KAPLAN UNIVERSITYHW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Stress Management and

Prevention

1

Program Resource Guide

2

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

Stress Management and Prevention Program Resource Guide

By

Christopher L. Smith

Kaplan University

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

May 3, 2016

Table of Contents

U N I T 1 T H E N A T U R E O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember............................................................3Self-Assessment Exercises...........................................................3Journal Writing.............................................................................4

U N I T 2 T H E P H Y S I O L O G Y O F S T R E S S

Information to Remember............................................................5Self-Assessment Exercises...........................................................5Journal Writing.............................................................................6

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

Information to Remember............................................................8Self-Assessment Exercises...........................................................8Journal Writing.............................................................................9

U N I T 4 P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S A N D T H E H U M A N S P I R I T U A L I T Y

Information to Remember..........................................................10Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................10Journal Writing...........................................................................10

U N I T 5 D E A L I N G W I T H S T R E S S : C O P I N G S T R A T E G I E S

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

U N I T 6 R E L A X A T I O N T E C H I Q U E S 1 : B R E A T H I N G , M E D I T A T I O N , A N D M E N T A L I M A G E R Y

Information to Remember..........................................................15Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................15Journal Writing...........................................................................15

U N I T 7 N U T R I T I O N A N D S T R E S S

Information to Remember..........................................................17Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................17

U N I T 8 P H Y S I C A L E X E R C I S E A N D A C T I V I T Y

Information to Remember..........................................................18Self-Assessment Exercises.........................................................18Journal Writing...........................................................................18

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

Information to Remember..........................................................20

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

R E F E R E N C E S

(This page intentionally left blank)

Unit 1: The Nature of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: What is This Thing Called ‘Stress - Stress is the body’s response to any demand placed upon it. This response has both physical and psychological components” (University of Minnesota, 1998)

Key Learning Point: Types of Stress and Stressors -Eustress is good stress and arises in any situation or circumstance that a person finds motivating or inspiring. Falling in love might be an example of eustress; Neustress describes sensory stimuli that have no consequential effect; it is considered neither good nor bad. News of an earthquake in a remote corner of the world might fall into this category”, Key Learning Point: The third type of stress, distress, is considered bad and often is abbreviated simply as stress” There are two kinds of distress: acute stress, or that which surfaces quite intensely and disappears quickly, and chronic stress, or that which may nor appear quite so intense, yet seems to linger for prolonged periods of time (e.g., hours, days, weeks, or months). (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: So How Bad is the Stress? This point discusses the different symptoms of stress from physical, psychological, to behavioral. It also discusses Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which GAD is characterized by excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events. People with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder tend to always expect disaster and can't stop worrying about health, money, family, work or school.

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit 1 Self-Assessment Exercise focused primarily on the Mandala Chart. This chart broke down the different areas spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical wellness. When looking at all areas, no one really outweighs the other. They all affect the other and all help to increase the others as well.

Unit

1

4

Journal Writing:Situation Start Midwa

yEnd

Keeping our children safe 7When my Commander gives a tsk but isn’t clear on her 6IntentProviding a safe environment for my family to live in 8Get shot at on deployment and reacting 10Driving to and from work 7Dealing with parents of children on my sports teams I coach

6

Learning to juggle work, school, and every other activity my

7

family has going on

Unit 2: The Physiology of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: Anatomy and Physiology - Anatomy is the structure, composition, makeup, framework of the human body. One way of looking at anatomy is to say that the human body is the ‘container’ or physical structure. According to Medline Plus, “Anatomy is the science that studies the structure of the body” (2008)1 Physiology is the study of the functioning of living things; the branch of biology that deals with the internal workings of living things, including functions such as metabolism, respiration, and reproduction, rather than with their shape or structure. (Seaward, 2015).

1

Unit

2

5

Key Learning Point: Stress and the Immune System - emotional stress can suppress the human immune system by triggering physiological responses. Extreme anger and extreme joy have different effects on reproductive physiology, on growth, most probably on the immune system as well (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Stress and Disease - Evidence pouring in from many quarters suggests that stress may indeed impair our immune systems and increase the risk of illness. But despite these striking findings, it remains far from clear just how much chronic stress makes you more vulnerable to diseases that would normally be fought off by the immune system. In order to appreciate the current disarray of the research, let us try to break down the findings into their component parts

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit 2 Self-Assessment concentrated on the brain. Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity were the two topics at hand. Neuroscience, also known as Neural Science, is the study of how the nervous system develops, its structure, and what it does. Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.

Journal Writing:Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?

For a long time, stress about another person had a huge impact on my family. This person was someone who thought they had influence in how decisions were made. For a very long time we allowed him to have some form of input in our life and how our family operated on a daily basis. Looking back on that situation now, I nor can my wife believe we allowed her ex-husband the ability to have some form of control or input into how we lived our lives every day. Once we decided to make the decisions based on just the 4 of us, the stress and anxiety completely went away.How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?

Currently at my job the stress level is very high and does have an impact on my life away from work as well. I am an Active Duty Army Soldier working with wounded and ill Soldiers every day is a very stressful task in itself. To add to that work load, we are currently in the mode of closing the unit and transferring all of the soldiers to other locations and still assisting them in transitioning to the civilian life. The stress that has been brought on by the closing is unbelievable. Between the Soldiers worried about moving and the Civilian staff worried about getting another job to the Army Cadre transferring to other jobs, my workload has tripled in the last few months and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. How is stress or anxiety about the world affecting your life?

Over the past few months, I have tried to break away from the rest of the world when it comes to any stressful aspects from the outside world. I do not watch the news or read the paper. I will follow a few things on Facebook here and there because I have enough stressful actions in my life without worrying about things that are out of my control.

6

How is stress or anxiety about food and eating habits affecting your life?I can honestly say, I do not resort to eating when I am stressed. I look for ways to take my

mind off of the situation and eating is not the thing to do it. I have always been able to do this. I spend a lot of time coaching and mentoring our youth in sports and teaching life lessons to help develop them into responsible young men and women. This is what helps me decompress and relieve stress. My other way to help with stress is through lifting weights daily. I have noticed that working out daily helps to lift your spirts and change your total mindset. How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your life?

Holy cow, now this is a serious situation in our household. My wife suffers from severe insomnia and sleeps about four maybe five hours a night. This in turn affects my sleep on a regular basis. Then there is those night I am required to stay up all night at work. That task really kills any momentum I may be building to get on a regular sleep schedule. As we all know, sleep is where we rebuild our body and recover from the hard days. Not sleeping on regular basis is stressful in itself.How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity affecting your life?

Between my job and obligations as a father and as a coach, finding time to exercise is tough. That is why I am up at 5:00 a.m. daily to hit the gym before work to ensure I get my daily physical activity to get my body jump started. Then there are those days that I have to be at work early so that means the workout gets shifted to the afternoon. This will then push things to the right on the daily timeline, which unfortunately means I miss class, because my jobs tells me I must be physically fit, then it is what I have to do.

In conclusion, I do have stress in my daily life but I feel I do a decent job dealing and releasing the stress in my life. I look for other ways to decompress in positive ways. I have helped some of the Soldiers develop ways to destress as well.

Unit 3: Psychology of StressInformation to Remember:

Key Learning Point: From Fear to Love - all emotions are considered part of the spectrum, yet the question begs to be asked: "What constitutes a healthy emotion?" From a holistic perspective, the expression of all emotions is considered healthy, because to deny. The ability to feel and express any emotion suggests a serious emotional imbalance.

Unit

3

7

Key Learning Point: The Psychology of Stress - When it comes to the mind, one cannot look at stress without first examining the role of the ego. Many claim that the ego is the cause of both personal and worldly problems, and although this may not be far From the truth, it must also be recognized that the ego is not always bad either. A healthy ego generates high self-esteem. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mandala of the Human Spirit - In reality, no one word alone is sufficient to describe the essence of human spirituality, and herein lies the dilemma. To define a term or concept is to separate and distinguish it from everything else long enough to gain a clear focus and understanding of its true nature. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit 3 Self-Assessment is based on dealing with stress through religion, culture, and relaxation. Some cultures feel that the best way to deal with stress is through a certain diet, vegetarian being the best, and sleep being the best ways to deal and recover from stress.

Journal Writing:Unit Three Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Five-Minute Mindful Breathing and Bringing the Eight Attitudes of Mindfulness into Your Life. Directions are found on pages 45 and 46 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, you will begin to understand the importance of making them a part of your daily life. See what changes occur in relationships with yourself and others around you. This should be a minimum of one full page.Take some time to write about whatever you came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically when doing this practice for the first time.

When doing this exercise to clear the mind, it was different from the one I have conducted or performed in the past. Usually you are asked to breath a certain way and the at some point asked to think or take yourself to a place that makes you happy or you enjoy being at. This time you are asked to do the exact opposite. For me this was the hardest part of the task because of the difference from what I am use too.

As far as the affects go, I would have to say that my overall state of mind and body did change as a direct result of the process. As far as the technique I do not think it matters if you imagine yourself in your happy place or not. What I do know that if you just concentrate on your breathing and that is it, it will cause you stress level to decrease.

Mentally, I was refreshed. My mind was clear not thinking of anything in particular about work, my kids, by baseball team, or any outside interference. This is the hardest part for me. Finding time to do this in the day, even though I know how productive and effective the process is, will be the most challenging part of this for me to accomplish.

Emotionally I felt relieved because there is no emotional factor in just breathing and trying to relax. Just breathing allows you to clear your mind and concentrate solely on how you are breath. You pay attention to how deep your breathing or how shallow it is in a calm situation. This is a great what to teach breathing control during stressful situations.

8

Physically the relief of the weight from your shoulders just for the minimal five minutes is indescribable. The weight the average person carries daily is unmeasurable in numbers, only the

person themselves know how much they are carrying. In closing, the exercise completely provides you the option to clear your mind and recharge

your body to charge forward in your way of the world. The opportunity to perform this process only comes around once or twice a day, don’t miss your chance to destress and rejuvenate your body.

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

Key Learning Point: Stress in a Changing World - Research demonstrates how the ecology or environment has a direct impact on human health. The inverse is also true as humans also impact the planet in adverse ways. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Dollars and Sense of Stress - Given that the world is shrinking due to the intense movement toward globalization stressors related to economic issues are part of the overall planetary stress. Economic issues such as rising rates of world poverty, job losses, and a global shrinking economy all produce planetary stress. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Shrinking Economy and Loss of Status for Americans - The financial crisis is likely to diminish the status of the United States as the world’s only superpower. On the practical level, the US is already stretched militarily, in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is now stretched financially. On the philosophical level, it will be harder for it to argue in favor of its free market ideas, if its own markets have collapsed. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit Self-Assessment directly talks about self-esteem and the impacts it has on one’s life every day. The Prochaska’s Model for Change is also covered and it had three steps, they are 1. Pre-contemplation 2. Contemplation, 3. Preparation, 4. Action, 5. Maintenance, and 6. Relapse

Journal Writing:

Unit

4

9

Unit Four Journal Writing Assignment

Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Identifying Emotions in the Body. Directions are found on pages 74 through 77 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, practice taking a moment to mindfully tune in to your body and discover any physical sensations associated with strong emotions. This should be a minimum of three full pages.

FEAR: apprehension, anxiety, distress, edginess, jumpiness, nervousness, panic, tenseness, uneasiness, worry, fright, feeling overwhelmed.

Anxiety – This is sometimes felt through your body as it produces sweat. Your hands can tingle and your heart will start pounding, increasing every minute your anxiety level increases. Uneasiness – to me, your body has a natural reaction to a situation when you know something just isn’t right from the start. When you are worried, you can get this lump in your throat or a feeling of doubt comes over you that lets you know that something is wrong. Panic – Your chest gets tight; your breathing becomes labored. Your body will begin to lock up and you could black out.

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

Uncertainty can cause a fuzzy mind. There are really no physical changes, just mental. Perplexed will cause one to think very deeply or seek further guidance on a situation or seek more information to properly identify what is truly going on. Puzzled will cause you to study the situation more and look for more information to help you come to a conclusion on a certain situation. Chaotic situations can help someone thrive or it can cause one to crumble. This one depends on your personality and what pushes you. If you are one that crumbles, you are scared, nervous, worried, every worst possible outcome will flash before your eyes. On the other hand, if your are on the can succeed in chaotic situations then your body will act accordingly. Less sweat that a stressful situation.

ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration, irritation, grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.

Aggravation will produce a temperature raise in your body but can’t be really felt in the body. You just know that you are aggravated. Annoyance is something that isn’t felt physically in your body but is something that can be set off in sometimes the easiest of ways. Rage is the great level of anger to me. It can bring on headaches, an increase in blood pressure, increase in body temperature.

SADNESS: alienation, anguish, despair, disappointment, gloom, grief, hopelessness, insecurity, loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.

Disappointment – This is something that you usually feel deep into your sole, more emotionally that physically. Disappointment can make your stomach hurt or even make your eyes “water”. Grief I another emotion felt internally instead of physically.

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

10

Embarrassment – this is something that will cause your body to sweat, it will increase your blood pressure and turn your face red. Remorse can cause your body to hurt. This is something that

will really make you feel “bad”.

LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness, liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.

Compassion – this is something that is felt more emotionally than it is physically. Usually when we know someone is going through a situation, as humans we are designed to have compassion towards other human being. Sentimentality – When you look at old pictures and see someone you have seen in years you start to remember the memories from that time.

JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement, exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.

Optimism – in looking on the “bright side” of things one must be aware of where they have been and where they are going. This will only allow you to truly see the full potential of the situation. Hope creates the what if factor inside your heart. You get that high when told thaere is hope in a situation.

When thinking about how the different feeling affect you is an eye opening situation. You don’t realize that many of the feelings have the same bodily reaction. Understand the situation will help you understand the feeling you are going through. This will allow you ti be a better person in the end.

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

Key Learning Point: Creating a Positive Mindset - Behavioral medicine believes that mental and emotional factors and the ways in which humans behave and think have a profound effect on one’s physical health and the capacity to heal from illness and injury. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Simple Assertion and Healthy Boundaries - Assertion and boundary setting are part of personal empowerment and as such help reduce stress and anxiety. “Maintaining a sense

Unit

5

11

of self-worth and self-esteem are beneficial acts to help one live life in balance” (Seaward, 2015)

Key Learning Point: The Healing Power of Humor – Humor is infectious because people enjoy listening repeating jokes. However, “As a psychological phenomenon, humor is a little more complicated than simply telling a joke” (Seaward, 2015).

Journal Writing:Unit Five Journal Writing Assignment Choose from either formal practice: Walking Meditation or Mindful Self-Inquiry for Stress and Anxiety. Directions are found on either pages 58 through 60 or 119 through 121 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of either practice, take a moment to reflect on whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally, and physically. This should be a minimum of two full pages.Take some time to write about whatever came up for you mentally, emotionally and physically when doing this practice for the first time.

The process of mindfulness walking is something I do regularly to decompress in stressful situations. I also use this to release frustrations as well. Mentally, I start to process the current issue or situation that is got me to the point of walking away or to a certain destination. I start by thinking about what triggered the reaction I have and then process what could have been done to change the outcome. Emotionally, I think about how I got to being so frustrated or angry or stressed. I try to look at how it affects me and look to see if there is something I can do to change the way I feel. Physically, when these emotions and a certain mind frame comes over me, my body will start to sweat, my heart will race, and my blood pressure will rise. On the walk I am able to calm the heart rate, lower the blood pressure, and eventually the sweating will stop.

This is a great practice that I will continue to use when necessary in my daily life. Finding ways to deal with stress and daily issues will prevent huge meltdowns in one’s life. Looking for ways to positively deal with them will provide you with positive outcomes in your life.

12

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,

Meditation, and Mental Imagery Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: The Art of Calm and the Five Senses - What is ‘the art of calm’ or relaxation? According to the National Jewish Health Web site, relaxation can be defined as the absence of tension in muscle groups and a minimum or absence of ‘inner chatter’ in our minds—the thoughts and worries that constantly go on. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: The Art of Conscious Breathing - Seaward points out how the art of breathing is a form of discipline based on opening the mind and body to a “profound sense of relaxation:” There are a number of different breathing techniques designed to provide the human body with a sense of deep relaxation. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: The Art of Meditation - Several different types of contemporary mediation techniques and schools of philosophical thought exist and provide information on the art of meditation. However, meditation has been practiced by “…every culture since the beginning of time” (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit 6 Self-Assessment covers diaphragmatic breathing. This process will help to calm you down during stressful situations. It covers the necessary steps to properly perform diaphragmatic breathing.

Journal Writing:Unit Six Journal Writing Assignment Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Is Your Body-Mind Happy? Directions are found on pages 151 through 153 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment,

Unit

6

13

practice identifying unkind messages you send to yourself and turn it around with positive affirmations. This should be a minimum of two full pages.

Mindful of how you interact with yourself?

When thinking about this part for myself, it is somewhat hard for me to come up with things for this section. The reason begin is that I tend to be very positive in my life, trying to reassure myself that I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind too. I know the major effects of constantly telling yourself that you are nothing and that you do not matter. Positive reinforcement can change your mindset and I believe it can help to establish a more positive culture in your life. Continuing to remind yourself that you have the ability to complete any task no matter the obstacle will always lead to some form of success. There is no guarantee that you will not have failure along your road to success, the real victory is how you deal with the failures that you overcome. Seeds of suffering?

Unfortunately, we are our worse enemy just as much as we can be our own biggest cheering section. Looking at the power and control we have over our own destinations in life, we must not continue to be negative towards ourselves. Looking at this situation, as a coach the children I mentor and teach are the perfect example. In baseball, you can experience the highest or highs and the lowest of lowest in a matter of 3.5 seconds and once that low hits, it is usually downhill when it comes to the children. As a coach it is my responsibility to change that mind set of ”it is only going to get worse now” into a mindset of “hey it is just a bump in the road and we will get past this”. Also, the children also feed off of the my mind set and emotions. If they can tell that I am positive, it will impact how they are feeling about themselves and their team. On the other hand, if they feel I am down on them, they will in turn get down on themselves. Not only do we water our own seeds, we allow others to spray us as well. Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?

Resenting someone can push you to the borderline of hate in my opinion. I feel that a lot of peoples actions are not intentional and at times they may not be aware of how they are affect someone especially if nothing is ever said to them. So resentment is not something I tend to have. I do somehow not understand how someone can act or treat other people the way they do. The one individual that comes to mind at this time is someone I work for. I know this person doesn’t mean to be the way that they are, it is just a natural reaction to things that has happened in her past and has pushed he to be the way she is today. It does excuse her actions but does allow me to understand where she is coming from. She does care about her employees, that is obvious. Problem is she is just now learning how to show that she does care and appreciates the work we do as a whole unit every day. Reflection on writing?

The things I have written about already, not just in this journal entry, impacts how you approach people and situations. Understanding that everyone and everything around you makes you who you are and the things that happens in your past makes you the person you are today is something I have lived by for a while. As a son, a husband, and a father you must adjust and adapt

14

who you are to make yourself a better person. You live your life for you but the examples you set has a lasting impact on the others around you, even if they are not there to watch you.

Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress Information to Remember:

Key Learning Point: The Wisdom of Imagery and Visualization - the mind is a powerful ally in managing and preventing stress. Harnessing the power of the mind by focusing on positive mental images can “…accomplish the impossible (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Types of Visualization - Tranquil scenes: The epitome of a tranquil scene is a sublime beach with waves of aqua blue water slowly edging toward the shore. Behavioral changes: Mental imagery and visualization became mainstream several decades ago when coaches started using these techniques to enhance sports performance with their star athletes. Internal healing body images: Perhaps nowhere else has the use of visualization been more dramatic than in the efforts to improve one's health status, from the repair of broken bones to the evaporation of tumors (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: The Wisdom of Art and Music Therapy - The vibration of the chant "OM" proves itself to be more than a cute new-age exercise. The tone of healing reveals it holds the power to create order from chaos, symmetry from randomness, harmony from discordance. All of this with the intention to heal, from one note of a musical scale. (Seaward, 2015).

Self-Assessment Exercise:Unit 7 Self-Assessment was all about relaxation and meditation. Putting the practices that we have been studying in to action. These practices did allow for me to relax and reflect on a few situations to improve my overall life.

Unit 7

15

Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity

Information to Remember:Key Learning Point: Strategies for coping with stress – There are different ways of managing the stress

that we live with every day. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Physical Exercise & Activity – Using physical activity to reduce stress is one of the most common practices in monitoring and reducing your overall stress. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Mindfulness - Cognitive Reconstructing – changing the way we think. Looking at the situation with a clearer mind frame. (Seaward, 2015).

Self- Exercise Assessment Exercises:Unit 8 Self-Assessment was a team effort designed around a workplace wellness program. We provide all of our employees with Fit Bits to encourage them to be more active during work hours.

Journal Writing:Unit Eight Journal Writing Assignment Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: Explore: Creating Connection. Directions are found on pages 161 through 163 of the Mindfulness workbook. Upon completion of this Assignment, practice developing these qualities in building stronger and healthier relationships.This should be a minimum of one full page.

OPENNESS: - When looking at this attribute, I think what comes to mind with my wife, it the opportunity to try new things. She is b=very big on trying new foods and wines and going new places. She has caused me to become more that way. She has also forced me to be more open to other ways of life and ways of completing certain task,EMPATHY: The first thing that comes to mind is trying to understand how my wife feels when I deploy to a different country with a return date that is unknown, trying to understand the feelings that she is encountering is very hard. I do try to put myself in her place when she is upset but sometimes knowing that she will never put me in that situation, if is hard to understand. COMPASSION: Working with wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers everyday requires compassion. It was something I feel I had prior to starting this job 2 years ago. I do empathize with them and look for ways to help them cope and recover from their illnesses or injuries.

Unit

8

16

LOVING-KINDNESS: This reminds me of my children. As a parent this is all we want, for them to be healthy, free of fear, and safe from harm. Even though at times, they may try your patience and test

your will, we all want these things for our children.SYMPATHETIC JOY: As a coach, this is a feeling that we experience more than we realize. You work very hard to help a child get better at a particular sport or even a certain position. Once the improvement shows, as a coach you are happy for the success they have earned and that has come their wayEQUANIMITY: This reminds me of a friend that hasn’t always treated me as equal as some of the other in our circle but always seems to call on me when he is in need. I understand that I am not from here and our relationship isn’t as old as some of the others, that should mean I am treated differently. I did speak to him about this very situation and the situations does seem to be getting better. Summary

In closing remember that every one of the people I have mentioned in the paragraphs above are special to me in some way. I also must remember that how I treat them reflect back on myself and the type of person I am and want to be.

Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical Issues for Management and Prevention to your Professional LifeInformation to Remember:Key Learning Point: Tai Chi - There is a life force of subtle energy that surrounds and permeates us all. This energy goes by many names; the Chinese call it chi. To move in unison with this energy is to move as freely as running water. A congestion or distortion of one's life energy ultimately leads to disease and illness. Therefore, the goal in life is to be in harmony with the flow of chi, because this promotes tranquility and a sense of being one with the universe. (Seaward, 2015).

Unit

9

17

Key Learning Point: Progressive Muscular Relaxation - Nearly all relaxation techniques, from massage and meditation to yoga and tai chi, trace their origins back to the ancient cultures of Asia. One exception is the technique known as progressive muscular relaxation (PMR), which was created by an American physician several decades ago. As a physician, Edmund Jacobson noted that virtually all his patients who were sick appeared to have one common_ symptom: muscle tension. (Seaward, 2015).

Key Learning Point: Clinical Biofeedback - Clinical biofeedback is a technique that enhances the mind's power of healing with the assistance of technology that simply amplifies one or more of the body's physiological parameters so the mind can get a better picture of what is going on inside.

(Seaward, 2015).

Additional Information Place additional information here important to your resource manual. This can come from the Discussion Boards, Internet or the current curriculum. List at least one book, article, two websites, video, PowerPoint Seminar presentation, Reading, or other material you want to include in your resource guide. Identify your sources as primary or secondary sources.Total Points = 5

18

References

University of California, Riverside. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2016, from

https://wellness.ucr.edu/physical_wellness.html

Useful Psychology Information: Importance of Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2016, from

http://www.ripsych.org/importance-of-mental-healthSeaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Seaward, B. (2015). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (8th ed.).

Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

19

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

Harbinger Publications, Inc.

20