Certificate in Stress Management

Physiology of Stress

Stress is at epidemic levels in the world today. Currently, as many as 90% of all visits to health-care providers in the United States are considered to be stress-related. Stress affects every aspect of the body, mind, and spirit, resulting in a wide range of symptoms from headaches or stomach ailments to heart disease or death. Stress is difficult to define because it varies from individual to individual. What one person finds stressful might not bother another person at all. There are many types of stress, and each can result in many different physiological effects on the body.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to provide an overview of the physiology of stress, the body's responses to stress, and how stress affects the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

Social Context of Stress

A strong social support network is important during difficult times. A social support network consists of friends, family, and peers. Developing and maintaining supportive relationships provides feelings of belonging, self-worth, and security. Without a strong social support network, individuals can experience a sense of isolation, disconnection, and stress. Despite their initial impression of fostering connectedness, technology and social networking often increase a person's feelings of isolation because relationships established online may not be deep and real. In addition, incivility and a lack of regular contact with nature also increase stress.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to provide an overview of the social context of stress, describe the impact of social support on health, identify the stressful effects of incivility, discuss how lack of contact with nature affects stress levels, and explain the stressful effects of technology, social networking, and multitasking.

Psychology of Stress

Events, people, and circumstances fill our normal daily lives along with a certain amount of stress. Some of us experience psychological effects from this stress, while others seem to be unaffected or even thrive when challenged. Why do we react differently to stressors? Despite much research on the topic, the answer is not clearly understood, but key elements include personality, emotional intelligence, and gender.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe stress and personality types; discuss stress appraisal, coping, and emotion; identify the elements of emotional intelligence; describe gender difference in exposure to stressors; and identify strategies for reducing psychological stress.

The Effects of Stress on Health

Stress can dramatically affect the body and the mind to the detriment of physical and psychological health. Both acute and chronic stress, the timing and duration of stress, gender, and genetics play a role in the complex relationship between stress and health.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to examine the relationship between stress and health; describe the role of stress in the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, drug use, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, sleep disorders, and eating disorders.

Stress and Nutrition

Most individuals enjoy sitting down and eating a delicious meal. Food provides an opportunity to socialize and, if the food is nutritious, it also supports a healthy body and mind. However, when individuals are stressed, they are not able to utilize the nutrients they eat as effectively as when they are relaxed. If stress causes an individual to eat food that is not nutritious, health issues can result. Nutrition, stress, and the immune system are closely related.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe the relationship between nutrition, stress, and the immune system.

Stress and Physical Activity

Physical activity is essential in a program for stress management and overall health. This can include activities such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, skiing, dancing, gardening, yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan, weight lifting, stretching, as well as many other practices. These activities provide an integrative, holistic, healthy way to connect mind, body, and spirit, which improve physical, mental, and emotional health.

The outcome of this course is for the learner to examine the types of physical activity, the physiological benefits of physical activity, and how various types of exercise can help manage stress and improve health and well-being.

Workplace Stress

For most Americans, the workplace is ever changing and a major source of daily stress. As a result, the economic and personal health effects of workplace stress are at epidemic levels, making it one of the most important health challenges of the 21st century.

The outcome of this course is for the