Stress Management Class by Amy Yang

Week 1: Self Assessment

amyyang12 — 2024-09-16 00:37:43 UTC

My assessment from last week provided me with important information on the specific causes of my stress, such as the demands of my classes and my challenges with managing my time to study for exams and homework. With this understanding, I can deal with these problems more skillfully. I'll commit to a regular workout schedule, trying to get in at least 30 minutes three times a week, to control my stress. My workout schedule can consist of riding a bike, jogging, or attending a fitness class. I'll plan these sessions in my calendar and use a fitness app to monitor my progress to make sure I'm consistent. I want to stay motivated and incorporate exercise easily into my schedule, so I try to pick fun things and go to group sessions for extra commitment.

By the end of the semester, I would like to have accomplished two stress management goals: I want to establish and follow a weekly routine by the end of the semester that achieves a balance between hanging out, free time, and academic work. I'll accomplish this by keeping track of my everyday activities with a planner or app, setting reasonable due dates for assignments, and making sure to start them early to minimize stress at the last minute. My second goal is to minimize stress and increase attention by implementing mindfulness or meditation into my everyday practice. By the end of the semester, I want to have been practicing mindfulness for at least ten minutes every morning.

Lastly, I will check in with a close friend weekly to provide support and encouragement as I work toward my stress management goals. They will help hold me accountable for staying on track and offer motivation when I feel overwhelmed.

Week 2

amyyang12 — 2024-09-24 01:31:46 UTC

This week, I plan to experiment with reframing negative thoughts to manage the stress that arises from feeling overwhelmed by academic duties. Reframing involves recognizing unhelpful or negative thoughts and deliberately substituting them with more positive and constructive alternatives.

For instance, instead of telling myself, "I’ll never finish this assignment," I will reframe it to, "I can break this assignment into smaller, manageable steps." At the end of each day, I will reflect on instances where I experienced stress or felt overwhelmed, as well as how I reframed my thoughts in those situations. I will keep a record of how this shift in perspective impacted my mood and stress levels.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I will rate my stress levels both before and after applying the reframing technique. I will also keep an eye on whether changing the way I think about my problems helps me stay focused and be more productive during the week when I work on my academic assignments. After the week, I will compare my stress ratings and look at my mental state to assess how effective the reframing strategy was. I'll choose whether to stick with this strategy or try something different based on the results.

amyyang12 — 2024-09-29 23:21:11 UTC

I planned some time last week to relax every day for five to ten minutes to reduce stress. I thought that by practicing in the mornings before my day started, I would foster a positive environment. I was able to meditate five days out of the seven. Although I missed two days because of busy mornings, I generally followed through on the promise I made. The meditation sessions turned out to be fairly helpful. I felt less stressed and calm on the days I meditated, especially when dealing with the demands of my studies. On the other hand, I felt rushed and under a little bit more stress on the days I skipped. I learned from this experience that even a short meditation session can have a big impact on my stress levels. I felt that I had improved my focus and my ability to deal with the demands of the day. In the future, even in times of time crunch, I want to make meditation a priority. I think developing this habit could significantly reduce my overall stress, especially as my coursework gets more demanding.

Week 4

amyyang12 — 2024-10-07 03:44:35 UTC

I'm determined to practice mindful eating this week. During my meals, I'll be fully engaged and truly enjoy the flavors, textures, and experiences. There will also be no TV or phone distractions, just a calm setting for me to eat.

In order to do this, I plan to pick particular meals, such as lunch and dinner, and focus on mindful eating. Set the table beautifully, turn down the lights, or turn on some relaxing music to create a relaxing environment.

I'll do the following when I practice mindful eating by eating slowly and enjoy each bite After finished, I will consider how the food makes me feel

I've developed techniques to deal with potential obstacles, like setting aside particular times for meals and designing a setting without any distractions eating space. I'll also let others know that I want to eat thoughtfully so they can help me by avoiding influencing too much when I'm eating. My goal this week is to improve my mindful eating practice by being clear about my goals and being ready for any obstacles that may happen.