Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

KAPLAN UNIVERSITY
HW410 Stress: Critical Issues in Management and
Prevention
StressManagementand
Prevention Program
ResourceGuide
1

K A P L A N U N I V E R S I T Y
Stress Management and Prevention
Program Resource Guide
By
Gena Bugda
Kaplan University
HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention
May 20, 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.......................................................................................................................5
Self-Assessment Exercises........................................................................................................................6
Journal Writing...........................................................................................................................................9
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.....................................................................................................................10
Self-Assessment Exercises......................................................................................................................11
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................14
U N I T 3 P S Y C H O L O G Y O F S T R E S S
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................22
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
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................30
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
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................36
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
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................44
U N I T 7 N U T R I T I O N A N D S T R E S S
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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
Journal Writing.........................................................................................................................................60
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
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
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Unit 1: The Nature of Stress
Information to Remember:
Key Learning Point: Distress is considered bad stress and can be very acute or intense, but occurs
over a short amount of time such as locking the keys in your car, or being unable to find
parking. This type of stress while annoying impacts your frustration level throughout the
day and can put you in a bad mood (Seaward, 2015). The next type of distress is chronic
and can go on for prolonged period of time, such as marital problems and work issues.
This type of stress can have long-term consequences on your mind and body (Seaward,
2015).
Unit
1
4

Key Learning Point: The mind body connection is real. Extreme emotional disturbances can
adversely affect us. Stress can make us sick. How we think can affect how we feel. Western
Medicine is starting to recognize this mind body connection as chronic diseases have begun
to be the diseases the majority of people battle today. Stress and emotional distress put
additional stress on our organs and bodies ability to function and achieve balance. Stress
has been linked to cancer, heart disease, lung issues, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Journal writing allows one to be creative, write down ones emotions and
feelings. This provides a therapeutic outlet for stress and anxiety allowing a person to
become more mindful. Therapeutic journal writing provides a documentation of an
individuals personal feelings, memories, thoughts, and understanding of their journey in life.
This time of exercise can help someone feel more whole and provide self-awareness.
Journal writing can take the form of prose or poetry (Seaward, 2015).
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Self-Assessment Exercise:
Mandala
mental well-being
spiritual well-being
physical well-being
emotional well-being
The mandala is a symbol of the wellness paradigm (Seaward, 2015). The chart highlights the harmony of my
mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. I feel all of these components work together to provide overall
health and wellness. Therefore, each of the four components is equal in my own personal mandala. My mandala is similar
to Einstein’s theory of the holistic wellness paradigm; all of the components work together and intertwine in the overall
scheme of health and wellness (Seaward, 2015). Still, it is important to understand each component on it’s own to realize
how they all work together to create balance.
Mental well-being is the ability to gather, process, recall, and communicate information (Seaward, 2015).
Positive mental health as defined by Who states, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO | Mental health: a state of well-being, 2016). If I am anxious,
depressed, not sleeping well this all affects my mental well-being and leads to poor functioning during the day. I have to
take care of myself and ensure my stress levels are not high because if they are this can lead to a physical manifestation of
a mental imbalance.
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Physical well-being is when all of the bodies major physiological systems are optimally functioning. This
includes the cardiovascular, digestive, and reproductive systems (Seaward, 2015). When my body feels good, my mental
and emotional well-being improves. I can reduce stress by working out and releasing feelings of emotional distress. I
firmly believe that in order to improve ones emotional and mental health, physical health is equally important because
they are all linked. When we do not feel well, this affects us both mentally and emotionally. Good health brings us up.
Poor health can bring us down. When the body is not working optimally balance cannot be achieved. The mind, body,
and spirit all work together to create homeostasis.
Emotional well-being is the ability to feel and express human emotions. Balance in this area means we control
our emotions rather than being controlled by them (Seaward, 2015). Emotional well-being is a key component of overall
health. According to the Surgeon General, positive mental and emotional health allows us cope with stresses related to
life, work productivity, and allows us to make meaningful contributions to the community ("Mental and Emotional Well-
being | SurgeonGeneral.gov", 2016). I know when my emotions are not in balance or I am controlled by fear or anger
then I become emotionally stuck or paralyzed and balance cannot be achieved. Stress definitely affects my emotional
well-being. When I drive, I feel distress, which leads to my heartbeat rising and my mind becoming cluttered with worry
and fear. I am paralyzed by this stress and once the ordeal ends, my stress reduces and balance can once again be
achieved.
Underlying all of the components is spiritual well-being, which involves figuring out what ones own sense of
meaning and purpose is. I am connected to something bigger than myself; otherwise what is the purpose of everything we
do day in and day out. This connection is achieved by nurturing relationships with myself and others. There is a purpose
to life and a belief in a personal value system, which may be different fro each person. In order to develop spiritual
wellness like many I incorporate meditation, yoga, prayer, affirmations, or specific spiritual practices that provides a
connection to a higher power or belief system into my daily routine ("Wellness: Spiritual Wellness", 2016). Stress can
affect spiritual well-being as one has to overcome challenges and find purpose in obstacles. I know when my Dad was
diagnosed with cancer and ultimately died this led to a spiritual questioning. What is the purpose of doing everything
right, if good people still die? Ultimately, after going through the stages associated with grief, such as anger, sadness, and
finally acceptance my connection to a higher power or belief system helped me to find peace during a conflicting time.
Without this belief and connection to something larger than me, finding this balance would have been a much longer
journey.
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I am lucky enough to work from home, which allows me to create an environment in which I function best. I am
able to balance all parts of the paradigm within my home to alleviate stress and create wellness. Before beginning work, I
start my day with a cup of tea and reflect on what needs to be done. This allows my mind to relax and my emotions to
remain even. Next, once my family leaves for their days, I do a thirty-minute workout. This also relieves stress and
provides for my physical well-being. I then have a healthy breakfast to provide energy and fuel to my body and begin
working. To support my physical and mental health, I eat balanced meals throughout the day that I am able to prepare for
myself. I do not have to worry about rushing or grabbing a quick fix junk food snack. I am able to take breaks, go for a
walk, or just take some deep breaths when I want, which provides me with mental and emotional breaks as well as
maintains my spiritual connection allowing me to maintain balance. Working from home clearly fosters a balance of the
paradigm I have highlighted and discussed.
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Journal Writing:
Unit One Journal Writing
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled: “How Stressed Are You?” Directions are
found on pages 11 and 12 of the Mindfulness workbook. List the situation on the left. Use
a rating scale of 1 through 10 for the start, midway, and end. You will use this Journal
Assignment as a way of mapping your stress throughout the course. Keep it handy and
refer back to it often.
Situation Start Midway End
When a deadline is approaching and I am not done with a
project or requirement for my job.
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When I have to run around getting my kids to all of their
sports on time.
5
When I worry that my son who is a Marine and in Hawaii
is unhappy and not adjusting well to the choices he has
made.
8
When my husband has to travel and is not home in the
house at night.
8
When I have to drive somewhere that is outside my
comfort zone.
10
When my teenage daughter wants practice learning to
drive the car.
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When my 8 year old struggles academically and needs
me to sit with him and help him.
5
When my mother travels to her other home in the Middle
East.
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When I’m waiting to hear if I’ve been assigned an open
or reserved course for my next teaching semester.
4
When I don’t get a good nights sleep and there is so
much to do the next day despite exhaustion.
4
(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010)
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Unit 2: The Physiology of Stress
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness can battle the Allostatic Load, which causes physical damage to
the body after a prolonged time (Seaward, 2015). This term coined by stress researcher
Bruce McEwen basically means to be “stressed out”. The idea of being aware of what is
happing in the present moment is being used to help people deal with pain, stress, and
illness (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Key Learning Point: The meridian healing system originates in Chinese Medicine. Meridians are the
pathways for qi. There are 12 major meridians that correspond to specific organs in the
body from the kidneys, liver spleen, heart, and lungs to the bladder, gall bladder and large
intestine. When the qi is disrupted along a meridian, the body becomes susceptible to
disease. This system is used in herbal therapies, massage, acupuncture, and Shiatsu to
restore balance to the body. (Desy & Desy, 2016)
Key Learning Point: The Gerber Model uses the idea from Einstein’s theory of relativity, which,
discusses the idea that matter and energy are interchangeable. This leads to the idea within the
Gerber Model that the mind and brain are two different yet connected elements of the human
condition. To achieve optimal health both elements needs to work together. If one of the
elements is disrupted then this can lead to imbalance. Stress and anxiety can lead to a breakdown
within the body. (Seaward, 2015).
Unit
2
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Self-Assessment Assignment
Neuroscience is the branch of medicine that focuses on the nervous system, which is composed of two parts.
There is the central nervous system made up of the brain and spinal cord. The other part is the peripheral nervous system
consisting of all the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord. These include the nerves in your arms, legs, and truck of
the body. The brain and spinal cord create the processing center of the nervous system, which controls all functions of the
body (Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, 2016).
Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to adapt to cognitive challenges and stimuli (Seaward, 2015). In other words,
the brain changes as one learns new things or memorizes new information. Certain conditions affect neuroplasticity and
these include normal brain development, an adaptive mechanism that compensates for lost function or maximizes
remaining functions, and the environment ("Neuroscience for Kids - Brain Plasticity", 2016).
Stress regularly affects our nervous system sending our body into the fight, flight, or freeze response conditioned
from long ago. The stress these responses cause on the body can ultimately lead to chronic disease. The constant up and
downs of stress take a toll on the body affecting the nervous system as well as the immune system.
The actions a person takes in their environments affects the body’s nervous system. Stress affects the signals the
brain sends out to the rest of the body. The mind and body are connected and one affects the other in significant ways.
When the body experiences stress, it sends out signals, which directs muscles to reflexively react to stress by tensing up in
order to protect from injury. This prolonged tension in muscles can cause tension headaches, stiff shoulders, and migraine
headaches (Bushak, L). Migraines are vascular headaches affecting either the right or left side of the head. These types of
headaches are believed to be a sympathetic response to the pressure-sensitive nerve endings of the carotid artery. The
change in vascular pressure combined with the humoral secretions causes the intense pain associated with a migraine
headache. These types of headaches believed to be connected to a person’s inability to express anger and frustration
(Seaward, 2015).
Stress has also been linked to type 2 diabetes. According to European medical literature, there is an association
between emotional stress and type 2 diabetes going back to the 17th
century. When the body responds to stress, blood
sugar levels increase creating a demand for energy increase during the fight or flight response leading the cells to take in
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and use blood glucose in the form of insulin, which is compromised for those with type 2 diabetes (Seaward, 2015).
Effective stress management and relaxation techniques along with healthy nutrition and physical activity can improve
quality of life.
Stress is also connected to the rise in coronary heart disease. The American Heart Association has linked
elevated blood pressure and hypertension to the body’s response to stress. The body works to move blood from the body’s
core to the peripheral muscles quickly. These efforts increase heart rate and force the heart to work harder pumping a
greater supply of oxygenated blood to the body’s muscles. The stress response is ultimately responsible for the increase in
blood pressure to transport blood to areas where it is needed leading to an increase in pressure that can damage the heart
muscle (Seaward, 2015).
Another condition related to stress is irritable bowl syndrome. IBS is characterized by repeated bouts of
abdominal pain or tenderness, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and excessive flatulence. The disease is affected by
stress, anxiety, and depression because of the link between the hypothalamus, which controls appetite regulation is closely
associated with emotional regulation (Seaward, 2015). Reducing anxiety can lead to an improvement of symptoms.
Bronchial Asthma is also connected to the nervous system and the affects of stress. Stress and anxiety can bring
on an asthmatic attack leading to the swelling of the smooth-muscle tissue of the large air passageways causing a choking
effect where the individual feels as if he or she cannot breath (Seaward, 2015). Relaxation techniques have been shown to
help to reduce the severity of attacks.
In Borysenko’s Model, stress has been shown to suppress the immune system causing an immunological
overreaction, under reaction or both leading to disease or illness (Seaward, 2015). One example of an immune system
related disorder affected by stress is autoimmune diseases. These disorders occur when an overactive immune system
attacks the body. Examples include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. According to Borysenko, psychological stress causes
the immune system to go on overload leading to the imbalance, which causes disease (Seaward, 2015).
Chronic stress has also been thought to compromise an underactive immune system allowing it to be
compromised by internal pathogens. This leads to a decrease in the body’s ability to fight off mutant cells, such as those
caused by cancer (Seaward, 2015). Cancer is quickly becoming one of the most common chronic diseases seen in the
world today affecting one out of four Americans according to the American Cancer Society (Seaward, 2015).
Clearly there is a mind/body connection related to disease. Our minds are linked to our nervous and immune
systems, which mean we have to take the time to relax, reduce anxiety, and disconnect from the stressors in our lives.
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Leading healthy lives will lead to healthy bodies and ultimately a better quality of life. Incorporating both traditional and
CAM techniques has been shown to have a pronounced affect on these diseases.
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Journal Writing:
Unit Two Journal Writing Assignment
Complete the Journal Assignment entitled, Explore: How is stress or anxiety
affecting your life? Directions are found on pages 33 through 35 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.
How is stress or anxiety about people affecting your life?
As a parent, I worry about my kids. I want them to be happy, safe, confident, and achieve to
the best of their ability. As a wife I worry about my husband. I want him to always be safe and I
want us to always be happy and in love. As a daughter, aunt, friend I sometimes worry about the
people that are important to me in my life. I want them to be happy, safe, and content. Loving other
people means I stress about their well-being, which can bring additional stress and anxiety into my
life, ultimately affecting my own health and happiness. Worrying about others puts stress on my body
because as I learned so far in this course our mind and bodies are interconnected. The stress and
anxiety I feel on a daily basis can negatively impact my immune system and organs.
How is stress or anxiety about work affecting your life?
I’m lucky because I have the luxury of working from home. I get to make my own hours and
fit work into my schedule on my terms. This means that work brings very little additional stress into
my life. As an adjunct professor, my biggest worry is whether or not I will be given courses each
term. I depend on this additional money to help my family and contribute to the finances. I have to
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stay organized and self-motivated to minimize any anxiety about deadlines and work requirements. I
have been doing this job for the last 7 years and find that it allows me to have the better of two worlds
being a full time parent and a part time employee. I am always available to my family and still feel
like a valuable part of the working world.
How is stress or anxiety about the world affecting your life?
This is a great question. I think the world situation impacts my life in many ways I am not
always conscious of until I take the time to process the implications of the world. I know for sure I
have anxiety about going out by myself at night. The world does not feel safe for women and I worry
about the situations I place myself in. I would rather stay home than risk being injured or harmed in
some way. At the same time, the horrible stories in the news about school shooting, movie theatre
shootings, and other random acts of violence definitely adds worry and stress to my life whenever I
send my kids to school or allow them to go out with friends to the movies. The fight, flight or freeze
theory definitely comes to mind. I have discussed with my daughter what she would do if a terrorist
came into the movies. We have talked about the fact that she is little and can squeeze under a seat. It
is a sad world when this is what I have to discuss with my children. Children should feel safe,
especially at school and parents should feel safe sending their kids to school. The fact that every time
I say goodbye to them in the morning, somewhere in the back of my mind I worry about some
horrible catastrophe changing our world. This anxiety definitely impacts me. To combat it, I used
positive affirmations to remind myself that we are always protected and happy, healthy, and safe.
How is stress or anxiety about food and eating habits affecting your life?
I’m lucky that food and eating habits are not stressors in my life. I have been eating healthy
since the age of 12. My healthy habits are ingrained and a part of how I function on a daily basis. I
keep my house stocked with fruits, veggies, and lean proteins. I do feel some stress when we travel
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and my healthy options are not immediately available. Then I worry about where I will find a healthy
meal.
I feel more stress trying to feed my children 3 healthy meals a day. I have always felt this is
the most difficult part of parenting and provides me with much anxiety. My kids are picky eaters and
love junk food. I limit things in the house, but teaching them healthy habits is definitely a stressor.
How is stress or anxiety about sleep and sleeplessness affecting your life?
Throughout my life I have had some issues with sleep and sleeplessness. When I was twelve I
went through an insomniac phase. I could not fall asleep at night and my lay in bed worrying about
all of my middle school problems. I can still remember the anxiety this brought me. Worrying about
sleeping led to not sleeping and creating a cycle that was difficult to break. To this day, I still take
time to fall asleep. I have learned how to cope and relax, but the idea of not sleeping is definitely
something that causes me anxiety. I never want to return to the sleepless time in my life and work
very hard to train my mind to not focus on not sleeping. I coach myself to not worry that sleep will
come easily.
How is stress or anxiety about exercise or lack of physical activity affecting your life?
Like my food habits, I have committed to 30-minute workouts a day. I have been working out
for several years and find working out instead of creating anxiety and stress leads to a release of stress
and worry. I used to go to the gym, but in the last two years have switched to at home workouts,
which gives me more time and cut down on the stress of fitting in a longer chunk of time for workouts
because I have cut out the travel time. Fitting in 30 minutes for me makes me feel good about myself
and gives my confidence and strength, which overall reduces stress and anxiety. When I do not have
time to fit a workout in this can cause me some anxiety because exercise has become such a good
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habit that when I skip my workout I stress about squeezing it in or making it up. I find it is easier just
to workout in the morning and not have to worry about my fitness for the rest of the day.
Summary
In summary, this exercise has helped me to become more aware of the many stressors and
anxiety inducing situations that exist on a day-to-day basis. Becoming mindful of what causes stress
and anxiety will allow me to reduce the impact on my body. What I think about impacts how I feel.
Reflection and awareness of the factors that cause me stress and anxiety will enable me to take control
of my life and become more mindful. The mind/body connection is real and in order to be my
healthiest self, I have to be aware of what is happening in my mind to take care of my body (Stahl &
Goldstein, 2010).
Unit 3: Psychology of Stress
Key Learning Point: Theorist Elissabeth Kubler-Ross theories on death and dying have really
impacted the society we live in. She first became known for her work as a Swiss
psychiatrist in 1969 with her work studying and counseling terminally ill cancer patients.
Through this work, she learned and taught about the emotions and mental processes
associated with death. This work was first inspired by her time working with survivors of
the Nazi concentration camps after World War II as a teenager. She determined there is a
need to understand and cope with the problems of death and dying. There is a universal fear
Unit
3
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of death and the process of dying that comes with emotional bagger including grief, guilt,
shame, fear, and anger (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Anger management is an important skill to have to help one communicate better
and manage ones emotions. Some important tips include think before you speak, once calm, express
your anger in an assertive, but non-confrontational way, get some exercise to reduce stress levels,
take a timeout, and identify possible solutions. Other good ideas include using “I” statements when
communicating to avoid placing blame or criticizing others, don’t hold a grudge, use humor to release
tension, practice relaxation skills, and know when to seek help (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).
Key Learning Point: Mindfulness has a pivotal role in stress reduction. These practices can help to
decrease anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic pain. The practice of being in the
moment using nonjudgmental awareness allows a person to make new choices that promote well-
being and balance. This type of awareness allows one to see the affects of stress and enables a person
to make choose to respond to situations differently with more balance and peace (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010).
1. What can be learned from the Tibetan culture about the mind and stress?
The Tibetan culture practices the ideas of ancient wisdom of inner peace first introduced by the Buddha or
enlightened one over a thousand years ago. The Dalai Lama’s writings have shared that stress is viewed through the
perspective of the mind. The concept is based on four noble truths including suffering, which is believed to be stress
caused by a consequence of desires with strong attachments (Seaward, 2015).
The Dalai Lama highlights two kinds of desires. Some are positive, such as a desire to be happy or the desire for
peace and a harmonious world. However there is another side to desire that leads to expectations, conditions, and fear,
which turns desire into a negative and are a result of the ego or self. Through the Dalai Lama’s book, The Art of
Happiness one learns the idea ”…that hatred, jealousy, and anger are considered negative states of mind because they
lead to the destruction of mental happiness (Seaward, 2015).” From another lama comes the idea of meditation as a way
to tame the ego and cultivate the mind’s potential. A tamed mind can connect to the higher mind or higher self and
promote healing and inner peace (Seaward, 2015).
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Tulku Thondup is a Tibetan teacher who describes stress as “…the mind’s grasping for things that it cannot own, but
merely enjoy (Seaward, 2015).” Stress is created as the mind tries to distinguish between good and bad concepts. This
inner conflict creates stress. When the mind is able to release itself from this dualistic perspective then the inner conflict
ceases and happiness and balance can be reached.
2. What do the views espoused by theorists have in common? Explain your perspective.
The many views of the different theorists all have in common the idea of explaining the psychological nature of stress
and how people try to deal with the many concerns that arise. The different theories revolve around the many aspects of
psychology including personality, emotional responses, perceptions, and the variety of human behaviors (Seaward, 2015).
The many theories have in common the ideas of self-awareness and self-acceptance. These two inner resources provide
the most important coping skills needed to manage personal stress effectively. Those individuals that have self-acceptance
and self-love appreciate what they have and lead a more balanced life allowing them to more effectively deal with stress
(Seaward, 2015).
3. Describe one or more ways to cope with manage and/or resolve fear.
Fear is an element of survival just like anger. These are primitive emotions that trigger the flight or freeze response.
Fear can look like embarrassment, prejudice, anxiety, despair, worry, arrogance, doubt, intimidation, paranoia, etc.
(Seaward, 2015). What triggers a fear response is individual to each person. What I fear is going to be different from
what you fear. Fear and the anxiety can be interchanged and are believed to be a learned response.
Some ways to overcome fear or anxiety is to confront what you fear on some level. This can be done through therapy
and uncovering childhood experiences that have been repressed and cause anxiety. Behavioral therapy is a tool that
involves coping and relaxation techniques to desensitize someone to their stressors. A technique called systematic
desensitization can help an individual by exposing them to their stressors and slowly desensitizing the emotion through
repeated exposure in tolerable levels until one progresses to a face-to-face confrontation building a psychological
immunity to the stressor causing the feelings of fear and anxiety (Seaward, 2015).
4. Describe a minimum of five ways in which you can improve your communication style.
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To improve communication one must establish healthy boundaries. The accessibility of the technology age has left us
available 24/7. It is important to set boundaries of times for when you are available and to block off times for when you
are not available (Seaward, 2015). It is important to share these boundaries with others to avoid feelings of frustration.
For instance, let friends know you will be turning off your phone and unplugging by 10pm to ensure a good nights sleep.
This will give people a heads up, so if you do not answer a late text or email, no one will be offended.
Another important way to improve my communication style is to always remain courteous. It is important to
maintain eye contact when having face-to-face contact. It is easy to be distracted by phone messages, Facebook, etc. I
feel this is especially important when talking with my kids. I want them to know they have my undivided attention and I
expect the same from them. I often tell everyone to put phones away at dinner, walk away from the TV, and come sit at
the table and have real conversations to keep us all connected.
A third important aspect is be a good a listener. I have worked really hard to become a better listener. When I was
younger, I tended to interrupt people a lot when they were talking or telling a story. I would try to guess the end and not
give the other person the respect they needed to get their story out. Now, I work hard to assume the role of the listener. I
give my undivided attention consciously looking the speaker in the eye and staying alert to what they are saying. I hold on
to my own ideas until the speaker is done talking and it is my turn to speak.
Another important way to improve communication skills is to cut out the middleman when having conversations. It is
important to speak directly to the person you need to speak with rather than having someone else pass on the information.
Taking the time to speak face to face cuts down on miscommunication and allows for more personal connections.
A final important way to improve my communication style is to resolve problems or issues when they arise. I tend to
avoid conflict, which allows resentment to build on my part. I tend to come out with snarky comments when really my
feelings have been hurt and I haven’t expressed my emotions. I need to work on straightening out misunderstandings
when they happen instead of burying my feelings and avoiding the conflict allowing emotions to fester. By immediately
dealing with any issues, I avoid the long-term effects of stress and will ultimately have stronger friendships and
communication preserving my own inner peace and balance.
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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.
The five-minute mindfulness exercise was not easy for me. I have always found it difficult to
just focus on breathing. Like the chapter in the book said, my mind tends to wander and letting
thoughts go is not easy. However, I found a quiet place to lie down, set the timer on my phone,
focused on breathing in and out and letting what flowed through my mind to come and go. At first, I
could feel myself shifting and opening and closing my hands to try and find a relaxed position. I had
a difficult time keeping my eyes closed and focused on first relaxing my body parts and then on
breathing and emptying my mind.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest and could almost hear the sound of my own
heartbeat. I have been very anxious the last few days and felt anxious while doing this breathing
exercise. I found myself repeating, “Breath in and breath out” to try and focus my mind on breathing,
instead of letting it wander. When it did wander, I tried to practice the attitudes of mindfulness from
the workbook. I am tried not to judge my thoughts, but acknowledge them and stay in the moment.
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My mind wandered to my youngest son’s birthday for a few moments, which is on Sunday. My
oldest son’s birthday is the end of April. My mind acknowledged the fact that I am sad this is the first
birthday I won’t spend with him and I do not want to make a big yearly birthday album like I do every
year because he won’t be in it. I was able to give myself a moment of self-compassion by letting this
thought flow in my mind and then flow out. Once the thought past, I tried to refocus on my breathing
by repeating again, “Breath in and breath out” like a mantra.
As the breathing went on, I had a hard time staying in the moment and wondered when the
timer would go off and the practice would end. I can tell just from this 5-minute exercise that I need
to practice mindfulness more often. I need to let myself experience things from the beginners mind
using a fresh perspective and being curious about the world around me. I need to allow myself
moments to feel emotions, not bottle them up or go about my day as if I don’t have them. I have to
practice self-compassion and give myself love without expectation, blame, or criticism.
This was a great exercise for me because I have a hard time focusing on breathing and nothing
else. I have a restless mind and this was a good way to take a few minutes and just focus on me. The
wandering of my mind actually allowed me to figure out where some of my anxiousness is coming
from. I can practice what we are learning about mindfulness. I acknowledged, understood, and
accepted my feelings and can move on. I can come back to the present moments and enjoy the day
without feeling guilty or anxious about missing my son or not being with him for big moments. I can
go about my day and enjoy bringing cupcakes to my younger sons school and celebrate his birthday
(Stahl & Goldstein, 2013).
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Unit 4: Personality Traits and the Human
Spirituality
Key Learning Point: The hardy personality is an individual that has a strong sense of
commitment, control, and challenge enabling a person to cope with stress and carate a buffer
against illness (Seaward, 2015). A hardy personality is someone that is strongly committed
to oneself, work, and family and has a strong sense of belonging. A hardy personality type
has a sense of personal control meaning they have a say in what is happening in their life
instead of being controlled by the circumstances. This type of individual feels a strong sense
of self-control and empowerment, rather then playing the role of a victim. The final
personality trait that stands out amongst someone considered to be hardy is the idea that a
challenge is seen as an opportunity to grow and learn, rather than a threat. Challenge is seen
as an opportunity to inspire growth (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Type A personality is often associated with someone that has a hurried lifestyle.
This personality is often associated with unresolved anger issues. This personality and traits have a
strong correlation to coronary heart disease. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: he World Health Organization cites spiritual well-being as critical to
overall well-being. There is a connection to optimal health and a connection between the
mind and the body. Spirituality has several definitions including harmony with self, others,
earth. Spirituality connects to a higher power but is a separate concept from religion
(Seaward, 2015).
Unit
4
23

1. Describe self-esteem and explain what role it plays in promoting and resolving
stress.
The concept of self-esteem comes from a persons understanding of their own self-competence
and self-worth based in reality ("NASE - National Association for Self Esteem", 2016). Self-esteem
is how one perceives their value in the world and their value to others. The National Association for
Self-Esteem modified this to define self-esteem as, "The experience of being capable of meeting life's
challenges and being worthy of happiness” ("NASE - National Association for Self Esteem", 2016).
Self-esteem plays a large role in promoting and resolving stress. Someone with a strong
healthy self-esteem believes in their self worth and their worth to others and is less likely to come
down on him or herself when in a high stress situation. When looking at personality types an
individual with a Type A or Type D personality is more prone to increased stress because their self-
esteem is not always authentic. They may see their self worth tied into accomplishments rather than
an internal balance. A Type A personality is looking often for immediate gratification in areas of
their life including wealth and accomplishments (Seaward, 2015). When things do not go their way,
the stress will affect them in a negative manner because they do not have the internal understanding of
their own self-worth, but rather have their self worth tied to more materialistic outward displays. The
Type D personality is someone that is already typically depressed or down on himself or herself and
suffers from anxiety and depression. The common ground between these two types of personalities is
stress. Love and compassion are not traits that two personalities typically express. However,
someone with high self-esteem is able to overcome and deal with stress does so because the
24

personality traits they poses revolve around confidence, an awareness of their personal strengths, the
ability to display a wide range of emotions, and an ability to accept their own mistakes and the
mistakes of others and learn from them in the process (Seaward, 2015). This type of hardy
personality can deal with stress and not let it overtake them. Someone with high self-esteem tends to
view the world in a more positive way, which manifests in a healthier mind and body. Someone with
low self-esteem that is typically negative or down on themselves and others will have more issues
associated with stress because emotional issues can manifest into physical body symptoms. High
stress individuals have more heart disease, cancer, and other disease and illnesses (Seaward, 2015).
2. Explain how relationships, values, and meaningful purpose in life are affected by
stress.
Self-esteem affects every facet of a persons life from trust in others, relationships, and work.
Positive self-esteem gives individuals the ability to take charge of ones own life and have the
flexibility to grow from mistakes without the fear of rejection (Self-esteem, nd). Authentic healthy
self-esteem comes from a sense of competence strengthened through realistic and accurate self-
appraisal, meaningful accomplishments, overcoming adversities, bouncing back from failures, and
adopting such practices such as assuming self-responsibility and maintaining integrity which creates
ones sense of competence and self-worth (Self-esteem, n.d). All of this is translated into meaningful
relationships and purposefulness to life. When someone is feeling stressed this affects how they view
the world. The world becomes colored by a negative lense and then an individual has to work hard to
overcome these negative feelings, which often translate into negative actions and attitudes towards
others. Taking the time to be mindful of how stress is connected to emotions can help someone avoid
the negative consequences of stress. Being aware of what one feels in the body can help to work
through stress, anxiety, and even physical pain (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Being mindful and
25

methodical in the connection one has to the body can reduce or prevent the negative responses stress
can bring. Stress can put a toll on relationships making it difficult to maintain closeness and harmony
with others.
3. Explain your perspective on the differences between values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Values are a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important
in life. Attitudes are a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one
that is reflected in a person's behavior. Beliefs are the trust, faith, or confidence in someone or
something like a religion or a spiritual connection to a higher power.
In my mind, values are the standards and principles of behavior that I have learned from my
family and have refined as I’ve grown and changed. I use my values to stay true to myself and live an
authentic life. An attitude is how I feel about someone or something. My beliefs stem from my trust,
faith, or confidence in someone or something. While these three concepts are interrelated they are
also separate and different. I think all of these terms begin to form as we grow and mature in our
families surrounded by our culture. We start off in a bubble having very similar values and standards
of our parents and those surrounding us. However as we grow and mature, go to school, make
friends, head off to college, or enter the workforce our fundamental values of what we learned and
were raised with may stay the same, but our attitudes may change. Meaning my parents may value
certain personality traits in someone, but I find different traits important to me. My attitude towards
the world and my place in it is affected by my own personal experiences. My beliefs may be based on
my religious faith, but can change as I become more spiritual and less grounded in an institutionalized
religion and more open to the universe around me.
4. Take one lifestyle activity [e.g., exercise, smoking] through Prochaska’s Stages of
Change Model.
26

The Stages of Change Model is one of the models of behavior modification. This model
focuses on the idea that change is a process that takes time and relapse will most likely happen, but
does not mean the process has been a failure (Seaward, 2015). The first phase is the precontemplation
phase, which can be seen as the phase where someone denies or is unconvinced there is a behavior
problem. For instance, someone that is overweight and has been diagnosed with diabetes does not
feel their weight is an issue because they may occasionally take a walk around the block, which they
consider exercise and healthy.
The second stage is the determination phase. This is when the individual needs to call on their
will power in order to put a behavior change into action (Seaward, 2015). The person that is over
weight needs to consciously be aware of what they are eating and make an effort to exercise at least
30 minutes a day. This stage is followed by the action stage. The individual takes action, but may
take several tries to get it right. An example of this is an overweight person that starts an eating plan
and exercise regime, but after a few weeks starts reverting back to unhealthy habits. They may again
make a plan to start over and join a gym, which leads to the same result. Finally, the individual
consults a nutritionist and retains a personal trainer to hold them accountable and see results. After
several tries they find a balance that works for them.
The maintenance phase occurs when the individual has instituted the changes and these
changes are becoming a part of their new daily reality and part of a routine (Seaward, 2015). The
routine has become second nature to the individual. For example, the overweight individual has
successfully adapted a healthier eating plan and is regularly getting exercise with the help of a
personal trainer as well as working out several days on their own. The individual is seeing results,
losing weight, feeling more energetic, and does not need to start medication for the diabetes. It is now
controlled by a healthy lifestyle.
27

The final phase is the relapse stage. During this phase the individual falls back into old
unhealthy habits for a bit, but then returns to the newer healthier behaviors. An example of this is
when the individual who lost weight abandons their healthier habits gains several pounds back,
realizes the negative impact this is having on their health and overall wellness and returns back to the
healthy lifestyle changes they adapted. Positive change needs to come from within and when the
individual realizes they feel better, look better, and have a more positive outlook, and higher self-
esteem they will stick to the positive changes to keep the positive feelings.
28

Journal Writing:
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.
When I think of fear I feel my heart racing, my fingers tingle, and my palms start to get
sweaty. I equate these emotions of apprehension, anxiety, and distress to moments when I am
worried, scared, or nervous about something that is going to happen in my life. This can be
something as simple as getting in the car and driving someplace new, or as scary to getting on a plane
and worrying that the plane will crash. I definitely hold this type of tension in my neck and shoulders.
I experience headaches when I am anxious or uneasy because I think holding my body tense transfers
the pain to my head. I also equate these emotions of nervousness, uneasiness, and worry to emotions
that pertain to my role as a parent. I worry about my kids, what they are doing, where they are, and
whether or not they are ok. I feel these types of emotions in the set of my mouth. Sometimes I think I
grit my teeth or hold the tension in my face. I have to take a moment and relax my face muscles. I
don’t often have a sense of panic. Thank goodness I feel pretty secure in my day-to-day life.
CONFUSION: bewildered, uncertain, puzzled, mystified, perplexed, chaotic, foggy, or unaware.
29

Confusion comes when I am uncertain or unaware of what is going on around me. When I
read these words I feel like these emotions rest in my stomach. Feeling foggy, uncertain and
bewildered are emotions that seem connected to my body in relation to an upset stomach or even a
headache from trying to solve a puzzle. Confusion leaves me feeling also nervous because I like to
know and understand what is happening. When I’m driving and I do not know where I’m going or
are unaware of my surroundings this leads to anxiety and nervousness, which can cause unsafe
driving. It is important to take deep breaths and re-center myself when I have these feelings. I like to
remind myself that I am safe and secure and when I’m lost I tend to just let go and remind myself now
we have maps and Google to get home. This alleviates some of the stress that these types of emotion
can cause within the body. It is important to physically relax the muscles that tighten up, take deep
breaths, and use positive self-talk.
ANGER: aggravation, agitation, annoyance, destructiveness, disgust, envy, frustration, irritation,
grouchiness, grumpiness, rage.
30

Anger is an emotion that occurs when I am annoyed aggravated, frustrated, and irritated. I
feel this emotion most in relation to my children’s behavior. Sometimes they can be extremely
irritating, which often manifests in the tone of my voice and the posture that I hold my body. I do not
like to yell, so I work very hard to relax and take deep breaths when I feel the emotions associated
with anger. This takes discipline and a connectedness to my emotions. I do believe because I do not
readily express anger that these emotions turn inward and effect my body. I tend to hold anger in my
shoulders and neck, which leads to tension headaches. I also hold annoyance and grumpiness in my
lower back, which can lead to aches and pains. It is important to express anger in a positive manner.
I tend to use “I” messages to let my kids know how I feel, which relieves the tension without placing
blame and transferring my emotions onto them.
SADNESS: alienation, anguish, despair, disappointment, gloom, grief, hopelessness, insecurity,
loneliness, misery, unhappiness, rejection.
31

Sadness is an emotion that makes me feel like my body goes inward. I almost feel like I am
shriveling up from the emotions. This makes me feel like my face is pinched when I am feeling
despaired, sad, or miserable. I know when my Dad passed away those were moments of grief and
anguish. These emotions are felt in my heart and my whole body. This kind of sadness leaves you
feeling empty and achy. This is different then feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and insecurity. I
work from home, so I spend a lot of time by myself and sometimes I am lonely and worry about the
lack of contact with others. These feelings leave me feeling defeated and unhappy and in my body I
hold a lot of my emotions in my head, which manifests into headaches. I also think the emotions
associated with sadness make me feel tired and unenergetic. Some of the best coping techniques for
these feelings is to make myself move. This is why exercise everyday is important to get oneself out
of a funk and get the natural endorphins moving and pumping to change my mindset.
SHAME: guilt, embarrassment, humiliation, invalidation, regret, remorse, mortification.
I am lucky that I do not experience these emotions very often. I try to live my life honestly, so
I can avoid the emotions related to shame. I work hard to be kind to others as well as myself. The
few times I have experienced remorse over how I have behaved has led me to feel embarrassed. I
know these emotions are often obvious because my face will flush and I will clearly look as if I am
over heated, red in the face. Also when I’m embarrassed or nervous I tend to have nervous laughter.
This manifests into inappropriate giggles. For instance, when someone gets hurt that I love and worry
about instead of crying or screaming in concerns I might nervously giggle as I check them out. This
is definitely a behavior I have worked on over the years because nervous laughter is not really an
attractive trait.
32

LOVE: affection, arousal, attraction, caring, compassion, desire, fondness, infatuation, kindness,
liking, longing, warmth, sympathy, sentimentality.
Love is an amazing emotion and one that I am lucky to be surrounded by in my everyday life.
I feel love for my family, my friends, and importantly myself. I try to treat myself with respect and
kindness to love oneself is a great gift. This means I take care of my health and my body. Love
manifests in the way I treat others. I sympathize when they are upset and care what happens is there
day-to-day lives. I feel attraction when I’m with my husband, which is definitely a gift after 23 years.
He is not only my best friend, but the person I want to still spend every day with. Love manifests in
my body in a relaxed feeling. My heart beats faster when I’m with my husband. My heart melts
when I’m with my children. My body feels relaxed when I’m with those I love.
JOY: amusement, bliss, contentment, eagerness, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, excitement,
exhilaration, hope, optimism, pleasure, satisfaction.
Joy is a wonderful emotion that allows one to feel content in life. I’m lucky because there is a
lot of joy in my life. This can manifest in moments of amusement, contentment, eagerness, and
enjoyment. I feel joy when I get to spend time with my family all together and we are being silly and
having moments that create memories for a lifetime. I feel joy manifest itself in my body because I
have more energy. More energy to play and get out in the world and do fun things. This feeling is the
opposite of sadness where you just want to crawl into bed and pretend the world doesn’t exist. Joy
brings life to my body and makes me want to use everything in me to experience the feelings of
excitement, hope, and optimism for what this life can bring.
Summary
33

In summary, emotions are not really easy to identify in the body. One has to be in touch with
oneself to really identify where emotions are felt and the effect they have on the body. Emotions can
manifest themselves into aches and pains as well as feelings of “I can do anything”. Taking the time
to meditate or do a body scan can help one learn to understand how emotions affect the body and how
the body can effect emotions. Being in touch with oneself can enable one to learn to overcome strong
emotions and not letting them rule how you feel from the inside out. (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Unit 5: Dealing with Stress: Coping Strategies
Key Learning Point: So much of our behavior is directed by our unconscious mind known as
unconscious resistance. This is a self-sabotaging effect that undermines the conscious mind’s
best efforts to make positive things happen and is the foundation of the negative self-fulfilling
prophecy (Seaward, 2015). An example of this can be seen in relationships. A person is
looking for their perfect soul mate, but does not find him or her. Consciously they may be
looking around, but unconsciously they are still attached to their lifestyle of freedom, therefore
they are not attracting someone. Perhaps, they unconsciously feel unworthy of a relationship or
not quite ready, which highlights the negative law of attraction. The unconscious mind governs
80-90% of human behavior showing how much our attitude affects human physiology
(Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: The idea of mind over matter is real and eliminating toxic thoughts will benefit the
quality of life. In a 2008 study of 3,000 individuals to examine the biological links of positive
thoughts or moods, the men and women who reported happy mood had lower cortisol levels
Unit
5
34

associated with a reduction in heart disease and cancer (Seaward, 2015). Mood and attitude
play a part in our health and wellness.
Key Learning Point: Laughter can have positive health effects in both the short and long term. In the
short term, laughter can lighten you mentally, as well as stimulate your intake of oxygen-rich air into
the lungs and heart, and muscles increasing endorphins. In the long term, laughter can improve the
immune system, relieve pain, and increase personal satisfaction. (Seaward, 2015).
35

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.
36

I chose for this exercise to practice a meditation for mindful self-inquiry for stress and anxiety.
I think it is important to learnt to acknowledge and investigate my feelings. I tend to more stoic when
it comes to emotions and hold my emotions in my body with headaches, sore necks, and stiffness. I
think getting in touch with the connection between my mind and body will give me the opportunity to
acknowledge emotions, rather than holding them in causing stress and anxiety.
I still find it difficult to get into a meditative mindset because my mind and body do not seem
to want to relax to a place where I can focus on just breathing or going through each body part. I
constantly have to remind myself to focus because my mind wanders to other things and topics. The
CD that came with my workbook does not work, so first I read over the meditation in the book and
then I found some meditation music online and played that in the background. I chose a soothing
waterfall and nature sounds. This definitely helped to relax my body as I closed my eyes and focused
on breathing in and out. I felt my limbs get heavy and my breathing go deeper.
After a few minutes of focused breathing I began to focus on the sensations in each body part.
I tried to start with a foot and move through my body. I noticed a tingling in the wrist that has been
bothering me. I acknowledged this area and felt the wrist relax. I continued to breath and move
through the body parts. Several times, I had to refocus my attention, as my mind would wander to
thinking about my week. After several minutes of scanning my body parts and acknowledging the
sensations that arose I moved on to mindful inquiry. If I found myself beginning to analyze an
emotion or sensation I went back and deepened my breathing and let the sensations just wash over me
without analysis.
I shifted my meditation to mindful inquiry trying to focus on the emotions running through my
body as I breathed deeply in and out. The biggest emotion that came up was first a feeling of
satisfaction. I really had a wonderful weekend of relaxing and being with those I love. As I began the
37

mindful inquiry this feeling of peace came over me first. As I continued to breath and be aware of my
feelings and emotions there was some anxiety underlying this feeling of contentment. I did not
analyze this emotion, but rather let it wash away to go back to the feeling of peace and contentment. I
acknowledged the anxiety, but chose not to focus on the feeling, but instead allowed it to wash away
with the breathing. I then refocused my energy on just breathing and not thinking, analyzing, or
judging what was going on in my body. After about thirty minutes I concluded my meditation and
slowly opened my eyes.
Through meditation I feel as if I give myself a time to take a break from the craziness of
everyday life. I took a specific time period and focused only on me. I did not have an agenda or a
purpose, but rather allowed my body to relax in and out of a breathing pattern. After making a
mindful connection to my body, my mind, and my spirit I felt more whole and at peace. I believe the
practice of mindful self-inquiry allows one to become more connected to relationship between the
body and the mind. The stress we feel emotionally definitely plays out in our bodies in aches, pains,
headaches, tension, and soreness. By taking the time to check in with myself, I relieved tension in my
body. I have no doubt the rest of my day will proceed in a more relaxed state allowing me to focus on
what needs to get down with less anxiety and stress. I can take each moment as it comes and if I feel
overwhelmed I can stop and breath to come back to myself. Mindful self-inquiry is a gift I can give
myself to proceed through life without the extra baggage that stress and anxiety can bring. This is not
to say all of my worries disappear in one meditation session, but I’m learning that by connecting to
the mind and body I can better understand what my emotions are and understand the need to let go
and allow myself the gift of not holding on to every little stressor (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
38

Unit 6: Relaxation Techniques 1: Breathing,
Meditation, and Mental Imagery
Key Learning Point: One benefit associated with meditation is the impact it can have on sleep,
especially insomnia. The art of meditation allows an individual to train his or her mind to
release the thoughts creating clutter and essentially causing worry and strain that doesn’t
allow for sleep. Through meditation, these thoughts and ideas are released allowing for a
deep sense of peace and sounder sleep. Research studies completed on individual with
insomnia show brain patterns of a busy mind (Seaward, 2015). Individuals using
meditation can decrease this mental activity allowing for a good nights sleep.
Key Learning Point: Mini quick relaxation techniques to help one relax and distress anywhere.
My favorite is the Abdominal (Diaphragmatic) Breathing. This type of breathing decreases
the resting heart rate and muscle tension in the body (Seaward, 2015). To do this technique, put one
hand on your chest and the other hand on your navel (“belly button”). Now, breathe so that
only the hand on your navel moves-as you breathe in the hand moves out and moves in as
you exhale. The upper hand on your chest does not move. Inhale and exhale like this 10
times (Relaxation Strategies, n.d.)
Key Learning Point: Meditation can also decrease day-to-day stress as an individual becomes
more mindful and engaged in the present moment. The same can be said for individuals
living with chronic pain. Meditation can make living with chronic pain a possibility. Jon
Kabat-Zinn, a supporter of mindfulness meditation, began his career by focusing on the
response to pain relief through meditation (Seaward, 2015). His research supports the use
of mindfulness meditation as a means to reduce pain without medication. Other
researchers have duplicated these finding. While pain is seen as a physical occurrence, the
mind-body-spirit theory indicates that by involving the mind and spirit with pain relief, the
cause of the problem as well as the symptoms (pain) may be lessened, if not erased
altogether. Kabat-Zinn’s method of mindfulness uses the idea of getting in touch and
Unit
6
39

comfortable with the pain to diminish it or accept it, others promote the use of meditation
to dissociate from pain as a way to achieve temporary relief (Seaward, 2015).
40

1. Why is diaphragmatic breathing thought to be an effective relaxation technique?
Diaphragmatic breathing is a simple relaxation technique thought to be effective for relaxation
because it decreases the resting heart rate and muscle tension in the body (Seaward, 2015). This
method of breathing can be done anywhere because of its simplicity. Basically a person just needs the
ability to focus or concentrate on his or her breathing from the lower abdomen using controlled deep
breathing.
When an individual suffers from anxiety he or she tends to hold their breath often called anxiety
breathing, which puts extra stress on the nervous system causing an increase in heart rate and blood
pressure (Seaward, 2015). Individuals can retrain their breathing to use the simple diaphragmatic
breathing technique where one breathes deeply from the lower abdomen to initiate a relaxation
response to restore balance to the body. This type of belly breathing is used in Lamaze to help women
relax during childbirth and is thought to be the simplest way to initiate the relaxation response.
2. What three steps are important to engage in this technique?
Step one is to assume a comfortable position. This can be done anywhere at anytime. One can sit or
lie down with eyes closed. It is suggested to loosen tight clothing and to put ones hands on his or her
belly to feel the rise and fall of the abdomen as ones breaths in and out.
41

Step two involves focused concentration. One should try to minimize external distractions by finding
a quiet place to practice the breathing technique. When distracting thoughts enter the mind, the best
practice is to just refocus attention on the breathing. Slow comfortable breathing can help an
individual focus and concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation of the breaths.
The third step is visualization. Visualization helps with the breathing technique to relax the mind and
body. This has it beginnings in yoga and meditation. Focusing attention on breathing and visualizing
the breath going in and out of the body creates a picture in the mind of the air coming in to the body
as clean, pure, and healing and the air leaving the body as dirty and dark, symbolizing the stress and
frustrations leaving the body. This visualization helps the body to release tension and stress through
the symbolic representation of the clean and dirty air entering and leaving the body (Seaward, 2015).
3. What effects does meditation have on the mind and the body?
Meditation works to calm the mind from sensory overload leading to more focus, patience, and
mindfulness. Meditation is an effective relaxation technique that helps one to gain mental clarity and
a stronger creative edge (Seaward, 2015). Meditation is an internal reflection providing increased
concentration and awareness focusing on living in the present in a more tranquil state of mind. This
practice is a tool to unclutter the mind and reduce sensory overload that can lead to stress on the body.
Meditation brings an individual to an altered state of consciousness that creates a shift in thinking
from typical patterns, which focus on censorship, analysis, judgment, and rationality thinking, which
brings with in more acceptance and awareness as the brain shifts from left brain to right brain thinking
(Seaward, 2015).
4. List three ways that imagery and visualization can be useful for relaxation. Explain why.
42

1. Visualization and imagery can help to place an individual in a more relaxing scenario, such as
picturing a scene in nature that promotes tranquility. This can help to reduce stress and
anxiety allowing an individual to gain clarity.
2. Visualization and imagery can help someone review a task in the mind getting him or her
ready to do well at the task promoting positive behavioral changes. For instance, reviewing
one’s tennis game like practicing a serve may result in improved coordination during an actual
game (Seaward, 2015). Visualization used with mental training is also used to decrease
anxiety, improve motivation, and raise self-esteem through positive affirmations, which in the
end will lead to a more relaxed state of mind.
3. Imagery and visualization used in meditation can help someone with chronic pain find a state
of mind where they can live more comfortably with the pain. Imagery and visualization allow
access to areas of the mind with the power to heal the body, mind, and soul (Seaward, 2015).
43

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, 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?
Being mindful has really resonated with me because I tend to keep my emotions and feelings
to myself pushing them into a corner. This often manifests in an achy body and a headache. These
meditation exercises have helped me to become more mindful and connected to who I am and what
I’m feeling. After the meditation practice, I really felt the greatest gift I can give myself is
compassion and self love. At some point instead of building myself up, negative thoughts have crept
in. It's time to practice compassion and use positive self-talk to bring back my self-esteem and self-
confidence in my own abilities. Understanding how past actions shape me as a mother, wife, friend,
and most importantly an individual gives me the ability to move forward in life with a different
perspective. I can use hindsight to see that often we are fueled by a lack of awareness and fear.
Practicing compassion will give a better understanding of how to get what I want in the now and the
future. Instead of being my own worst judge, I want to be my own best friend and treat myself like I
would my best friend. We all need to show ourselves the same understanding, compassion, and love.
If we don't do it for ourselves, who will?
Seeds of suffering?
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Once I stop “watering the seeds of suffering” as most of us do, I believe what changes will be
my outlook on a day-to-day basis. Instead of getting down on myself for what I haven’t
accomplished, I will be proud of what does get done. Similar to seeing the glass half empty, I believe
when we stop focusing on the negative, the glass becomes half full. Our perspective on our day to
day living and ourselves is switched around allowing us to see ourselves in a new light. When we
focus on the positive, forgive ourselves for mistakes, and see the light then we can let go of the
negative and see what is possible in the world around us. This is most obvious to me in my role as a
parent. It is so easy to get bogged down in the daily aspect of mothering and I know I spend time
regretting any moment that I am not at my best as a mom. I felt through this meditation, I could let go
of those negative images in my mind and instead remember and focus on the majority of the time
when I am the parent I want to be focusing on the good in my kids and the moments we spend
together. Some positive self talk statements I can repeat to myself when anxiety kicks in include, “I
do my best each day”, “My children are always happy, healthy, and safe.”, “I am the best me.”
Day-to-day life feelings of resentment?
45

I could definitely relate to this statement. When going through the meditation practice, I
worked hard to let go resentment I feel towards a certain individual that has been unkind to me and
unforgiving. I do believe he holds on to his own past and doesn’t know how to let go or forgive
himself. Therefore, I took the time during this meditation to work on letting go of my own resentment
and anger towards this individual. I tried to turn my negative self-talk into an acknowledgment and
observation of my own feelings. I worked to open my heart to compassion and allowing myself to be
forgiving of this person in my heart even if we never have contact again. I will turn any negative
statements in my head to ones that are more positive and include things like, “I am a good friend.”, “I
am worthy.”, “I am always in the right place at the right time.”
Reflection on writing?
46

Doing this exercise has helped me to identify the value in being mindful. Connecting to my
inner thoughts, feelings, and expressions is important to live a more fulfilling and quality existence.
Instead of being bogged down in negative self talk and focusing on resentment, or being unkind to
myself in my head, I now have the opportunity to provide positive self talk, love, and understanding
to myself. I have the opportunity to talk to myself like I would my friends. I have the ability to give
myself the same respect that I expect others to give me. This is eye opening and will allow me to
proceed through each day with the ability to take a break, refocus my energy, and cut myself some
slack.(Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).
Unit 7: Nutrition and Stress
Key Learning Point: Foods high in fat and simple sugars rob the body of essential nutrients. When
the body is lacking these nutrients, it causes stress to the body to maintain metabolic
functioning (Seaward, 2015). When the body is not fed properly this can lead to a vicious
cycle of stress and fatigue. An individual may turn to comfort foods to feel better but may
end up feeling worse. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: According to Seaward, the four stress domino factors include stress, the
typical American lifestyle, certain food substances, and processed foods, which all affect
the delicate balance between stress and nutrition (Seaward, 2015). When the dominoes
start to fall, a person’s health is often compromised. We have to be careful what we put in
our bodies to ensure optimum health. Through exercise, proper sleep, and consciously
Unit
7
47

choosing nutrient dense foods that are grown organically with no GMOs we can reduce the
stress on our bodies and keep all of the dominoes standing up straight.
Key Learning Point: Mental imagery and visualization can be used to manage and prevent stress.
These are especially useful resources for health professionals. Practitioners can use these
techniques to relieve stress in their own life or help with the stress of their patients. The benefits
of using these techniques have been proven over time. (Seaward, 2015).
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For this assignment I chose to practice the Mindful Lying Yoga. Yoga is an amazing way to
bring awareness to your breath, movement, posture, thoughts, and emotions (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). The idea of being mindful while practicing yoga is a way to reinforce ones presence and
awareness not only when practicing yoga, but also when you move back to the practicalities of the
day. This practice can lead to a life that is easier to navigate even with all of the conflicts,
confrontations, and distractions ("Practice Mindfulness In Yoga Poses | Meditation and Yoga",
2008).
I already practice yoga at least once a week, so these poses were not new to me. I was able to
easily follow the guide in the book and begin with the supine pose. This pose is a great way to also
end a yoga practice giving yourself the opportunity to just breath and appreciate all that is around you.
I often find when this pose is at the end of a yoga session; it is difficult to come out of it because the
body is so relaxed. For this practice, the supine pose began and ended the yoga session giving my
body and my mind a chance to just relax and release any tension I was holding in my body. Taking
some natural breaths put me mentally in a mindset to just breath and focus on the poses ahead.
The supine pose led into some great full body stretching poses. Often, we do not take the time
in the day to just take a break physically and mentally. Doing this basically recharges the battery
allowing one to mentally prepare for the rest of the challenges of the day. Stretching the body
releases tension I often do not even realize you I am holding on to. Being mindful while one does
these poses allows one to focus on each body part letting any stress float into the mind and then
mindfully releasing the stress into the universe. I tend to hold stress in my neck and in my lower
49

back. Therefore, these supine moves helped me to mentally acknowledge the stiffness in my body,
while the breathing allowed me to release any negatives and take in only positives. The stretches
physically felt like a release and loosened my muscles considerably.
The yoga session then moved into some poses that required more concentration. The great
thing about having to concentrate is you mind is unable to focus on worries and issues of the day.
This gives the mind a break from any stress and tension going on because instead my mind is focusing
on holding each pose, doing the form correctly, and breathing with each movement. This is a great
way to ease tension throughout the system brining the body back into balance. I noticed during this
section of poses that I could only concentrate on my breathing and the movements taking place.
Thoughts and ideas did not filter through my mind because I was focused on what I was doing.
Compared to the more relaxed poses where my mind has an opportunity to wander these poses
required my focus only on the movements.
As the yoga session wound down again to the supine full body pose and stretch I felt
extremely relaxed mentally, physically, and emotionally. I could have stayed in that pose for much
longer. However, as my breathing slowed down and my mind came back to full awareness I
remembered all that had to be done for the day and pushed myself to come out of the relaxed pose and
face the day with renewed energy and determination.
Mindful lying yoga is a great way to begin the day releasing anxiety, tension, and frustrations
the body may be holding on to from the day before. I also think this would be a great form of
meditation to do at the end of the day to set the body up for peaceful sleep. Mindful lying yoga is a
great way to train the mind for meditation especially for someone like me who has a difficult time
meditating. The opportunity to keep your body busy definitely helps the mind to focus and
concentrate more on breathing and holding poses. I find yoga to be extremely relaxing and meditative
50

in nature because I do not have one hundred thoughts floating through my mind. Instead, my mind
empties out giving my mind and body a chance to just take a break and recharge. Yoga is a mindful
physical practice that rejuvenates the body physically as well as emotionally (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010). Being mindful offers an opportunity to take control instead of always feeling out of control.
Unit 8: Physical Exercise and Activity
Key Learning Point: Hatha uses a series of physical movements to promote a sense of inner peace
and balance. This practice is recognized as a healing modality for many chronic health-related issues.
It is good for the body and the mind. This practice has been shown to reduce anxiety, cope with
PTSD, and help individuals live with chronic pain. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: T’ai Chi is a relaxation technique known as a moving meditation. This form of
martial arts has roots in Taoism and Confucianism. The four principles include fasting the heart,
returning to nature, Wu-Wei, and winning by losing. This practice helps to unify the life’s forces or
universal energy therefore strengthening one’s health. (Seaward, 2015).
Key Learning Point: Physical exercise strengthens the bodies physiological systems leading to a
stronger body and mind that helps to reduce chronic illnesses by creating balance in the body.
These positive effects can be seen in a lowering resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, muscle
tension and other functions that help to maintain or create physiological calmness or balance. The
six components of physical exercise include cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and
endurance, flexibility, agility power, and balance. (Seaward, 2015).
Unit
8
51

Self-Assessment Exercises:
This proposal is prepared for health and wellness management. The scope of the project outlined
includes vendors of national evidence-based products and services. To meet these needs, this
proposal offers consulting services to provide the following expertise: (a) rationale; (b) mind-body
programs or practices; (c) capital outlay; and (d) benefits.
RATIONALE
What is the purpose of this program?
The purpose of this program is to help employees become aware of health risks, learn to adopt
healthier habits, and provide opportunities for mind/body connections leading to reduction in stress,
an improvement in healthier eating habits, and ultimately healthier employees that are more
productive and need to take less sick days.
MINDBODY PROGRAMS/PRACTICES
Provide a list for consideration? What are you proposing?
Creating a culture of health in the workplace has a large potential to provide a far-reaching
wellness program over those that are merely personalized to an individual (Mattke et al., 2014). To
incorporate a wellness program, the first step is to hire a qualified health and wellness coach with at
least a bachelor’s degree in the health and wellness field ensuring they are qualified and certified.
This individual will be brought in part time on an hourly wage, possibly more based on the
successfulness of the program. The health and wellness coach will hold a Hatha yoga class for
employees 3 times a week in the morning before the official work day begins as well as offer
opportunities for mindful meditation workshops during lunch breaks or after work.
The wellness program also involves turning an unused office space into a wellness
environment. This will include two treadmills and two elliptical trainers to encourage employees to
52

get some cardiovascular training during lunch breaks, before or after work improving heart health and
cardiovascular endurance. Regular exercise is known to help the body find balance in the major
physiological systems that allows an individual to better cope with good and bad stress (Seaward,
2015).
The space will also include a massage chair where employees can come to take a quick break
and refocus their energy while decreasing their stress level. Creating an overall healthy work
environment will encourage and involve a larger number of company employees. This can be
accomplished by providing healthier snacks offered in vending machines, to the meals provided
during meetings, to the efforts of the health and wellness coach to educate, motivate, and involve as
many employees as possible in a mindset of health and wellness.
CAPITAL OUTLAY
The average hourly rate for a wellness coach is $19 per hour ("Certified Wellness Coach
(CWC) Certification Salary - Average Job Salaries - PayScale", 2016). Depending on how many
hours per week the company decides to have the wellness coach in house may lead to a part time
position with a salary down the road. I would recommend having the wellness coach onsite three
times per week for five hours, which would cost the company $100 per day. This would allow the
wellness coach to facilitate a yoga class in the morning, offer meditation classes, as well as
opportunities for employees to meet with the coach one on one to create health goals, fitness plans,
nutrition plans. Once the employees are set up on their wellness plans, the time with the coach on site
could be reduced to only coming in to run classes and the rest of the time could be switched to
remotely checking in with phone calls and occasional face to face meetings. Accountability is key to
success; therefore the role of the wellness coach is vital to the success of the overall corporate
wellness program.
53

To get the program started there will also need to be signs around the office promoting
wellness. Flyers given to employees to make them aware of the resources as well as incentives, such
as gift cards to get employees excited to join, begin a journey to health and wellness, and achieve
goals. The start up costs will be around $500 for the gift cards incentives. The printing for flyers and
signs can be done in house.
What is the equipment needed and cost, [e.g., sound system, speakers, microphone, music, bands,
weights, mats, flooring, and others].
The equipment needed will be a space for Health and Wellness Coach/Coordinator to meet
with employees when he or she is on site. This space can double as the area used for the morning
yoga sessions and the meditation sessions. Other equipment needed will be yoga mats, water
machine, towels, stereo, and soothing music appropriate for yoga and meditation. The yoga mats can
be purchased wholesale for as little as $9.99 per mat. The space should have at least 10 mats to start.
Adding two treadmills and two elliptical trainers will allow employees to be physically active on site
adding to their health and wellness. These items can be purchased refurbished for as low as $400.00
for treadmills and $500.00 for elliptical. A massage chair can be purchased for as little as $300.00.
Short term start up costs = $2,700.00
Long term continuing costs = $300.00 per week for a wellness coach
BENEFITS
To the employer; employee; Return on Investment, other?
As mentioned in the pitch, unhealthy behaviors practiced by employees cost employers on
average $670 per employee annually ("Declining Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up Employer
Costs", 2016). By focusing on healthy habits and a healthy environment employers can create a
culture that supports healthy individuals. This will lead to healthier habits and behaviors reducing the
54

number of unhealthy habits in the workplace. Over time, employers will see that the amount of
money they had to put out for a wellness program is easily made back in healthcare costs and
increased productivity in the workplace. On average employers will reap returns from $1.50 to $17
per $1 investment in health and wellness ("Wellness: Designing an Effective Wellness Program, Step
by Step", 2016).
Therefore, putting money into a wellness program now will increase profit and productivity in
the future. The money will be made back and positive outcomes will be produced. “…Healthy
employees are more productive, use fewer healthcare services, and enjoyer higher morale than others.
Quantifying these qualitative assumptions is an essential component of monitoring ROI and
improving your wellness program” (“Wellness: Designing an Effective Wellness Program, Step by
Step”, 2016).
TIMELINE
What is the start-up time needed? Shipping of equipment? Length of program?
When starting a health and wellness program the first step is to acquire informed consent from
all employees that participate in the program. Employees should be advised to consult with their own
doctor before starting any exercise/diet/weight loss program. Employees should understand their
rights are protected under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) as well as the
ADA (American with Disabilities Act). These steps ensure employees the medical information
voluntarily provided to HR will be kept private ("Wellness: Designing an Effective Wellness
Program, Step by Step", 2016). These steps may take several months to get employees cleared and
proper paper work organized. However, once the initial steps are taken this can easily be
implemented into a new employee packet, given to employees as they are hired, which will cut down
the length of time required for employee participation in the program to begin.
55

The other time needed will be to organize the Health and Wellness office. Time needs to be
allowed to interview and hire a wellness coach that is qualified and able to perform the needed tasks.
Also ordering equipment including the yoga mats, treadmills, elliptical, and massage chair will take a
few weeks. While the ordering is going on, the room can be prepared, the signs advertising the new
wellness program can be created, hung up in the office, and shared with employees to generate
excitement. The space for the wellness coach can be prepared and organized.
PERSONNEL
The personnel needed will be a wellness coordinator or health coach. The average salary ranges from
$29,316 to 62,930 and hourly rate averages around $19 per hour ("Certified Wellness Coach (CWC)
Certification Salary - Average Job Salaries - PayScale", 2016). Also the company should designate a
liaison within the office to coordinate the wellness coach’s hours and schedule.
TOTAL BUDGET
Yoga Mats – ordered at wholesale can be purchased for as little as 9.99 (1/8inch classic yoga mat
from http://www.yogaaccessories.com/yoga-accessories-1-8-inch-classic-yoga-mat.html
10 yoga mats - $100.00
Refurbished treadmills -$400.00 for 2 - $800.00
Refurbished elliptical - $500.00 for 2 - $1000.00
Massage chair - $300.00
Sound system to be used with any smart phone $150.00 (The wellness coach will supply the music).
Gift Card Incentives - $500.00
Health Coach 3x per week for 5 hours = $19 per hour average of 5 hours 3x per week =$300.00 per
week
56

Short term costs = $2,850.00
Long term costs = $300.00 per week for the health coach
PITCH
“The unhealthy behaviors of the US workforce cost employers an average of $670 per
employee annually” ("Declining Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up Employer Costs", 2016).
Along with this cost, employees are also lacking in focus and productivity and missing work due to a
decline in overall health related to risk factors associated with body mass index (BMI), blood
pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, and tobacco and alcohol use ("Declining Health of U.S. Workers
Is Driving Up Employer Costs", 2016)
Big question...”How can organizations combat these initial costs and resulting impediments to
their business?”
By implementing a Corporate Wellness program. Statistics show that businesses reap returns
from $1.50 to $17 per $1 investment in health and wellness ("Wellness: Designing an Effective
Wellness Program, Step by Step", 2016). This is one incentive, but ultimately the goal is to enhance
moral and employee job satisfaction while lessoning sick days as well as lack of focus and lack of
productivity in the workplace.
The goal of the wellness program is to encourage healthier eating on a regular basis as well
promote healthy habits, such as increased involvement in exercise, as well as stress reduction
techniques such as mindful breathing and Hatha yoga. The idea is to create a culture that promotes
and celebrates healthy milestones and accomplishments through company rewards, as well as
participation in wellness activities such as, a 5K or mud run with workout groups created to meet the
needs of individuals supported by a health and wellness coach on staff to coordinate and monitor
progress and results.
57

CLASSMATE FEEDBACK
Hi, Gena,
You did a great job!! I love that you have it broke out as to the average that is spent per employee
annually for health and wellness. This gives us a bench mark as to how to assign values to the costs.
Moreover, I like that you highlight the goals of eating healthier(*lets create some thoughts on this
area), increased level of physical activity(you addressed this in your response to me), and hatha
yoga(*also could be addressed in the room where cardio/circuit equipment would be placed in your
response to me). These are all great ways to decrease the level of stress that employees will have.
There is other areas which you highlight that is sometimes more difficult to wrap a concrete number
around that is employee morale, absenteeism, and retention. Though, it will be good to collaborate on
this and decide how we might want to address this as a team. I will send you a rough draft via e-mail
on my thoughts combining our thoughts and you can send me one as well.
Thanks!!
D. Kasey Bowser
SUMMARY
By improving the health of employees, wellness programs in the workplace have been shown
to also increase the bottom line of a company ("Declining Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up
Employer Costs", 2016). Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention attributes
more than 75 percent of employer’s health care costs and productivity losses to employee lifestyle
choices ("Declining Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up Employer Costs", 2016). Therefore,
changing the culture of the workplace and creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyle
choices encourages participation, and rewards gains will improve the overall gains of a company.
Offering healthier eating options during meetings and work sponsored meals, providing opportunities
58

for physical and mental health growth through yoga, meditation, and cardiovascular fitness are in the
long term increasing employee productivity and the company’s overall bottom line ("Declining
Health of U.S. Workers Is Driving Up Employer Costs", 2016).
Investing in employee health now will show a return in the long run. Putting the money into a
health and wellness program in the workplace may take some capital and effort in the beginning, but
will pay for itself over time. Employers need to help employees see the long-term benefits to healthy
habits, which will ultimately reduce stress and chronic health issues increasing productivity in the
workplace, improving work morale, and quality of life for all.
59

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: For this exercise, I pictured myself sitting with my 15-year-old daughter and trying to
be open to what it is like to be a teenager again. Instead of immediately assuming
everything I say and want is the correct answer, I pictured her as a young adult trying to
assert her independence and belief in her ability to make decisions for herself without
always running everything by me or needing my approval.
EMPATHY: Empathy is tough when it comes to teenagers. I really had to remove my own
judgments from the conversation in my head and focus on my daughters need to be accepted, loved,
and to feel secure. When I did this, I could start to feel the angst subside when thinking about her and
growing up over the next few years. I find it is easy to always worry and second-guess everything she
is doing, but at some point while picturing her I could see her telling me, “I know what I’m doing and
you have to have some faith.” She is ultimately a great kid and we all make mistakes growing up and
I know I still do. My biggest fear is that a mistake she makes will not be able to be undone. This is
why I think our boundaries and expectations and rules tend to be rigid.
COMPASSION: I work really hard on being empathetic to others around me and having
compassion and understanding for their situation. I think this is easier to do for my adult friends then
it is for my own daughter. It is easy to dismiss her problems and issues as smaller because of her age,
60

but I have to remember that at 15 everything is large and every emotion is all encompassing. I have
to remember to make time for her to share and process what she is going through as she grows up. I
want to work on creating a strong bond that includes both of us and is not one sided.
LOVING-KINDNESS: When I close my eyes, I always picture my daughter happy, healthy, and
safe. This is a mantra I have repeated to myself since before she was born to ease the anxiety and
unease of parenting. No matter what she does or says I love her and I want her to find what she is
looking for. The turbulence of the teenage years cannot wipe out a mother’s love. I tell my daughter
that we don’t always have to like each other, but I will always love her. I will always be here for her
and I will always be there to pick her up if she needs me.
SYMPATHETIC JOY: This quality is especially true when it comes to my daughter. I delight in
her accomplishments and her qualities that go above and beyond my own. She is athletic,
coordinated, and confident in so many ways that I was not as a child. I constantly tell her and feel
grateful that she got the best of her dad and me and beyond. My baggage that I still work to overcome
does not encumber her, but instead she is her own strong, independent, self-confident person.
EQUANIMITY: This is a difficult quality to recognize and accept. I think it is true that sometimes
we forget to treat all people equal. I know when it comes to my daughter I do not always treat her
like a friend because she is my child. However, when I close my eyes and picture the future when she
is grown up, I want us to be friends and have a relationship based on trust and respect. To create the
future picture in my mind, I have to set the foundation now. I want to always only show her kindness
and love when parenting. My intentions are good because I want her to grow up and be the best
person she can be.
Summary:
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Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

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