Personal Stress Management - HLT 215 at Southwest Virginia Community College
https://courses.vccs.edu/colleges/swcc/courses/HLT215-PersonalStressManagement
Effective: 2022-05-01
Course Description
Provides a basic understanding of stress and explores its physical, psychological and social effects. Includes the relationships among stress and change, self-evaluation, sources of stress, and ways to develop current coping skills for handling stress. The assignments in the course require college-level reading fluency and coherent communication through written reports.
Lecture 3 hours. Total 3 hours per week.
3 credits
The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.
General Course Purpose
HLT 215 explores basic concepts of personal stress and identifies personal stress management strategies.
Course Objectives
- Communication
- Communicate openly and accurately with others regarding the stress response and techniques for managing stress
- Critical Thinking
- Recognize the importance of taking a preventative approach to managing stress
- Explore and evaluate strategies for managing time and financial stressors
- Describe the interaction between mind and body in response to stress
- Compare and contrast characteristics of healthy and unhealthy responses to stress
- Social and Cultural Understanding
- Apply communication and conflict resolution techniques to manage stressors in personal and professional relationships
- Information Literacy
- Select and utilize credible sources of health information
- Personal Development
- Develop and employ a personalized plan to manage stress
- Assess personal goals, time and financial management skills
- Recognize the role of emotions and perception in managing stress
- Explore a variety of relaxation techniques for mind and body
- Utilize techniques for managing existing sources of stress
- Develop and employ a personalized plan to manage stress
- Defining Stress
- Define the terms stress and stressor
- Explain the difference between eustress and distress
- Differentiate between duration and degree with respect to stress
- Differentiate between acute and chronic stress
- Describe the dimensions of health/wellness
- Classify stressors into the dimensions of wellness
- Describe homeostasis and the impact of stress on homeostasis
- Explain the fight-or-flight response
- Share personal examples of the fight or flight response
- Describe the phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome
- Recognize examples of the phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome
- Formulate an explanation of how human response to stress has changed over time
- Define the Yerkes Dodson principle
- Discuss a variety of theories related to stress (life events, daily hassles, tend and befriend, hardiness, Dynamic Systems Theory (DST)
- Given a situation, provide examples of each of the three approaches to a stressor
- Assess their current stress levels based on a variety of stress assessments
- Determine needed actions based on results of the stress assessments
- Identify primary and secondary sources for stress in their life
- Define why stress is a problem
- Explain how stress is both a stimulus and response
- Describe Allostasis and why it is detrimental to long-term health
- Identify the Transactional Model of Stress
- Mind, Body and Stress
- Identify the biological mechanisms of stress in the body's systems (*Endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, immune, digestive, etc.)
- Explain physiological and psychological indicators of stress
- Identify major fight or flight responses in the body
- Discuss the role of the CNS and Limbic system in stress response
- Identify the physiological HPA process of stress in the body
- Describe the role of Cortisol in the body in its relation to a perceived threat
- Explore the role of Dopamine as a motivator of stress response
- List the physiological changes associated with the stress response
- Identify the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome
- Explain how the science of stress relates to stress management and prevention
- Describe the role of stress in disease
- Discuss how stress can affect each of the body systems
- Discuss various diseases associated with stress
- Explain the relationship between stress and the immune response
- Explain the terms psychosomatic, placebo effect, and nocebo effect as they relate to the relationship between mind and body
- Values and Goals
- Define the term value
- Describe the processes of values acquisition and values clarification
- Discuss values of various cultures
- Clarify and prioritize the values most important in your life
- Define the terms Niagara Syndrome, dharma, and altruism as they relate to values
- Explain the connection between values clarification and stress management
- Differentiate between a value and a priority
- Establish their own "top ten list" of priorities
- Describe the components of the "SMART" acronym of goal writing
- Based on their goals, establish a set of goals that meet the "SMART" criteria
- Time Management
- Access how they spend their time
- Identify time management strategies to complete undesirable tasks
- Identify and apply methods to overcome procrastination
- Explain how to delegate tasks as a time management
- Describe the ABC123 and Quadrant Planning techniques
- Classify tasks based on the ABC123 and Quadrant Planning techniques
- Distinguish between principles of life balance and serendipity
- Explain Pareto's Law (the 80:20 rule) and how it relates to time management
- Select time management techniques that work for them
- Reduce their stress by being more efficient and effective
- Define procrastination and describe how it keeps them from completing tasks
- Communication and Conflict
- Define communication styles to include assertive, aggressive and non-assertive
- Recognize differences in body language for each communication style
- Explain the benefits of assertiveness
- List attributes of assertive body language
- List and explain the "six steps" for effective verbal communication
- Apply the "six steps" for effective verbal communication to communication scenarios
- Define conflict
- Discuss the benefits and detriments of conflict
- Identify five styles of conflict management
- Describe attributes of each style of conflict management
- Explain situations in which each style of conflict management is best used
- Demonstrate use of each conflict negotiation style
- Emotions and Relationships
- Describe the connection between social support and stress
- Describe the types of social support
- Explain how effective listening is the key to healthy communication you statements vs. I statements
- Differentiate between verbal and non-verbal communication
- Discuss how different genders handle stress
- Explain how negative emotions such as guilt, worry, fear, anger, and hostility relate to stress
- Describe the physiological manifestations of certain emotions
- Distinguish between guilt and worry
- Explain the differences between anger and hostility
- Take action to prevent and control stress-causing emotions
- Define Emotional Intelligence, and how it relates to stress and communication
- Perception and Cognitive Methods
- Define perception and the impact of perceptions on our experience with stress
- Describe cognitive appraisal and cognitive restructuring
- Describe how the hardiness characteristics of commitment, challenge and control can be developed to facilitate a more positive perception
- Define locus of control and describe its relationship to stress
- Recognize and distinguish between examples of internal and external locus of control
- Define and provide personal examples of conditioned response
- Define and distinguish among cognitive dissonance, cognitive distortion and cognitive restructuring
- Define thought-stopping, personalizing, positive self-talk and power language
- Distinguish among self esteem, self awareness, self efficacy and self-limiting beliefs
- Recognize examples of cognitive techniques of stress management
- Apply cognitive techniques to personal situations
- Identify and distinguish among the seven levels of response (effective and ineffective)
- Identify their thought patterns that have positive or negative effects on stress response
- Financial Matters
- Explain the ABCs of money management
- Create and implement a plan for financial fitness
- Set financial goals to reduce money-related stress
- Discuss how doodads and credit cards contribute to financial stress
- Investigate what the research says about the relationship between money and satisfaction in life
- Healthy Behaviors
- Explain the health and stress-relieving benefits of a balanced exercise program
- Describe the components of a healthy diet
- Explain the impact of stress on nutritional needs and body fat
- Assess the amount of sleep they require
- Explain unhealthy coping strategies, including negative effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs
- Incorporate healthy lifestyle habits into their life to reduce and eliminate stress
- Describe the relationship of sleep and stress
- Identify digital detoxification strategies
- Describe the impact of stress and being around positive and/or negative individuals
- Spirituality and Healing Methods for Stress Reduction Environments
- Describe the influence of spirituality on stress
- Differentiate between religiosity and spirituality
- Discuss the research linking spirituality and health
- Summarize the barriers to research on spirituality
- Delineate the five qualities of spiritual health
- Develop a personal plan to reduce stress through spiritual balance
- Describe what is meant by a "healing environment"
- Describe the role our senses play in both stress induction and stress reduction
- Describe the role of the aesthetic qualities of surroundings in creating a healing environment
- Explain how a healing environment helps to prevent stress
- Evaluate their personal level of technostress
- Explain how technology can be managed to prevent stress
- Physical Methods for Stress Reduction
- Describe the purpose and types of progressive relaxation
- Outline the steps in various progressive relaxation techniques
- Define and recognize examples of biofeedback
- Describe the purpose of and types of yoga
- Compare and contrast various deep breathing techniques
- Differentiate among the different types and techniques of massage
- Recognize and discuss the health and stress relief benefits of various relaxation techniques for the body
- Describe precautions for various relaxation techniques for the body
- Locate resources to assist with select relaxation techniques
- Practice/experience select relaxation techniques for the body
- Recognize and discuss the health and stress relief benefits of physical activity for the body
- Psychological Methods for Stress Reduction
- Explain the mind-body connection in relaxation and stress reduction
- Describe mindfulness
- Explain the types of meditation (Transcendental, MBSR, Visual, Walking)
- Describe the elements of a meditative process
- Describe the physical, emotional and psychological benefits to meditation
- Describe the purpose, benefits and precautions of aromatherapy
- Describe the process of guided imagery
- Explain how laughter can be used to cope with stress
- Explain how and why music can be used to cope with stress
- Recognize and discuss the health and stress relief benefits of various relaxation techniques for the mind
- Describe precautions for various relaxation techniques for the mind
- Locate resources to assist with select relaxation techniques
- Practice/experience select relaxation techniques for the mind
- Discuss how "me" time can be used to cope with stress
Major Topics to be Included
- Defining Stress
- Mind, Body and Stress
- Values and Goals
- Time Management
- Communication and Conflict
- Emotions and Relationships
- Perception and Cognitive Methods
- Financial Matters
- Healthy Behaviors
- Spirituality and Healing Methods for Stress Reduction Environments
- Physical Methods for Stress Reduction
- Psychological Methods for Stress Reduction