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Effect of Relaxation Training on Relaxation Practices among Healthcare Workers in Nigeria

Abstract

Healthcare workers in Nigeria operate in demanding clinical environments that may involve heavy workloads, long working hours, staff shortages, emotional demands, exposure to illness and death, shift work, and pressure to provide timely and effective patient care. Persistent occupational demands may affect workers' physical and psychological wellbeing and may contribute to stress, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, reduced job satisfaction, and impaired work functioning. Relaxation practices provide practical approaches that may help healthcare workers manage stress, promote recovery, and support psychological wellbeing. However, healthcare workers may have limited knowledge, time, skills, or opportunities to engage consistently in relaxation activities. Relaxation training provides an opportunity to equip healthcare workers with practical skills such as controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, guided imagery, stretching, and other appropriate relaxation techniques. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of relaxation training on relaxation practices among healthcare workers in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and the Health Belief Model. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the roles of knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural skills, observational learning, and environmental support in developing and maintaining relaxation practices. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping explains how individuals evaluate stressful situations and select coping strategies based on perceived demands, available resources, and personal coping capacity. The Health Belief Model explains how healthcare workers' perceptions of the consequences of occupational stress, perceived benefits of relaxation practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their adoption of relaxation behaviours. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how relaxation training may influence relaxation practices among healthcare workers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, medical laboratory personnel, physiotherapists, community health professionals, and other eligible healthcare workers in selected public and private healthcare facilities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, healthcare facilities, departments, units, and eligible healthcare workers. Relaxation training will be measured using indicators such as exposure to structured training sessions, frequency and duration of training, controlled breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness exercises, guided imagery, stretching, relaxation during work breaks, stress-awareness activities, relaxation planning, self-monitoring, and knowledge of appropriate relaxation techniques. Relaxation practices will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of relaxation activities, consistency of practice, use of controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, stretching, guided imagery, relaxation during breaks, relaxation before sleep, use of relaxation techniques during stressful work situations, and maintenance of personal relaxation routines. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, relaxation-practice diaries where appropriate, and validated relaxation or stress-management practice instruments administered before and after the training intervention where a quasi-experimental design is used. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize healthcare workers' demographic and occupational characteristics, exposure to relaxation training, and relaxation-practice patterns. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired or independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of relaxation training on relaxation practices. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that relaxation training has a significant positive effect on relaxation practices among healthcare workers in Nigeria. Healthcare workers exposed to structured relaxation training are expected to demonstrate greater frequency and consistency of relaxation practices than workers without similar training or compared with their baseline practices. Practical demonstrations, guided exercises, supervised practice, workplace relaxation sessions, and self-monitoring activities may improve workers' confidence and ability to incorporate relaxation techniques into their daily routines. Regular relaxation practices may provide healthcare workers with practical strategies for managing occupational stress, supporting recovery, and maintaining psychological wellbeing. However, heavy workloads, staff shortages, shift schedules, limited break periods, emergency demands, workplace culture, inadequate organizational support, and competing responsibilities may restrict workers' ability to consistently practice relaxation techniques. The study therefore expects practical, accessible, workplace-oriented, culturally appropriate, and sustained relaxation training, supported by organizational policies and opportunities for rest, to contribute significantly to improved relaxation practices among healthcare workers in Nigeria.  The study is expected to contribute to the literature on relaxation training, relaxation practices, healthcare worker wellbeing, occupational stress management, workplace health promotion, healthcare workforce wellbeing, stress prevention, health education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state ministries of health, hospitals, healthcare institutions, professional healthcare organizations, human resource departments, occupational health units, doctors, nurses, public health practitioners, psychologists, counsellors, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving healthcare worker wellbeing. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating relaxation training into healthcare worker orientation and continuing professional development, establishing workplace relaxation programmes, improving opportunities for adequate breaks, strengthening occupational health services, promoting stress-management practices, and developing sustainable healthcare worker wellbeing initiatives across Nigeria.

Keywords: Relaxation training, relaxation practices, healthcare workers, occupational stress, stress management, healthcare worker wellbeing, workplace health promotion, relaxation techniques, occupational health, health education, Nigeria, public health.