivided even just for 20 minutes. I feel like my attention span is all
over the place since the coronavirus started and this exercise makes me want to do things like this every
single day. I think I felt the most physical benefits from doing this quick yoga practice. Like I mentioned
before, stress has taken a toll on my body and I probably have not been taking as good care of myself as I
should be during this time. I go to work, come home drink wine and watch TV or read and repeat the
next day. This is not much different than my routine before except without the gym to go to in the
mornings I have lost my usual outlet for stress. I didn’t realize what a toll it was taking on me especially
on my body. Muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues. It’s time to find a new way to relieve my stress
until the quarantine blows over.

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 8
Unit

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:
Physical exercise is useful in managing and preventing stress. Physical exercise calms the body and
brings it back into homeostasis (Seaward, 2018).
In order to decrease stress responses, maintaining a mind-body connection is necessary. When we feel
present in our bodies and aware of how it feels when we engage in movement, it helps to keep us
grounded in moments that may be more inclined to stress us out (seaward, 2018).
When we apply mindfulness to how we interact with other people, it helps to eliminate negative energy
and promotes more of a stress-free atmosphere. We should pay attention to how people express
themselves when we interact with them, whether verbally or non-verbally (Seaward, 2018).

Assignment:
In Unit 8, the assignment task was to create a proposal for a workplace wellness program and receive
classmate feedback on our proposals. I proposed to have relaxation techniques such as yoga and
meditation in the workplace, as well as an exercise bike. The rationale behind my proposal was to
promote a less stressful work environment. Stress is high currently with the pandemic and it is important
for staff to be able to manage stress effectively in order to better serve our clients without it breaking us
down and burning us out. Necessary equipment needed to make this happen is a yoga mat, iPad, and
exercise bike. The total cost would be $600 which is reasonable with a large budget set by my company. I
would ideally like to see this relaxation time as being mandatory, because we must take the time during
the day to have a few minutes of peace and decompression. My classmate was very receptive to this plan
and her only negative feedback was that meditation might make the more tired staff fall asleep! A fair
point.

Journal:
I chose to do this journal about my partner, exploring our relationship with one another.

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 OPENNESS: I think in regards to openness there is a lot to be said about my partner. On one hand,
going into the relationship and interacting with him with a sense of openness helps us to compromise
better. It helps me to get on his level when he talks about things, shares his opinion, or makes
observations. On the other hand, his openness has been an amazing and unexpected quality to have in a
partner. He really does not judge or think about what others are saying or doing and takes each interaction
like that with a grain of salt.
 EMPATHY: Maintaining empathy is crucial in relationships and forming connections. The human
experience sets us up to have more in common with people than we don’t. In a relationship like ours, we
need to each be aware of our own emotions. I definitely try to do this emotional inventory so I can then
validate his emotions and put myself in his shoes. Life can be stressful and sometimes all we need to feel
better is to feel understood and empathized with.
 COMPASSION: Compassion is a must in any relationship. The goal we try to accomplish in our
partnership is to be each other’s safe place, and to make our home a haven of solace away from the world
and all the negativity we may have experienced during the day. I have a lot of compassion towards my
partner, and strive to be the person he can come to when he needs comfort.
 LOVING-KINDNESS: Obviously in our relationship we experience loving-kindness from both
sides. We want the best for one another even if we were to separate for whatever reason.
 SYMPATHETIC JOY: My favourite goal in a relationship is to feel truly happy for their happiness
and proud of their accomplishments. This is something I love, to see my partner thriving and reflecting on
all they’ve done and overcome in their life. Despite hardship joy can be found in even the smallest
victories.
 EQUANIMITY: This is a concept we’ve discussed with each other, how the human experience is
something we all share and how we are all connected. It’s really trippy to think about and I try to apply
the same level of acceptance and openness I do towards my partner to other people I interact with in order
to build connection.

This assignment helped me realize how healthy and positive my relationship is with my partner. The
qualities aforementioned are so important for building connections with anyone. In my line of work in the
healthcare field it is imperative to incorporate these qualities into how I work as a provider of support and
care. We all deserve to feel openness, empathy, compassion, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, and
equanimity from others.

19
 9
Unit

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for

Management and Prevention to your
Professional Life
Information to Remember:
To manage and prevent stress in the workplace, it is a good idea to have some workplace wellness
initiatives. Meditation, retreats, healthy snacks, or motivational seminars are examples of good
workplace wellness programs to implement in the workplace (Seaward, 2018).
Having hobbies helps to reduce stress in our lives. When we engage in activities we enjoy, it helps to
escape from the stressors in our lives and focus on something else (Seaward, 2018).
Forgiveness is an underutilized coping skill when it comes to stress. Holding grudges can extend feelings
of anxiety and stress for long periods of time. If we learn to forgive people for what they have done to
us, we can grow from the experience and move on in order to prevent future hurt (Seaward, 2018).

20
Additional Information
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers-
This book is a guide to stress and how to manage it. It compares humans with other
animals in terms of how we respond to or experience stress. It is a fascinating read about how
humans experience stress in a more chronic way than animals, because animals only experience
stress in the event of danger (Sapolsky, 2004).

Stress Management in Work Settings

This article analyzes stress-management techniques used in various workplaces and
discusses the outcomes of these techniques. It’s an interesting read and helps you think about
what techniques you would want to combine in utilization in your own workplace to promote
employee satisfaction and lower stress (Murphy, 1996).

APA Stress Tips

This factsheet website from the American Psychological Association gives some quick
ideas for how to cope with stress when you feel overwhelmed. (APA, 2007).

Foundation For Well-Being

This website gives resources for helping deal with stress. There are youtube videos
available with guided meditation and inspirational content. (Foundation For Wellbeing.org)

21
 References

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https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/10/stress-tips

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Boggs B., (2017). Yoga Digest, 6 WAYS TO ADD MINDFULNESS INTO YOUR DAILY

ROUTINE. Retrieved from https://yogadigest.com/ways-to-add-mindfulness-into-your-

daily-routine/

Feldman, S., Schwanke, L., Ruiz, R., Smith, H., Burzyn, G., Argueles, N., & Maxwell. (2018,

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Levey, J., and Levey, M. (1999.) Simple Meditation & Relaxation. Berkeley, CA: Conari Press.

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Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Neuroscience. Retrieved March 6, 2020, from http://c.merriam-

webster.com/medlineplus/neuroscience

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