Emotion & Moods

A student named Alex is struggling with feelings of anxiety and finds it difficult to focus. Their sleep schedule is erratic, and they often skip meals or eat fast food. Based on the situation, what is the most foundational advice for Alex to begin improving their emotional state?

• Immediately start practicing progressive muscle relaxation daily.

• Try to reduce their overall workload to avoid stressful situations.

• Focus on getting enough sleep and eating nutritious meals to support brain function.

• Begin journaling to identify the root cause of their anxiety.

Answer explanation

Physical health and emotional well-being go hand in hand and that prioritizing sleep and nutrition supports optimal brain function enabling better emotional regulation.

Maria receives an unexpected negative review on a project at work. Her immediate reaction is to think, "I'm a complete failure, and this proves I'm not good at my job. I'll probably get fired." Which mental response to stress is Maria exhibiting?

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Catastrophizing and negative self-talk

• Activating her relaxation response

• Seeking professional help

During a high-pressure presentation, a manager named David notices his heart rate increasing and his breathing becoming shallow. He feels overwhelmed by his body's physiological response to stress. What is an immediate technique David could use to regulate this response?

• Distract himself by thinking about a happy memory.

• Use deep breathing or a relaxation technique like mindfulness.

• Change the subject of his presentation to something less stressful.

• Try to convince himself that the situation isn't actually stressful.

After trying various self-care methods like exercise and mindfulness for several months, Jessica still feels unable to manage her severe and persistent feelings of sadness. What is the most appropriate and recommended next step for her?

• Conclude that self-help techniques do not work and give up.

• Increase the intensity of her exercise and meditation regimen.

• Seek support from a mental health professional who can provide personalized strategies.

• Simply accept that this is how she will always feel and learn to live with it.

"There is no shame in asking for help." This sentiment directly supports the idea that:

• Only people with severe mental illnesses should see a therapist.

• Emotional well-being is just as important as physical health.

• A person's struggles are a sign of personal weakness.

• Relying on others for emotional support is a crutch.

A public speaker, Tom, gets very nervous before his talks. He constantly worries about forgetting his lines and imagines the audience laughing at him. The negative self-talk or catastrophizing causes more stress, probably more than the actual stressful event. This suggests that the primary source of Tom's stress is:

• The act of public speaking itself.

• The audience's potential reaction.

• His own mental response and negative predictions about the event.

• A lack of experience and preparation.

When facing a challenging task, a coworker named Samatha feels her shoulders tense and her jaw clench. To address this physiological response to stress, which technique would be most effective for her to use?

• Taking a long walk to clear her mind.

• Activating her body's relaxation response through progressive muscle relaxation.

• Rehearsing the task repeatedly until she feels confident.

• Delegating the task to a different coworker.

Therapist may use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to help a person. The primary goal of these modalities, as described in the video, is to

• Provide a temporary solution to a person's immediate problems.

• Encourage the person to avoid all stressful situations.

• Help the person talk about past traumas to understand their present emotions

• Provide personalized strategies to navigate complex emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Lisa is a busy college student who is feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope with her course load. She spends all her time studying and has cut back on exercise and social activities. This approach is counterproductive because:

• She is not allowing her body to get enough rest, which is essential for emotional well-being.

• Physical health and emotional well-being go hand-in-hand, and her lack of self-care is likely making it harder to handle stress.

• She should be focusing on her studies, not on her physical health.

• Her friends will eventually stop inviting her to social events.

Mark frequently experiences emotional outbursts at work and home. He has tried to control them on his own without success. In such instances, seeking support from a mental health professional is "invaluable." This statement implies that professional help is particularly important when:

• A person has a diagnosed mental health condition.

• Self-management strategies, despite best efforts, are not sufficient for dealing with complex emotions.

• An individual's emotions are causing problems in their relationships.

• A person feels sad or angry on a regular basis.