HW410

Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit 9 Final Project

Kelly Jackson

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

March 9, 2021
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 2

Stress Management and Prevention Program

What is stress? Stress can be defined as any type of change that can cause physical,

emotional, or psychological strain on the mind and body. It is the body’s response to anything

that requires attention or action (Scott, 2020). It is a well-known fact that everyone experiences

some form of stress on a daily basis, but it is the way that you respond to these stressors that

make the difference in your overall health and well-being. It is important that you develop a clear

understanding of how stress impacts you, your mind, and your body. Finding a healthy way to

combat these stressors is the best way to reach a happier and healthier state of well-being.

For the purpose of this assignment, I have chosen to highlight our military service

members. A study done by a group of scientists revealed that anywhere from 22% to 40% of

military personnel experience, or have experienced, high levels of stress in their work, family,

and personal lives. “Overall, both military men and women were nearly twice as likely to report

feeling high levels of stress in their military work (39%) than in their family life (22%)” (Bray, et

al, 2010). As the elite 1% of the United States population, our military service members endure

countless hours of strenuous training, long work hours, and little time to sleep. They are put

through physical activity that is taxing on their bodies and then expected to perform their

assigned job title, some being more demanding than others. A typical workday begins at 0630

and comes to a close at 1830. This leaves little time for personal affairs and family time, so

soldiers fuel up on unsafe levels of caffeinated beverages. It is not hard to see why the typical

soldier’s body starts to deteriorate quicker than their civilian counterparts. As a soldier myself,

this particular population hits home for me. That is why I wanted to address their needs

regarding stress management.

HW410 FINAL PROJECT 3

As I stated before, stress can be defined as any type of change that can cause physical,

emotional, or psychological strain on the mind and body. Alexandra Crosswell and Kimberly

Lockwood also define stress as “a term representing experiences in which the environmental demands

of a situation outweigh the individual’s perceived psychological and physiological ability to cope with

it effectively” (2020). The most popular method of measuring stress is with self-report questionnaires,

such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS). These

questionnaires focus on assessing exposure to stressful situations across an individual’s lifetime. For

military members, potential stressors include: decreased sleep, lack of privacy, toxic leadership,

combat exposure, physical injury, family separation, high operational tempos, loneliness, mind and

body exhaustion, and infidelity and divorce. American families all over the country experience a

multitude of stressors as a result of military service. These are just to name a few.

Consider this; you are an 18-year-old leaving home for the first time. As you sit on

that repurposed cattle truck on your way to basic training reception, you look around and see

both sadness and opportunity. You have never been away from your family and friends, but

this is an opportunity to prove your independence. Suddenly, the bus stops and on walks the

scariest set of people you will ever encounter… the Drill Sergeants. They begin to scream at

you to get off the bus. “MOVE PRIVATE.” “DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO RUN?” Now,

all you can think is, “what did I get myself into?” Thus, your military life begins. They break

you down to build you back up into a walking, disciplined, killing machine. You spend years

moving around the world, learning new things, seeing new places, but at what cost? You have

no family, no stable friends, and a dorm room that looks condemned. So, what do you do?

You marry the first person to show you any interest. Sure, sometimes things work out, but

most often times, military relationships end in infidelity and divorce. Kids get separated from
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 4

their parents, who they didn’t see much anyway, and life just seems empty. Our soldiers face

a multitude of stressor that the typical American wouldn’t experience within their lifetime.

Combat exposure, death, traumatic injuries, depression, anxiety, and loneliness to name a few.

These examples are the reason why a stress management/mindfulness program is vital for our

American soldiers. Stress causes a plethora of health problems such as headache, muscle

tension, chest pain, high blood pressure, heart disease, fatigue, social withdrawal, sudden

outbursts of anger, lack of motivation or focus, irritability, restlessness, or even drug and

alcohol abuse (Mayo Clinic, 2019). A well thought out stress management program could help

to decrease these effects, making for a healthier, stronger military.

There is a significant amount of research that proves that mindful meditation can reduce

psychological stress and anxiety. It is said that as little as 5 minutes in a quiet location, where

you can relax and focus on your breathing can help to reduce stress levels. Mindful meditation

can be defined as the training of your mind to achieve a mental state of calm concentration and

positive emotions (American Psychological Association, 2019). This modality is the most

popular stress reduction techniques available today. Mindful meditation contains two main parts:

attention and acceptance. The attention portion refers to focusing on what is happening in the

present moment. The acceptance piece refers to the observation of feelings and sensations

without judgement. It is important to acknowledge and accept the things that are present in your

mind in order to let them go and destress.

Another effective modality in combating stress is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

(MBCT). “MBCT is a therapeutic intervention that combines elements of mindfulness-based

stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat people with

depression” (American Psychological Association, 2019). This modality helps individuals better
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 5

understand and manage their thoughts and emotions in order to achieve relief from feelings of

distress. MBCT has also shown to reduce the rate of relapse for those with chronic depression by

50%, according to Good Therapy (2018). Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to interrupt the

automatic processes that are responsible for triggering your depression?

The last modality in combating stress, and probably the easiest option, is physical

exercise. Exercise has several health benefits, including improved sleep, stress reduction,

decreased depression and anxiety, and increased mood and energy. Physical exercise has been

proven to cancel out some of the negative effects of stress on the body, including the impact of

stress on the immune system, making happier and healthier human beings. Physical activity

releases the feel-good endorphins that have the power to distract, or remove, you from daily

stressors. Of course, everyone has to start somewhere, so a brisk 30-minute walk can do the

trick! The goal is just to get your body moving.

Carving out time for soldiers to meditate may seem like a challenge, but it’s really not.

There is plenty enough time in the day that can be reallocated towards the mental stability of our

soldiers. Death by PowerPoint is not cutting it anymore. At every military post, at 1700, the

Retreat is played to signify the end of the workday. This is a tradition, but who is to say we

cannot create a new tradition. One that signifies a moment of mental rest in the middle of the

day. In order to implement this program, a petition will need to be signed by at least 200 soldiers.

This petition will jumpstart the pilot program of the Wellness Retreat. Upon the playing of the

Wellness Retreat, companies will cease all work efforts and release soldiers to the designated

meditation rooms. 30-minutes will be allocated for soldier to sit or lie down and listen to a

guided meditation session. Perhaps these soldiers just want to take a 30-minute nap. That is okay,

too. Sleep is an excellent source for relieving stress. Each company building will facilitate one to
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 6

two conference rooms that will be equipped with yoga mats, and floor pillows for the soldier’s

individual comfort. These conference rooms will have projectors for guided imagery, and a

Bluetooth speaker for playing the guided session of the day. The cost for equipment will run

each individual company $12,500. A small price to pay for our soldiers’ mental health.

Especially when they spent 1.3 million dollars per company for new Army Combat Fitness Test

gym equipment. No staffing is necessary for this program, unless the military chooses to hire

government contracted meditation guides (optional). The mission for this program is to provide

military members with an opportunity to destress during the day through guided meditation,

guided imagery, and sleep. Napping for approximately 30 minutes can improve decision-making

skills, memorization, and even recalling directions. Each one of those being beneficial to the

military mission on any given day.

The biggest obstacle would be convincing our military leaders that this program would

benefit the health and well-being of our military members across the board. The best avenue of

approach for mitigating this risk would be to provide factual evidence supporting, not only

mindful meditation, guided imagery, and sleep, but also the benefits and success stories of

corporate wellness plans around the world. I cannot speak for any other branch other than the

Army, but I know there are many challenges in changing combat or downtime operations. My

evidence would have to be clear, concise, and strong if I am going to get this program launched

for even a pilot run. However, after researching mindfulness throughout this class, I believe I

have a fighting chance. Especially during a pandemic.

Identify at least two (2) types of health professionals that could support this program.

One type of professional that could support this program are behavioral health providers.

Behavioral health providers, such as therapists, use cognitive therapy, meditation, and guided
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 7

imagery techniques every day. Therefore, they would have knowledgeable insight on the subject.

They would be able to defend and support the factual evidence provided during the program

pitch. These licensed professionals would, not only support my Wellness Retreat program, but

they would also share mutual passion for getting it approved because it is their job to rehabilitate

our mentally exhausted service members. Another health professional that I could utilize in

support of my program would be certified meditation instructors/guides. Mindful meditation is

their bread and butter. Making them a vital tool in the success of this program’s implementation.

The most simplistic mode of measurement for this program would be through self-paced

surveys and questionnaires. One should be completed prior to launching the program. One should be

completed halfway through the pilot program, and one immediately following completion of the pilot

program. These three surveys/questionnaires will provide enough evidence to prove the efficacy of the

Wellness Retreat program. Once this research has been compiled and evaluated, the next phase of

permanent implementation can begin. It will be just like any other new program that is introduced

throughout the military. We will launch at one or two posts to start, compile research, and then launch

at the next few posts, and so on and so forth, until the Wellness Retreat has been fully integrated

throughout the country.

In conclusion, the Wellness Retreat program holds great promise in creating a

healthier, happier military. Through the use of mindfulness meditation, guided meditation and

imagery, and even sleep, this program will successfully lower levels of stress, depression,

irritability, and anxiety, while increasing productivity, mental focus, cognitive function, and

morale. With all of the evidence supporting these stress reduction techniques, I am confident

that this program will be the hottest trend in military history across all branches of service.
HW410 FINAL PROJECT 8

References

American Psychological Association, 2019. Mindfulness Meditation: A Research-Proven Way to

Reduce Stress. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation

Bray, R., Camlin, C., Fairbank, J., Dunteman, G., & Wheeless, S., 2010. The Effects of Stress on

Job Functioning of Military Men and Women. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2883251/

Crosswell, A. & Lockwood, K., 2020. Best Practices for Stress Measurement: How to Measure

Psychological Stress in Health Research. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359652/

Good Therapy, 2018. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Retrieved from: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/mindfulness-

based-cognitive-therapy

Mayo Clinic, 2019. Stress Management, Stress Symptoms: Effects on Your Body and Behavior.

Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-

depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987

Seaward, B. (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (9th

ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2019). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook (2nd ed.).

New Harbinger Publications.