Explain the impact of religion and spirituality, as it pertains to health and stress management…

Explain the impact of religion and spirituality, as it pertains to health and stress
management. Use the text as a minimum to support this relationship.
Religion has remained popular despite the advancements in technology. Religion
plays an important role when individuals experience suffering. Posttraumatic growth is
positively linked to religion and spirituality. Religion and spirituality can have a positive or
negative impact on health and stress management (Jawaid, 2014). Spirituality refers to the
most vital concerns in life. When an individual gets ill, they experience stress due to the
life changes that they experience. The individual actively seeks solutions to the problems
that they might be experiencing. In cases where individuals experience difficulties related
to healing, they turn to spiritual healing (Jawaid, 2014). People who may not have been
religious in the past begin to look towards spirituality for healing. Religion and spirituality
are thus used as methods of coping. Studies have shown that patients may experience less
psychological distress if they connect with God. Spirituality and religion give patients the
much-needed hope in times of despair (Jawaid, 2014).
One factor related to spirituality and religion is spiritual health. Spiritual health
alludes to the recognition of the existence of a supreme being (Greenberg, 2021). Research
has indicated that the lack of spiritual and emotional health is one of the leading causes of
heart disease. Stress Reduction Clinic, run by Jon Kabat-Zinn, has acknowledged the need to
boost spiritual health as a way of improving the general health of patients (Greenberg, 2021).
Assess the benefits of meditation to your health and well-being. If you do not implement
meditation techniques at this time, hypothesize how this practice could positively impact
your health and well-being in the future.
Stress is one of the problems that people experience in life. Stress has various effects
on one’s mind and body. There are various physiological effects of stress on one’s body and

mind. While one may not have the ability to eliminate stress in totality, one can undertake
various steps with a view of ensuring that they minimize the effects of stress on the body.
Meditation is one of the methods of reducing stress and the impacts that stress has on the
body (“What meditation can do for your mind, mood, and health: Taking a few minutes to
focus your mind each day can reduce stress, pain, depression, and more 2014”). Meditation
works by having an effect on the sympathetic nervous system (“What meditation can do for
your mind, mood, and health: Taking a few minutes to focus your mind each day can reduce
stress, pain, depression, and more 2014”). Meditation helps reduce the body’s reaction to
stress by reducing blood pressure as well as reducing the heart rate. (“What meditation can do
for your mind, mood, and health: Taking a few minutes to focus your mind each day can
reduce stress, pain, depression, and more 2014”) Positive effects of meditation stretch beyond
helping lower both the heart rate and the blood pressure. Through meditation, one is able to
increase their connection with their inner self (“What meditation can do for your mind, mood,
and health: Taking a few minutes to focus your mind each day can reduce stress, pain,
depression, and more 2014”). Through mediation, one can also reduce anxiety and pain.
Mediation has been used to reduce chronic pain and ease the symptoms of anxiety and
depression. The practice of meditation can thus help one to improve their health in the future.
Evaluate the benefits of one of the following techniques: autogenic training, imagery, or
progressive relaxation. How could the practice of your chosen technique reduce your
experienced stressors?
I selected autogenic training for my evaluation. Autogenic training is a beneficial
relaxation training. The practice helps in training neurologic patients (Greenberg, 2021). The
practice can however be used by healthy people to ensure that they regulate their
psychological and physiological processes (Greenberg, 2021). One of the main benefits
associated with autogenic training is the fact that one self-administers the procedure.

Autogenic training has advantages that are similar to other relaxation techniques. Autogenic
training helps in the reduction of the heart rate, the respiratory rate, and the muscle tension.
Autogenics are also associated with an improvement in the immune system. Women can also
benefit from autogenics since it helps in the reduction of menstrual discomfort (Greenberg,
2021). Autogenic training is also useful in reducing breathing difficulties. Autogenic training
has been seen as method of reducing injuries in athletes.
In practicing autogenics, I will select the reclining body position. I will lie on my back
and use cushioning material. I will then focus on sensations (Greenberg, 2021). I will follow
the stages starting with heaviness, warmth, heart, respiration, abdomen, and forehead. I will
aim to achieve a relaxed heart. I will ensure that I practice severally to achieve perfection.
Develop a plan for being more mindful in your life relating to one of the following
activities: mindful breathing, mindful eating, mindful listening, or mindful walking.
State your rationale for selecting this particular area of focus.
I have selected mindful listening as the plan to be more mindful. I will ensure that I
listen to the opinion of others as well as ensure that I take into consideration different
viewpoints . I will ensure that I do not get easily distracted when listening to others. I will
ensure that I do not rudely interrupt others. I will reduce the distractors and avoid using my
phone when I am actively listening to a person. In meetings I will carry a note book to note
down important points. I will also ensure that I maintain eye contact with the speakers.

References

Greenberg, J. S. (2021). Comprehensive stress management (15th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Jawaid, H. (2014). Impact of religion/spirituality on health: What are the evidences. Journal
of Psychiatry, 17(6), 1-5.

What meditation can do for your mind, mood, and health: Taking a few minutes to focus your
mind each day can reduce stress, pain, depression, and more. (2014, August). Harvard
Women’s Health Watch, 21(12), 6.