Stress Management

Audience:

Prerequisites:

Description:

Today’s workforce is experiencing job burnout and stress in epidemic proportions. Workers at all levels feel stressed out, insecure, and misunderstood. Many people feel the demands of the workplace, combined with the demands of home, have become too much to handle. This one-day workshop explores the causes of such stress, and suggests general and specific stress management strategies that people can use every day.

Course Objectives:

This one-day workshop teaches participants to:

• Understand that stress is an unavoidable part of everybody’s life
• Recognize the symptoms that tell you when you have chronic stress overload
• Change the situations and actions that can be changed
• Deal better with situations and actions that can’t be changed
• Create an action plan for work, home, and play to help reduce and manage stress

Outline:

Lesson 1: Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Lesson 2: Defining Stress and How

It Affects Us To begin, participants will explore what stress is and the effects it can have. They will also work on identifying their stressors.

Lesson 3: What Is Stress About?

This session will explore some of the things that stress is about. Participants will also learn about the positive effects of stress and what eustress is.

Lesson 4: Building a Solid Foundation

Next, participants will learn about the four pillars of stress management. Special focus will be given to relaxation techniques.

Lesson 5: Mental Strategies

This session will give participants two mental strategies to manage stress. They will also learn about the Triple A approach: alter, avoid, and accept.

Lesson 6: Stress at Work

During this session, participants will complete a stress inventory to help them identify areas of stress at work. Participants will also identify some solutions for work-related stress.

Lesson 7: Time Management Tips

A little bit of planning can go a long way towards reducing stress. Participants will work in small groups to brainstorm ways of managing time.

Lesson 8: Stress at Home

Next, participants will get some tips on running their household in a way that reduces stress, including budgeting, planning meals, general organization, and chores.

Lesson 9: Drainers and Fillers

To wrap things up, participants will identify the things that drain and energize them.

Lesson 10: Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.