Bob Feldman - Creative Communication and Presentation Skills across cultures

Stress Management Through Body Awareness

Introduction

Working at your company provides many challenges which can be both invigorating and satisfying. However, there are times in which you may find yourself under stress, feeling tired and worn out. These conditions create tension that causes your body to experience pain in the neck, shoulders, backs, hips, feet and legs. There might also be the tendency to pass these conditions on to your clients, colleagues and even family members, creating additional tension and conflict. This course will help you learn to reduce the tension before it is too late, exploring techniques that will enable both individuals and teams to balance positive and negative stressors.

In fact, stress is always with us. Dr Hans Selye, often credited as the father of modern stress research, writes that stress is our body's response to any demand made upon it. He distinguished between two types of stress:

"eustress" - good stress, a positive feeling, leading to happiness, creativity and satisfaction (taken from the Greek "eu", meaning good, as in the word euphoria)
"distress" - continuous high levels of damaging, performance-draining stress

The positive eustress can be helpful in generating enthusiasm, motivation and action, but if not controlled it can easily slip over the edge into distress, leading to ineffective performance, uncertainty, unclarity and anxiety. On the job, this often occurs when too many demands are placed upon you at once, when unreasonable deadlines are scheduled, customer complaints continue mounting, constant interruptions do not allow you to get your work done in a timely manner, and even competition or unhealthy interactions between staff members develop. Suddenly you feel irritable, inadequate, unappreciated or confused, that pain in the back and neck increases, and your mind races at night not allowing you to sleep.

We can't eliminate all stress from our lives, but once you recognise the symptoms of stress, there are ways to get out of the trap and to learn how to better manage the daily stresses of life - at work and at your home. This can only be done step by step, and the first step is awareness. Then begins the process of finding what is possible to change in your environment, in your attitude towards others and towards yourself. You can live a healthier life and have a healthier work situation through better communication - with your superiors, with your colleagues, with your employees, with your customers and clients, with your friends, and most importantly, with yourself.

Key techniques to help manage your stress will be explained and experienced. Participants will review the causes and effects of stress at work and practice relaxation exercises for stress management. Your personal health care will benefit and you will find yourself more fit and productive in the workplace.

The course also combines background and research information about stress with practical applications for you to implement at work and at home, and will include time to analyse and discuss specific stress situations you are currently facing at your workplace.

Objectives

understand the causes and effects of stress
understand the physical, emotional and mental reactions to stress
examine stress in the workplace - in yourself and with your team
review critical areas of personal health care
understand the importance of trust, support, confidence and communication
experience a variety of relaxation methods for stress relief
discuss and analyse stress situations unique to your workplace
learn a variety of techniques to help manage stress, take control and set goals
gain tools leading towards a work/life balance
develop a stress management plan

Outcomes

be relaxed and energised
know a variety of techniques and methods for stress reduction and relaxation
be ready to get back to work with a fresh attitude

Methodology

Lecture, discussion, writing, power point, partner and group exercises and activities involving talking, moving and relaxing.

Course Outline

Day One

9:00-10:30: Introductions, icebreakers and warm-up
Stress: the background - definitions, causes, symptoms, affects on body
Self-image and awareness - what we can learn from our body signals
10:30-10:45: morning tea break
10:45-12:30: Self and others; individual and groups
Habits and their power - useful daily routines or restrictive daily stresses
Paradigm shifts: creating alternatives
The four great paradoxes and stress management strategies
12:30-1:30: lunch
1:30-3:15: Discussion of personal health care issues: physical exercise, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises to reduce stress, nutrition, physical check-up
Breathing exercises: Part I
Physical movement, progressive relaxation and imagination exercise
Reflection and writing about personal health and relation of stress to the body
3:15-3:30: afternoon tea break
3:30-5:00: The relaxation response
Breathing exercises: Part II
The Feldenkrais Method of Awareness through Movement

Day Two

9:00-10:30: Morning stretches
Breathing exercises: Part III
Developing trust and building confidence
10:30-10:45: morning tea break
10:45-12:15: Related themes to help manage stress: assertive communication, self-talk management, delegation, time management
Stress on the job - beginning analysis
Values clarification
12:15-1:15: lunch
1:15-3:15: Group project and brainstorming on stress management strategies using the Stress Inventory
3:15-3:30: afternoon tea break
3:30-5:00: Values and visions
Relaxation revisited
Review, evaluations, wrap-up