Health Promotion Affiliates

Stress Management Class

This is a 5-week behavioral change stress management program. The goals of the program are: 1) To have participants identify their stressors and ways they usually cope with stress 2) Develop and practice more effective stress management strategies 3) Learn how the mind in its interpretation of events can increase or decrease stress levels 4) Learn and practice Relaxation and Meditation techniques.  Participants will complete a stress survey pre and post to measure progress in reducing stress. Each of the 5 sessions will include the practice of a relaxation technique.

1.    Review the definition and physiology of stress. Identify stress symptoms. Complete stress surveys and discuss sources of stress and the negative impact of stress on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing.

2.    Identify negative stress producing thoughts. Understand more completely the stress prone personality and the stress resistant personality.  Learn how to combat the negative thoughts with more positive and optimistic thinking. (Cognitive Restructuring)

3.    Participants will review both positive and negative ways they are currently coping with stress and begin to develop a plan for more effective coping strategies.

4.    Discuss the importance of learning communication and time management skills that can lessen stress levels.

5.    Identify the importance of a healthy lifestyle to control stress: nutrition, exercise, achieving balance.