Focusing On Your Mental Health
Established on April 17, 2023
UI Design, Instructional Course Design
What is 'Stress Management Training'?
Stress Management Training is an online course designed to comprehensively understand stress, effective stress relief methods, and the scientific principles underlying stress management. It aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and tools to mitigate stress and improve overall well-being. However, Learners looking for a concrete clinical research study or seeking professional help with mental issues, such as eating disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, etc., are unsuitable for the lesson.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and didn't want to do anything? It can be a signal telling that you are stressed. No need to worry, we are here with you.
Early Brainstorming Phrase:
Target Audiences Planned in Research Phrase
The primary focus of this course is on students who grapple with stress from academic pressures, including school assignments, maintaining a high GPA, and dealing with peer pressure. The course addresses their specific challenges and offers practical solutions. We also welcome individuals facing stress-related issues in various aspects of life, and we provide valuable insights and techniques to help them manage stress effectively. For those seeking immediate stress relief and practical application of stress management methods, this course offers a convenient and accessible resource. By the end of this course, participants will be better equipped to identify stressors, employ practical stress relief strategies, and make informed decisions to enhance their overall well-being and productivity.​
Needs and Problems Defined in Research Phrase
There is a list of needs and problems for the learners who may get benefits from the course, including fellow types:
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Individuals who struggle to focus when concentrating on their work or school tasks due to emotional distractions primarily from stress. The issue has negatively impacted their productivity and effectiveness in academic and/ or professional performance.
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Some individuals may have experienced short-term improvements in work performance when stress levels are elevated. However, the long-term consequences of chronic stress can harm mental health and overall well-being.
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Learners require strategies and guidance to strike a balance between harnessing focus for short-term benefits without becoming overwhelmed. They need to understand how to utilize stress effectively.
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People facing prolonged periods of stress need access to proven methods and techniques to address and manage their stress effectively. Finding solutions to long-term stress is crucial for maintaining mental and physical health.
Early Ideas on Learning Goal and Learning Objectives
Learning Goal
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The learners will be able to develop the most ideal stress management plan based on the techniques provided in training and practice the skills throughout the processes.
Learning Objectives -
The learners will be able to learn stress-relief strategies in order to manage stress.
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The learners will customize a stress management routine based on the provided resources, explain the selections, and share their thoughts.
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The learners will be able to list their short-term and long-term stress and determine what has been struggling with them and what would be the best way to solve the ‘problems.’
Need Assessment in Research Phrase
The learner may encounter a significant motivation deficit, as they are acutely aware of being caught in the stress cycle and are eager to address it before it escalates into more severe issues such as depression and anxiety.
This raises the question of potential knowledge gaps, given the abundance of stress relief methods available in the market that appear to be ineffective for many individuals. Moreover, my research and exposure to expert videos on stress management have revealed some misconceptions I held about stress, prompting me to redefine the concept. I am eager to share these insights with my learners while also gathering and identifying effective stress-relief techniques.
Task Analysis in Research Phrase
Having overcome personal experiences of depression and anxiety, I have gained a profound understanding of how stress can serve as a gateway to severe mental and health-related issues. This personal journey has kindled my passion for exploring stress management extensively and delving into pertinent literature to fortify my defenses against a recurrence of mental challenges. Consequently, stress has become closely interlinked with various psychological subjects, including anxiety and depression, although my training's primary focus remains to assist individuals in effectively managing stress.
It is essential to acknowledge the limitations of this training. It is not intended for individuals grappling with severe depression and anxiety; seeking professional help is imperative.
To enhance my understanding of stress, I will diligently explore various external resources, such as videos, articles, and books authored by experts in the field. This knowledge acquisition will enable me to develop the necessary skills and insights before imparting this valuable lesson. I plan to incorporate the following resources include:
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Articles:
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"14 Tips for Beating End-of-Semester Stress" - New York University (nyu.edu)
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"Stress Relief: 18 Highly Effective Strategies for Relieving Stress" - Verywell Mind (verywellmind.com)
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"Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress" - Mayo Clinic
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"21 Stress Management Techniques To Help You Relax Fast" - EmailAnalytics (emailanalytics.com)
Websites:
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National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - New York City Metro Chapter - Diagnoses & Mental Health Overview (naminycmetro.org)
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REXULTI® (rexulti.com) - Information on treating major depressive disorder
Additional Online Resources:
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"Pros and Cons of Stress" - My Solluna (mysolluna.com)
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"Learning About Stress and Its Effects" - Vail Health Foundation (vailhealthfoundation.org)
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"Stress Management" - Integrated Peace Arts (integrated-peace-arts.org)
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Project Healthy Minds (projecthealthyminds.com) - Resource for anxiety symptoms and assessment
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"Can Stress at Work Affect Cognitive Performance?" - Cambridge Cognition (cambridgecognition.com)
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"Cognitive Distortions and Stress" - Verywell Mind (verywellmind.com)
Videos:
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"How to make stress your friend" - Kelly McGonigal on YouTube
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"How to channel your stress to help you succeed" - Heidi Hanna on TEDxSDSU (Bing video)
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"How stress is killing us (and how you can stop it)" - Thijs Launspach on TEDxUniversiteitVanAmsterdam (Bing video)
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"How to stay calm when you know you'll be stressed" - Daniel Levitin on Bing video
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"How to protect your brain from stress" - Niki Korteweg on TEDxAmsterdamWomen on YouTube
Books:
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"Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure" by Robert De Board (Goodreads)
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"Mindfulness for Stress Management: 50 Ways to Improve Your Mood and Cultivate Calmness" by Robert Schacter (Amazon.com)
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"The Stress Solution" by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee (drchatterjee.com)
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These diverse resources will enhance my knowledge and expertise in stress management, enabling me to provide valuable insights and guidance to learners seeking effective stress relief techniques.
Feedbacks Received Based On The Early Idea.
Design Phrase:
Essential Audiences of the Course: Individuals Who Suffer from Stress and Their Relatives Who Want to Learn How to Help Their Loved Ones.
I have battled mental health challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, during my undergraduate years, while many relatives of mine have suffered from mental illnesses. Among our common experiences, I realized that being overly stressed is one of the key emotions we all have suffered but chosen to ignore for years; stresses kept growing and worsening, which has gradually become some serious mental illnesses. I am so grateful for all the support I have received from the therapists and my friends and family, and I am fortunate enough to be aware that the leading cause of my mental illnesses is overload stress.
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There is a common misconception about stress among people, which is perceived as an 'usual' emotion that everyone must cope with. Many of us opt to suppress these negative feelings without seeking professional help until we reach a point of burnout.
However, many people without support from their peers and loved ones may never be heard or understood, worsening the situation. Therefore, I want to give a lesson about stress from a scientific perspective and help the patients and their relatives better understand the importance of managing their stress and why they need support.
In addition, people who experience stress can have issues with paying attention to the content and memorizing it, and an exam would add additional stress to them, therefore, I have decided to remove midterms or exams in this course, but several entertaining scenarios and interactivities will allow them to evaluate the lessons independently.
Google Site to Present the Ideas to Peers.
Revised Learning Goal and Learning Objectives
Learning Goal
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The learners will be able to determine their challenges, develop an ideal stress management plan based on the techniques provided in training, and practice the skills throughout the processes with the interactive sections.
Learning Objectives -
The learners will be able to practice the 4A's in real life and establish a habit of writing stress diaries.
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The learners will customize a stress management routine based on the provided resources, explain the selections, and share their thoughts.
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The learners will be able to list their short-term and long-term stress and determine what has been struggling with them and what would be the best way to solve the 'problems.'
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I really like the topic! The problem you are dealing with is indeed a big issue for modern people and would be helpful if we know how to solve the problem. There are many interactive designs which are engaging and interesting. For the assessment in lesson 1 (at the end of the page), I'm wondering if "stress can be both positive and negative depends on the situation" is also correct. Also, I'd suggest move the "flip cards to see definition of..." above the cards so learners get the hint first. For lesson 2, there are many jargons and I'm not sure if you should include them. Maybe more explanations are needed. I believe lesson 3 is the most important of the course which guides us to conquer the stress. Really looking forward to see how it goes!
Sherry Chu
Love the clear structure! The intro paragraph feels related to my days, just a little bit too many questions to read. I like the stree management topic and would love to take a better look of your course! The learning objectives are clear and doable for me. Your course utilized multimedia to deliver the information, making it fun and informative. The knowledge test methods are having a great variety. Overall, love it!
Yuning Gao
One of the cleanest designs of the day! I really found it pleasing to look at and I wish mine could be as sleek as this design. I think you have identified such an important need within the student community! The transition into student life is hectic and learning the proper tools early on is so important, not just for managing your academic journey but also your adult work-life balance going forward. I think you made very good use of visual elements and also interactive elements! One thing I would have loved to see is video elements here and there (or at least conceptual placeholders!). That is my only advice. Otherwise, I think ou have done an excellent job Wai Ting. I would totally take this course!
PS: Loved the fact that there is no assessment. Good touch and the learner will appreciate that!
Wilhelm
Revised Task Analysis and Completed Content of the Course
The course was separated into four lessons, including an introduction to stress, the stressors ( what causes stresses from scientific research), an introduction and utilization of the 4 A’s of stress framework, and practical strategies for stress reduction.
Lesson 1: What is Stress? Definition of Stress.
The purpose of lesson one is to give students an overview of stress, including different types of stress and symptoms of it. The lesson allows our learners to evaluate their stress levels to gain awareness of whether they lack knowledge about stress and need to start taking care of their mental health.
Lesson 2: What Causes Stress? Let’s Talk About Science.
From my previous experiences, many people cannot determine the stress-causing factors or stressors. Have you ever heard a patient say, ‘I used to be so happy; what happened to me now? ’ What is wrong with me?’ ‘Nothing has changed. Does that mean I am the problem?’ Nope! The lesson aims to tell the learners that many factors can cause stress, which is not necessarily their problem or issue, and it can change. I think showing the scientific facts and data can show my support to the people who may have been through a hard time, making the topic more encouraging and conveying to our learners.
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Lesson 3: Stress Relief - The 4 A's of Stress - Steps We Need To Take
After gaining awareness and building up a new definition of stress, I dived deeper into the steps to reduce stress or what to do when a stressful situation happens.
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Lesson 4: Stress Relief - Effective Strategies for Relieving Stress
In this chapter, I have introduced a lot of strategies, including stress diaries/ journaling, defining the healthy behavior for dealing with stress, and ending the course with a scenario that allows learners to test out the strategies and skills they have just obtained.
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References:
Trenton, N. (2021). Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present. Publisher.
Ajmera.R. (2021, June 18). Symptoms of stress: 10 signs you're feeling stressed. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/symptoms-of-stress
Shawna Freshwater, Ph.D. (2018, Jan 17) 3 types of stress and their health hazards. https://spacioustherapy.com/3-types-stress-health-hazards/#:~:text=According%20to%20American%20Psychological%20Association,%2C%20duration%2C%20and%20treatment%20approaches.
National Library of Medicine. (2022, March 2). Stress and your health. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003211.htm
University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.). Health Encyclopedia. Journaling for Mental Health. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1
Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, May 6). Watch out for unhealthy responses to stress. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/watch-out-for-unhealthy-responses-to-stress
Jennifer Acosta Scott, Medically reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD. (2021, April 26). Risks of Taking Sleeping Pills. Everyday Health. https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/risks-taking-sleeping-pills/
Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD. (2021, May 5). Understanding the Side Effects of Sleeping Pills. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/understanding-the-side-effects-of-sleeping-pills
Elizabeth Scott, PhD. ( 2020, June 25). Use Guided Imagery For Relaxation. https://www.verywellmind.com/use-guided-imagery-for-relaxation-3144606
Mayo Clinic. (n.d) Mindfulness exercises: See how mindfulness helps you live in the moment. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
Elizabeth Scott, PhD. ( 2022, October 19). 18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies. https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195
Johns Hopkins Medicine. ( n.d ) Aromatherapy: Do Essential Oils Really Work https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-really-work
Anna Delamerced, BA, Cia Panicker, MD, Kristina Monteiro, PhD, Erica Y. Chung, M.D. (2021, March 01). Effects of a Poetry Intervention on Emotional Wellbeing in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients. https://publications.aap.org/hospitalpediatrics/article/11/3/263/26172/Effects-of-a-Poetry-Intervention-on-Emotional?autologincheck=redirected
Crystal Raypole, Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD. (2021, January 29 ) How to Use Drawing as a Coping Tool for Anxiety https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/anxiety-drawing
Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/ MHSP, Medically reviewed by Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS (2022, May 23) How Constantly Being Busy Affects Your Well-Being. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-the-glorification-of-busyness-impacts-our-well-being-4175360
Mayo Clinic Health (2021, March 8) The 4 A's of stress relief, https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/the-4-as-of-stress-relief
PainScale (n.d.) The 4 A’s of Stress Management, https://www.painscale.com/article/the-4-a-s-of-stress-management
Psych2Go (2021, May 7) 6 Daily Habits to Reduce Stress & Anxiety, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o18I23HCQtE
Results
Although the course was reviewed by potential users, to gather more concrete information on what improvements can be made in the future, I have used heuristic evaluation to evaluate the completion of the course.
Visibility of the System Status
The users can always follow the course and track where they are within the system using the navigation tools on the left. In addition, every section ended with a quick self-evaluation question and an inspiring quote, which the matching placement can also be helpful regarding the visibility of the system status.
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Match Between the System and the Real World
The metaphors used throughout the course have highly corresponded to the concepts and objects in the real world. For instance, it asks the students to click on the boxes if they have ever experienced the listed symptoms of being stressed. Another example can be seen in lesson 4, where the scenario was designed based on frustrations provided by the potential users in interviews and surveys which I have asked them to test on the course and scenario after it is complete, and the feedback is quite positive.
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User Control and Freedom
Users can assess other lessons at any time when they need to, and they can exit the lesson and jump back in to see the percentage of completion they have done for the class. In addition, the users can scroll up or down to review the sections that they are interested in.
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Consistency and Standards
Every lesson includes an inspiring quote to encourage potential users who may currently suffer from stress and need positive words to brighten them. Also, every class ends with interactivity, allowing students to recall the key terms of the section and review what they have learned.
Recoginition Rather than Recall
Lessons and their completion progress were displayed on the left of the site as they moved forward in different sections. The learners will not lose track of returning to the previous lessons. With the given options, they may return to where they left behind, even if they pause for a few days without looking at the course. In addition, there are friendly notifications with instructions directing the users on how to get access to the content, such as 'click the cards to reveal definitions of the words' etc.
Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
Between each lesson, there are dividers with notifications reminding the users that they have reached the end of the lesson, and are about to start another section. It helps them to jump back and forth with the content, by simply scrolling up or down the page.
Help Users Recognise, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors
When the users are given a wrong answer to the interactivity sections, there is an animation effect of 'bouncing,' displays an 'X' error next to the incorrect selections, and marks the correct one with detailed explanations.
What Improvements Can We Make?
Error Prevention
Although it may not occur frequently for our instructional course, especially since we only have multiple-choice questions and do not offer open-ended questions, allowing users to type in their answers, an error notification should be designed ahead of time.
Aesthetic and Minimalist design
Due to restricted time in designing the website and collecting resources, some of the resources were from experts and third-party officials, who are professional but can cause issues with diminished visibility.
Help and Documentations
There should be a platform where users can ask questions and/ or report any issues they may experience.
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