Introduction
Stress is perceived as the manner in which people behave in reaction to events and situations that take place in their daily lives, expressed in a physical or mental manner (Luke-Seaward, 2008). According to the way individuals perceive an event, they may experience either distress or eustress. Distress is a form of stress associated with negative thinking when a person feels overwhelmed. Alternatively, the patient suffers from oppression and lacks control of the situation. Eustress comes about as a result of viewing a situation positively. The individual develops the necessary focused energy to take up the challenge (Gordon, 2002). It is possible to learn how to manage stress effectively. One of the most important aspects of stress management is to understand oneself in terms of the tactics one tends to use in coping with stress. The subsequent steps may involve focusing on positive health, promoting strategies, and minimizing health deteriorating strategies for coping with stress (Davis, McKay, & Eshelman, 2008). This paper will focus on the development and implementation of a program to manage the stress of two clients by use of nutrition and exercise as the stress management techniques. The reactions to the experience and the difficulties encountered during the course of the program are also described.
Stress Management Program
Clientele
The first client this program aimed to assist was a 45 year old white female. Her age made her more susceptible to high levels of stress, which is a normal developmental change with ageing. The race and ethnicity of this client also had an impact on the level of stress, as white people are more susceptible to stress issues than African Americans. Her sexual orientation was fully known as she conformed to the female sex, thus she did not experience additional stress associated with sexual ambiguity or disorders linked with sexual orientation.
Client one worked as an accountant, which is a sedentary type of job that involves little movement and physical activity. It, thus, presents a risk factor in the development of obesity (Gordon, 2002). The client was also overweight, a condition that could be linked to the type of work she did. Her job is stressful and she has to manage her home. Her husband is retired and her two children recently moved out of the house.
Client two was a white male aged 24 years. He was a graduate student who worked on a part time basis at a residential treatment center. Although this client was healthy, he frequently experienced panic attacks, anxiety, and obsessive-co mpulsive disorder. Being a male, this client was not in the best position to cope with stress. Studie s indicate that females are more capable of handling stress than their male counterparts (Seraganian & Roskies, 2005). Research has also revealed that the development of these tendencies is associated with a person’s beliefs and that behavioral therapy has been quite effective in their suppression. Client two conformed to the cognitive behavior theory as shown by his beliefs, which impacted his thinking and finally affected his behavior and stress coping strategies (Bourne, 2000). These situations collectively amount to a high level of stress and an elaborate stress management plan was, thus, necessary.
Client one needed to monitor her eating habits and the meals she took. On the other hand, client two had to reduce his panic attacks and OCD. The program developed involved the use of two stress management techniques: nutrition and exercise. The first day was spent coming up with the most appropriate stress management technique and teaching the clients about the requirements for each technique.
Nutrition Technique
Part of the eight-day stress management program developed for the clients aimed at monitoring their diet with the aim of lowering their intake high calorie food. The goal was to encourage them to keep to a balanced diet. The clients were required to focus on consuming foods with a low calorific value. They had to avoid consuming red meat and increase the intake of white meat instead. They also needed to ensure that each of their meals had all the constituents of a balanced diet with particular emphasis on increasing the amount of vegetables included in the meals (Merril, 2007). Another aspect of the eating plan developed in this program was intake of a large amount of fluids. This was especially stressed during the last two days of the program where the exercise part of the program required the clients to be involved in exercises that might be considered relatively heavy. The clients were also advised to take little amounts of food and eat as frequently as possible opposed to eating a large amount of food few times each day.
Exercise Technique
The second technique employed in managing stress for these clients was exercise. For the second and third days of the program, the clients were required to take a brisk walk for thirty minutes either during the mid-morning or in the afternoon. The fourth and fifth days involved the performance of a number of medium exercises such as riding a bicycle for a set distance each day. Days six and seven involved heavier exercises such as running and intake of adequate fluids. Specifically for client two, the program emphasized exercises that enhanced relaxation of the mind and thought stopping (Seraganian & Roskies, 2005).
Response
Based on the analysis, both clients reacted positively to the experience. They displayed enthusiasm throughout the activities and looked forward to improving their health habits. This positive move could mostly be attributed to the adequate time spent on the first day informing the clients about the techniques and their significance (Turner, 2005). The clients fully understood and accepted the activities; thus, strove to adhere to the requirements out of their own will. Most of the exercises implemented in this program required assistance of a person who constantly spends his/her time with the client. However, this was not available for client one and she had a difficult time carrying out exercises alone. In order to address this challenge, it may be necessary to modify techniques and exercises incorporated in this program according to the prevailing situations. In situations where there are no helpers, the exercises selected should require little or no assistance.
Evaluation
The implementation and effectiveness of this program was monitored at a specific time each day for the eight days. The blood sugar, lipid profile, and blood pressure of the clients were also measured and monitored prior, during, and after the program. During the course of the program, a general improvement was observed in the three baselines assessed and was maintained even after the program (Richardson, 2008). The stress coping strategies used by both clients shifted from health deteriorating to health promoting strategies.
Conclusion
Stress is the way people respond to situations taking place in their daily lives. The response may be expressed physically or mentally. It is important to consciously learn how to manage stress effectively. Such learning should begin with understan ding of the tactics which the individual uses to cope with stress. The person should then strive to make more use of tactics that promote health in coping with stress. The stress management addressed in this paper was developed for two clients and spanned for a period of eight days. It employed nutrition and exercise techniques. The clients responded positively and the program was quite effective in the management of stress.
References
Bourne, E. (2000). The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications Inc.
Davis, M., McKay, M., & Eshelman, E. R. (2008). The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. Oakland: New Harbinger.
Gordon, J. S. (2002). Stress management. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.
Luke-Seaward, B. (2008). Managing Stress. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Pubs.
Merril, L. (2007). Comprehensive stress management. International Journal of Stress Management, 135-135.
Richardson, K. M. (2008). Effects Of Stress Management Intervention Programs: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 69-93.
Seraganian, P., & Roskies, E. (2005). Failure to alter psychophysiological reactivity in type a men with physical exercise or stress management programs. Psychology & Health, 195-213.
Turner, C. W. (2005). An Evaluation handbook for health education programs in stress management. Atlanta: The center.
|
Grammar
C
|
Formatting
B
|
Organization
C
|
Style
D
|