Stress MGMT Exam 2

What is an example of a mantra

"Om" is a mantra. (P. 381) Typically a one-syllable word (e.g., om, peace, love) or a short phrase that acts like a broom to sweep the mind of nonessential (ego-based) thoughts.

Similarities between T'ai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, and Pilates

(Ch. 24 Class Materials) The practices of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, and Pilates are designed to have you live in harmony with nature and the natural universe. When you practice any of these four exercises you allow yourself to get more grounded and connected to yourself. All of these four exercises are known as "moving meditation." All of these exercises are designed to bring about relaxation and self-exploration. They all bring about a better connection, communication, and coordination between the mind and the body. They all promote relaxation, stress reduction, healing, and growth.

Progressive muscular relaxation and meditation principles

(Ch. 25 Class Materials) When you practice PMR, you allow yourself to get in touch with what is going on inside of your physical body. You do so for the purpose of letting go of any unresolved or any unfinished emotional business you have inadvertently held on to. (P. 494) The relaxation technique Jacobson created, called progressive muscular relaxation, involves systematically tensing and relaxing the body's musculature, from the feet to the head. (Ch.19 Class Materials) Meditation is a time honored technique that quiets the mind and reduces stress both mentally and physically. Meditation promotes your going inside of yourself in order to move beyond your thoughts and habits to be able to quiet your mind and ego and to experience peace and stillness. One of the main benefits of practicing meditation is for us to increase our resistance to negativity. This will result in a reduction of our reactivity to the stress and stressors in our lives. Meditation eliminates the constant chatter of the mind and the ego. It simultaneously quiets our constant thinking, planning, remembering, and fantasizing about all of the things that occupy our mind's every waking minute and causes us to feel pressure, stress, and tension. As your mind chatter diminishes so does your anxiety. As your mind chatter and your anxiety diminish so does the physical arousal and psychological defense mechanisms that accompany them.

What is psychic equilibrium

(P. 105) Psychic Equilibrium: A term coined by Carl Jung to describe the balance of thought (and subsequent health-wholeness) between the conscious and unconscious minds, by having the conscious mind become multilingual to the many languages of the unconscious mind (e.g., dream interpretation).

Kubler Ross's stages of grieving

(P. 107) 5 stages of Grieving 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance

What is tragic optimism

(P. 109) Tragic optimism: A term coined by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl to explain the mindset of someone who can find value and meaning in the worst situation.

Wayne Dyer's research

(P. 110-11) The zones Dyer describes highlight certain stress-prone emotional responses—those unhealthy defensive processes learned very early in life as cognitive survival skills. In his theory of unproductive emotions and their related behaviors, Dyer states that one of two emotions, guilt or worry, is associated with virtually every stressor perceived by people in America. Guilt is an expression of self-anger; worry, a manifestation of fear.

Psychology of stress common themes

(P. 123) Common themes among the theories are the concepts of self-awareness and self-acceptance, two inner resources that become the most important coping skills to manage personal stress effectively.

Carol Tavris's beliefs about anger

(P. 131) Tavris concluded that randomly released feelings of anger and ventilated frustrations did not produce a healthy catharsis. To the contrary, not only did the random release of pent-up emotions not relieve feelings of aggression, but it also validated them, in effect reinforcing anger and causing even greater emotional arousal.

Principles about creative anger management

(P. 134-35)1. Know your anger style 2. Learn to monitor your anger 3. Learn to deescalate your anger 4. Learn to out think your anger 5. Get comfortable with all of your feelings and learn to express them constructively 6. Plan ahead 7. Develop a support system 8. Develop realistic expectations of yourself and others 9. Learn problem-solving techniques 10. Stay in shape 11. Turn complaints into requests 12. Forgiveness: Make past anger past

What is systematic desensitization

(P. 139) Systematic desensitization: A process of learning to de-stress from something in small, manageable stages.

Carl Simonton's research

(P. 264) Integrated mental imagery and art therapy with cancer patients. In a pioneer program to teach cancer patients to take an active role in their own recovery, Simonton and his then-wife Stephanie designed a strategic approach to attack cancer from all sides—mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually—with a host of progressive coping and relaxation techniques. In perhaps the most significant plank to bridge the fields of alternative and modern medicine, mental imagery and art therapy were employed as complementary tools to fight cancer cells and help rejuvenate the body

Bernie Siegel's research on art therapy

(P. 266) Siegel handed out blank sheets of white paper and boxes of crayons and asked individuals to draw themselves in their current state of health or disease. According to Siegel, mental imagery in the form of art therapy is more useful than a battery of laboratory tests to assess a patient's disease state and prospects for recovery ( Fig. 12.4 ). He adds that the analysis of these illustrations is one o the most accurate tools in determining the prognosis o disease and, potentially, the development o other health-related problems.

Four components of Dr. Benson's relaxation response

(P. 383-84) 1. A Quiet Environment 2. A mental device 3. A passive Attitude 4. A comfortable position

Patricia Norris's blueprint aspect of mental imagery

(P. 422-23) 1. Visualization must be idiosyncratic (self generated) 2. Imagery must be egosyntonic (applied to the persons values and ideals) 3. There must be a positive connotation to the imagery 4. Imagery must be kinesthetic and Somatic (your imagery must feel like it is happening inside the body) 5. Imagery must be anatomically correct and accurate 6. Maintain consistency and dialogue 7. Employ a blueprint aspect (have a strategy/goal, if you plan on imagining the construction of a building see it from a hole in the ground to you cutting the ribbons on opening day) 8. You must include the treatment in the imagery a. Chemotherapy b. radiation treatment

Mental imagery principles

(P. 432) Mental imagery describes the ability of the unconscious mind to generate images that have a calming, healing effect on the body. Visualization is one aspect of mental imagery, wherein there is conscious direction of self- generated images. Guided mental imagery is a variation wherein images are suggested by another person ( either live or on tape). Mental imagery allows more self awareness and self improvement which equals more stress reduction. (Ch.21 Class notes)

Entrainment principles

(P. 443) Entrainment: In physics, the mutual phase locking of like oscillations; in human physiology, organs or organisms giving off strong vibrations influencing organs or organisms with weaker vibrations to match the stronger rate of oscillation; thought to conserve energy.

Dr. Dorothy Retallack's research on music

(P. 444) Dr. Dorothy Retallack (1973), for example, conducted a study examining leaf growth and water absorption when corn, squash, petunias, zin- nias, and marigolds were exposed to music. She found that some types of music induced a "fertilizing effect," promoting plant growth. Interestingly, she discovered that when in the presence of classical music (Bach) and Indian sitar music (Ravi Shankar), plants grew in the direction of the speakers (sometimes even around the speakers), showing a preference for these styles of music. When subjected to loud rock and roll or acid rock, though, they grew away from the speakers. In fact, many of these plants became dehydrated; some died.

Leo Buscaglia's beliefs

(P.113-115) Buscaglia is quick to admit that love is very difficult to define. First and foremost, he states, "Love is a response to a learned group of stimuli and behaviors." An infant learns to love primarily through contact with his or her parents in the home environment. Love—specifically, self-love—is not innate, but taught. Yet, unlike many other subjects, it is taught neither in school nor in church. Buscaglia notes that as children we are taught to control our emotions (e.g., don't cry, stop laughing, wipe that smile off your face). As a result, the ability to express our emotions fully is denied, including the emotion of love.

Tibetan perspective of stress

(P.120-121) Desires can be good for the ego, like the desire for happiness, but can lead to be negative because they come with attachments that can lead to hatred and jealousy. The self is the ego in the Tibetan perspective. With a dualistic perspective, the mind creates judgments and anxiety as one differentiates between oneself and others—good from bad, rich from poor, and so on. As the mind clears itself from the limitations of ownership (attachment) and sees the oneness of everything, however, inner conflict ceases. Happiness begins, and the true nature of the collective mind is revealed.

What is cognitive restructuring

A coping technique; substituting negative, self-defeating thoughts with positive, affirming thoughts that change perceptions of stressors from threatening to nonthreatening.

What is logotherapy

A term coined by psychiatrist Viktor (P. 109) Frankl describing the search for meaning in one's life.

Albert Ellis and Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy

A-Activating event B-Belief about the event (rational or irrational) C-Consequence of that belief (positive or negative)

Viktor Frankl's beliefs

Creator of Logotherapy.

What is exclusive meditation; transcendental meditation; inclusive meditation

Exclusive meditation: A form of meditation wherein concentration is focused on one object (e.g., mantra, tratak) to the exclusion of all other thoughts, to increase self-awareness and promote relaxation(P. 381) Transcendental Meditation: This meditation is the epitome of exclusive meditation in which all thoughts are eliminated save the mantra itself.(P.383) Inclusive meditation: A form of meditation where all thoughts are invited into awareness without emotional evaluation, judgment, or analysis. Zen meditation is an example. (P.384)

What is Maslow's Jonah complex

Jonah complex: A term coined by Abraham Maslow to illustrate the fear of not maximizing one's potential. If you don't think you are going to succeed than you won't. (P. 137)

Jung's beliefs about stress

Jung was convinced that self-awareness and a quest for a greater understanding of the self enhance the process of individuation, helping one navigate through the difficult passages of life. This ability to soul-search, to wrestle with personal issues, and to further the understanding of one's life purpose, he believed, augmented psychological health. (P. 103)

Dr. William Fry's research on laughter

Laughter appears to have both short-term and long-term benefits on the body's major physiological systems. (P. 288) Short-term laughter causes increase in heart rate, Blood pressure (BP), ventilations, and muscle tension. Then a rebound effect where these parameters go below resting levels. The overall effect is a pro-found level of homeostasis, much like that seen when progressive muscular relaxation is practiced. Fry concluded that tears resulting from emotional responses serve to rid the body of stress-related toxins.

Steps to reconstruct negative thoughts into positive thoughts

Laughter. We choose the thoughts we think. If the emotion you experience is positive, tension builds and is then released in some positive way. Pleasure is felt with the release of emotional tension. When the emotion is negative, tension builds up and tens to be diverted into and stored in the body. It is during this time that our negative self-talk arises and increases. When this lethal combination of events takes place, we become prime candidates for the stress and tension propelling us into being vulnerable, open targets to encountering an illness or a disease. When we allow ourselves to fully express and release the accumulation of our emotional tension, our bodily aches and pains often times disappear and go away all together. (Class materials Ch. 6). Be, Feel, Understand, and Hear.

Gender differences about anger

Men are allowed in society to openly express their anger (ex. hockey and football games) (P. 129-30). Women are less likely to express their anger because of social mores. This social oppression causes depression and breast cancer. Ingrained thoughts and behavior patterns associated with dysfunctional anger must be unlearned and the energies of this emotion must be reharnessed for self-improvement.

Jon Kabat-Zinn's research

Mindfulness. (P.387) Jon Kabat-Zinn taught mindfulness meditation to patients with chronic pain. His success with pain management quickly spread throughout the field of mind-body practitioners. This eventually led Kabat-Zinn, the author o the highly acclaimed book Full Catastrophe Living, to create a structured, systematic program to teach other instructors his method o success. He calls it Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR. Anyone who has ever taken a mindfulness meditation workshop with Kabat-Zinn knows the raisin exercise: For what seems like hours, you hold, smell, study, gaze at, and then finally taste and chew a raisin, all with the utmost awareness. (Some people use chocolate.) The underlying premise o this mindfulness exercise is that as you become more aware of your thoughts and actions, you can control your thoughts (through detached observation) to the point where you are less stressed.

What is misoneism

Misoneism is the fear or hatred of something new.

Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology (PNEI)

PNEI is the chemical basis of communication between the mind and the body. This chemical basis of communication goes on all of the time and it goes on outside of your conscious awareness.

Basic principles and benefits of T'ai Chi

T'ai Chi ch'uan: A relaxation technique originating among the Chinese; a succession of movements to bring the body into harmony with the universal energy (Chi); a moving meditation. Chi: The universal life force of subtle energy that surrounds and permeates everything. Basic Principles: 1. Breathe Effortlessly (P.479-480) 2. Free the body of all unnecessary tension 3. Maintain a stance perpendicular to the floor 4. Keep your center of gravity low 5. Maintain even speed 6. Integrate the mind and body as one Benefits: It teaches one to remain calm and centered against greatest opposition (stressors) and to harmonize with aggression and fear rather than fight it. Tai Chi increases balance. It boosts the immune system and augments the efficacy of vaccines for influenza. It decreases nervous (sympathetic) tension in a group of elderly subjects. (P. 478)

What is Mozart's Effect

The Mozart Effect is music's life-long effect on health, learning, and behavior. In his book of the same name, Campbell (1997) cites various studies supporting the premise that music not only calms the nerves, but also provides other benefits. (P. 448)

What is Wu-wei

Wu-wei is described as the philosophy of nothing-doing, nothing-knowing. It means to act without forcing; to move in accordance with the flow of nature's course. In the words of the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, "Although water is soft and weak, it invariably overcomes the rigid and strong." (P.477) the comparison of opposites. For example, to shrink, first you must stretch; to enervate, first you must energize; to take, first you must give. Another example is that of a Ping-Pong ball in water. No matter how many times you push it under, it always comes back up, and does so with little or no effort.

What is emotional literacy

emotional literacy: A term used in reference to one's ability to express oneself in an emotionally healthy way. Someone who routinely goes ballistic would be said to lack emotional literacy. (P. 129)