Use an In-service Day for Stress Management Training

Feedback from a Local Council’s Education Department

We recently provided some stress management training for a local council’s education department.  The course delivered was a half-day Stress Management Tools and Techniques course which was arranged to take place on one of the council’s in-service/inset days.

We asked the trainer Karen Barr for her thoughts about what she had found satisfying and challenging about the training so far,

“The most satisfying element of the training is when people understand that everyone suffers from stress at some time or another.  Often, if we feel we are not coping in a situation we can begin to feel very isolated and think that it is only ourselves who are going through this difficulty.  Being stressed is not a sign of failure, it’s a sign that something needs to change or perhaps we just simply need to be kinder to ourselves.  More often than not we are our own harshest critic!”

“I think the biggest challenge so far is perhaps the expectation that our external environment needs to change for us to be less stressed about it. However we know that this is not the case.  Life can be very stressful but it is how we learn to manage it that counts.  Once people understand that they can change the way they approach and think about difficult situations, they become much more resourceful and resilient. “

Karen also emphasised the importance of building resilience in the good times:
“It is also quite important to build resilience in good times so that we do have that extra resilience for when we need it.  I love the poem, ‘Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference’.  It sums up a sensible approach to stress management.”

“Very useful in-service morning. Valuable advice and tools to help deal with stress – thank you”
“Great course.  Very useful both inside work and out.  Well delivered.  Thank you!”
“very thought provoking”