Stress Management

Running head: STRESS MANAGEMENT 1

Stress Management

Name

Institutional Affiliation

STRESS MANAGEMENT 2

Introduction

People experience stressful events, and most of these experiences occur on a daily basis.

Many things stress humans, and these factors are known as stressors. They vary from one

individual to the other. Overall, there are a few common stressors that have the most significant

impact: money, school, relationships, work, and sickness. Greenberg (2017) contends that stress

is not only a mental reaction to the environment but also a huge physical impactor on humans.

There are many cases of stressed individuals in learning institutions, at home and in the

workplace, and this makes it hard for them to perform better. Hence, Greenberg 2017) suggests

that it is necessary for psychologists to research and develop more effective stress management

intervention that can help individuals manage their stress levels. Several known traditional

interventions have been developed to manage the level of stress. They include exercise, yoga,

psychological and emotional therapy, and change in approach, medication, meditation, and

mindfulness. The choice of the strategy to use is normally subjective to the nature and source of

the stressors and resource availability. Greenberg (2017) suggests that the most effective

management practice is learning healthy coping strategies. Above all, understanding oneself and

appreciating what constitutes stress has been suggested as the first approach in managing

individual stress levels and the way an individual reacts to stressors.

Various studies have been done on the effectiveness of mindfulness in stress management

and reduction. Most of the studies have found out that daily meditation can actually reduce

stress levels. For example, research by Jha et al. (2010) found out that that different types of

meditation mindfulness can improve affective experiences leading to lower stress levels. Jha and

colleagues suggest that regular mindfulness is the best method that can help individuals manage

their stress levels. The authors concluded that individuals could be taught various aspects of

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meditation for managing stress levels. Through it, people can learn to pay attention to moments

without judgment through breath awareness. Jha et al. (2010) recommend that individuals should

try as much as possible to engage in meditation as a stress reduction response. Similarly, Shearer,

Hunt, Chowdhury, and Nicol (2016) in their research on stress management found out that

mindfulness was an effective stress management intervention. In their research, mindfulness

groups had a slight advantage in the reduction of airy compared to the other group, indicating

that the intervention can be used to lower individual stress level. Therefore, the purpose of this

research was to research whether mindfulness is an effective stress management intervention.

The findings of the study are useful in the determination of the effectiveness of mindfulness in

stress management and help many individuals facing stressful situations.

Research Hypothesis

A person who regularly engage in mindfulness report lower stress levels.

Research Objectives

RO1: To prove whether mindfulness is an effective stress management tool.

RO1: to recommend mindfulness as a stress management strategy among students.

Research Method

This section describes the research method used in the study. The study involved an

experimental research design. I mindfulness as a stress management intervention and

incorporate it into my life. I then tracked my regular behaviors for three days. I used a self-test

stress measurement tool consisting of 58 closed-ended questions to measure my stress level. The

measuring scale was made up and was based on various activities, situations and aspects that are

considered stressful. These factors are rated based on the way they affect an individual. I was

required to answer all the 58 questions appropriately to measure my stress level. I had a list of

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various events that are considered as stressful or unpleasant. I read each item carefully and

before deciding whether or not that event occurred within the past 24 hours. If the event did not

occur it was marked as X. It occurred, I had to rate the frequency with a score of 1 to 7.

X = did not occur for the past 24 hours 1 = occurred but was not stressful

2= caused very little stress 3 = caused little stress

4 = caused some stress 5 = caused much stress

6 = caused very much stress 7 = caused extreme stress

Events that caused the most stress were awarded the highest score of 7 while those that

were not stressful had a score of X or zero. The mindfulness activity involved recording my

breathing and sleeping daily and participating in a gratitude journal. The sleep log involved

approximating the sleeping and waking time for the whole week. Breathing exercises involved

measuring feeling before and after the exercise. The gratitude exercise involved listing down five

things that I considered positive in my life for the whole week. The findings for each day were

recorded for a period of seven days. In order to ensure validity and reliability of the findings, a

pre-test was used to check on the accuracy of the research instruments. It was necessary to have

a pretest to ascertain whether the research could be done within the indicated timeframe. The

data analysis process involved grouping and tabulation of the findings based on various themes.

Results

The researcher used a comparative approach in the data analysis, and it was possible to

know whether the intervention was successful by comparing average stress level on day 1 and

day 3. The estimated difference can be used to tell whether there was the intended effect. From

figure one below, the total stress score for Day one was 55 and this translated into an average

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score of 0.94. Day 2 had a total score of 26 and an average score of 0.45. Day three had a total of

23 and an average of 0.40.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Total Stress Score

55

26

23

Average Stress Score

0.94

0.45

0.40

Figure 1: The average stress level for the three days.

Based on the findings, there was a reduction in the stress levels between day 1 and day

three with the stress level reducing by almost half between day one and two. The researcher

found out that recording personal breath and sleep for the seven days was a positive experience

since doing so led to increased awareness and insights on factors that directly affect individual

personal stress levels. Similar observations were also made in the number of stressful events.

Figure 2: Number of stressful events for the three days

From figure 2 above, there was a reduction in the number of stressful events. The track

sheet had a total of 58 stressful items. One day one, the researcher marked 23 out of the 58 items

as stressful. Improvements were noted on day two where only 16 out of 58 were stressful.

23

16

14

Number of Stressful Events

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

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Further improvements were observed on day three with only 14 items as stressful. The reduction

of stressful items from 23 to 14 is liked back directly to mindfulness.

While individuals often consider how these habits can affect physical health, it is

uncommon to explore how they affect stress levels. The mindfulness exercise had a direct impact

on my stress levels, and this can be traced back to emotional management, which led to a

significant reduction of the average stress level in three days. The lower stress level is also

attributed to Participating in the Gratitude Journal, which was a wonderful exercise that helped

remind me how great my life is. Listing five things that I am grateful for each night left me

feeling happier and more satisfied with my overall life. As an individual, I had to focus on the

positive aspects of life thereby forgetting about stressful events.

Discussion

Mindfulness involve understanding oneself and appreciating what constitutes stress, and

it enables individuals to pay attention to moments without judgment through breath awareness.

There was a general decrease in the stress level between day one and day three. The researcher

first hypothesized that an individual who regularly engages in mindfulness report lower stress

levels. After recording personal sleeping and breathing and participating in the gratitude journal

for seven days, a downward trend in the average stress level was witnessed. A reduction in the

average stress level indicates the success of the intervention. The findings agree with the

research hypothesis that individuals who regularly engage in physical activities report lower

stress levels, although further research is needed since not all participants reported lower stress

levels. The findings match previous work. Specifically, the research agrees with Jha et al.

(2010) that different types of meditation mindfulness can improve affective experiences leading

to lower stress levels, and suggest that regular mindfulness is the best method that can help

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individuals manage their stress levels. The research further agrees with Shearer et al. (2016) that

mindfulness was an effective stress management intervention. There is a strong connection

between mindfulness and stress relief. The findings imply that individuals who are stressed

should try engaging in it to lower or manage their stress levels. The exercises do not have to be

vigorous; they can engage in light exercises such as recording of their sleeping and breathing.

Virtually any type of mindfulness act as a stress reliever.

Although the individual stress level was reduced, it was not clear whether the reduction

was also a result of other factors such as the desire for a positive outcome. Future research needs

to focus on methods that can be used to eliminate individual bias during research like this.

Future research can also concentrate on reasons why mindfulness can fail to lower the stress

level in some individuals. The study was based on one person, and this makes generalizability of

the whole population challenging. It is possible to improve on the results by using a larger

sample size of more than 100 respondents in the fullness of time. Other research methods such

as observation and qualitative research can be used to understand the factors that promote

effective mindfulness for stress management. Future research can also incorporate more

mindfulness activities.

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References

Greenberg, J. S. (2017). Comprehensive stress management. McGraw-Hill Education.

Johan, A. P., Stanley, E. A., Kiyonaga, A., Wong, L., & Gelfand, L. (2010). Examining the

protective effects of mindfulness training on working memory capacity and affective

experience. Emotion, 10(1), 54.

Shearer, A., Hunt, M., Chowdhury, M., & Nicol, L. (2016). Effects of a brief mindfulness

meditation intervention on student stress and heart rate variability. International Journal

of Stress Management, 23(2), 232.

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Track Sheet

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

1. Performed poorly at task

4

3

2. Performed poorly due to others

2

1

x

3. Thought about unfinished work

5

x

5

4. Hurried to meet deadline

3

2

5. Interrupted during task/activity

1

x

6. Someone spoiled your completed task

x

7. Did something you are unskilled at

x

8. Unable to complete task

5

2

x

9. Was unorganized

1

x

10. Criticized or verbally attacked

x

2

11. Ignored by others

1

x

2

12. Spoke and performed in public

x

13. Dealt with rude waiter/salesperson

x

14. Interrupted while talking

x

X

15. Was forced to socialize

x

16. Someone broke promise/appointment

3

x

17. Competed with someone

x

18. Was stared at

x

19, Did not hear from someone you expected to hear

from

1

2

x

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20. Experienced unwanted physical contact

(crowded, pushed)

x

X

21. Was misunderstood

1

x

22. Was embarrassed

2

1

x

23. Had your sleep disturbed

2

1

24. Forgot something

1

x

X

25. Feared illness/pregnancy

x

26. Experienced illness/physical discomfort

x

X

27. Someone borrowed something without your

permission

x

X

28. Your property was damaged

x

X

29. Had minor accident (broke something, tore

clothing)

x

X

30. Thought about the future

3

2

1

31. Ran out of food/personal article

x

X

32. Argued with spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend

x

33. Argued with another person

x

1

34. Waited longer than you wanted

3

2

x

35. Interrupted while thinking/relaxing

x

X

36. Someone 'cut' ahead of you in a line

x

37. Performed poorly at sport/game

x

38. Did something that you did not want to do

x

39. Unable to complete all plans for today

3

2

1

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40. Had car trouble

x

41. Had difficulty in traffic

x

42. Money Problems

2

1

43. Shop lacked desired item

x

44. Misplaced something

x

45. Bad Weather

x

46. Unexpected expenses (fines, traffic ticket, etc.)

2

1

47. Had confrontation with an authority figure

x

X

48. Heard some bad news

2

x

49. Concerned over personal appearance

x

50. Exposed to feared situation or object

x

51. Exposed to upsetting TV, show, movie, book

x

52. Pet peeve' violated (someone fails to knock, etc.)

x

1

53. Failed to understand something

2

1

2

54. Worried about another's problems

5

1

x

55. Experienced narrow escape from danger

x

56. Stopped unwanted personal habit (overeating,

smoking, nail biting)

x

57. Had problem with kid(s)

x

58. Was late for work/appointment

1

x

Total Score

55

26

23

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Sleep Log

Date

Time

In

Bed

Approx.

Time Fell

Asleep

Wake

Time

Nap

Time(s)

Comments

5/10

10:30

PM

12:30 PM

6:30 AM

I do not

nap.

Too much energy. I may have slept too

much the night before.

5/11

11:45

PM

1:00 AM

6:30 AM

I do not

nap.

Well rested. Six hours is the perfect

amount of sleep for me.

5/12

12:45

AM

1:00 AM

6:30 AM

I do not

nap.

Although I did not get a full six hours of

sleep, I still felt well rested.

5/13

1:00

AM

1:15 AM

9:30 AM

I do not

nap.

I felt groggy in the morning because I

may have slept in too late.

5/14

9:00

PM

10:00 PM

7:45 AM

I do not

nap.

Normal. I had the perfect amount of

sleep.

5/15

12:

00

AM

2:45 AM

6:30 AM

I do not

nap.

I felt tired and this could be due to

sleeping late and for less hours.

5/16

9: 00

PM

12:00 PM

7:30 AM

I do not

nap.

I felt well rested having slept for more

than six hours

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