John Njuguna
John Njuguna
Stress Relaxation Techniques
TM 606-01-02 – Industrial Supervision
Pittsburg State University
Instructor: Dr. Vern Morton
Semester: Fall 2017
Class times: Monday 4:00 PM – 6:50 PM
John Njuguna
Stress can be best defined as a cumulative of factors that affect the mind, body, and soul in a
negative way and most times unhealthy. Stress is part and parcel of daily life and how we cope
with it may determine how healthy or unhealthy our lives are. According to the American
Psychological Association (APA), stress is any uncomfortable "emotional experience
accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes”.
Common everyday stressors which can be managed by practicing healthy stress management
behaviors can result into serious and chronic stress if neglected. The APA further warns that
chronic stress can lead to serious health conditions such as anxiety, Insomnia, muscle pain, high
blood pressure and a weakened immune system. (Baum, A. & Polsusnzy, D. (1999). "Health
Psychology: Mapping Bio-behavioral Contributions to Health and Illness.")
Unlike everyday stressors, which can be managed with healthy stress management behaviors,
untreated chronic stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle
pain, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. Research shows that stress can
contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression and obesity.
Some studies have suggested that unhealthy chronic stress management practices such as over eating "comfort" foods, has contributed to the growing obesity epidemic.
While stress affects us in negative ways a majority of the time, it can be a healthy occurrence
in our daily lives as well. When experienced in the right levels and healthy potions, stress plays an
important role in our lives as well. In an attempt by the body to overcome the stressors, positive
outcomes can be achieved. Common examples of some desirable outcomes of healthy stress might
include; meeting deadlines, healthy competition with peers or co-workers, better grades for
students, loan repayment for borrowers, to name just a few.
John Njuguna
There are a lot of ways to deal with stress and stress related negative outcomes. These ways
range from a personal level all the way up to and including clinical institutionalization. Simple
relaxation techniques such as deep breathing can or may relieve common everyday stress wile
more advanced methods such as psychotherapy or rehabilitation may be employed. Simple habits
such as making a list of activities that one intends to do may avert potential stress experiences
later. This is evidently true in the fact that being organized has a correlation to being ready, and
being ready for most is assuring therefore eliminating stress.
Much as stress is caused or intensified by the most dreaded chores, tasks, assignments, work
and many other activities of that nature, to some doing exactly that helps combat stress. Some
derive peace and calm from occupying their bodies and minds into work as a way of distracting
them from would be stressors. Most of the people in this category tend to be very good at what
they do and they thrive in a work environment.
In yet another example of avoiding stress, getting adequate and quality rest plays an important
role in everybody’s life and health. Rest gives our bodies and minds an opportunity to recover,
heal, and rejuvenate vital functioning processes, which can only take place when the human body
and brain is at rest. Going to bed at a consistent time every night, eliminating a noisy atmosphere,
avoiding distractions in bed such as computers, television or more common; cell phones, not only
aids in falling asleep faster but getting quality sleep throughout the night as well. Experts at the
National Institutes of Health (NHI), recommend at least seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep
a day for adults and eight to ten hours a day for teens.
Through traditionally known remedies, experiences, learned practices, there are abundant ways
of stress relaxation known to man. what differs is the application and the ultimate result in any
John Njuguna
single individual’s life. An example of some of these techniques and practices practiced today is
meditation and yoga. Although with origins and deep roots in eastern cultures, yoga and meditation
are a common stress relaxation technique in the western world. Those who partake in both or either
practices attest to their effectiveness in stress relaxation, increased energy levels, improved body
and mind health, and vitality.
One of the most challenging situations in most people’s lives, is giving up their current lifestyle
or the way in which they are used to doing things. This is no different in people suffering from
chronic stress. Change is difficult for everybody but it affects the latter more profoundly than
everyone else. It can be argued that fear to change the only lifestyle they know for an uncertain
lifestyle they’re not sure about might be the cause for the hesitation.
Regardless the cause and effects of stress, one of the most assuring facts is that there is plentiful
of information and help. Research, scholarly reviews, education, information and many other
resources are available to help individuals manage and cope with stress as well as identify stress
relaxation techniques.
John Njuguna
References
1) Baum, A. (1990). "Stress, Intrusive Imagery, and Chronic Distress," Health Psychology,
Vol. 6, pp. 653-675.
2) Anderson, N.B. (1998). "Levels of Analysis in Health Science: A Framework for
Integrating Socio-behavioral and Biomedical Research," Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences, Vol. 840, pp. 563-576.
3) Baum, A. & Polsusnzy, D. (1999). "Health Psychology: Mapping Biobehavioral
Contributions to Health and Illness".