The Effect of Qigong Exercise on the Teacher’s Work Stress Level

Abstract

Teachers are a population at risk of experiencing work stress due to excessive workloads. This condition requires management so that it does not affect work productivity and health.This study aims to identify the effect of qigong exercise on the teacher's work stress level. This research method is Pre-Experimental with one group of pre and post-test design. This research used a purposive sampling technique. The respondents were not allowed to do other relaxation therapies. Qigong exercise was done three times for 50 minutes per session in a week. The instruments were questionnaires of work stress level. The test was the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. This study passed the ethical test. The median value in preintervention was 51.00 and the value in post-intervention was 45.00. There is the effect of qigong exercise on the teacher's work stress with a p-value of 0.011 (<0.05). Qigong exercise can reduce work stress by reducing the secretion of the hormone cortisol. The exercise needs to be practiced regularly at least three times for 50 minutes per session in a week to obtain an optimal result in reducing workstress.