Stress can make you sick - very sick! Research has convincingly demonstrated that if you're not happy at work and you work under excessive stress you will become ill. Job insecurity, long hours culture, stressful commute, work overload, autocratic management are just a few of the pressures people face in the workplace. Technology built to make life easier generates techno-stress. Many people work over 60 hours a week and this exhausting schedule can have devastating consequences for family relationships. Long hours in a stressful environment can damage productivity and destroy work life balance.

One of the main reasons work overload and pressure has increased is that organisations in the developed world are trying to compete with cheap labour in the emerging economies. Ironically workers in the emerging economies are also experiencing greater levels of stress. The cost of stress in the workplace is enormous and is estimated to consume between 5% and 10% of gross national product per annum.

John Townsend, the creator of the Get Tough With Stress programme, has been working in the field of stress management for 21 years and his material offers practical, workable solutions. John's academic background includes a double major in psychology from the University of New England in Armidale, Australia. His programme has been presented to staff in the Australian Parliament and he has also worked with hundreds of Chief Executive Officers who are members of an organisation called The Executive Connection.

If you are too busy to destress then you could be placing yourself at considerable risk. Many people only resolve to get serious about their personal health and wellbeing when they have a heart attack or become seriously ill.

Unfortunately there is no quick fix for chronic stress. However, it is possible to significantly reduce stress if you are prepared to invest time and effort to rediscover long forgotten coping skills. The primary aim of the Get Tough With Stress programme is to develop stress immunity and resilience. Stress tough individuals are able to cope with the demands of daily life without becoming ill. They see stress as an opportunity for personal growth and development not a threat. The programme is evidence based and has been presented to thousands of people in corporate and public seminars over 21 years. Here are some comments from people who have completed the course:

It is now possible to undertake Get Tough With Stress online either at work or home. The duration of the course is half a day but you do not need to complete it in one session. Our elearning system keeps track of your progress so that you can complete the course at your own pace. You can login at any Internet connection using your email address and password.

The programme content has been optimised to run quickly and efficiently, even on dial-up connections. We have deliberately avoided the use of technologies that are slow loading and tax bandwidth. The course consists of, but is not limited to:

• Personal evaluation questionnaires
  
• Stress tests
  
• Six podcasts (including a 15 minute relaxation session) which you can download to your MP3 player (valued at $20.00)
  
• Short video clips
  
• User submitted comments
  
• Instruction and action recommendations
  
• Lots of opportunities for setting personal stress toughness goals

Your notes and comments are saved throughout the course and you have an opportunity to print them out at the end of the programme. The Get Tough With Stress elearning is hosted on our Townsend International Corporate website.

Get Tough With Stress Benefits

What can you expect to gain from the course?

• One of the immediate benefits is that you will enjoy a significant reduction in the negative impacts of daily hassles. Stress research has shown that it is often the cumulative wear and tear of daily hassles rather than the major life events that cause us damage;
  
  
• You will also make important decisions in relation to work-life balance and we are confident that you will resolve to correct any imbalance;
  
  
• You will acquire skills that will assist you to learn from stressful experiences so that you are not stressed out by the same thing time and time again;
  
  
• You will be motivated to commence or continue a personal fitness programme;
  
  
• You will understand the important relationship between stress and the immune system;
  
  
• You will be able to download and experience the full benefits of relaxation. The Get Tough With Stress Relaxation MP3 can be uploaded to your MP3 Player for use in your daily commute or at any time you choose;
  
  
• You will be able to identify and reframe irrational thoughts;
  
  
• You will be able to apply self-hypnosis to personal problems and future goals
  
  
• Most importantly, you will increase your stress toughness.

If you complete the course within 30 days from the date of purchase and you feel it has not assisted you to lower your stress we will provide you with a full refund.

The price of the single user elearning is $20.00 Australian Dollars.

Yes you can. Please enrol for our free demonstration course. The course that is used for the demonstration is What is Stress?. At the end of the course you can purchase the full Get Tough With Stress course for $20 if you so desire.

The Elearning registration and services are provided through our Townsend International Corporate website. You will automatically be directed to this site after you enter your email address.

However, there are substantial savings for corporate users. For example, the total cost for a organisation with up to 100 employees is $545.00 Australian Dollars per year plus an initial set up fee of $750.00. All 100 employees are able to do all of the courses for a total annual licence fee of $545.00. Maybe you could persuade your organisation to purchase an elearning package that will allow access for youself and all your fellow employees to Get Tough With Stress, plus many other training courses. We would be happy to discuss a corporate package with a decision maker in your organisation. Please forward us their name, telephone number and location using our online contact form.