The document provides information about stress physiology and managing stress. It discusses how understanding the physiology of stress helps with relaxation skills and promotes deeper relaxation and healing. It then provides exercises for students to review hormones involved in stress responses, identify any stress-related physical symptoms experienced in the past week, and create a personal health profile analyzing physical health markers and how they relate to stress levels and health norms.

1. Name: __________________________
HW410: Unit 2 Journal Writing Assignment
EXERCISE 2.1 Stress Physiology Review
First, read Chapter 2 in Managing Stress. Given the nature of the content (lots of leftbrain
facts), you might want to reread it before starting this exercise. One reason why
experts in mind-body medicine think it’s a good idea to understand the physiology of
stress is that this knowledge helps with various relaxation skills, including mental imagery,
autogenic training, and biofeedback. Having this knowledge of how your body’s physiology works
during times of stress augments your ability to promote a deeper sense of relaxation and healing. In
this case, knowledge is power.
This hormone is released from the hypothalamus:
1. __CORTISOL_______________________________________________________________
This hormone is released from the pituitary:
1. _OXYTOCIN________________________________________________________________
This hormone is released from the thyroid:
1. _____THYROXIN____________________________________________________________
These hormones and catecholamines are released from the adrenal gland:
1. ____DOPAMINE_____________________________________________________________
2. ___NOREPINEPHRINE______________________________________________________________
3. _____EPINEPHRINE____________________________________________________________
4. ____ADRENALINE
HORMONES_____________________________________________________________
These catecholamines are released from the neural endings:
1. __SYMPATHETIC_______________________________________________________________
2.
____PARASYMPATHETIC_____________________________________________________________
This hormone is associated with mood; a decrease is associated with depression:
1. _____THYROID____________________________________________________________
This hormone is associated with a good night’s sleep:
1. ____NOREPINEPHRINE / PARASYMPATHETIC
SYSTEM_____________________________________________________________
©Paramount Wellness Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

2. EXERCISE 3.1 Physical Symptoms Questionnaire
Please look over this list of stress-related symptoms and circle how often they have
occurred in the past week, how severe they seemed to you, and how long they lasted.
Then reflect on the past week’s workload and see whether you notice any connection
between your stress levels and possible stress-related symptoms.
How Often? How Severe? How Long?
(Number of days (1 = mild; (1 = 1 hour;
in the past week) 5 = severe) 5 = all day)
1. Tension headache 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
2. Migraine headache 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
3. Muscle tension (neck and/or shoulders) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
4. Muscle tension (lower back) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
5. Joint pain 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
6. Cold 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
7. Flu 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
8. Stomachache 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
9. Stomach/abdominal bloating/distention/gas 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
10. Diarrhea 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
11. Constipation 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
12. Ulcer flare-up 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
13. Asthma attack 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
14. Allergies 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
15. Canker/cold sores 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
16. Dizzy spells 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
17. Heart palpitations (racing heart) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
18. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
19. Insomnia 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
20. Nightmares 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
21. Fatigue 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
22. Hemorrhoids 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
23. Pimples/acne 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
24. Cramps 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
25. Frequent accidents 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
26. Other 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
(Please specify: _______________________)
Score: Look over this entire list. Do you observe any patterns or relationships between
your stress levels and your physical health? A value over 30 points most likely indicates a stress-
related health problem. If it seems to you that these symptoms are related to undue stress, they
probably are. Although medical treatment is advocated when necessary, the regular use of relaxation
techniques may lessen the intensity, frequency, and duration of these episodes.
Comments:
____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE 3.3 My Health Profile
Health is so much more than the optimal functioning of our physical bodies. By and large, however,
the physical body is what people focus on when they talk about health (weight, skin, hair, sight,
hearing, etc.). To fully understand the mind-body-spirit connection, you must realize that the body is
actually the endpoint where unresolved issues of mind and spirit collect, not the beginning. But if we
were to start with the body and examine, from head to toe, our physical makeup, perhaps we could
use this as a stepping stone toward understanding this unique relationship. Several aspects of our
physical makeup, when looked at as a composite, tend to give us a sound understanding of our
physical health status. This journal theme invites you to take some time to explore your overall
physical health. Once you have compiled all your personal health data, compare your values with the
norms discussed in class, or in the book Health and Wellness. If you have any questions regarding
your profile, bring these to the attention of your physician.
My Health Profile
Name _Lynda
Gonzales_________________________________________________________________________
Height __5’
0”_______________________________________________________________________
Weight
__105lbs_______________________________________________________________________
Age____33________________________________________________________________________
Resting heart rate__normal 60
BPMs_______________________________________________________________
Target heart rate__between 102-158 during physical
activity________________________________________________________________
Maximal heart rate__158______________________________________________________________
Resting systolic blood pressure _110_____________________________________________________
Resting diastolic blood pressure ____90_________________________________________________
Total cholesterol
_unknown_______________________________________________________________
HDL
level______unknown_________________________________________________________________
LDL level
___unkown____________________________________________________________________
Vision status __wear glasses and
contacts__________________________________________________________________

4. Dental status ____no cavities in the past 10
years________________________________________________________________
Hearing status
____good_______________________________________________________________
Skin condition ___acne
prone________________________________________________________________
Gastrointestinal (GI) tract __NA________________________________________________________
Tense areas, muscular
___Neck/Shoulders__________________________________________________________
Reproductive system ___Tubal Ligation 6 months ago/ no
issues___________________________________________________________
Skin ____normal – acne prone on
jawline_______________________________________________________________________
Sinuses_NA________________________________________________________________________
Other _Kidney function abnormalities from reflux nephropathy/ diagnosed in 2000, reconstructive/re-
impant of bilateral uterers. Kidney function fluctuates with stress
levels_________________________________________________________________________