Short Course on Managing Stress

Stop letting stress rule your life and get an understanding of the causes and ways in which you can manage stress in your life.

The Managing Stress short course is a 20 hour course that will guide you and help you understand the many aspects of stress, how it can affect you, your mind and body and help you with some methods to utilise to control stress.

Once stress reaches a certain level, it becomes unhealthy both physically and psychologically. Stressful life events have been known to trigger many psychological problems and disorders, not to mention the physical toll that it can have on your body.

Some topics covered in this course include understanding negative emotions, controlling stress, managing anger, understanding depression and anxiety, how to deal with shame, guilt and self doubt, coping with negative emotions at home and at work and most importantly, achieving balance.

Start today, learn today, learn when you like. You could finish this course in a weekend if you wanted or take a year- it’s up to you.

How does it work?

At the end of each lesson, you will be given a short interactive test to undertake, which will provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. Upon completing the very last lesson, you will be offered a more thorough automated test or examination. This final assessment can be undertaken at any time of day or night; and any day of the week; and if you achieve an overall pass (60% or more); you will be able to obtain a “certificate of completion” with your name and completion date on it.

Note: these short courses are self-guided online courses and are not to be confused with tutor-supported online courses.

There are 8 Lessons in this course:

1. Negative Emotions

• Introduction
• What are negative emotions?
• The need for control
• Overview of negative emotions
• Causes of negative emotions
• Physiological arousal
• The impact of negative emotions
• Negative emotions and mental health disorders

2. Stress Control

• Why do we need to control our stress?
• Physiological response to stress
• General adaptation syndrome
• Responses to chronic stress
• Long-term outcomes
• Cognitive responses to stress
• Defence mechanisms
• The stress epidemic
• Stress and war
• Stress and disease
• Stress and relationships
• Stress and crime
• Dealing with stress
• Stress management techniques
• Poor coping strategies
• Useful coping strategies
• Relaxation strategies

3. Anger Management

• The impact of anger
• Anger as physiological arousal
• Ways of conceptualizing anger
• Passive aggressive anger
• Aggressive anger
• Anger management
• Ways to diffuse anger
• Counselling strategies

4. Depression and Anxiety

• Depression
• Depressive disorders
• Symptoms of depression
• Causes of depression
• Other physical illnesses
• Anxiety
• Anxiety disorders
• Symptoms of anxiety
• Causes of anxiety
• Combating anxiety and depression

5. Dealing with Shame, Guilt, and Self-doubt

• Other common negative emotions
• Shame
• Guilt
• Self-doubt and reduced self-esteem
• Other negative emotions

6. Coping with Negative Emotions at Home

• Overcoming negative thoughts
• Helpful techniques for well-being
• Things to avoid
• Case studies

7. Coping with Negative Emotions at Work

• Work life
• Causes of negative emotions at work
• Anger
• Stress
• Fear
• Disappointment
• Dislike
• Bringing negative emotions to work
• Helpful techniques for well-being at work
• Case studies

8. Achieving Balance

• Too much positivity
• What is normal? What is healthy?
• Some stress is fine
• Dealing with conflict
• Case studies
• Hedonic and eudemonic approaches