Life Learning Paper

Stress Management Psychology or Elective Credit

Concrete Experience:

1. When did you start experiencing stress?

2. When did you begin using stress management techniques?

3. What kinds of stress management techniques have been used? Be specific.

4. What kinds of skills did you learn?

5. What kinds of resources did you use in learning about stress management: tapes, seminars, books, workshops, etc.? Be specific.

Observations and Reflections:

1. What were the particular symptoms and effects of your stress – i.e. physical, emotional, mental?

2. What kinds of activity or situations induced the stress?

3. How did you discover that stress was a problem for you?

4. Was there a point when you decided to actively find a solution for your stress?

5. What particular stress management worked the best for you? Why? Which had the least amount of success?

6. What kinds of similarities and/or differences did you find among the authorities of stress management?

7. Describe the personal changes that you have made since you learned stress management: psychological, physical, spiritual, etc.?

Concepts and Generalizations:

1. What kinds of stresses exist?

2. Is there good and bad stress?

3. What causes stress?

4. What are some typical symptoms?

5. Describe some common stress management techniques such as relaxation techniques, exercise, social support (family, friends, colleagues) laughter and humor, hypnosis, meditation, prayer, biofeedback, therapeutic massage, changing behavior patterns, good nutrition, optimism, time management, systematic problem solving, self control, life outlook, etc.

6. Describe various defense mechanisms used to cope with stress.

7. Discuss the physiological reaction to stress.

8. Discuss why stress can be a catalyst for personal growth.

9. How does personality affect stress?

10. How does an individual’s perception of a given stress make it more or less stressful?

11. Who are some authorities in stress management and what are their techniques?

Application to New Situations:

1. In the future, how will you handle stress in other situations?

2. Describe how you could help someone else understand what stress is and how to learn stress management techniques.

3. Are you planning to continue your stress management routine? If so, do you anticipate adding new techniques?

4. What future exploration do you plan to investigate related to stress management?