Stress Management Speech Paper Example

Purpose Statement

Two effective ways of how to identify and manage stress in your life

Thesis Statement

Stress is caused by both external and internal factors; identification of these factors makes it easier to manage stress levels.

Organizational speech pattern

Problem-Cause-Solution

Stress Management

Look to your left, now look to your right, the probability that your neighbour is suffering from moderate to high level of stress is 49 per cent. According to statistics by the American Psychological Association survey 49 per cent of the Americans are stressed mainly because of their job, economy and money (Hoyt et al., 2018). Stress is a fact of life, if you are not affected you are close to somebody who is affected, somebody can be your family member, your workmate or even your friends. Basically, when I speak about stress and its management I speak from a point of experience, because three years ago I lost my job and it was the most difficult situation I have ever encountered. Today, we will talk about the causes of stress and how to manage stress. Stress is caused by both external and internal factors; identification of these factors makes it easier to manage stress levels.

In life there are different causes stress, I classify these causes into two internal factors which include the physiological and psychological factors, and the external factors which entail the environment and the social situation. Even though in some cases the factors may overlap where an individual is affected by both external and internal factors proper diagnosis is important.

The internal factors are broken down into two, the physiological aspect of the body which are defined as the situations and the circumstances that affect the human body. The factors include but not limited to diseases, age, body nutrition, life stages, sleep and fitness. The other aspect of the internal factor is the psychology of the body: this mainly deals with the mind. The human brain perceives and interprets different situations differently; depending on how the mind will perceive the situation it can lead to stress.

The external factors are also divided into two, the environment and the social factors. The environment ignites intense thoughts of adjusting or competing which can easily lead to stress. Examples of environmental factors include weather, pollution and crime. The other external factor is social issues, these are factors which lead to stress mainly because of the duties and roles we play in the society for example parent, employee or employer. According to Maccallum & Bryant (2019) they can also be due to the situation and individual has encountered for example loss of a loved one or a job. They are the most popular causes of stress in the today's world.

According to Carroll (2018), there are two ways to manage stress and its effects in life. The two ways are mindfulness and physical exercises. Carroll (2018) in her article Management of stress in the workplace explains that physical exercises are important in managing stress in an individual life. Physical exercises especially the progressive muscle relaxation helps in reducing the tension. Progressive muscle relaxation is a two-step process that involves tense and relaxing different muscles of the body. It is based on the fact by Sevinc (2018) who stated that when the body relaxes the mind relaxes. The process can be shortened by regular practise enabling individuals to relax the whole body rapidly. it reduces stress levels for one to enjoy good mental and physical health.

Another way of reducing stress is mindfulness. Carroll (2018) describes mindfulness is a meditation experience where you only experience the present moment. It helps to reduce the anxiety that comes with thinking about the future or the past. However, in mindfulness care should be taken to avoid zoning out. This process of meditation requires a lot of effort, because an individual is supposed to only focus on the present moment activities and thoughts. Just like progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness requires regular practise to ensure its effective in stress management. Mindfulness can be used to reduce any kind of stress regardless of the cause. According Carroll (2018), it is effective in managing common causes of stress especially the stress caused by the social factors for example the pressure and conflicts.

Stress management is an everyday life activity. When people search for help they are usually dealing with stress that is physically and emotionally draining. Majority of our friends and family may not have the skill and knowledge to deal with the stress. Identifying the cause of the stress is a huge step in solving it. The two causes of stress are classified generally as external and internal factors and the ways to manage stress in our lives or even the lives of other people include mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation. They all require regular practise to be effective in reducing stress levels in individuals. Identification of the causes of stress important for it helps in managing the stress in an individual. Check on your workmates, your friends, your colleagues, your family, your fellow students, check on that stranger beside you, you might be the help they need. Thank You.

References

Carroll, E., & Carroll, N. (2018). 263 Management of stress in the workplace: a national response to implementing stress management interventions.

Hoyt, L. T., Zeiders, K. H., Chaku, N., Toomey, R. B., & Nair, R. L. (2018). Young adults' psychological and physiological reactions to the 2016 US presidential election. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 92, 162-169.

Maccallum, F., & Bryant, R. A. (2019). Symptoms of prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress following loss: A latent class analysis. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 53(1), 59-67.

Sevinc, G., Holzel, B. K., Hashmi, J., Greenberg, J., McCallister, A., Treadway, M., ... & Lazar, S. W. (2018). Common and Dissociable Neural Activity After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Relaxation Response Programs. Psychosomatic medicine, 80(5), 439.