Self Study Paper Essays - Human Behavior, Mindfulness, Psychology

Self Study Paper Essays - Human Behavior, Mindfulness, Psychology A Self-Study: Mindfulness as Means of Reducing Stress Levels Leaha Severson Psych 6104: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Counselling Yorkville University Abstract Graduate studies, while rewarding, add a level of stress to one's life which already has many levels of stress. It can be challenging to balance academic responsibilities, family dynamics, work obligations and social commitments, let alone other random stressors that may appear. The curre nt self-study aims to conclude whether daily mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and increase time spent on academics for a 28-year-old, female, graduate student. The Lazarus Stress Theory along with the Preventative Stress Management Theory suggest that stress is perceived and based on one's appraisal of the stressors they encounter ( Krohne 2002; Quick et al, 2006) . An adapted Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1994) was used to collect data on perceived stress levels . The conclusions of this self-study are that daily mindfulness intervention may not have a direct impact on perceived stress levels but can increase resiliency in the participant. Keywords: stress, mindfulness, resiliency, coping. A Self-Study: Mindfulness as Means of Reducing Stress Levels Graduate studies, while rewarding, add a level of stress to one's life which already has many levels of stress. It can be challenging to balance academic responsibilities, family dynamics, work obligations and social commitments, let alone other random stressors that may appear. Timothy Melchert brings up the concept of b iopsychosocial factors in his book titled, Foundations of Professional Psychology, where he explains that there are many factors from different areas of one's life - biological, psychological, or social - that contribute to one's well-being ( Melchert , 2011). The question that arises is if stress can be managed through daily mindfulness interventions thus increasing productivity and focused time on graduate studies. Stress is , obviously , a factor contributing overall academic success and if left unmanaged could have debilitating biopsychosocial effects ( Melchert , 2011, p.34). That Lazarus Theory of Stress has for many years been a well-renowned theory on psychological stress. According to Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel- Schetter , DeLongis Gruen (1986), a ny psychological stress theory must include two concepts, appraisal and coping. Krohne (2002) explains appraisal, as an "individuals' evaluation of the significance of what is happening for their well-being, and coping as an individuals' efforts in thought and action to manage specific demands (as cited in Lazarus 1993). Lazarus Theory of S tress has seen many revisions since its conception in 1979 however in "the latest version (see Lazarus 1991), stress is regarded as a relational concept, i.e., stress is not defined as a specific kind of external stimulation nor a specific pattern of physiological, behavioral, or subjective reactions" ( Krohne , 2002, p. 3) . This definition points to the relationship between one's environment and their ability to cope or the coping strategies available to them. In addition to the psychological aspects of stress, s tress can have many physi ological effects. Quick et al. (1997) define the stress response as the "generalized, patterned, unconscious mobilization of the body's natural resources when confronted with a demand or stressor" (p. 3). Hargrove, Quick, Nelson Quick (2011), describe " four mind-body changes that characterize the stress response via the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system: 1) Redirection of the blood to the brain and large muscle gro ups allows the body to prepare physiologically for a legitimate emergency. 2) The reticular activating system in the brain stem is activated, resulting in a heigh tened sense of alertness and increased sensory awareness. 3) Release of glucose and fatty acids as fuel to sustain the individual during the response. 4) A shutting down of the digestive, restorative and immune systems in order to make more resources available for the emergency response" (p. 184). These are considered normal human responses to stress. In the Preventative Stress Management Theory (TPSM) there can be positive and negative responses to stress. Negative stress is the "physiological, behavioural and/or psychological deviation from healthy functioning resulting from a stress response" (Quick et al., 2006, p. 217). Graduate studies, like stated before, can impose many stressors. For example, a looming due date would evoke a physiological response such as the redirection of blood