From Stress to Success
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Career Exploration |
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The field of stress management is expanding. Read about or interview two professionals from among the following: biofeedback consultant, sports trainer, relaxation therapist, massage therapist, recreation therapist, nutritionist/dietitian, yoga instructor, or physical therapist. Ask them about their field, how they were trained, and how they see their field expanding or changing in the next 10 years |
go to http://www.bls.gov/oco/ - the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook For hundreds of different types of jobs the Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you:
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Service Projects |
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Help the Brownies with Wow Water |
Saturday mid-day |
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Set up a time with your family members in which you can practice a relaxation or stress management technique together: for example, exercise, breathing techniques, prayer, listening to music, singing. Keep a record of everyone’s progress over a two- to three-month period. What changes do you notice in family interactions? |
Optional – try some of the free sites listed below |
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Skill Builders |
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Feelings of stress can be reduced by using relaxation techniques. Sit in a quiet, comfortable place. Close your eyes. Relax all your muscles, breathe slowly, and repeat the word "one" each time you exhale. Using a word helps to erase other thoughts. Continue this exercise of focusing on each exhalation for 10-15 minutes. Slowly open your eyes. How do you feel? Find time to do this exercise once a day for a week. |
We will do this at the end of the day, to guide us into a good night’s sleep |
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Effective time management is the ability to plan your time well. Such planning often eliminates stressful situations. Plan your time by creating a reasonable schedule for yourself for one week. Fit in each activity you hope to accomplish from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. Be sure to designate some time to practice relaxation techniques. Try it out. What were your results? What did you learn? |
Optional – using a calendar like Google Calendar or Outlook – or a paper calendar – or your notebook – keep track of your “things to do” |
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Make a list of the different methods people use to reduce stress, such as listening to music, soaking in a hot tub, or pursuing a hobby. Star those that would work for you and use one the next time you feel stressed. |
http://www.loyola.edu/campuslife/healthservices/counselingcenter/relaxation.html
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Technology |
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Hold a discussion at your troop or group meeting about the advantages and disadvantages of technology in today’s society. Questions to consider: Does the computer enslave us or does it reduce our workload? Is the increasing reliance on computers having negative as well as positive effects on our lives? Support your viewpoints with personal experiences. |
Saturday dinner conversation – what other questions can you ask about stress and technology |
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Take time to listen to the sounds in your environment. Describe and record the ones you find relaxing and the ones that make you feel tense. Listen to a variety of types of music and find pieces that evoke different emotions in you -- happiness, sorrow, anger, playfulness, etc. Record your feelings about each piece of music. Use tension-reducing music or sounds when you are feeling stressed, perhaps by making a tape recording of your favorite music or taking a walk outdoors |
http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/relaxation-downloads.html
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Muscles tense under stress, sometimes without our realizing it. Hunched shoulders from hours of studying, for example, can bring on shoulder and neck pains. Learn to monitor your body and relax tight muscles. Find a cassette tape with a recorded relaxation exercise on it that you can use, or record your own with instructions from a resource on relaxation exercises. |
We will end the day with a guided relaxation tape http://hws.edu/studentlife/media/CC%20Website%20Relax%20Bonnie.mp3 |
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