Tristin Evans

Andrew Orr
Business and Professional Speaking
14 March 2019
Stress Management
General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on stress management
Thesis: To be informed about stress management, you need to know the different
techniques to managing stress.
Introduction
I) According to Modern Healthcare in 2016, “on a stress scale ranging from 1 (totally
relaxed) to 10 (on the verge of a breakdown), at 4.9, the average American adult is
almost square in the middle, according to a survey from the American Psychological
Association.” We all know what stress looks like and we have all experienced it. We are
most likely going to be dealing with stress for the rest of our lives, so it is important that
we learn how to manage that stress.
II) To better understand stress management, you need to know some techniques.
III) To be informed about stress management, you need to know the different techniques to
managing stress.
IV) Today I will be informing you in different breathing, mediation, coloring, and exercising
techniques to reduce stress.
Body
I) Different breathing techniques help to reduce stress.
A) Deep breathing is the first type of technique used to manage stress.
1) Deep breathing has several steps (Ford-Martin, 2013).
(a) First, the exercises work best when you are lying on your back.
(b) Your knees should be bent.
(c) Your face should be relaxed.
(d) Finally, you take long, deep breaths in through your nose bring your abdomen
up and exhaling through the mouth.
2) It is used by many different groups.
(a) We do some deep breathing in softball. I like to take in big deep breaths before
I go to the plate in softball because it helps ease my stress.
(b) According to Ford- Martin in 2013, “it is a great technique to use while test
taking if you find your self getting stressed or anxious.”
(c) People in Japan like to use deep breathing is to reduce tension and feelings of
anxiety. (Perciavalle, Blandini, Fecarotta, Buscemi, Corrado, Bertolo, & Di
Corrado, 2017)
II) Meditation is the next set of techniques used to manage stress.
 A) Relaxation is a common meditation practice.
1) Relaxation can be done in a few different steps (National Geographic, 2014).
(a) First, you focus your mind on breathing, take deep, slow, and even breaths.
(b) Second, notice where your body feels tight and tense.
(c) Start at the bottom at your feet.
(d) Release your muscles as you are exhaling.
(e) Do this throughout your body until you reach the top of your head.
(f) Finally, after you are done, just lay there for a couple minutes longer.
2) Relaxation is used by many different groups.
(a) We use this in softball, we like to call it Awareness of Breath (AOB). We go
through these steps to help relax us before we have to go out and play.
(b) Relaxation is used to counteract the effects of stress on the body (Frey, 2015)
B) T’ai chi is the last practice of meditation.
1) T’ai chi is characterized by different movements (Kapes, 2013).
(a) The movements come from martial arts.
(b) The movements are relaxed, slow, and soft.
(c) The movements are usually preformed with the back straight up.
(d) They are also usually preformed with the head up.
2) T’ai chi is used for many different things.
(a) According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
in 2007 reported that approximately 2.3 million people in the U.S used t’ai chi.
(b) Males back in the 1970s and 80s thought that t’ai was not for “real men”.
However, since the 1990s, more men have started to use t’ai chi to reduce
stress (Frey, 2012).
(c) It is used to improve balance, coordination, and body awareness (Kapes,
2013).
(d) It calms the mind and reduces stress (Kapes, 2013).
III) Coloring is the next technique used to reduce stress.
A) Adult coloring books come in different shapes and designs.
1) Mandalas are a very common design used for adult coloring (Mantzios &
Giannou, 2018).
2) They have geometrical patterns, Hindus and Buddhists often used them to help
with psychological healing. (Healthy Years, 2015).
3) The coloring book also usually has a repetitive pattern.
B) Adult coloring books is a growing way to reduce stress.
1) Coloring books are the top seller on Amazon in 2015 (Healthy Years, 2015).
2) 12 million coloring books were sold in the U.S in 2015 also (Silber, 2016).
3) Coloring is a way to reduce stress for less than $20 (Blackburn & Chamley,
2016).
4) The repetitive nature of filling in the lines shuts down your brain's worry center
and reduces stress levels (Women’s Health, 2016).
IV) Exercise is the last technique used to reduce stress.
A) Cardiovascular exercise is a common exercise to reduce stress.
1) Cardiovascular exercise can consist of many different activities (Alic & Cataldo,
2012).
 (a) The most effective cardiovascular exercises are, jogging, running, brisk
walking, stair climbing, swimming, etc.
(b) Softball, cross country, dancing, etc. can also be cardiovascular exercise, they
just require less endurance.
2) Cardiovascular exercise has many different uses.
(a) It can reduce fatigue, improve alertness, maintain body weight, and eliminate
stress (Anthony, 2004).
(b) In a study done by Myers and Larson in 2018 said, “One coping behavior
students engage in to manage stress is physical activity.”
(c) I know that people say that there is a “runners high”, that also has a tendency
to reduce stress.
B) Yoga is a common exercise used to reduce stress.
1) Yoga has a few different uses (Bailey & Bailey, 2004).
(a) You use it breathe and slow down.
(b) It is a way to be more aware of your body.
(c) You stretch, breathe, and relax.
2) Yoga is used by many different types of people.
(a) According to Bailey and Bailey in 2004, “For many students, yoga enables one
to flow through the day as against reacting to it, and feel more present in their
daily activities with less stress.”
(b) They are postures used to increase balance, flexibility, and strength.
(c) Yoga helps change people’s attitude towards stress and how they handle their
stress (Malathi & Damodaran, 1999).
Conclusion
I) Today I told you about the different ways to manage stress through breathing,
meditation, coloring, and exercise.
II) As I mention before, the average on a stress scale is 4.9, now that I taught you how to
reduce your stress, hopefully you will be closer to saying you are a 1 on the scale. We
cannot avoid stress, but we can manage it.
 References
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