HPEA-155: Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management

School
Health and Human Services
Division
Fitness & Wellness
Department
Fitness Leadership
Academic Level
Undergraduate
Course Subject
Health & Physical Education
Course Number
155
Course Title
Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management
Credit Hours
2.00
Instructor Contact Hours Per Semester
32.00 (for 15-week classes)
Student Contact Hours Per Semester
32.00 (for 15-week classes)
Grading Method
A-E
Catalog Course Description

Covers stress and its effects on the body. Emphasizes ways to reduce stress such as Yogic breathing, meditation, and other relaxation techniques. Discusses time and money management; conflict resolution and effective communication; resolving anxiety; a healthy diet, and how to incorporate these into one’s lifestyle.

Goals, Topics, and Objectives

Goal Statement

To effectively learn how to incorporate various skills and techniques for managing stress into one’s everyday life.

Core Course Topics
  1. Stress
    • Define and explain stress, stressors and their effects on the body. (stress management)
  2. Journaling
    • Create and write a personal mission statement.* (stress management)
    • Keep a log of thoughts, feelings and ideas in words and pictures. (stress management)
  3. Relaxation Techniques Overview
    • Explain and practice Yoga breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visual imagery, and humor for stress management. (stress management)
  4. Physical Activity and Exercise
    • Explain the effects of physical activity for stress management. (fitness)
    • Choose and practice effective activities for managing stress. (fitness)
  5. Diet
    • Explain and practice healthy diet choices for managing stress. (diet and disease prevention)
  6. Effective Communication
    • Analyze current ways of communicating, and develop skills for effective listening, empathizing, being assertive, and communicating with clarity.* (stress management)
  7. Anger Management and Problem Solving
    • Analyze current approaches to solving problems, dealing with anger and resolving conflicts and develop ways of improving problem solving, resolving conflict and managing anger.* (stress management)
  8. Anxiety
    • Examine current level of anxiety, develop coping mechanisms, and practice ways to reduce anxiety.* (stress management)
  9. Time Management
    • Analyze current use of time, and formulate goals, establish priorities, and create a realistic schedule. (stress management)
    • List barriers to time management and time wasters. (stress management)
  10. Money Management
    • Analyze current spending and create a budget.* (stress management)
    • Set goals for short, medium and long term. (stress management)

Assessment and Requirements

Assessment of Academic Achievement
  • Assignment: define and explain stress, list personal stressors, and explain their effects on the body.
  • Assignment: keep a log throughout the term and journal thoughts, feeling, and ideas in words and pictures and create a personal mission statement.
  • Movement exam: illustrate Yoga and other deep breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation.
  • Assignment: explain the effects that physical activity have on managing stress and formulate a plan for incorporating a chosen activity into one's life.
  • Assignment: record daily diet and compare against a selected standard. Make recommendations for improvement.
  • Class work: role play to practice listening, empathizing, assertiveness and communicating with clarity. Assignment: Write an assertive letter as a consumer or citizen.
  • Class work: using selected approaches and models, practice role playing to manage anger, creatively solve problems, and effectively resolve conflicts.
  • Assignment: log contexts of anxiety and develop ways to handle effectively.
  • Assignment: formulate short, medium and long term goals, establish a daily schedule with priorities and implement. Examine personal barriers to effectively managing time and make adjustments for improvement.
  • Assignment: analyze personal spending habits and budget. Construct short, medium and long term money goals and design a savings plan to ascertain everything on the goal's lists as well as an efficient budget.

Assessment Plan for Wellness General Education Outcome

  • Faculty will develop an assessment tool to evaluate the three areas of Wellness necessary to establish a positive pattern of lifelong wellness choices.
  • The assessment tool will be administered at the beginning and end of the course.
  • A minimum of two sections of each course will be randomly selected for evaluation.
  • The assessment tool will be given in the fall, 2013 and data will be evaluated in the winter, 2014.
  • Recommendations for changes will be implemented in the fall, 2014.

Outcomes

Satisfies Wellness Requirement
Yes
Satisfies Honors Requirements
No

Credit for Prior College-Level Learning

Options for Credit for Prior College-Level Learning
Other
Other Details

Determined by department

Effective Term
Summer 2014