Discover how to effectively handle stress by regulating your emotions.

In today's world, it is common to experience a sense of being swamped and incapable of handling our daily responsibilities. Stressful circumstances can arise in both our personal and professional lives, and it can be challenging to evade conflict when we are in a stressful situation. The course provided participants with an opportunity to acquire knowledge and practical skills for managing and surmounting conflict and stressful situations through theoretical instruction and hands-on activities.
 
The new edition of the course “Stress and Conflict Management: the way to resilience and satisfaction​” took place in Tenerife from 12/03/2023 to 18/02/2023. The participants came from all across Europe, with Vesna Šušnica and Katarina Gradišar Seifert from Srednja zdravstvena šola Ljubljana in Slovenia; Marleen Schraepen and Sara Marquant from Heilig Hart Instituut Heverlee in Belgium; Marju Tiussa from Live-säätiö in Finland; Döményné Dobosi Lejla from Bajai III. Béla Gimnázium in Hungary; Olga Glińska and Wioletta Gawrońska from Fundacja Biuro Inicjatyw Społecznych in Poland and Laura Andersone, Inese Dedumeta and Linda Gailite from Vidzeme Technology and Design Vocational School in Latvia.

During the course's initial day, the participants collaborated in groups to brainstorm the meaning of the term stress. Stress is caused by a variety of stressors, such as physical, environmental, family-related, or work-related factors. Nonetheless, small quantities of stress can have positive effects, motivating us to achieve our objectives or meet a deadline, for instance. To differentiate between negative distress and positive eustress, the participants learned to distinguish between them.
Throughout the course, participants learned about several cognitive and behavioral approaches designed to handle stressful situations in the workplace. They had opportunities to enhance their planning and time management abilities through group activities. To manage stressful circumstances more effectively, they practiced breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and visualization.
Empathy, a crucial skill in handling conflicts, was another topic addressed during the course. Displaying empathetic behavior can be challenging, particularly when we haven't undergone the same emotions as the individual before us. Nevertheless, it is achievable with practice, and the participants acquired knowledge on distinguishing it from other types of responses.
Effectively communicating is essential in resolving conflicts. The course attendees were introduced to distinct communication styles and tasked with a group activity where every member had to contribute to resolving a conflict. Despite conflict resolution being a challenging task, the activity demonstrated how it can also provide opportunities for growth and learning for team members. This approach is also applicable in a workplace or classroom setting.
The participants, coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, had a chance to engage with one another and learn from their collective experiences. Crucially, the course highlighted that not only do they possess the skills for managing stressful situations, but that conflicts can also yield positive results.
Discover more about this course here.