Stress is a big problem in the United States. It is particularly concerning since it affects not only adults, but also infants and young children. Other countries, mainly developing countries, are facing the same problem, but the United States has the highest rates and numbers as it regards to occurrences and associated complications. WHO identifies stress as a significant concern in the modern realm of demanding lifestyle and stringent deadlines that affect mental functioning (APA, 2017). This makes yoga and other forms of psychological relaxation an essential measure in moderating the prevalence of mortality within every American society. The whole mental state demands an incisive review of modern lifestyle and their effect on the health of every individual community. The relationship between individual lifestyles decisions and the deteriorating state of health among members of these societies demand a review of how these changes influence such a subtle part of a community and how adequate it can be addressed without upsetting the whole social structure.
Suthers (2006) bases her book on the importance of health, not to an individual, but to the society as a whole. Her argument is based on the understanding that purposeful thinking can only be achieved if an individual, a group, or society is mentally stable to deconstruct its immediate challenges effectively. In return, this enables one or the society to find the needed purpose to create systems that are not only functional but beneficial to the sustenance of the population in question. It is this argument that questions what the true definition of health is. According to World Health Organization definition of health, “health is not merely the absence of disease, but rather the overall well-being socially, mentally, psychologically, and physically.” This definition captures Rojas-Burke (2009) argument on the value of what and how we should regard our social construct and the importance it holds for us and future generations. The modern social lifestyle has changed, and with it, our health has been affected. Today, according to Suthers (2006) more people are dying due to lifestyle-related causes. The very creation that we have molded for ourselves is internally affecting and killing us slowly.
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The United States has the highest stress rate among the OECD countries, which translates to eight out of every ten American reports being stressed. This is a staggering statistic that depicts the worrying trend of lifestyle changes that have evidenced the modern American social lifestyle. Gajendra & Harrison (2007) argues for a need to review lifestyle changes with the aim of trying to understand how changes can be synced to create a healthier way of living. Importantly, Rojas-Burke (2009) suggests that these changes should not be external to a modern social structure, but rather a part of it as a way of creating a culture of healthy living. A healthy lifestyle should be part of the social structure, which allows individuals to find purpose in their everyday duties while at the same time practice healthy lifestyles.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this research study is to investigate how lifestyle changes are affecting mental health and how best these adverse health effects can be addressed. The research will also interrogate the importance of metal relaxation techniques as a means through which stress can be resolved.
Hypotheses
Changes in individual lifestyles are an effective way of addressing mental health.
Methods
Participants for this research were chosen from a vast pool as a way of forming an unbiased sample. Such an example was also meant to represent the whole American society, without discriminating on one social part while concentrating on another.
The participants of the research were sampled based on their everyday occupation. This allowed the researchers to gain an understanding of what stress meant and how it affected each in their capacity. Therefore, the participants ranged from homemakers, students, children, to CEOs, managers, politicians, and religious leaders. These pool of participants allowed and gave the research valuable and factual data that could investigate and interrogate how stress is affecting the whole society and not just one part of it.
The number of participants will be based on the number of occupations or social levels that community has. Nevertheless, the research intends to have at least 50 sample participants. This sample number allows the study to interrogate the social structure thoroughly and create a realistic finding that reflects the state of the society as a whole instead of as a part.
Unlike other research recruitment process, this research will utilize a more conventional method of recruitment. Considering the research pool is not homogeneous, but somewhat heterogeneous, there is a need to be creative about recruitment of participants. Therefore, the researcher will approach identified participant and request for their participation in the research. If the recognized party agrees to be part of the study, the researcher will then give them a questionnaire to fill. This recruitment process allows the researcher and the research to have the required composition of participants while at the same time creates a pool that is representative of the whole American society.
Materials and Measures
The materials used to measure the level of stress or lack thereof within individual participants were based on individual human elements. For example, satisfaction, according to NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2014) is not based on how much one has, but rather on the attitude one has towards their life. Therefore, the questionnaires and interviews will utilize human components like sleeping times, family values, social contribution, political goodwill, health status, personal time, as a measure of satisfaction and stress levels. These lifestyle elements will allow the researcher to deduct how stressed a participant is and their perspective regarding themselves.
Procedure
The process will entail two parts. One will be the questionnaire part that allows an individual to respond individually without any influence from a third party. The other one will be a one-on-one interaction that will give the researcher the opportunity to interrogate about individual aspects of the research that could not be covered in the research questionnaire. Each participant will be given a chance to respond to specific assertions/biases regarding their occupation as a way of trying to determine just how mentally stable they are. After that, the participants will be put through a lifestyle change trial period that will allow them to adjust their current way of life for a specific given period and then given another questionnaire to fill to ascertain any change.
Results
Analysis Approach
The data will be analyzed collectively; without confining individual participants to their occupation or status within the society. This will mean the adoption of conventional measures of stress elements. Therefore, to determine if the collected data did fulfill the intended purpose, the data will be quantified as per the American psychological association annual stress level points. This will be qualified by making comparisons and contrasts between the two periods of measurement as a way to determine just how each participant responded to each intervention.
Findings
| Participant | Causative agents | APA Stress Point | Lifestyle Change effect | Deviations |
| Group 1 | Family and social interactions | 7.5 | Positive | +1.2 |
| Group 2 | Financial status | 8.5 | Minimal change | +0.2 |
| Group 3 | Political instability | 6.2 | No change | - |
| Group 4 | Self-pressure | 8.1 | Positive change | +1.1 |
| Group 5 | Societal pressure | 5.3 | Minimal change | +0.07 |
| Group 6 | Occupational pressure | 7.5 | No change | +0.33 |
| Group 7 | Age | 4.9 | Minimal change | +1.4 |
The research findings were divided according to those factors that mostly affect individuals within their everyday functions.
These factors were continually identified by the participants as the leading causes of individual stress levels.
The stress level points are measured between one and ten, with ten being the highest stress point and 0 being the lowest.
The lifestyle change was based on an individual restructure of their own lives as a way of addressing their stress points. The lifestyle change was not one that was suggested by the researcher, but one that was chosen by the participant.
The deviations represent interventions by the researcher in helping the participant adopt a healthier lifestyle. The form of intervention taken was standard to every participant.
Discussion
Findings
The research finding showed that indeed the American society is very much stressed demonstrated by the stress points recorded. It also showed that stress factors are not particular, but rather compound in their effect. For instance, political pressure would be thought to be a case of grown-ups, but young children and teenagers feel experience the same pressure. Age pressure is more attributed to teenagers and older persons, but also the middle-aged class is experiencing age-related pressure. The intervention of the researcher showed some form of change in lifestyle and stress levels. This was evidence that lifestyle interventions are an effective way of addressing changes within the society. Yoga and other relaxation activities allowed individuals to refocus their energy on externalities that they have little influence on and focus on themselves as individuals. The positive (+) deviations captured this. While they (the variations) may not show any significance in terms of numbers change, they represent a change that is important if implement across American society. The minimal difference is due to the short time span of the research and the challenge of accurately translating individual self-assertion as a true lifestyle change.
Comparison
The research captures some aspects of previous researchers and theories. This is well depicted in the manner the deviations portray a certain change in attitude and perception, regarding their (participants) way of life and their occupations. Stress has been associated with changing lifestyles that have affected how people choose to regard their situations, primarily due to effect it has on a person. The research on individuals, across a broad spectrum, captures, not only the value of self-preservation techniques but also the problem of civilization. Civilization is well captured in the capitalistic spirit that demands every citizen to seek to improve themselves while at the same time balance the demands of a capitalistic government and society. This is well captured in the research through the APA stress points (APA, 2017). The table above shows that financial (8.5) and self (8.1) pressure are the two most defining pressure points for most people, irrespective of their status or class in the society. This relates to past studies and theories that the capitalistic attribute of modern society that demands individuals to continually seek to improve themselves as a measure of success and individual growth is affecting the society as a whole. The research is also able to relate to the idea that change can only be realized through self-acceptance. Material success is only practical up to a certain point, beyond which it becomes fallible and unreliable.
Practical Implications
The modern society is continually becoming competitive in every aspect. This has changed the way people and societies tend to view or regard success. More so, the national duty and expectations have increased as the status of life has grown. In turn, this has created a near-robotic society that is more driven by the need to fulfill their social duties other than their self-values ( Allen et al. 2001) . The research helps in understanding just how vital it is to create systems that empower people psychologically as they do materially. The study shows the need to conduct more research on those “things” we tend to term or regard as important to us. Importantly, the research provides a baseline that allows and provides for more investigation into those social elements that are affecting the status of our society, in terms of growth, cohesiveness, and interpersonal satisfaction.
Suggestions
The research does not address all the composites of health and lifestyle within the construct of changing lifestyle and mounting social pressure. Therefore, there is a need for more research in trying to understand better how modern lifestyles changes are affecting the society. There is also a need for more research in trying to understand the role of implemented social, political, and economic structures in transforming the lives of people within the society. The topic of health is expansive and one that needs more detailed research especially in this age of increased interaction between individual societies. It is critical that an understanding is arrived at as it regards to those lifestyle changes that are continually affecting the health status of individual persons and the society as a whole (NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014).
Recommendations
Limitations
Reviewing the research again, I believe that I failed to take a holistic view into other societies other than the American one. Secondly, I believe that had I chosen a more “closed” group of participants like workers within an individual organization, or maybe a group of women, I would have a more definite finding. However, I also believe this would not have captured the American society, instead of an individual social group.
Problems
The research was tricky to execute due to the variation of the research participants and the extensive nature of the research itself. The research was also time and monetarily constrained as it demanded more time and more resources to reach the identified participants.
Importance
The critical aspect of the research is that it captured the American society holistically. It did not marginalize some part of the American society but rather was inclusive and can be generalized to the American nation and the world at whole. Nevertheless, had the research had more financial resources and time, it would have been much more detailed and value-based.
References
Allen, K., et. al. (2001). Pet Ownership, But Not ACE Inhibitor Therapy Blunts Home Blood Pressure Response to Mental Stress. Hypertension , 38, 815-820. Retrieved from: http://www.deltasociety.org/Document.Doc?id=307
APA. (2017). Stress in America: coping with change. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2016/coping-with-change.PDF
Blaime, M. (2005). Penn Program for Stress Management. Complementary/Alternative Therapies at the University of Pennsylvania . Retrieved from: http://www.med.upenn.edu/progdev/compmed/documents/Volume4No.1Winter05.pdf
Gajendra, R., & Harrison, D. (2007). The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown About Telecommuting: Meta-Analysis of Psychological Mediators and Individual Consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology . 92 (6), 1524 - 1541. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/apl9261524.pdf
NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2014). the burden of stress in America. Harvard School of public Health. Retrieved from: https://media.npr.org/documents/2014/july/npr_rwfj_harvard_stress_poll.pdf
Rojas-Burke, J. (2009). The Best Natural Healer Turns Out to Be Nature. The Oregonian . Retrieved from: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/05/the_best_natural_healer_turns.html
Suthers, K. (2006). Women Still Shouldering the Burden: Caregiving in the 21st Century. Women’s Health Activist . Retrieved from: http://www.nwhn.org/newsletter/options/print.cfm?info_id=84
