Stress Management 
Increasing your stress resistance
Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course you'll be able to: 

Chapter 1: What is Stress?

  1. Describe the stress cycle.

  2. Explain the body-mind interaction to stress.

  3. Define and give examples of direct and palliative coping techniques.

  4. Describe components of wellness and how wellness relates to stress.

  5. Discuss how stress management can affect college students.

  6. Give examples of a specific stressor and a coping response.

  7. Explain the Yerkes-Dodson law.

  8. Complete a personal stress cycle diagram.

Chapter 2: The Fight or Flight Response: Survival of the Most Stressed?

  1. Describe the fight-or-flight response in terms of the nervous and endocrine system.

  2. Describe several physiological reactions to stress: specifically from the

a) sympathetic nervous system
b) utonomic nervous system
c) reticular formation, and
d) adrenal medulla

  1. Discuss the helpful and harmful impact of the fight or flight response on the cardiovascular and digestive systems.  

  2. Explain the General Adaptation Syndrome.

  3. Define key organs and systems involved in physical stress responses.

Chapter 3: Stress and Health

  1. Describe the ways stress affects the cardiovascular system.

  2. Explain how stress may lead to various illnesses.

  3. Give examples of stress-related musculoskeletal problems.

  4. Describe how stress interrelates with the immune system.  

  5. Discuss the Type A behavior pattern.

Chapter 4: Stress and Your Life

  1. Measure personal stress events and abilities to cope using various assessments.  

  2. Develop and complete a detailed personal stress log.  

  3. Develop and implement a stress management action plan.  

Chapter 5: Coping Strategies and Problem Solving

  1. Describe several common strategies for coping with stress and their respective                      benefit and uses.

  2. Explain Lazarus and Folkman’s model of stress and coping.  

  3. Define problem orientation.

  4. Describe the key steps in an effective problem-solving process.

Chapter 6: Time Management Part I: Clarifying Values, Making Decisions and Setting Goals

  1. Describe steps in the decision-making process.

  2. Outline an action plan for achieving goals.

  3. Define spiritual health in terms of clarifying values.

Chapter 7: Time Management Part 2: Organization, Study Skills and Confronting Procrastination

  1. Develop a semester plan for schoolwork.  

  2. Identify obstacles to organization.  

  3. Describe effective methods for reducing procrastination and obstacles to organization.  

  4. Complete an action plan for using study skills.

Chapter 8: Communication Skills

  1. Describe the three communication styles and their respective strengths and weaknesses.  

  2. Explain how communication influences stress.  

  3. List the steps needed for assertive communication.  

  4. Practice active listening.  

Chapter 9: Nutrition, Health and Stress

  1. Describe the blood glucose regulation cycle.  

  2. Explain and list the basics of good nutrition.  

  3. List ways to improve dietary habits.  

  4. Discuss and give examples of how food, body  image, society and stress are interrelated.

  5. Outline the Food Pyramid.  

Chapter 10: Physical Activity and Stress Resistance  

  1. Describe three direct ways that exercise increases stress resistance.  

  2. Explain the role of hormones in exercise and stress reduction.  

  3. List and explain recommendations for how often to do what types of exercise.

  4. Design an exercise program to meet basic health and fitness needs.

Chapter 11: The Pleasure Principle

  1. Cite examples of how each of the five senses bring pleasure and reduce stress.

  2. Explain why optimism, humor and laughter are buffers against stress.

  3. List several external events that can contribute to stress resistance.

  4. Name two stress-reducing activities that increase mindfulness.

Chapter 12:    Stress? It Depends on your Point of View  

  1. Explain where self-talk comes from and describe its positive and negative influences.

  2. Define “awfulizing,” “selective abstraction” and “cognitive restructuring.”

  3. Give an example of an irrational belief and ways to question and change that belief.

  4. Develop an action plan for stress reduction through cognitive intervention.  

Chapter 13: Self-Esteem

  1. Define self-esteem and self-concept.

  2. Describe several steps to improving self-esteem.

  3. Explain how to change irrational beliefs.

  4. Explain the relationship between self-esteem and stress management.

Chapter 14: Hardiness Revisited

  1. Explain how Type A behaviors impact stress and health.

  2. Describe the three elements of hardiness.

  3. Discuss ways to change Type A behavior and to reduce hostility.

  4. Give examples of applying hardiness training to increase stress resistance.

Chapter 15: Relaxation Techniques: Decreasing your Physical Stress Reactivity and Increasing Self-Awareness

  1. Describe five guidelines for practicing relaxation.

  2. Experience and complete three exercises for relaxation.

  3. Explain how physical activity improves the relaxation response.

  4. Give examples of three mindfulness and breathing activities.

Chapter 16: Meditation and Visualization: It’s the thought that counts

  1. Explain why meditation is a useful stress reduction technique.

  2. Describe four basics of meditation.

  3. Define and describe three types of visualization exercises.

  4. Give examples of positive self-talk.  

Evaluation of Individual Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of the course material, we ask that you evaluate your achievement of each learning objective on a scale of A to D (A=excellent, B=good, C=fair, D=unsatisfactory). Please indicate your responses next to each learning objective and return it to us with your completed exam.
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