Shehanh Alghamdi HPR-406-B Research Final Paper April 28, 2020 Assessments Assess Your Stress The first time I completed this assessment, it was still early in the semester, so I was in a different state of mind. My resting heart rate was measure at 104 beats per minute. Now, it slightly decreased to 72 beats per minute. My breathing pattern was, it is still both abdomen and chest. As for my respiration rate, it was at 18 breaths per minute. Now, it slightly decreased to 16 breaths per minute. Overall, I rated my stress-o-meter at 6. I knew it was going to be a hard semester for me because I'm taking 19 credits. All my numbers have slightly decreased. Symptoms of Stress During the beginning of the semester, I had headaches, was fatigue, worried all the time, and sometimes had difficulty with eating too much or too little. After retaking the I still have the headaches, I still worry constantly. I still have these two symptoms because of the online schooling, I not adapting to the change, to be honest, and I still find it hard. Perceived Stress Scale My perceived stress has decreased from 27 to 26, which indicates that I am at a high perceived stress range. I do not see that I think I'm at moderate perceived stress. I think my perceived stress did not change because it was hard for me to take 19 credits, and now with switching to online schooling, it is still challenging and hard. Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE) When I complete this assessment, my total score was 73, and it decreased to 55. At the beginning of the semester, the items that I rated were Conflicts with boyfriend, my ex and I were going through a rough patch, and ultimately, we decided it would be best if we end things. Also, too many things to do at once, and I rated it three again because, as I mentioned inline, schooling has not been going very well. At the beginning of the semester, I rated important decisions about my education three because I needed to choose a specialty, and I ended up choosing International business as a major, and I minored in business law. One of the things I rated 3 was difficulties with transportation, the only benefit I got from online school was that I don't have to deal with transportation. I'm glad that my score decreased; it means that I have fewer problems to deal with. Ardell Wellness Stress Test In this assessment, my score was 17, which indicates that “You are a candidate for additional training in how to deal with stress. A sudden increase in potentially negative events and circumstances could cause a severe emotional setback. “After retaking the assessment, I scored 23, and it indicates, “You are a wellness-oriented person, with an ability to prosper as a whole person, but you should give a bit more attention to optimal health concepts and skill building.” Student Stress Scale My original score of 157 indicates that my chances of experiencing a stressrelated health change in the near future is 50%. After retaking the test, I got a similar score which was 150. I find this alarming; I will take this as an opportunity to find balance and preventive methods to counter stress. Stress Vulnerability Questionnaire When I completed this assessment, I scored 53, and when retaking it, I scored 40. The behavior that I managed to change to reduce my susceptibility to stress is making time to myself to relax and manage my stress; yoga helped me a lot to manage my stress and stay balanced. Also, starting to manage my time to get everything done without stressing myself out. With a lot of free time now, I have the chance to get enough sleep, which helped me to manage my time better. Tombstone Test If I could define how I would want to be remembered, I want to be known as trustworthy, accountable, and easy-going. Gaining people's trust and being accountable is one of the most important things in business, so I would like to be remembered for that. I choose to be remembered as easy going is also important to me, because who would want to deal with a difficult person? Reflection After retaking the assessments, I would say that my perception has improved, now that I have proper management over my stress. Stress is something I have been dealing with for a while now. It has affected my health and behavior, but by recognizing the problems that initiate stress, I managed to change or eliminate their source; I have developed the ability to adapt and deal with stress. As of stress in my daily life, it had improved as well. I used to worry about my life and my future always. Now I try my best to live the moment and not to worry if I do not need to. I try my best to do what I need to do each day, but if I do not succeed, I try not to worry about it, and the next day manages my time better. Many individuals think of stress as just something negative. According to an article from “Psychology Today,” stress can be a good thing as well; it is not always bad (Magliano & Grippo, 2016). Which is something I agree with that, I find stress to be something positive sometimes, and I have learned ways to benefit from my stress. The article also mentions that if we do not stress, we would not be productive. For example, if college students didn’t experience any stress over tests, we would not study or show up for class (Magliano & Grippo, 2016). I tend to always look at the bright side, and whenever I am stressed about something, I become more productive, stressing about deadlines that I need to meet actually helps me be more productive. After reading this article, I learned that “stress is a perceived disconnect between the situation and our resources to handle the situation” (Magliano & Grippo, 2016). There are two possible ways we can change our perspective about stress. We might be able to change the situation, or in situations that cannot be changed directly, we can change the way we view the situation. For example, if traffic stresses you out, taking the train would help with that. But if you have no choice and you have to drive to work, leave early to beat the traffic, or you can take the time to relax and listen to some music or an audiobook. I also learned that by changing the way we interpret the world around us, we could gain control over stress, and by changing our perception about a situation, we can even increase the power to see its benefits (Magliano & Grippo, 2016). SMART Goals Goals are part of every aspect of our lives and provide a sense of direction, motivation, a clear focus, and clarify importance. A SMART goal is to help us make changes in our life; it can be short-term or long-term. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (Olpin & Hesson, 2016). A SMART goal incorporates all of these criteria to help focus our efforts and increase the chances of accomplishing the goal. Often, individuals will set general and unrealistic goals, such as “I want to be perfect.” This goal is vague, with no sense of direction. When making a SMART goal, you must be able to maintain and are motivated to reach your goal. One of my SMART goals is to reduce stress by decreasing tiredness. By improving my sleep patterns and having seven hours of sleep a night, I will also reduce stress by meditating daily for 25-35 minutes in my room by praying. After that, I will be using a Restful Breathing technique. As mentioned in the book that if you struggle to fall asleep at night, the Restful Breathing technique is powerful for alleviating sleeping problems (Olpin, Hesson, 2013). This goal is achievable to me because I have so much free time these days because of quarantine. I already meditate daily by praying five times a day, and each prayer takes about five to seven minutes, so adding the Restful Breathing technique to my routine will allow me to reach my goal. This goal is realistic for me because praying/meditating is something that gives me the strength and clarity of mind, and I feel a sense of relief after meditating. I expect to reach this goal in two weeks. I think trying this new routine for two weeks will allow me to see a difference in my stress levels and see if meditating for five times for 25-35 minutes a week is useful to reduce my stress. Meditating daily for 30 minutes will reduce anxiety and reduce stress. As mentioned in the book, deep breath promotes a state of calmness (Olpin, Hesson, 2013). An article from “Verywellmind” mentions that meditation affects the body in exactly the opposite ways that stress does. (Scott, 2019). I agree with that because meditation helps the body to calm and prevent the effects of stress. The article also states, “The practice of learning to refocus your thoughts can also help you redirect yourself when you fall into negative thinking patterns, which in itself can help relieve stress.” (Scott, 2019). I find this very interesting and accurate. I use praying/meditation to refocus my thoughts to get rid of negative energy and to help me be in a calmer state of mind. Working towards this SMART goal will help me manage my time, and it’ll give me more energy in the morning, and this will allow me to have more focus in classes. Managing my time better will help me to do my homework on time, which will demote my stress. Also, by meditating I will help myself to build resilience to stress. Another one of my SMART goals to reduce my overall stress would be time management. Since I am such a lousy procrastinator when it comes to my school work, I will take 20 minutes at the beginning of each week to make a “To Do” list to get everything that I need to get done for the week. The list has the top priorities at the top and then to the least. Top priorities will be assignments due for that week, papers, or urgent emails I need to send. I believe that having my tasks and a time frame will help me effectively get my work done on time instead of continually pulling all-nighters. This goal is also realistic because it has been proven to help me. I will do this by looking at my calendar and planner that I write in and set my list. According to “Calendar” stress management and time management go hand in hand (Sloan, 2018). I agree with that because known what you have to do and that amount of the time you need to do it in help, and part of time executives include being organized. Using tools such as a calendar can help. The article also mentions that managing your time better will make you more relaxed and less stressed as a result. When I manage my time wisely, I feel in control of my time. This makes me calmer and less stressed overall as a result. Therefore, improving my time management will lower my stress levels. My third SMART goals to reduce my overall stress will be to do yoga five times a week for at least one hour a day for one month. I will measure my goal by signing up for online yoga classes with my mother and not canceling or skipping them. This goal is attainable to me because I already do yoga two times a week, so adding three more days will allow me to reach my goal. This goal is realistic for me because yoga makes me balanced, grounded, calm, grateful, and refreshed. It is one of the most soothing feelings. It helped to calm my mind and body effectively. I expect to reach this goal in one month. As mentioned in the textbook, “Yoga can leave you feeling relaxed and energized.” (Olpin, M., & Hesson, M., 2016). I find that this is very accurate; I see a massive difference in my stress relief after yoga. An article from “Just Mind” states, “Yoga comes with many powerful tools because the discipline focuses on three aspects of you; the mind, body, and soul.”(Schroeder, 2020). Regardless of what anxiety is for you, whether a temporary thing or a constant feeling, yoga can help you manage it. Yoga helps me to take my mind off my worries and allows me to focus and to be in control. The article from “Just Mind” also mentions that yoga prepares you for meditation and stretches out to ease any stress that has stuck around (Schroeder, 2020). I agree, when it comes to reducing stress, yoga really can be magical. Yoga is known to be great surgeons to stress. It combines many popular stress-reducing techniques, including exercise and learning to control the breath, clear the mind, and relax the body. So, I believe that doing yoga five times a week will definitely reduce my stress level. Stress Management Techniques One of the most effective stress management technique for myself would be yoga. There are many different types of yoga. Personally, I prefer kundalini yoga. Kundalini yoga is my favorite because I can move at my own pace, and I can take my time while doing it. The textbook states, “focuses on healing and “purifying” the mind, body, and emotions.” (Olpin & Hesson, 2016). I find this practice to be the most relatable and comfortable for my experience. The book also mentions that kundalini yoga “This energy activation is achieved with poses, breath control, chanting, and meditation.” (Olpin & Hesson, 2016). I believe that kundalini yoga releases fears that cause stress, worry, and anxiety. It gives me the ability to release tension in my body and allow me to move at a slow controlled pace. An article from “Yoga Journal” mentions the effects of kundalini yoga; one of them is quieting our thoughts (Virginia, 2018). I find that very accurate in my experience. I find yoga very calming and relaxing. Also, an article from “Verywellmind,” mentions that yoga does not do not only affect the mind but also on the body (Scott, 2020). Yoga affects the mind and body; it can minimize stress and increase productivity. The article also mentions the psychological benefits of yoga are stress reduction and a sense of well-being, and spiritual benefits (Scott, 2020). I also find that yoga helps me to sleep better and reduced stress and anxiety. One of the things I like about yoga is you can do anytime, anywhere. I have been doing yoga either when I get up in the morning or before bed. Doing it in the morning allows me to start the day with a relaxed mindset and hopefully sets the tone for the day and doing it before going to bed allows me to take my mind off of everything that has gone on throughout the day and sleep better. I usually watch YouTube videos and follow the instruction, but to commit to doing it, I will sign up for an online class with my mom to help motivate each other. The first time I tried a power nap was in class, and I felt relaxed and had more energy. At first, I thought we were going to take an actual nap. I was surprised that we instead did a breathing exercise and stretched out parts of our body to relax. The book states that "It combines elements of several relaxation exercises, including deep breathing, mindfulness, and yoga, to relax and rejuvenate body and mind" (Olpin& Hesson, 2016). Doing or taking a power nap will make you feel a sense of relaxation and be more alert to everything going on around you. To practice power napping, the first step is to get comfortable. It best to lay on the floor or sit in a chair. The key is to find somewhere that you can mentally and physically relax without worrying about being disturbed. You should close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. You should also stretch your arms as you can to feel a deep stretch while function on your breathing. After several deep and full breaths, place your hands on your abdomen. You should notice the up-and-down movement of your stomach as you breathe in and out. When you are inhaling, only your abdomen hand should be moving. You should try to make your chest hand remain entirely still. Make a special effort to focus on breathing with your abdomen and not your chest. You have to concentrate on your breathing and of having the rhythm of the breath. The power nap should last for 10 to 15 minutes and then eventually return to normal consciousness. I practice the power nap technique when I am feeling tired, stressed, or overwhelmed. Distracting my mind from what is bothering me or stressing me out is very helpful, and power nap help to get me there. I tend to use a power nap when I am working on homework or anything that takes my full attention and taking 10-15 minutes in between assignments allows me to focus and complete the task efficiently. Lastly, an effective stress management technique for me would laughter and humor. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. I personally use a sense of humor as stress Coping mechanism. They trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. It also helps me release anger and forgive sooner. As the book states, "Laughter can help prevent stress, and it has positive health benefits." (Olpin & Hesson, 2016) It creates predictable physiological changes in the body like exercise. It's known that laughter seems to produce positive stress, which is eustress. It releases tension and an increase in the natural mood lifters. Humor empowers people by giving them a different perspective on life's problems. You can laugh using simple things; for example, whenever I'm feeling down, I would watch a comedy movie to laugh and distracted myself from stress. Also, an effective way to try and keep up a positive attitude is by avoiding watching the news. Because lately, everything sounds devastating. I think planning a movie night once every week would be beneficial. You can either watch movies, stand-up comedy, or funny YouTube videos. Another way to bring laughter and humor into your life would be hanging out with fun, carefree people. I also have read recently about laughter yoga, which combines laughter and intentional yogic breathing. I learned that it is a great way to release stress and tension and get some more giggles into your day. It's one of the things that I am planning to try, and I think it might be helpful. I have learned a lot of stress management techniques throughout this semester, and I would say that the most effective one for me are: yoga, power nap, and laughter, and humor. I discovered a power nap earlier this semester, and it has helped me a lot with managing my stress level. I recently just started using yoga to relieve stress. I have done yoga in the past, but I didn't commit that's why this time, I am going to do it with my mom, so we can motivate each other. Laughter and humor are a technique that I have been using since I can't remember when, and I find it very beneficial, and I would say it is my favorite stress management techniques. I will keep doing all three of these stress management techniques because stress is part of my daily life, and there is no way I can get rid of it completely. But by doing these stress management techniques, my stress will decrease and maintain a healthier lifestyle. I will include them in my to-do list, and I will also set reminders and make sure to include them in my daily schedule. Doing these stress management techniques will make them so essential to me, and I won't feel like it's something that I have to do; they will be a part of my daily routine. References Olpin, M., & Hesson, M. (2016). Stress management for life: a research-based experiential approach. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning Magliano J., & Grippo A. (2016, January 20). Why stress is both good and bad. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-wide-wideworld-psychology/201601/why-stress-is-both-good-and-bad Schroeder, W. (2020, April 03). How yoga reduces stress. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://justmind.org/yoga-reduces-stress/ Scott E. (2019, August 14). The benefits of meditation for stress management. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/meditation-4157199 Scott E. (2020, March 30). How yoga can improve the stress in your life. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-yoga-for-stressmanagement-3145205 Sloan K. (2018, March 31). Why stress management and time management go hand in hand. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.calendar.com/blog/why-stressmanagement-and-time-management-go-hand-in-hand/ Virginia, K. (2018, March 20). 5 ways this style of yoga can help you create the life you want. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5ways-kundalini-yoga-can-help-you-create-the-life-you-want Stress Management Presentation Evaluation Presenter:______________________________________________________ Content Presentation Comments: Reviewer:_______________________________________________________ Areas of Evaluation Excellent Assessments: took all 8 assessments again Assessments: compared both sets of all 8 assessments from beginning to end of year Perception of stress: changed or stayed same Perception of stress in your life: changed or stayed same SMART goals: goals stated to help overall stress levels (reduce/eliminate stressors) SMART goals: specific examples to explain goals AND how they will be implemented in your life to reduce stress Stress management techniques: THREE most effective to maintain AND WHY Stress management techniques: explain EACH technique in detail (e.g., methods) Stress management techniques: when techniques were used (specific situations/stressors) AND how they reduced your stress Stress management techniques: did these 3 stay consistent or change and vary depending on new techniques learned or different stressors Stress management techniques: how will you continue to incorporate these 3 techniques into your life and maintain them long-term Stress management technique: DEMONSTRATION of one of your selected techniques (teach the class) Organization (slides, bullets, words) and logical sequencing (smooth transitions) Writing skills (grammar, spelling, punctuation, complete words, vocabulary words) Accurate information and pronunciation of words References and APA format, grounded in research Presentation is engaging and attention-getting Presentation skills: good eye contact, clear and projecting, good speed, good posture, well dressed Well prepared and practiced Visual aids (e.g., pictures and videos) Ability to answer questions Length of presentation (10 minutes, with demonstration 5 minutes or less of time) Good Poor 
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