COUN 120: Managing Stress and Anxiety for Emotional Well-Being

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2023
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass

Catalog Course Description

This course is designed to increase awareness of the effects of stress and anxiety on academic performance and emotional well-being as it relates to college student success. Using a positive psychology perspective, students will explore and develop a variety of practical coping skills and techniques that they can apply in daily life. This includes how to recognize signs of burnout in order to make healthier lifestyle choices, manage emotions, and utilize campus resources for stress reduction and management. Other topics include prevention and management of stressors that are unique to the college experience such as time management, test anxiety, finances, work/life balance, motivation, perfectionism, social stressors, major/career exploration, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationship/family dynamics. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Identify psychological, emotional, and physiological symptoms of stress.
  • Identify individual life stressors that contribute to academic stress.
  • Recognize typical learned responses to stress, including guilt/worry, fear, anger and hostility.
  • Examine their cognitive scheme and lifestyle and ways in which these serve as the individual's frame of reference for attitudes, behaviors, and view of self, others and the world.
  • Analyze individual responses to life stressors.
  • Demonstrate at least three stress and anxiety management techniques to effectively manage these stressors.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of management techniques.
  • Plan a personal stress and anxiety management program.
  • Explain the importance of areas of wellness such as physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and environmental, and strategies for holistic health and fulfillment.
  • Identify specific strategies and college resources and/or courses for addressing college stressors such as interpersonal dynamics and culture, finances, nutrition, exercise, sleep, cognition, motivation, and positive self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Major Course Content

  1. The Nature of Stress
    1. Understanding Stress
    2. Physiology of Stress
    3. Stress and Disease
    4. Self-Assessment/Biography
    5. Sources of Stress
    6. Family Stress
    7. College and Stress
      1. Academics
      2. Finances
      3. Test and/or Math Anxiety
      4. Time Management
      5. First generation college students
      6. Adult re-entry college students
    8. Work Stress
  2. The Mind
    1. Psychology of Stress
    2. The Stress Emotions: Anger & Fear (fight or flight)
    3. Stress Prone & Stress resistant personalities
    4. Stress and the Human Spirit: Relationships, Values and Purpose in life
    5. Positive Psychology
    6. Irrational thoughts
    7. Cognitive Distortions
    8. Perfectionism
    9. Attitude and Motivation
  3. Understanding Anxiety
    1. Physiology of Anxiety
    2. Understanding Panic attacks
    3. Phobias
    4. Test Anxiety
    5. Risk Taking
  4. Coping Strategies
    1. Cognitive Restructuring/Re-framing
    2. Mindfulness
    3. Behavior Modification
    4. Medication
    5. Time Management
    6. Journal Writing
    7. Humor Therapy
    8. Art Therapy
    9. Nutrition
    10. Exercise
    11. Yoga
  5. Relaxation Techniques
    1. Abdominal Breathing
    2. Mental Imagery/Visualizations
    3. Affirmations
    4. Progressive Muscular relaxation practice
    5. Massage therapy
    6. Music therapy
    7. Aromatherapy
    8. Meditation
  6. Communication and Cognitive Behavioral Skills
    1. Self-Talk
    2. Understanding and Expressing Feelings
    3. Assertion Training
    4. Public Speaking
  7. Relationships
    1. Toxic People
    2. Finding Support
    3. Handling change
  8. Mindfulness and Spirituality
  9. Campus resources for stress prevention and management
    1. Student Health and Psychological Services
    2. Counseling and Advisement Center
    3. Tutoring Center
    4. Learning Assistance Center
    5. STEM Center
    6. Writer's Resource Center
    7. Health and Fitness Center and Kinesiology activity courses
    8. Other Counseling, Sociology, and Psychology courses
    9. Disabled Students Programs and Services
    10. Extended Opportunities Programs and Services
    11. CalWorks

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

• Individual Projects - Students will write an individualized, comprehensive stress and anxiety management plan that integrates management techniques into their daily lives.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Individual Projects - Students will write an individualized, comprehensive stress and anxiety management plan that integrates management techniques into their daily lives.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture