Building stress immunity
Featured in the Using Emotional Intelligence at Work training manual
By Mike Bagshaw
Category: Emotional Intelligence
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
Employers have responsibilities in both statutory and common law for the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Part of this responsibility is to create a work environment free of undue stress and strain. This is also in the organisation’s self-interest, as they will increasingly face claims of ‘psychiatric injury’ and stress-related disorders resulting from heavy workload, unsatisfactory environments, and bullying at work. This training activity recognises the duty of the employer, but focuses primarily on what the individual can do to build resilience to day-to-day pressures and uncertainties.
First, participants are reminded that different people respond differently to stress events. They are asked for their ideas on what stress means to them. This is followed by a definition of stress. They are then asked how they would respond to a sudden threatening situation. This leads to a presentation of the three-stage physiological response of the body to threat. The consequences of the age-old stress response are discussed in relation to the more typical modern ‘threat’. Usually this means people feel there is a gap between the demand placed on them and their resources to deal with it. Participants are asked to rate their current levels of stress, and to indicate their position on the stress-performance curve. Strategies for managing stress are presented and discussed, paying particular attention to the effects of belief systems on our emotional reaction to pressure and change. There is then an exercise in which participants identify which participants identify ways that they are going to deal with pressure more effectively. The training activity is rounded off with a simple systematic relaxation procedure followed by a self-assessment of their current level of relaxation.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to help participants recognise the signs of stress and to develop stress-prevention and management strategies.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:30:00 |
| No of Pages: | 30 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: A4 sheets of thin card.
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers on managing change, managing conflict, and stress-management training programmes.
Download the training activity, Building stress immunity as featured in the Fenman training manual; Using Emotional Intelligence at Work