Syllabus

 

Health 1110 - Stress Management
Syllabus

CREDIT: 3 credit hours
PREREQUISITES: None
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Michael Olpin

Course Description

This course exposes students to a holistic approach to stress management. It treats both cognitive (coping) skills and relaxation techniques with the intention of preventing and/or alleviating the physical symptoms of stress. 

 

Course Purpose
 The purpose of this course is to teach students the basic principles, theories and relaxation techniques to effectively manage personal stress. Students will gain a greater understanding of the mind-body relationship, learn to employ a holistic approach to stress and adopt effective cognitive, coping and relaxation techniques. Ultimately, students will experience a more effective approach to optimal lifelong health. The learning activities of the course are both theoretical and experiential.

Rationale
 More than 80% of all diseases and illnesses have a stress component. More than 90% of Americans deal with stress ineffectively. As health care costs continue to rise, more emphasis will be placed on each individual to accept the responsibility for his or her health. The application of effective strategies for stress reduction is a very important component of optimal health.

Required Materials

 

Click HERE to order the textbook (When you get to the page, type "Olpin" in the searchbox. You should be able to find the book from there).

 

The Stress Relief DVD should be found inside your textbook. You will need the DVD to complete many of the activities in the class.

Course Objectives: The student will have the opportunity to:
Understand the holistic nature (mind-body-spirit) of stress management and comprehend the mind-body connection of the stress and disease process
Master the basic understanding of the physiological mechanisms responsible for the fight-or-flight response and subsequent manifestations of various symptoms of target organ dysfunctions.
Understand the importance of using effective coping skills to resolve stressful perceptions and gain a sense of wholeness and inner peace by using these skills.
Learn about and experience several relaxation techniques and learn to integrate these techniques into your daily living habits to help you control stress and tension.
Participate in online class discussions.

Throughout the course we will treat the following topic areas:
The nature of stress including the physiology of stress and how stress affects human conditions
Psychological aspects of stress
The two main emotions of stress: fear and anger
Spiritual aspects of stress
Coping strategies
Values, goals and life direction
Cognitive restructuring
Behavior modification
Humor Therapy
Time Management
Exercise and Nutrition
Leisure & hobbies
Relaxation Techniques:

Personal Mission Statement - Developing Your Own Constitution
Students will go through the process of developing their own mission statement.

Time Management Program 
 Students will learn and use an effective time management program. 

Chapter Assignments
Each week of the semester students complete assignments for each chapter. These assignments will require reading the appropriate chapters and answering the questions. The assignments must be done during the week posted or earlier. They will not be available to complete after the week they are scheduled. They may be completed early.

Stress Relief DVD Deep Relaxation Exercises
You will use the Stress Relief DVD to practice deep and effective relaxation techniques. The dates for doing these can be accessed from the Assignments and Schedule page.

Book Review
A review of a book relating to stress management, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual health will be due by Lesson 12. The book will be chosen from the book list provided below, or you may present a book to the instructor for his approval.

 

The review will be submitted in the submission box in the book review assessment of Lesson 12. You will followthe the criteria listed below in your word processor and then paste it in the submission box.

 

The review should be in the following format: 3-4 typed pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. It should also include a cover page stating the title of the book, the author of the book, the date the book was published, the student's name, and the student's I.D. number.

 

Books you have to read (or have read) for other classes will not be permitted for this book review.

 

The content of the review should include a thorough analysis of the following:

The book review will be graded for completeness on the book and for grammar and spelling. You will be asked which book you have chosen by the third week of the class.

 

The Booklist can be found inside Lesson 2 and by clicking here:

 

http://faculty.weber.edu/molpin/healthclasses/1110/greatbooks.html

 

 

Stress Relief Final Paper
As part of the lesson 15, a final paper will be written primarily summarizing your experience of the relaxation techniques practiced during the semester and the other activities you participated in. The criteria for this paper can be found by following the link from the final week's assignments page.

 

Evaluation
Your grade will be calculated by the accumulation of points from the following items:

Personal Mission Statement
Time Management
Chapter Assignments 
Deep Relaxation DVD Exercises
Book Review
Fear Assignment
Mindfulness Exercise
Final Paper

20 points
20 points
200 points
80 points
50 points
25 points
25 points
30 points
Total 450 points

Grades are based on a percentage of the total possible points earned in the class.
The following total number of points are associated with the final grades.

93% and above A 
90% A- 
87% B  
83% B 
80% B- 
77% C  

 73% C 
70% C- 
67% D  
63% D 
60% D- 
less than 60% E 

Dive In!

A word about the nature of this class. Albert Einstein said, "Stupidity is most clearly demonstrated by the person who ridicules something he knows nothing about." Many topics and ideas in this class may be rather new and different from the thinking and activities you have grown up with. I will not be asking you to believe anything new in this class. I will ask you to suspend judgment about the things you see and hear, and the things that we discuss. Just let the ideas work in you and see what value they have for you. Regardless of how strange the ideas and activities might seem, they have been found to be useful in reducing stress, gaining greater control of our lives, and attaining greater levels of inner peace. If you choose to take this course, please allow yourself to dive in and get really wet. My commitment to you is that if you do, it may be the most valuable course you will ever take.

Important Information:
 Taking an online course requires independent study and self-motivation. Students who take this course are advised to follow the guidelines carefully to complete the coursework ON TIME. Since you are not meeting in a classroom setting, you will be required to complete the class AT THE PACE DIRECTED ON THE SCHEDULE. Do not let yourself get behind. There is no extra credit and late work will not be accepted. (I don't know how to emphasize this more emphatically.) 

Expect to spend the same amount of time working on this on-line course as you would an in-class course (this includes the time you would have actually spent in-class).

Late Work: No late work will be accepted. Any of the chapter's work may be completed earlier than the week scheduled on the syllabus. If you don't complete an assignment by the due date it will show up as a "0".

Extra Credit:   No extra credit happens in this class.

Academic Dishonesty: Any individual caught cheating on quizzes, plagiarizing or copying another person's homework will receive an automatic "E" for their final grade. Furthermore, a letter will go into the student's file describing the situation.

Students with Disabilities: "Any student requiring accommodations or serviced due to a disability must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Services Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including the syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary."

Dr. Michael Olpin.
Copyright 2007
Weber State University. 
All rights reserved.

 

Citation: jfrank. (2008, January 08). Syllabus. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from WSU Web site: http://ocw.weber.edu/health-promotion-and-human-performance/stress-management/HLTH1110/syllabus.
Copyright 2008, by the Contributing Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Creative Commons License