STRESS MANAGEMENT VPS100

What is Stress?

It is important to recognize whether you or someone you know or a client is under stress. Often, even if we are under the influence of a stressful condition and our body reacts to it internally as well as externally, we fail to realize the symptoms of our stress. This also happens when the causes of stress are there long enough for us to get used to them. The body may try to tell us that it is stressed or that something is wrong, through symptoms such as:

  • heart palpitations
  • dizzy spells
  • tight and sore muscles or
  • various body pains and conditions
  • blurry vision
  • inability to eat or over-eating
  • loss of interest in usual activities
  • unexpected emotional reactions and more…

It is important to remain attentive to such symptoms and to have a stress management system in place to counter the adverse affects of stress. Anxiety, tension, mental and emotional strain are all common problems in todays society. This course introduces you to some practical approaches to combating stress

Stress and everyday life

When we are stressed changes take place in our body and mind. Our nervous system becomes aroused in the same way it does when we are fearful or angry. So long as we feel stressed we continue to remain in a state of arousal. Whilst in the short term we are equipped to deal with this arousal, over the longer term our body becomes exhausted.

 

Learn Relaxation Techniques

In order to cope with stress people often avoid stressful situations but this is not always a good option. There are also many poor coping mechanisms which people turn to which can be harmful to their wellbeing. Study this course to find out ways to manage stress effectively in order to optimise health and wellbeing.

  • Understand what stress is; and how to manage it
  • Identify and Reduce Causes of Stress
  • Help others, help yourself

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

The course is divided into 8 lessons as follows (students complete one assignment per lesson):

1. Body Changes- The fight or flight response; the stress and immune system; long term problems; sources of stress

2. Easy Living - Anxiety; panic; fear; controlling stress; goal setting; relaxation

3. Pills and Alcohol - Drugs and alcohol; smoking; seeking help

4. Self Esteem - Self esteem; social support;

5. Managing Your Own Career - Career goals; career management

6. Security and Decision Making - Self assurance; decision making; problem solving

7. Relaxation and Nutrition - Relaxation; we are what we eat; nutrition, diet and weight loss

8. Personality and Stress - Type A and Type B personalities; personality types and stress; personal style inventory


Duration: 100 hours


Start By Making Sure Your Self Image is Good

It should be emphasised that the idea that ones self esteem is learned implies therefore, that it can be changed.

Your self image is based on the appraisals which you perceive other people are making of you. Parents, family members, teachers, authority figures, friends all contribute to ones self esteem or self image. The person assimilates the views of others and they become his views.

One's self image can always be changed and modified by very positive and affirming behaviour other people show. This contribution however slight, helps toward raising ones self esteem. Ones self esteem rises and falls within given parameters, throughout ones life. No one has a rigid and totally unchangeable evaluation of "self". By receiving warmth, respect, love and affirmation, a person can grow in self acceptance and self love.

Some tips to alter your perceptions of yourself and improve your self-esteem:

  • Develop accurate perceptions of how others see you.
  • Be with people who communicate clearly, openly, honestly and helpfully.
  • Make realistic assessments of such judgements and evaluations of yourself by others.
  • Develop your own accurate perceptions of your abilities and characteristics.
  • Be realistic! Establish realistic and appropriate expectations and goals based on your skills, your life situation and not the circumstances and abilities of other people.
  • Assess where you are in your life, in relation to your goals and then monitor your progress
  • Find new ways to achieve your appropriate goals and expectations.
  • Work to maintain a process of ongoing personal growth, constant re‑evaluation of where you stand in relation to your goals, maintain standards of achievement, and achieve your potential.
  • Incorporate some goals you know you can easily achieve as well as some more difficult ones

Self esteem is the key to a successful, happy, fulfilled and productive life. This is one of the foundation stones of mature, useful, self actualizing living. It effects the state of our personal happiness for we cannot be happy if we do not like ourselves. It affects the way we do our job, the kind of relationships we have, the success or failure of raising our children, and just about everything we do in life. If a human can be compared to a generator of power, then self esteem is the switch that turns it on.

Enrol Today and start to learn more

Stress can make people more prone to alcohol and drug misuse or addiction. Although addiction begins when an individual makes a conscious choice to drink or use other drugs, most individuals who experiment with addictive substances do not become addicted. Addiction develops over time and, once established, is a chronic and relapsing illness. Substance use can be associated with impulsive, aggressive or violent behaviour, which can result in criminal activity and injury to the person or others. This can also vary greatly depending on the substance that is being abused.

Substance-related disorders affect every segment of the population, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender or sexual orientation. People who also have substance related disorders usually find that their general health deteriorates.

Many people who use drugs use more than one at any given time. Poly-drug abuse poses a serious health problem as the effects of the drugs taken together can produce a stronger reaction than individually.

 

Excess Stress

When we encounter the term stress in magazines and books, it often really refers to 'excess stress'. This can in fact be misleading, because the human being is always in a state of stress (arousal). Extreme stress conditions, psychologists say, are detrimental to human health but in moderation stress is normal and, in many cases, proves useful. Stress, nonetheless, is synonymous with negative conditions.

We use the term 'distress' to indicate negative stress, which can lead to harmful effects, such as being fired from ones job. The term 'eustress' is used to refer to positive arousal which provides a healthy challenge, such as being promoted in one's job.

The level of stress differs from one individual to another. Certain individuals experience a higher degree of stress than others (e.g. a job promotion may cause eustress for most people but for some it could cause distress). The level of stress also changes over time - you might be experiencing less stress now than you did a year ago.

 

How This Course Could Help You

Whilst most people who study this course will do so to learn strategies to help others to cope with stressful situations and life events, others may choose to study it to find better ways to deal with their own stress levels.

This course is designed to be of value to people interested in:

  • Counselling
  • Psychotherapy
  • Psychology
  • Social work
  • Nursing
  • Caring roles
  • Health professions
  • Alternative therapies

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

ENROL TODAY!
Just go to the top of this page for pricing and enrolment options. If you have any questions you can contact us now, by:
Phone (UK) 01384 44272, (International) +44 (0) 1384 442752, or

Email us at [email protected]