Select a stressful situation or event of personal interest to you that can be related to our course content, and will require creative
problem solving in order to reduce or eliminate the stress.
Examples of a stressful situation or event might be:
Work overload; addictive habit; personality/emotional/behavioral issues; financial issues; difficult relationship; lack of organization;
housing issues; study/student/work issues; health/medical issues, break-up/relationship event; relocating; job interview; job loss; etc.
Though a personal situation or relationship of yours – past or present – is preferable because it will be personally applicable (thus
helpful) to you, you are not restricted to a personal experience in order to complete this paper of creative stress management. Strongly
consider something that is applicable to you.
The following is a good strategic plan which you can use as a guideline to create your paper.
1. 1. Define the Problem, and how and why it is a source of stress to you (be as specific as you can). This can be a problem that pertains
to you (or doesn’t), either past or present or even future.
2. 2. Generate solution ideas, i.e., techniques that can be used to manage the stress associated with the problem. Using the Stress Model
continuum that we discussed in class, come up with viable stress management interventions – at least one or two from the LIFE SITUATION
level of stress management and another one or two viable interventions from the COGNITIVE APPRAISAL level of stress management. Be sure to
clearly identify which level each strategy generates from (life situation, cognitive appraisal). Also give one or two SUPPORTIVE
INTERVENTIONS on the EMOTIONAL AROUSAL level and another one or two interventions from the PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL level to further help
reduce or eliminate the stress. Be sure to label the supportive techniques according to the stress model level that they represent as
well. Keep in mind that in general, solutions on the “life situation” and “cog appraisal” levels are more dynamic than solutions on the
“emotional arousal” and “physiological arousal” levels, which are typically supportive and back-up techniques to assist in reducing
stress.
3. Summary – After you have described the stressful situation (or event, or person, or behavior, etc.) and clearly displayed the various
techniques (what we have been calling “interventions” or “roadblocks”) along the Stress Model that could be used to reduce or eliminate
the stress, summarize your thoughts and relate it to what you have learned from this course, and what you have learned about yourself
through this course. Which of the stress-reducing techniques that you described would work best for you? Are you able to use techniques on
all the levels to help solve your stress? If you are drawing from personal experience, use past or future tense to explain how you will
(or have already) handled the stressor.
If this is a situation you have already confronted, then evaluate and analyze the action plan (for instance, what technique(s) did you use
and how did it work? Could you have handled the situation differently?) If you are not drawing from past experience, then predict how you
think the plan might work.
Remember, there are always various good ways to solve a problem that is causing stress. Usually all you need to do is spend some time
working at it from different directions (and different levels along the stress model) until a number of viable solutions surface, and
typically we use them all, with one that works better than most and becomes the method with the most impact. Sometimes we have to try a
number of different strategies in order to succeed (for instance, anyone who has successfully quit smoking has probably tried more than
one method before successfully quitting).
The paper should be about 3 pages or so (minimum), size #11 font and space-and-a-half between lines (like this one). Small (no more than
1”) margins. Follow APA style format.
Be sure your written work has a clear and appropriate beginning, development, and conclusion. Paragraphing and transitions should also be
clear and appropriate, to guide the reader (me) through the chain of reasoning or progression of ideas. The length of written work should
be sufficient to cover the topic with no major errors in word selection and sentence structure. And – I’m a stickler for this – almost
entirely free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors (remember… almost entirely free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical
errors!!!!). Certainly, be sure you demonstrate knowledge of the Model of Stress continuum, and where along the continuum the stress-
busting techniques you described are placed.
Also demonstrate your increased self-knowledge in the area of stressors that trigger you and how you might now use your knowledge to keep
your