1. KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and
Prevention
Stress Management
and Prevention
1

2. Program Resource
Guide
2

3. KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide
By
Amanda Campagna
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
June 21, 2011

5. Table of Contents
UNIT 1 THE NATU RE OF STRESS
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT 2 THE BODY AS BATTL EF IEL D
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT 3 F EAST OR F AM ININE
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing: Journal Writing
UNIT 4 ONE PL ANET UNDER STRESS
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT 5 UNDER STRESS: W HAT NOW ?
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT 6 AGEL ESS W ISDOM OF MEDITATI ON
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT 7 SIGHT, SOUN D, AND BODY W ORK
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing

6. UNIT 8 THE W EL L NESS M ANDAL A
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT 9 APPL YING STRESS: CRITICAL M ANAGEM ENT AND
PREVEN TIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSIO NAL L IF E
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
UNIT 1 0 APPL YING STRESS: CRITICAL M ANAGEM ENT AND
PREVEN TIO N TO YOUR PROF ESSIO NAL L IF E
Information to Remember
Resources: Exercises
Tools: Journal Writing
ADDITI ON AL INF ORM AT IO N
(End of the Guide)

7. (This page intentionally left blank)

8. 1
Unit
Unit 1: The Nature of Stress
Information to Remember:
 <Examining my stress reaction> This is one of the important first steps towards keeping stress levels
balanced. It really helps you to know yourself even better.
 <Sleep behavior and health> Getting the right amount of sleep every night is essential for optimal health.
When we are ill, resting and sleeping participate in the body’s unique way of healing. It is the same for
stress too, we can sleep it off.
 <Assessing my personal stress levels> This is the first step towards managing health. We need to
recognize the differing stressors in our lives and start to balance ourselves out.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 1.2 My Health Philosophy> Once you figure out your health philosophy, you are able to take
better care of yourself.
 <Exercise 1.7 College Students Daily Stressors Survey> I wanted to include this exercise because people
sometimes forget just what it takes to attend college and balance it with work.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 1.1 Inventory: Are You Stressed?> This is a great way to assess your stress levels.
 <Exercise 1.4 A Good Night’s Sleep> Recognizing your sleeping patterns helps you figure out ways to
ensure that you get the appropriate amount of sleep you need.
4

9. 2
Unit
Unit 2: The Body as Battlefield
Information to Remember:
 <What causes stress?> Stress has very serious health consequences and is linked to all of the leading
causes of death. Knowing what causes stress, such as work or family or school, gives you the
information needed to manage stress.
 <The physiological effects of prolonged stress on memory> Elevated and prolonged periods of stress
create serious memory problems in the long run. Glucocorticoids, are released during times of stress
have been found to have negative effects on memory.
 <Damage to the Hippocampus from excess stress> When the hippocampus is repeatedly exposed to the
stress hormone cortisol, over time it causes the brain cells to shrink. Excess stress may also affect the
ability to consolidate new memories and the learning process.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 2.2 Immediate, Intermediate, and Prolonged Stress Effects> It is important to be able to
identify the different levels of intensity that stress has on us in a physiological way.
 <Exercise 3.1 Physical Symptoms Questionnaire> This will help you to identify the correlation, if any,
between your stress levels and stress-related symptoms.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 2.1 Stress Physiology Review> This will provide you with the ability to promote a deeper
sense of relaxation and healing.
 <Exercise 3.3 My Health Profile> Use this as a stepping-stone to help you put together the correlation
between the mind, body, and spirit.
5

10. 3
Unit
Unit 3: Feast or Famine
Information to Remember:
 <The building blocks of psychological stressors> The building blocks of psychological stressors are
outlets of frustration, social support, predictability, and control. Having someone to talk to, having a
journal to write in helps us feel like we have a bit of control over a situation.
 < The subtleties of predictability> When we know what to expect next, it makes life a little easier when it
comes to the small stuff. When it comes to stressful experiences that rarely occur, such as an earthquake,
have any warning elevates your stress level higher than it needs to be.
 <Subtleties of Control> This deals with the way a person perceives a situation with stress. During
stressful situations, we begin to wonder if we have control in it and if we do, how we use it.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 5.1 Anger Recognition Checklist> This checklist really helps to identify how anger manifest
into your daily life.
 <Exercise 5.9 Emotional Well-Being> This exercise introduces you to emotional well-being, which plays
a big factor in one’s levels of stress.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 4.1 The Psychology of Your Stress> This exercise aids you towards the awareness of your
perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during times of stress.
 <Exercise 3.4 Subtle Anatomy Energy Map> This exercise helps you to identify the chakras and their
locations on the body.
6

11. 4
Unit
Unit 4: One Planet Under Stress
Information to Remember:
 <Stress-prone personalities> Type A personalities are always on the go and have an overbearing sense of
competitiveness. The codependent personalities need to feel a mutual dependency so that they feel
validated. The helpless-hopeless personality has very low self-esteem and is often emotionally
dysfunctional.
 <Stress-resistant personalities> The hardy personality possesses three specific traits: commitment,
control, and challenge. The survivor personality possesses traits of acceptance, optimism, and creative
problem solving. Sensation seekers are often led by an adventurous spirit and courageousness.
 <Self-esteem and stress> Our level of self-esteem is determined by our self-value, respect, and love we
have. We need to keep the four components working cooperatively in order to keep our level of self-
esteem at a balanced level.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 7.5 Your Personal Value System> This exercise helps you to identify your core values and
supportive values,
 <Exercise 7.6 Your Meaningful Purpose in Life> This exercise encourages you to list your purpose in life
at different ages.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 6.1 Under the Gun: Stress and Personality> This exercise helps you to identify the way you
may deal with stress based on your personality.
 <Exercise 6.3 Stress Resistant Personality> This exercise helps you to determine if you can identify with
any of the stress-resistant personality.
7

12. 5
Unit
Unit 5: Under Stress: What Now?
Information to Remember:
 <Reframing to create a positive mindset.> We have all heard before remain positive and it will get better.
And though it may be tough to do in some situations, a positive attitude goes a really long way.
 <Successful aging> There are several factors that contribute to successful aging. Some of these include
not smoking, drinking minimally, and coming from a financially stable background.
 <Principles of coping with psychological stress> Coping techniques include stress management, exercise,
and meditation. Giving yourself time to remove your busy mind from all those buzzing thoughts can be
a difficult thing to do, but it is so necessary.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 8.1 Reframing: Seeing a Bigger, Clearer Perspective> This exercise helps you to list common
situations that add to stress levels.
 <Exercise 9.1 Value Assessment and Clarification> This exercise encourages you to identify your
personal values.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 15.1 The Time-Crunch Questionnaire> This exercise is a survey, which helps you to
determine how much you identify with a codependent personality.
 <Exercise 9.2 Behaviors I’d Like to Change> This exercise helps you to identify those behaviors you
would like to improve upon.
8

13. 6
Unit
Unit 6: Ageless Wisdom of
Meditation
Information to Remember:
 <Understand the basics of meditation> The simple and relaxing art of breathing is the foundation of
meditation. One is often instructed to simply focus on a deep breathing pattern to start out with.
Visualization techniques are also valuable tools for beginners.
 <Diaphragmatic breathing> This is one of the most basic relaxation techniques. You simply breathe
from your lower stomach or diaphragm rather than your chest.
 <Mental Imagery> When mental imagery is used to promote calmness, it involves several aspects of
meditation. Being able to control the information you receive from your five senses may be one’s
greatest strength.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 18.3 Bridging the Hemispheres of Thought> This exercise helps you to determine if you are
left-brain or right-brain dominant.
 <Exercise 20.2 Three Short Guided Visualizations> This exercise creates peaceful situations for you to
visualize in an attempt to relax you.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 < Exercise 17.1 Dolphin Breath Meditation> This exercise introduces you to breath meditation.
 <Exercise 18.1 Too Much Information> This exercise helps you to determine if you provide a bit too
much information to others.
9

14. 7
Unit
Unit 7: Sight, Sound and Body Work
Information to Remember:
 <Stress and eating habits> Some people are emotional eaters and find comfort in food during stressful
times. When we are eating our way through stress, it often affects the nutritional value of the food we eat
as well.
 <Bodywork and stress> Getting massages on a regular basis helps you to cope with stress. Having
someone help you to release the mind and spirit issues that are manifested through the physical body is
quite valuable.
 <Music and stress management> Music has been used since the beginning of its existence to help us
relax. Participation in music therapy in highly encouraged, even if you are only tapping your foot on the
ground.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 27.1 Stress-Related Eating Behavior> This exercise is a survey to help you determine whether
or not you are a stress-eater.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 27.2 Self-Assessment: Nutritional Eating Habits> This exercise helps you to determine your
nutritional eating habits.
 <Exercise 27.3 The Rainbow Diet> This exercise helps you to match the color of each of the seven
major chakras with a fruit, vegetable, or herb of the same color.
10

15. 8
Unit
Unit 8: The Wellness Mandala
Information to Remember:
 <Physical exercise and stress> The benefits from exercising on a regular basis include decreased heart
rate and blood pressure, sleeping more soundly, a decreased rate in aging and many others. We are also
able to return to our resting heart rate more quickly.
 <Flushing stress hormones out of the body> It is essential to flush out stress hormone that we are
holding onto. The most effective way to do this is through exercises, including a cool-down.
 <The mind/body connection and physical exercise> When we exercise on a regular basis, we may be
capable of reaching altered states of consciousness. It also boosts your self-esteem and confidence both
of which contribute to opening the connection between the body and the mind.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 28.1 Physical Exercise> This exercise allows you to explore the different exercise habits we all
have.
 <Exercise 28.2 My Body, My Physique> This exercise asks you to express how you feel about your body
and physique.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 28.3 Your Circadian Rhythms> The exercise requires you to monitor your lifestyle behaviors
for a week.
 <Exercise 28.4 My Body’s Rhythms> This exercise allows you to explore the natural rhythm of your
body.
11

16. 9
Unit
Unit 9: Applying Stress: Critical
Management to your Professional
Life
Information to Remember:
 <Information seeking and stress> Information seeking can help relieve stress by providing you with
answers to your questions. At the same time though, it can also elevate stress levels, depending on the
type of information discovered.
 <Hobbies and stress> Hobbies give us a creative avenue that allows us to feel that we have control of a
situation. Hobbies can increase one’s self-esteem by allowing you to excel in an environment free of
competitions.
 <Forgiveness as a coping skill> When you forgive someone, it means you are able to let go of the
negativity you had been holding onto. Forgiveness is a huge aspect of maintaining one’s overall sense of
well-being.
Resources: Exercises:
 <Exercise 16.2 Hobbies and Outside interests> This exercise takes you through your current outside
interests and hobbies.
Tools: Journal Writing:
 <Exercise 16.5 Sweet Forgiveness> This exercise encourages you to identify everyone you may be
holding a grudge against and forgive them.
12

17. Additional Information
Each of these references will help further your knowledge of managing stress. Each of these
informative books, websites, power points, etc provides a wide array of information to help you
reach your optimal state of health and well-being.
• American Institute of Stress is dedicated to advancing understanding of Stress in
Health and Illness. . (n.d.). American Institute of Stress is dedicated to advancing
understanding of Stress in Health and Illness. . Retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http://www.stress.org/
• Sapolsky, R. M. (1994). Why zebras don't get ulcers: a guide to stress, stress
related diseases, and coping. New York: W.H. Freeman.
• Seaward, B. L. (2009). Managing stress: principles and strategies for health and
well-being (6. ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
• Smith, M. (n.d.). Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with
Stress. Helpguide.org: Expert, ad-free articles help empower you with knowledge,
support & hope. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
• Stress. (n.d.). KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health.
Retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html
• Meditation34. (n.d.). YouTube - Chakra Meditation Balancing & Healing. YouTube
- Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs_DuZigRzY
• Chapter 18 Meditation Power Point
13