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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

Jacob Campbell

Purdue University Global

HW410 Models of Health & Wellness

Dr. Nysewander

June 20, 2021

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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

A proper stress management program has the ability to positively transform how we

prevent and cope with our fear and anxiety. There are numerous different techniques and

strategies that are effective at eliminating and minimizing stress, and everybody deserves the

chance to learn them. The following stress management program will focus on dealing with

stress revolving around the workplace. We have all experienced some sort of stress throughout

our careers, so learning different techniques to manage these stressors is essential to ensure that

we stay focused and driven on our goals.

In the workplace, there are countless stressors that can derail an individual’s career. These

stressors range far and wide, but there are ten that cause the most stress in the workplace. The

first five are difficult customers, expectations of promotions, hard deadlines, layoffs, and long

hours (Miller and Smith, 2020). Those working in customer service most certainly have to deal

with difficult customers regularly. These interactions can lead to anger and frustration, both of

which promote stress and anxiety. When an individual is expecting a promotion, or hoping for

one at least, he or she will work tirelessly and meticulously to give themselves the best chance of

being promoted. However, when the promotion never comes, the individual may stress about

their worth or their contribution as an employee. Unrealistic deadlines are another cause for

serious stress in the workplace. When dates have to be met, employees will stress about their

time management and if they will complete the task in time or not. Especially when their job is

on the line, employees faced with harsh deadlines will stress hours every day worrying about if

they will finish their work on time (Miller and Smith, 2020). When companies announce rounds

of layoffs, everybody begins to panic. Employees start to question their recent production,
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worrying if they have done enough to convince their bosses to retain them. Also, long hours can

lead to increased amount of stress in workers (Miller and Smith, 2020). Longer days at work

means less time for us and less time with family. This can increase our sense of loneliness and

solitude, which both lead to increased stress. These five stressors in the workplace can harm our

self-esteem, our work ethic, and our motivation.

The next five stressors are meeting corporate guidelines, low salaries, changing

technology, a heavy workload, and relationships with coworkers. When we are instructed by

corporate about a new change, it is easy to stress out when worrying about meeting their

expectations. This can lead to overanalyzing and extra work, which both increase stress

(Seaward, 2018). Our salaries can also be a stressor in the workplace. Many of us rely on our

next paycheck to afford the necessities in our life. Therefore, having a low salary when we know

we deserve more can be a stressful situation to be in because we will worry about having enough

to make the payments we need to make. Technology is always changing, which is why it is one

of the leading causes of stress at work (Seaward, 2018). When new systems and new software

are introduced, it can be a stressful learning curve for those not prepared. These large changes

result in a great deal of stress for all employees forced to learn a new system. A heavy workload

can also put a lot of strain and anxiety on an individual. With too much on your plate, it is easy to

fall victim to your work and feel an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, which increases stress

levels exponentially. Finally, the relationships we make with our coworkers, and the ones we do

not make, can be a cause of stress as well. We still require social interaction even at work, and it

can be very stressful for some individuals to try to meet new people and spark new relationships

(Seaward, 2018).
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All ten of these workplace stressors are serious concerns, and any individual can succumb

to them. Understanding their importance is vital to providing employees with a program that can

help them manage these stressors efficiently and effectively. These stressors can lower self-

esteem and self-confidence, increase anger and frustration, and also promote fear and anxiety. All

of these feelings caused by events at work can lead to severe stress. It is important to provide

employees with a pathway to successful stress management in order to ensure they are content

and productive at work. When stress goes unresolved, there are some devastating consequences.

Some of the most notable include insomnia, depression, nervous system disorders, and certain

diseases (Seaward, 2018). These disorders and diseases include migraines, irritable bowel

syndrome, coronary heart disease, the common cold, and cancer (Seaward, 2018). Because of the

severe consequences of unresolved stress, it is important for all workplaces to implement a

system that allows their employees to learn how to prevent and manage stress.

There are various ways to learn how to deal with stress, and not everybody will latch onto

the same technique. This is why it is important to implement different strategies for individuals

to learn the skills so that everybody can discover what works best for them. The three strategies

in this stress management program are Tai Chi, exercise, and meditation. Tai Chi is an ancient

Chinese practice promoting mental and physical balance (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2021). When

practicing Tai Chi, you feel an overwhelming sense of relaxation that relieves all of your stress

and worries. It is a very effective practice for anybody looking to relax and resolve their stressful

thoughts from work. Exercise is another great example of a way to relieve stress, anger, and

frustration (Stahl, 2019). Whether it is biking, walking, running, kayaking, hiking, swimming,

weightlifting, or something else, exercising is one of the best practices for “decreasing the body’s

production of stress hormones” (Stahl, 2019). Therefore, it is a key aspect of this stress
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management program to help all workers alleviate their stress. The third part of this program is

mindfulness meditation. Meditation is one of the most beneficial practices for anybody to

participate in. For those with work related stress, a meditating program is essential in resolving

our workplace fears and frustrations. Mindfulness meditation teaches us to live alongside the

stress by understanding where it comes from and recognizing that it is a part of daily life (Stahl,

2019). Through these three stress management techniques, any employee struggling with

workplace stress will now have the tools to manage it and prevent it down the line because of the

implementation of this program.

This three-part program has the ability to be implemented in most workplaces. The first

aspect of the stress management program is Tai Chi. To properly provide employees with Tai Chi

lessons, a trained instructor will come teach classes for them once a week. By bringing the

instructor to the workplace, the employers are welcoming all employees to participate in the

practice because of the convenience of it being at work. The second part of the program to

alleviate stress is exercising. Since everybody exercises in different ways, it can be difficult to

address everybody’s preferences. Therefore, the best option to provide all employees the

opportunity to exercise is to give everybody with a gym membership to a gym of their choice.

This will give the employees the freedom to choose a gym either close to their house, close to

work, or just one they feel the most comfortable going to. It is important that this be a choice for

the employees because you do not want to force an uncomfortable situation onto anybody. The

third aspect of this program is mindfulness meditation. The best way to implement this section of

the program is to create a subscription for all employees to use that provides them with access to

meditation instructors, guided lessons, and mindfulness classes. This gives each employee the
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ability to listen and meditate whenever they feel the need to knowing that they have access to

countless lessons and practices.

There are a few obstacles that the employers may face when implementing this program.

The first is finding a Tai Chi instructor that is affordable and flexible enough to travel to the work

location in order to teach the classes. The next obstacle is going to be paying for the gym

membership of each employee since they all have the choice of where they can work out. Both of

these finances may seem unnecessary at first, but in the long term, it will save the company

money on medical expenses since their employees will be healthier and stress free. However, if

the company needs to cut some spending in order to make different changes, this stress

management program will probably be the first spending to be cut. In order to alleviate some of

these finances, finding a sponsor to donate money and promote this wellness program would be

extremely beneficial.

The two health professionals that would most definitely support this program would be a

Tai Chi instructor and a meditation teacher. A Tai Chi instructor will support it by providing

weekly classes for the employees. Not only will they be promoting their business, but they will

also be promoting the art of Tai Chi to the employees and their families. A meditation teacher can

give lessons to the employees on proper meditation techniques and different types of

meditations. This will allow the employees to find the practices that work best for them

individually.

The most efficient way to measure the success of this program would be through self-

report surveys of the employees. After the implementation of the Tai Chi classes, gym

memberships, and mindfulness meditation teachings, all employees will be asked to fill out a

questionnaire. Some of the questions will ask them about their stress levels and about their
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happiness in the workplace. Others will ask them about their anger and relationships. The

questionnaire will offer the employers a good understanding of how well the program is

functioning.

Since everybody experiences stress in the workplace, a stress management program is

essential to boost company morale and improve productivity. There are so many factors that can

create stressful environments for employees, such as heavy workloads, long hours, difficult

customers, or changes in technology to name a few, which is why is it important to address these

situations and provide all employees with the tools and techniques necessary to handle the daily

stressors on the job. Tai Chi, exercise, and meditation are three of the most effective strategies

that anybody can practice in order to relieve their stress, no matter where it is stemming from.

These three practices will allow anybody to overcome the obstacles in their life and be able to

conquer their fear and anxiety down the line. Everybody deserves to learn helpful practices of

relieving stress because of the chaotic world we all live in.

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References

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, February 26). Tai Chi. Mayo Clinic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/tai-chi/art-

20045184.

Miller, L. H., & Smith, A. D. (2020, September 10). Stress in the workplace. American

Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-

stress.

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.