Course Structure and Lesson Content

The course comprises 8 lessons, as follows -

Lesson 1. Body Changes

• The fight or flight response.
• Stress and immune system.
• Long term problems.
• Sources of stress.

Lesson 2. Easy Living

• Anxiety.
• Panic.
• Fear.
• Controlling stress.
• Goal setting.
• Relaxation.

Lesson 3. Pills and Alcohol 

• Drugs and alcohol.
• Smoking.
• Seeking help.

Lesson 4. Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem.
• Social support.

Lesson 5. Managing Your Own Career

• Career goals.
• Career management.

Lesson 6. Security and Decision Making

• Self-assurance.
• Decision making.
• Problem solving.

Lesson 7. Relaxation and Nutrition

• Relaxation.
• We are what we eat.
• Nutrition.
• Diet and weight loss.

Lesson 8. Personality and Stress

• Type A and Type B personalities.
• Personality types and stress.
• Personal style inventory. 

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Course Aims

• Identify changes that occur to the body as stress develops.
• Identify the relationship between lifestyle and stress.
• Discuss the impact of legal drugs on the psychology of a person.
• Discuss the importance of self-esteem in minimising stress.
• Determine options for career management that will minimise potential for stress.
• Identify and address security issues that impact on stress levels.
• Identify aspects of relaxation and nutrition in a person’s life that may impact upon stress levels.
• Identify the relationship between stress and personality type.

During the course, you will find out more about - How People React To Stress

There are many different ways that people react to stress, both on a conscious and subconscious level.

It is common for any type of stress, to cause an emotional response accompanied by somatic or physiological responses. The physiological response may in the extreme, be things such as sweating and shaking; and an extreme emotional response may be exhibiting physical or verbal abuse. Most stress however starts at a much lower level and builds, so these responses are often not only less pronounced, but far less noticeable. There are also other types of responses in the form of "defence mechanisms.

Defence Mechanisms

Defence mechanisms were first described by Sigmund Freud. They are employed by people to distort or refuse to acknowledge reality.  They always operate on an unconscious level.  They can become automatic and habitual and often involve some measure of deception and distortion. The main ones that have been observed are as follows:

Repression

Repression allows protection from sudden traumatic events, until the individual becomes desensitised to the shock. It involves forcing negative emotions, impulses or memories from the conscious mind which could cause the person distress.  Repression can help the individual to control unacceptable or dangerous desires, allowing time to alleviate anxiety about these desires.  Hurtful or threatening thoughts are repressed from consciousness.

Denial

This is similar to repression, but operates at a pre-conscious or conscious level.  This involves a person behaving as though they are unaware of something which they could be reasonably expected to be aware of. This is a defence most frequently employed by people who have lost loved ones. They go through a period of refusing to believe that it is true.

Projection

This means projecting one’s own negative desires and impulses onto someone else so as to make these feelings more bearable.  It is a particular form of rationalisation. For instance, you feel an irrational hatred toward someone else, and you go around telling people that the person concerned hates you. By projecting these same feelings onto that person it makes it acceptable to dislike them.

Displacement

This refers to when a person directs and expresses their feelings away from a person, object or situation to which they should be properly directed, towards another source. Sometimes this may be a less threatening target. For instance, it could be displacement of a disturbing emotion such as anger, from one person to another – a shift from a person to whom it was originally directed to another person. Displacement reduces anxiety produced by the unacceptable wish, but at the same time it partially gratifies that wish. For example, an office worker may not be able to display their anger to their manager, so they will go home and take it out on their partner.

Displacement involves difficult emotions usually, such as hostility, anxiety, anger.  The individual may turn the hostility aroused by another person or event inwards, leading to exaggerated self-accusations and recriminations, severe guilt or self-devaluation.  These inward reactions will protect the individual from expressing dangerous hostility towards others, but can lead to depression or suicidal thoughts.  

Reaction formation

This is where the individual behaves or advocates views that are the complete opposite to what they really think or feel.  This involves unconsciously covering up what you really feel by behaving in the opposite manner. For example, a woman who could not obtain an abortion might harbour a lot of hatred towards her child, and unconsciously still want to get rid of it. Instead, she behaves lovingly and over-protectively to the child.

An individual may protect themselves from dangerous desires by developing conscious attitudes and behaviour patterns rather than repressing them.  However, the developed behaviour may be the opposite of their desire e.g. concealing hatred under love, cruelty under kindness, and promiscuity under strict sexual morality. Reaction formation can allow the individual to maintain socially approved behaviour and avoid self-devaluing desires.  

Sublimation

Sublimation is transferring life and death impulses into things that are more socially acceptable e.g. art, sport.  This involves establishing a secondary socially acceptable goal which can be satisfied instead of satisfying the primary (original) goal. For instance, an excessively aggressive person might satisfy their desire to kill by joining the army where it can be socially acceptable to kill.

Identification

This refers to adopting the activities or characteristics of someone else. It may be used to give the individual a sense of self-worth and protection from failure. However, if feelings of adequacy or worth are too heavily based on identification with others, individuals may be highly vulnerable to stressful situations.  

Rationalisation

This is a means of explaining away unacceptable behaviours by suggesting an alternate and logical reason. A person may pretend to have a socially acceptable reason for a form of behaviour that is actually rooted in irrational feelings. For example, a person may be angry with their mother and wants to avoid her. They construct a false reason for not going to visit her e.g. they were feeling tired and would not have been good company. It is justifying maladaptive behaviour by using faulty logic. 

Regression

This is where people revert back to a time that was more comfortable for them and cling to behaviours that they exhibited at this point in their life.  For example, if a new baby comes to a family, an older child may revert to more infantile behaviour, such as wetting the bed, or wanting to be bottle-fed. It quite often occurs during physical illness. 

Intellectualisation

This is where a person seeks to explain their behaviour in ways that seem more acceptable, and they are thereby able to avoid the emotional content.  This involves detaching oneself from deep emotions about an issue by dealing with it in abstract and intellectual terms. The emotional reaction that normally accompanies a hurtful event is avoided by a rational explanation that removes the personal significance of the event.  For example, if a parent dies, the person may say that the deceased lived a long life, or it was a merciful release.   There are other defence mechanisms which have been identified, and they all work in the same way, to unconsciously protect our egos from distress.

What Are the Advantages of Studying Stress Management With ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in psychology and counselling.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

Understand and Manage Stress

Stress is a major cause of ill-health and lost productivity in the Western world. We all experience stress and for the most part we can usually cope with some amount of stress. In fact, it can be beneficial in small doses since it stimulates us. However, when it is intense or enduring it can deplete our energy or exhaust us.

Learn -

• To Management Stress
• The effects of stress on the body and mind.
• About anxiety, panic attacks, and the effects of drug and alcohol use when under stress.
• Burnout and exhaustion
• The role of nutrition and personality e.g. Type A and Type B on stress levels.

This is a useful course for anyone who wishes to improve their own stress levels or wants to help others to reduce their stress levels.

Broaden your job and career prospects by offering stress management techniques training to others.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

Or

Click here to Contact a Psychology Tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.