Dealing with Stress and Conflicting Needs

Course details

Once you understand why some workplace experiences are more stressful than others, you can then devise a strategy for dealing with them and manage the sometimes conflicting needs of others. This course focuses on the ‘how to’ element in managing these two workplace occurrences.

This course examines the causes of some workplace activities that can be stressful for you and it examines the impact on you and your colleagues’ productivity. It offers you highly practical advice and will help you to deal with these situations and manage the sometimes conflicting needs of others effectively. It’s about how to improve and maximise your performance in the workplace and you take away a booklet containing the Top 20 Tips on dealing with stressful situations at work.

Is it right for me?

If you want to improve your personal effectiveness and performance by applying stress management techniques to deal with stressful situations at work then this course is for you. It will also help you understand how to manage difficult people and how to handle situations where there is a conflict of needs.

What will I learn?

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Assess your personal stress levels and identify the common causes of stress in the workplace.
• Identify the causes and effects of stress on your actions.
• Recognise the symptoms of stress in yourself and colleagues.
• Learn how you can deal with pressure and stress effectively at work.
• Adapt to changes in working routine or environment.
• Use practical techniques including breathing and relaxation exercises to help avoid build-up of stress.
• Make changes in your behaviour to resolve conflict of needs in others.

Pre-course Activity

To gain the maximum benefit from the course, you will be sent a pre-course questionnaire to complete which asks you to consider your current expectations. This will help you set the context of the course and the information you provide will be used on the day as part of the course activities.

What will it cover?

Stress in the Workplace

• What contributes to workplace pressures? - The Top Ten causes
• The impact of stress on personal performance
• Maintaining an effective work/life balance

Managing Pressure in the Workplace

• Moving from reactive to proactive
• Working to priorities when everything is urgent
• Managing conflicting demands from more than one person

Handling Others in a Stressful Environment

• Recognising the signs of stress in others
• Stress as a source of energy – turning anxiety into positive feelings
• Crisis management – how to cope and what to do

Stress and Behaviour Patterns

• Passive, aggressive and assertive behaviour
• Developing self-assertiveness – taking greater control
• Self-motivation – maintaining your motivation

Strategies for Dealing with Stress Positively

• Managing conflicting needs more effectively
• Developing a personal action plan using the Top 20 Tips every day