TALK International Stress Management Plan Self Assessment and Reflection Discussion The goal of this project is for each student to develop a 4-5 paged pla

TALK International Stress Management Plan Self Assessment and Reflection Discussion The goal of this project is for each student to develop a 4-5 paged plan (supported by what you have learned in this course) to maintain at least THREE effective personal stress management techniques. This paper will incorporate at least one stress management assessment, stress logs and personal reflections (newly acquired stress management skills).

The plan should include:

1. A summary of your self-assessment and reflection assignment. Have you learning anything new since you completed it?

2. Over the course of several weeks, keep a stress log. This can be completed for a few days each week or once a week to summarize the week. Included in this section of your plan will be your reactions, thoughts and personal insights gained from analyzing your stress patterns. Did you learn something new about yourself? Did different stressors cause different stress responses? How do you handle stress?

3. A stress management plan that you implemented and plan to implement long-term. Include three stress management techniques, why you chose these techniques and why you believe they will help with your stress management. You should include at least one stress management technique that you tried for 2-4 weeks during the semester and answer these questions: How did you feel when implementing the technique? Did it make a difference in your stress level? Will this technique be easy or hard for you to continue? Why? Did you learn something new about yourself?

please take a look at the files attached Personal Stress Management Assessment and Plan Rubric
Stress Management; Spring 2020
CATEGORY
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Assessment and Plan
Content
(76 pts)
The plan provides relevant
and specific details for the
stress assessment(s) chosen
including the score(s) and a
reflection; the stress log is
complete and includes
reactions, insights and
patterns; the stress
management plan is
complete and includes which
techniques were chosen,
how they were
implemented, and a
discussion about if they
made a difference in stress
level and how hard they will
be to continue.
The plan provides some
relevant and specific details
for the stress assessment(s)
chosen including the
score(s) and a reflection;
the stress log is complete
and includes reactions,
insights and patterns; the
stress management plan is
somewhat complete and
includes which techniques
were chosen, how they
were implemented, and a
discussion about if they
made a difference in stress
level and how hard they will
be to continue.
The plan provides few
relevant and specific details
for the stress assessment(s)
chosen including the score(s)
and a reflection; the stress log
is not complete and does not
include reactions, insights and
patterns; the stress
management plan is
somewhat complete and
includes which techniques
were chosen, how they were
implemented, and a
discussion about if they made
a difference in stress level and
how hard they will be to
continue.
The plan provides no
relevant and specific details
for the stress assessment(s)
chosen including the
score(s) and a reflection;
the stress log is not
complete and does not
include reactions, insights
and patterns; the stress
management plan is not
complete and does not
include which techniques
were chosen, how they
were implemented, and a
discussion about if they
made a difference in stress
level and how hard they will
be to continue.
Organization
(4 pts)
The plan is very well
organized. Ideas flow in a
logical sequence with clear
transitions.
The plan is pretty well
organized. Some ideas
seem out of place. Good
transitions are used.
The plan is a hard to follow.
Ideas seem to be randomly
The transitions are sometimes arranged, making the plan
not clear.
impossible to follow.
Style
(4 pts)
Sentence structures are
varied and language is
precise; there are no run-on
sentences or fragments.
Some varied sentence
structures with precise
language; there are 1-2 runon sentences or fragments.
Limited variety of sentences
and language is simplistic or
limited; there are 3-5 run-on
sentences or sentence
fragments.
Language and sentence
structure are repetitious;
numerous run-on sentences
and sentence fragments
cause the plan to be
unreadable.
Requirements
(4 pts)
All of the requirements
(length, typed, font, APA
format) were met.
Almost all (about 75%) the
requirements were met.
Most (about 50%) of the
requirements were met, but
many were not.
Many requirements were
not met.
Conventions (Spelling,
grammar and
punctuation)
(4 pts)
There are 0-1 spelling,
grammar or punctuation
errors in the plan.
There are 2-4 errors in the
plan.
There are 5-7 errors in the
plan.
The plan has more than 8
errors.
Effort
(8 pts)
The plan is completed in a
thoughtful and reflective
manner by the student;
college-level quality effort is
evident.
The plan is completed in a
thoughtful manner overall
but some college-level
effort seems to be lacking.
The plan lacks college-level
effort and is completed
haphazardly.
No college-level effort is
made to complete the plan
as required.
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100
1
Creating Your Personal Stress‐Management Plan
Following is a 10‐point plan to help you manage stress. All of these ideas can lower stress
without doing any harm. None are quick fixes, but they will lead you toward a healthy and
successful life. The plan is divided into 4 parts.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tackling the problem
Taking care of my body
Dealing with emotions
Making the world better
When you read over the plan, you’ll notice that you can come up with a bunch of ideas for each
point. PLEASE don’t think you should try them all. This plan is supposed to help you reduce
stress, not give you more. Try out some ideas, then stick to one or two ideas for each point.
You might notice that this plan is almost like building a college or work résumé. This is the sane
way to build a résumé; you are doing it to manage your life and remain happy and prepared for
success, not to cram in activities to impress someone else. It will ensure you’re healthy and
balanced, and that’s very attractive to colleges and employers.
Part 1: Tackling the Problem
Point 1: Identify and Then Address the Problem.
First decide if a problem is a real tiger or just feels like one. If it can’t hurt you chances are that
it can be better handled with clear thinking. This means turning off those thoughts that make
you interpret the situation as a disaster.
A lot of people cope by ignoring problems. This doesn’t make them go away; usually they just
get worse. People who cope by trying to fix problems tend to be emotionally healthier. When it
comes to studying or chores, it is best get the work done first. Because work or studying
produces stress, many people put it off and choose to do fun things first. The problem with that
is they’re not really having fun because they’re worrying about the work they’re ignoring. And
of course, the longer they put it off, the more they worry. The cycle is endless.
2
Three ideas can help you manage a lot of work:



Break the work into small pieces. Then do one small piece at a time, rather than look at
the whole huge mess. As you finish each piece, the work becomes less overwhelming.
Make lists of what you need to do. This will help you sleep because your head won’t
spin with worry about whether you can do everything. At the end of the day, you’ll have
less to worry about as you check off the things you have finished. You will look at the
same huge amount of work and realize you can handle it.
Timelines can help with big projects. Fights with parents and friends don’t go away
unless you deal with what upset you in the first place, or unless everyone apologizes and
decides to forgive each other.
Point 2: Avoid stress when possible.
Sometimes we know exactly when we are headed for trouble. Avoiding trouble from a distance
is easier than dealing with it up close. You know the people who might be a bad influence on
you, the places where you’re likely to get in trouble, and the things that upset you. Choose not
to be around those people, places, and things that mess you up.
Point 3: Let some things go.
It’s important to try to fix problems, but sometimes there is nothing you can do to change a
problem. For example, you can’t change the weather, so don’t waste your energy worrying
about it. You can’t change the fact that teachers give tests, so just study instead of complaining
about how unfair they are. You can’t change the fact that your parents need to know where
you go, so prove that you’re responsible and deserve more freedoms. People who waste their
energy worrying about things they can’t change don’t have enough energy left over to fix the
things they can. Also learn when not to take things personally. You feel badly for no reason
when you take something personally that really has little to do with you.
Part 2: Taking Care of My Body
Point 4: The Power of Exercise.
Exercise is the most important part of a plan to manage stress. When you are stressed, your
body is saying, “Run!” So do it. Exercise every day to control stress and build a strong, healthy
body. You may think you don’t have time to exercise when you are most stressed, but that is
exactly when you need it the most. If you are stressed about an assignment, but too nervous to
sit down and study—exercise! You will be able to think better after you have used up those
stress hormones. Some people exercise before school because they can focus and learn better.
3
Point 5: Active Relaxation.
You can flip the switch from being stressed to relaxed if you know how to fool your body.
Because your body can only use the relaxed or emergency nervous system at any one time, you
can turn on the relaxed system. You do this by doing the opposite of what your body does when
it is stressed.
Here are 2 ideas.

Breathe deeply and slowly. Try the 4–8 breathing technique. Lie on your back and place
your hands on your belly with your fingers loose. Deep breaths first fill the belly, then
chest, then mouth, the breath expands the belly and your hands pull gently apart. Take
a full breath while counting to 4. Then hold that breath for about twice as long, or an 8
count. Then slowly let it out to the count of 8, or even longer if you can. This will relax
your body after a few breaths, but just as importantly, it requires your full
concentration. Your mind is too focused on breathing to also focus on worries. Do this
10 times and you will feel much more relaxed. Yoga, martial arts, and meditation also
teach great breathing skills. When you get good at this, you can even do this in a chair
during a test and nobody will know.

Put your body in a relaxed position.
Your body knows when you’re nervous. If you sit down to take a test and your legs are shaking,
you are saying, “I want to run!” Remember, you can’t concentrate and run at the same time, so
you are making it harder to take the test. Instead, take those deep breaths, lean back, and tell
your body there is no emergency.
When you’re angry, the natural thing to do is stand up and face someone shoulder‐to‐shoulder
and chest‐to‐chest. You do this without even thinking, but this subconsciously tells the other
person that you’re angry and ready to fight. It also may prevent you from thinking clearly. Do
the opposite of what you would do if you were really going to fight—sit down, take deep slow
breaths, and tell your body there is no danger. Then use your brain to get out of the situation.
Point 6: Eat well.
Everyone knows good nutrition makes you healthier. Only some people realize that it also
keeps you alert through the day and your mood steady. People who eat mostly junk food have
highs and lows in their energy level, which harms their ability to reduce stress. Instead of eating
greasy or sugary foods, eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—they keep you focused
for a longer time. Go to www.mypyramid.gov to learn more.
4
Point 7: Sleep well.
Most kids don’t get the sleep they need to grow and think clearly. Tired people can’t learn as
well and can be impatient and irritable. Here are some ideas to improve your sleep.




Go to sleep about the same time every night.
Exercise 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Your body falls asleep most easily when it has
cooled down. If you exercise right before bed, you will be overheated and won’t sleep
well. A hot shower 1 hour before bedtime also helps your body relax to fall asleep.
Use your bed only to sleep. Don’t solve your problems in bed. When you think about all
the things that bother you, you have trouble falling asleep and wake up in the middle of
the night to worry more. Instead, have another spot to think, like a worry chair. Give
yourself plenty of time to think things through, make a list if you need to, and then set it
aside! Go to bed to sleep.
Don’t do homework, watch television, read, or use the phone while in bed.
Part 3: Dealing with Emotions
Point 8: Take instant vacations.
Sometimes the best way to de‐stress is to take your mind away to a more relaxing place.
Visualize. Have a favorite place where you can imagine yourself relaxing. The place should be
beautiful and calm. When you’re stressed, sit down, lean back, take deep breaths, close your
eyes, and imagine yourself in your calm place.
1. Take time out for yourself. Everyone deserves time for themselves —a bath or
something that allows time to think and destress. Try a warm bath with your ears just
underwater. Listen to yourself take deep, slow breaths. Take your pulse and count as
your heart rate goes down.
2. Enjoy hobbies or creative art as an instant vacation.
3. Look at the beauty around you and get pleasure from the small things you may have
stopped noticing.
4. Take mini‐vacations. Sometimes we forget that the park around the corner is a great
place to hang out. A walk outside can be a mini vacation if you choose to forget your
worries.
5. Reading a good book is an escape from reality. You have to imagine the sights, sounds,
and smells—you are somewhere else for a while.
Point 9: Release emotional tension.
Sometimes feelings become so overwhelming that we cram them all away in an imaginary box
and think we’ll deal with them later. But later, there’s so much stuff in the box that there is too
much to deal with. This can make your head feel as if it is spinning. Sometimes you get angry or
frustrated without even knowing why. You just know there is too much stuff going on in your
head. It’s good to pick just one problem to work on and forget the rest for the moment. When
we decide to deal with only one problem at a time, it’s much less scary to open the box.
5
Here are some ideas to release your thoughts or worries one at a time.





Creativity. People who have a way to express themselves don’t need to hold it inside.
Creative outlets like art, music, poetry, singing, dance, and rap are powerful ways to let
your feelings out.
Talking. Every young person deserves a responsible adult to talk to and some friends to
trust. Hopefully, you can talk to your parents. If you do not want to tell your parents
everything, make sure to find an adult who’ll listen and whom you can ask for advice.
Journaling. Write it out!
Prayer. Many young people find prayer or meditation helpful.
Laughing or crying. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions fully.
Part 4: Helping a little can make your world better . . . and help you
feel better.
Point 10: Contribute.
Young people who work to make the world better have a sense of purpose, feel good about
themselves, and handle their own problems better. It’s important to understand that you really
can make a difference in other people’s lives. The role of teenagers is to recognize the mistakes
adults have made and build a better world.
* * * *
Now that you have read about the kind of things a person can do to reduce stress, you may be
ready to create a plan for yourself. Just check off the ideas you think would work best for you.
There are spaces for you to write down your own ideas.
My Personal Stress Plan
Part 1: Tackling the Problem
Point 1: Identify and address the problem.
When I have too many problems, I will work on just one at a time. For example, I am going to
pick one huge problem and break it into smaller pieces.



I will seek advice from family members and learn from their experience how to better
handle problems.
I will take big assignments and learn to make lists or timelines
I will work in teams so that I will learn that when people work well together they can do
much more than if they each work alone.
6
Point 2: Avoid stress when possible.
I know that everyone has stress, but there are things that I could stay away from that really
stress me out. I will
Avoid certain people, like ________________
Avoid certain places, like_________________
Avoid certain things, like_________________
Avoid certain memories that create pain for me, like_________________
Point 3: Let some things go; so I can focus on others.
I realize that I waste some of my energy worrying about things I can’t fix. Here are some things
that I will try to let go, so I can focus on the problems I can change.
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
I know I waste some of my energy when I take things personally that really have nothing to do
with me. I am going to learn this lesson by remembering a time I did this and by choosing not to
repeat that mistake.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________
Part 2: Taking Care of My Body
Point 4: The Power of Exercise.
I will do something that makes my body work hard for at least 20 minutes every other day –
more is better. I know that strong bodies help people better deal with stress, and this will keep
me in shape. The kinds of things I like to do include
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
I can commit to ________minutes of exercise a day. If I have trouble focusing in school, I will try
exercising before school for ______minutes (recommended minimum 20) to see if it helps me
concentrate better.
7
I know that a really hard physical workout will help me calm down when I am feeling most
worried, stressed, or fearful. This is especially true when I can’t concentrate on my homework
because it feels like too much. The kinds of things I might do include
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Point 5: Active Relaxation.
I will try to teach my body to relax by using
Exercise that controls the body and releases tension like Tai Chi or boxing
Deep breathing
Yoga
Meditation
Warm, long baths or showers
Imagine I am someplace peaceful and relaxing. The place I could imagine myself being is
_______________________
Point 6: Eat well.
I know that having a healthy body helps people deal with stress better. I have already agreed to
exercise more. I understand that good nutrition also makes a difference in my health and how
well I deal with stress. The changes I am ready to make include
Eating a good breakfast
Skipping fewer meals
Drinking fewer sodas and sugary drinks
Drinking more water
Eating smaller portions
Eating less greasy meals or snacks
Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods
I will go to www.mypyramid.gov to learn more
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
8
Point 7: Sleep well.
I know that people who get a good night’s sleep do a better job of dealing with stress and do
better in school. For me to get the sleep I need, I will try to go to bed at ____:____.
I will consider the following plan to help me get the best night’s rest.








Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bed.
Exercise 5‐6 hours before bed.
Finish homework after exercise because I will be my calmest, clearest and most focused.
Take some time to relax or hang out after homework.
Shower or bathe 1 hour before bed.
Begin to dim the lights 30 minutes before bed
Let go of my emotional tension before bed in a place other than bed (see point 9). If I
am really troubled, I will do this earlier in the evening.
I will use my bed only for sleeping.
I will use another place to do some of the things I do in bed now.








I will
Stop reading in bed.
Stop doing homework in bed.
Stop watching television in bed.
Stop talking to my friends or instant messaging in bed.
Stop worrying in bed.
Dock my cell phone in a charger that is not in my bedroom
Deal with the things that stress me out by having a time to let go of my thoughts and
feelings in a place other than my bed.
Part 3: Managing My Emotions
Point 8: Take instant vacations.
Everyone needs to be able to escape problems for a while by taking an instant vacation. I will








Read a book.
Take a mini vacation to a local park or recreation center
Imagine I am someplace peaceful and relaxing. The place I could imagin…
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