What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
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Why You Should Travel and the Associated Health Benefits
Persuasive Presentation: Motivate Action
Student Name
SPCH 2713, CRN ###-##
Dr. Burns
Oklahoma State University
Month Year
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Topic: Traveling & Health Organization Pattern: Motivated Sequence
Specific Purpose: At the end of this speech, the audience will seize traveling opportunities.
Thesis statement: If an individual has the ability and opportunity to travel then it should be
seized, not only for the pleasurable experiences but also for the health benefits that are
associated with travelling.
Why You Should Travel and the Associated Health Benefits
I. Introduction
A. Gain Attention: Ibn Batutta [I-bin Bah-too-ta] was a Moroccan scholar and a
traveler, most known for a famous excursion [Rihla] that lasted 30 years. During
his adventure, he said, “Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a
storyteller” (source, year, p. #).
B. Establish Audience-Topic Connection: Most of us are not able to experience a
trip that will last 30 years. Some of us have trouble finding time to travel for 30
hours. However, traveling, vacations, adventures: these are all things that not
only give you the capabilities to have some amazing stories, but also that have
been shown to provide an array of health benefits (Hartig, Catalano, Ong, &
Syme, 2013). All of us can benefit from increased health!
C. Credibility: Because of past traveling experiences, I have been blessed with some
amazing stories and I experience mostly great health. My name is {Full Name}
and I am a traveller.
D. Thesis/Preview: If an individual has the ability and opportunity to travel then it
should be seized, not only for the pleasurable experiences it brings but also for the
health benefits that are associated with travelling. Today, I am going to speak to
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you about (A) the problem Americans face in finding time to travel and then I will
(B) offer a solution to the problem and, finally, I will (C) describe future results
and explain what you can expect.
Transition into Body of Presentation: First of all, I will explain the problem, as I see it.
II. Body
A. Establish Need Step
1. Description of Problem: Roughly one third of American workers do not use
all of their allotted vacation days (Richards, 1999).
a. Two-thirds of U.S. workers claim that the reason they do not utilize
these vacation days is due to the fear that there would be negative career
consequences, in addition to lack of travel time for the vacation
(Richards, 1999).
b. Because of insignificant travel time there has been a depletion of internal
individual resources, such as physical energy and the capacity to
concentrate, in addition to increased stress in the workplace (Hartig,
Catalano, Ong, & Syme, 2013).
2. Importance of Problem: This issue is important because when creativity and
productivity are diminished then our whole society suffers; also, the rising
cost of healthcare should make us want to do all we can to stay physically and
mentally healthy.
a. In considering your career, a family, or even yourself as an individual, it
is important to be able to maintain a positive outlook.
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b. The majority of an individual’s life is spent in a workplace of some sort,
so taking regular vacations or even short distance traveling will
“contribute to subjective well-being [due to the fact that] people have
more opportunities to detach from their work environment, to experience
new things, and to control what they want to do during vacations” (Chen
& Petrick, 2013).
3. Extent of Problem: This situation of lack of travel is not something that is
solely confined to the United States either; it is widespread on a global level.
a. For example, in Japan there was documentation of many workers afraid
to take off work for holidays because they were uncertain if their job
would remain intact. Additionally, in Japan during 1995 there were
reports of 63 individual cases of karoshi, which simply means that the
individual basically worked themselves to death (Richards, 1999).
b. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Netherlands encourages
vacationing and even incorporates it in their systems when hiring. These
people have an understanding and appreciation for the positive
advantages travel and leisure time can provide to their employees
(Richards, 1999).
4. Effects of the Problem: Regardless of global location, this problem is
widespread, but for now let’s focus on the United States and how it impacts
those in the working class.
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a. Those who are overworked tend to show signs of “poor performance,
accidents, and sickness absence, [it] also impose costs on other people,
employers, and societies” (Hartig, Catalano, Ong, & Syme, 2013).
b. Traveling and other leisure activities is an important domain in human
life, and one that is interconnected with a separate domain pertaining to
relationships with others. Generally, with the lack of travel there is also
lack of time spent with friends and family, thereby not providing an
opportunity to ease strain on important relationships (Hartig, Catalano,
Ong, & Syme, 2013, and Chen & Petrick, 2013).
Transition into Main Point B: Now that the lack of traveling and some of its
consequences have been identified as a problem, I am going to tell you how to fix it.
B. Satisfying Need Step
1. Description of Solution: The solution is quite simple: just travel.
a. It is important that travel is done properly through setting appropriate
expectations and standards for the specific trip that you are about to
embark upon.
b. Long distance travel provides an opportunity to have some amazing
stories, personal self-growth, and an appreciation for different cultures.
c. Even short distance trips are shown to be indicative to some stress relief
(Chen & Petrick, 2013).
2. Plan of Action: Make it a personal priority to accomplish a trip anytime you
can do so.
a. Take advantage of workplace vacation days and use them for travel.
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b. Use breaks from school to plan trips.
c. Consider shorter day trips for weekend fun.
3. Steps of Plan: When preparing for a trip, there are several components to
consider.
a. First, set a budget.
i. A accurate budget is extremely important.
ii. Travel costs are often under anticipated and unexpected
expenses can ruin a travel experience.
b. Next create a time frame that is reasonable.
i. The timeframe should work with your work or academic
schedule.
ii. Consider the timeframe of anyone else who may be
accompanying you on the trip.
c. Finally, research the possibilities of what you can do.
i. Identifying the level of freedom vs. involvement you want to
achieve. Freedom in this case is simply the sense of “Freedom
from control or Freedom from work,” and involvement is
defined as “the level of consumption or absorption in an
activity” (Neal, Sirgy, & Uysal, 1999).
ii. Another aspect of vacationing is arousal, which can be
expressed as “internal excitement, stimulation, exhilaration, or
inspiration” (Neal, Sirgy, & Uysal, 1999). This could be
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anything from getting excited about planning the trip to
expressing joy during a new experience.
iii. The last aspect to consider is mastery, which is achieving
personal goals that are self-satisfying and can leave you with a
positive outlook and decreased stress for when you return back
to your daily life (Neal, Sirgy, & Uysal, 1999).
Transition into Main Point C: Once your plan is in place and you have decided to take
your trip then you can expect to be moved outside of your comfort zone and also to
experience some health benefits.
Visualizing Results Step
1. Describe Expected Results of Action: There are three health benefits that I
found to be most consistent throughout all of the research articles.
a. Hartig, Catalano, Ong, and Syme, in 2013, reported increased
psychological health by “a more complete recovery time to… [not be as
likely to] suffer from impaired cognitive function, emotional distress…
[and even the] reduction in psychological distress” (p. #).
b. Chen and Petrick (2013) discussed the physiological and physical
characteristics, reporting that a lot of uncontrollable factors play a role in
the overall physical health of an individual, but it was found that
individuals who traveled more frequently had fewer nonfatal
cardiovascular events and lower risk factors for coronary heart disease.
c. In 2012, Dolnicar, Yanamandram, and Cliff found that in most leisure
activities many individuals seek vacations or some form of tourism as a
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mental or physical health pursuit as a factor for increasing their overall
quality of life.
2. Describe Consequences of Inaction: If you decide not to travel more, then
that is completely your choice, but consider the results that accompany your
choice.
a. Without any relief, over time there will be increased stress.
b. Vacationing and traveling is often seen as necessary for personal growth,
so without it there will not be a similar opportunity that provides “new
perceptions of self-identity, skill development, and social relations”
(Chen & Petrick, 2013, p.#).
c. Nothing will change or be improved in your life, so you will essentially
remain stagnant and stationary.
Transition into Conclusion: Travelling is much more important to our lives than just a
simple vacation.
III. Conclusion (Action Step)
A. Summary
1. Thesis: If an individual has the ability and opportunity to travel then it should
be seized, not only for the pleasurable experiences but also for the health
benefits that are associated with travelling
2. Importance: Traveling, vacations, and adventures are all things that have
been shown to provide an array of health benefits.
3. Review: I spoke to you today about (A) the problem Americans face in
finding time to travel and then I offered (B) a solution to the problem and,
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finally, I (C) described future results and explained what you could expect
from your investment in travel.
B. Closure
1. Signal end: “Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a
storyteller.” –Ibn Batutta
2. Motivate: Traveling only begins when you step outside of your comfort zone,
and make the decision to leave what you are used to seeing and doing. Step
outside of your comfort zone to take a journey to a new place.
3. Closing: When was the last time you did something for the first time? Right
now is the perfect time to travel somewhere for the first time.
Thank you.
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References
Chen, C., & Petrick, J. F. (2013). Health and Wellness Benefits of Travel
Experiences. Journal of Travel Research, 52(6), 709-719.
doi:10.1177/0047287513496477
Dolnicar, S., Yanamandram, V., & Cliff, K. (2012). The contribution of vacations to
quality of life. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(1), 59-83.
doi:10.1016/j.annals.2011.04.015
Hartig, T., Catalano, R., Ong, M., & Syme, S. L. (2013). Vacation, collective restoration,
and mental health in a population. Society and Mental Health, 3(3), 221-236.
doi:10.1177/2156869313497718
Neal, J. D., Sirgy, M., & Uysal, M. (1999). The Role of Satisfaction with Leisure Travel/
Tourism Services and Experience in Satisfaction with Leisure Life and Overall
Life. Journal of Business Research, 44(3), 153-163. doi:10.1016/s0148-
2963(97)00197-5
Richards, G. (1999). Vacations and the Quality of Life. Journal of Business Research,44(3),
189-198. doi:10.1016/s0148-2963(97)00200-2