1. Managing Stress 8E Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. Unless otherwise noted, all images were supplied by Brian Luke Seaward. Credit: © Inspiration Unlimited. Used with permission.

2. Section III Effective Coping Strategies “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.” — Richard Bach, Author of Illusions Quotation reprinted from Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. Copyright © 1977 by Richard Bach. Used by permission of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. Any third party use of this material, outside of this publication, is prohibited. Interested parties must apply directly to Random House LLC for permission.

3. Effective Coping Strategies —Richard Lazarus 1. To reduce harmful environmental conditions 2. To tolerate/adjust negative events 3. To maintain a positive self-image 4. To maintain emotional equilibrium Purpose:

4. Effective Coping Strategies For a coping technique to be effective it must: 1. Help increase awareness of the situation 2. Augment the information processing of stress 3. Help modify any related stress-prone behaviors 4. Work toward a peaceful resolution of the stressor

5. “Everything can be taken away from man but one thing—the last human freedom, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” —Viktor Frankl, Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor Reproduced from: "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl. Coypright © 1959, 1962, 1984, 1992 by Viktor E. Frankl. Reprinted by permission of Beacon Press, Boston and the Viktor Frankl Institute. Quotation reproduced from Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. Coypright © 1959, 1962, 1984, 1992 by Viktor E. Frankl. Reprinted by permission of Beacon Press, Boston and the Viktor Frankl Institute.

6. Theories of Cognitive Reappraisal Albert Ellis: Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy Martin Seligman: Positive Psychology

7. A Thinking Process Model

8. Figure 9.1. The information processing model of human thought.

9. Reframing Reframing is a term used to describe a positive mind frame of a stressful event. It’s not a denial or a Pollyanna delusion. Rather it is an exercise in ego detachment from the unmet emotional expectation.

10. Two Minds Are Better Than One Unconscious Resistance: Mental Sabotage

11. Two Minds Are Better Than One Positive affirmations only work when the unconscious mind is united with the conscious mind!

12. Toxic Thoughts Toxic thoughts are a form of negative self- defeating self-talk, a form of ego-generated pessimism that often sabotages our best efforts.

13. Toxic Thoughts lead to... Victim Consciousness

14. Figure 9.3. The programming which develops as “unconscious resistance” can originate from parents, grandparents, or even ourselves over and over and over again. Source: © Randy Glasbergen, used with permission from www.glasbergen.com

15. Cognitive Distortion 1. All-or-none thinking 2. Over-generalizations 3. Mental filter 4. Disqualifying the positive 5. Jumping to conclusions by David Burns

16. Cognitive Distortion 6. Magnification 7. Emotional reasoning 8. Should statements 9. Labeling and mislabeling 10. Personalization by David Burns

17. PQ: Positive Intelligence

18. © Randy Glasbergen, used with permission from www.glasbergen.com

19. Figure 9.4. In this photo, a recording of opera singer Luciano Pavarotti voice is projected into a small sample of water revealing a stunning harmonic pattern. It is suggested that thoughts and words hold vibrations that are either harmonious or discordant to our health. Source: © 2002 Alexander Lauterwasser. Reprinted with permission from Water Sound Images. © 2005 MACROmedia Publishing, Newmarket, NH. Available at: www.cymaticsource.com

20. Text Figure 9.5. According to some experts, the unconscious mind doesn’t acknowledge negative thoughts, which is why positive affirmation statements are best stated in the affirmative.

21. The Choice to Choose Our Own Thoughts

22. Acceptance: An Alternative Choice

23. Steps to Initiate Cognitive Restructuring 1. Awareness (of toxic thoughts) 2. Reappraisal of the situation 3. Adoption and substitution 4. Evaluation (of new thought processes)

24. Some Additional Tips for Cognitive Restructuring 1. Initiate a relaxation technique to calm your mind 2. Take responsibility for your own thoughts 3. Fine-tune expectations 4. Give yourself positive affirmations 5. Accentuate the positive