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.
Developing Stress Toughness
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:
- Reality check - what's really important in life
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Handling stress / quality of life - putting life and issues into perspective and dealing with them
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Need for work / life balance - things I take home and stress about are minor and I shouldn't allow these people to walk through my mind
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Make every day count
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Putting everything into perspective
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I learned that a lot of the time, I stress about stressing and that I don't really have much stress in my life
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How to decrease stress, simplify life and assess what is really important in life
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Confirmation that I must alter my life balance, sooner rather than later
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Interesting to see where stress comes from - this helps me to understand and help the people around me
Get Tough With Stress Online Elearning
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
Get Tough With Stress Contents