PSYC 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Relaxation Technique, Learned Helplessness
15 Jun 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Stress Management
• Reducing Potentials for stress
o Lifestyle factors
▪ Exercise
• Physiological effects
• Change in focus
• Improves mood
• Fitness and NE response to stress
▪ Balanced meals
▪ Reduce caffeine, alcohol
▪ Regular sleep
o Personal control
▪ Belief that one has control over a situation.
▪ E.g.
• Job stress study
• Noise blasts study
• Elderly people and plants
▪ Pervasive lack of control: learned helplessness
▪ Prepare for the stressor
• E.g., surgery
▪ Too much information/preparation not always beneficial
• Time management
o Setting goals
▪ SMART goals
o Making to do lists
o Making daily schedules
• Relaxation training
o Overall Goal: Decrease sympathetic arousal, increase parasympathetic activity
o Specific techniques:
▪ Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Jacobson, 1938)
▪ Mindfulness Meditation (Benson, Relaxation Response, 1974; Kabat-Zinn,)
▪ Biofeedback
• Progressice muscle relaxation
o Learn difference between tension and relaxation of muscles
o Ultimate goal is to relax on cue, without first tensing
• MBSR and mindfulness meditation
o Focus on breathing or object (e.g., candle) or activity (e.g., walking) or word (e.g., om)
o Be aware of each moment
o If get distracted, return to focus of attention
• Biofeeback
o Provide biological feedback
o E.g.:
