Step 1
Watch and/or read the transcripts from the following 3 Ted Talks. As you engage with the material, take some notes of the following:
Stress is feeling and it is also a hardwired physical response. When the human brain perceives stress – what happens to us physically?
How does the human psychological response (emotional reaction) to stress influence the physical impact of stress?
Video #1 (3.04 minutes)
“Stress isn’t always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you’re playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it’s continuous, it actually begins to change your brain.” Madhumita Murgia shows how chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes.
Video #2 (4.27 minutes)
“Our hard-wired stress response is designed to give us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn’t all good. When activated too long or too often, stress can damage virtually every part of our body. Sharon Horesh Bergquist gives us a look at what goes on inside our body when we are chronically stressed.”
Video #3 (14:13 minutes)
“Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.”
Step 2
Read Social Support and Stress Reduction and take some notes on the following:
Explain how social support is vital in health and longevity
Identify common stress reduction techniques
Step 3
Reflect on what you learned from Steps 1 & 2 and apply this knowledge to your own life. Write a minimum of 3 paragraphs (minimum 150 words per paragraph) that contain the following. Remember to include your references at the bottom of your paragraphs submission and use either APA style or our Easy Referencing Style.
* 1st Paragraph – teach us what you have learned from Step 1
When the human brain perceives stress – what happens to us physically? (Provide at least 3-5 specific examples)
How does the human psychological response (emotional reaction) to stress influence the physical impact of stress? (Be as specific as possible and use examples)
* 2nd Paragraph – teach us what you have learned from Step 2
Explain how social support is vital in health and longevity (Be as specific as possible and use examples)
Identify common stress reduction techniques (Provide at least 3-5 specific examples)
*3rd Paragraph – Do some additional research and reflect on your own life. Connect your understandings of stress response and coping techniques to your own experience. Including the following:
What are your major stressors? (Remember, stressors are not necessary “bad things” (e.g., job loss, illness, heartbreak…) stressors are any environmental stimuli that require our bodies to respond to a change (e.g., family responsibilities, parenting, social activities, academic goals, job promotion, moving to a new home….)
Do you think our culture impacts our relationship with stress? Explain
Prior to this course, how were you taught to deal with life stressors? Did you learn healthy coping skills or unhealthy coping skills?
Do you believe you have good resiliency skills to deal with stress? Why/Why Not?
What strategies for stress reduction are ones that you have not tried yet? What strategies would you recommend for others to try that you have found successful?
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