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Dr Alena Soboleva

Globalisation and advances in information and communication technology have resulted in a 24/7 work environment characterised by rapid change, a greater sense of competition, and an explosion in access to communication and information. These pressures compound stress related to workload and information processing – this not only reduces performance but can lead to a reduced sense of meaning and purpose as well as physical and mental health issues. Understanding stress and how to boost your resilience to it are essential skills for contemporary leaders and play a vital role in managing the demands you face at work. This course will focus on the nature of stressors facing leaders in today’s work environments and how to deal with them. You’ll explore personal resilience – your capacity to withstand and cope with stress – and strategies for self-management, motivation and organisation. You’ll also learn how resilience is impacted by health and social relationships.

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Syllabus

The nature of stress and resilience
As you know stress is a major problem in today’s dynamic work environment. No doubt you have experienced stress in your working life. However, you may be surprised about the extent of stress and the scale of the problems that it represents to society, organisations, and to their workforces. Stress is a problem for everyone but you will focus on stress as it applies to managers, whether they work in large or small organisations or run their own business. Today, to enhance and prosper at work, you need to develop your capacity to deal with stress and its causes, in other words to build your resilience. In Week 1 you will begin to explore the nature of stress and resilience, a big picture view of the impact of stress, and the role of contemporary forces in society on the growing problem of stress for you and for those you will work with. The guided activities, including the Habit Corner, will help you to determine your stressors, how you respond to them, and compare your approach toa model of stress and resilience.
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The sources of stress
From last week you will recognise that stress arises from the challenges you face in your work (and in your lives). This week, in relation to the framework of stress you will reflect on and analyse your personal work experiences to evaluate your own sources of stress. Four types of stressors will be introduced and discussed in detail. Understanding the nature of sources of stress will help you generate insights for building resilience both for you and for those you manage and work with in the future.
Approaches to deal with stress
Having so far examined the sources of stressors that you are likely to have encountered and the impact or reactions to stress you'll now turn your attention to becoming more resilient to stress through the adoption of approaches to manage stress. First, you will explore whether you can eliminate stress from your life. While you may think it is impossible to eliminate stress, it is important to realise that for many people the way you structure your work environments can have a profound impact on the level of stress encountered. Why suffer if you don’t have to? Given the important insight that people can react very differently to stressful situations, you will explore how your perceptions play a role in the impact of stress you experience. You will look at a number of these perceptual aspects and consider insights that you may employ to manage your stress. Finally, you will examine how improving your skills to deal more appropriately with the demands placed upon you can have a significant impact on the experience of stress.
Building resilience
This week you will continue to explore how to build resilience by looking at a number of features of resilient people. First, you'll explore the psychological aspects of resilience – in particular, the concept of hardiness and how your emotions play a role in how well you deal with stress. In addition, you will investigate the relationship between resilience and health. You know that when you are tired or have low energy or are feeling unwell you are more likely to react poorly to stressful situations. Finally, you will examine resilience from the perspective of social connectedness. While your interactions with others can often be a source of stress, you also seek out people to share and talk to about your stress. Resilient people are typically part of social networks, family and friendship groups, that can support us in times of stress. By considering these various aspects of resilient you are able to reflect on your own resilience profile.
Managing oneself effectively: Values and goals
Given the pressures and demands on time, a critical skill for managers relates to how well you manage your time and personal organisation. Indeed, your ability in managing your time plays an important role in your overall level of resilience. This week you will examine your time management from the perspective of how effectively you manage yourself. Effectiveness refers to the extent that your actions link to your values and important goals. You will reflect on your work goals and values and the extent that they link with your current behaviour at work and explore ways to develop the effectiveness of your time and personal organisation.
Managing oneself efficiently: Time and personal organisation
Last week’s you were introduced to the idea that you can can enhance resilience through improving your time and personal organisation skills. These skills were highlighted by ensuring that your behaviour reflects what you value and cared about. This week, you will look at time and personal organisation skills by exploring how you go about your work to ensure that it is done in the most efficient way possible. The famous American author Mark Twain once said that you should eat a live frog in the morning and then you won’t have to do anything so unpleasant for the rest of the day. Of course Mark Twain was not literally referring to eating a frog but emphasising the view that doing things you find difficult is easler first thing in the morning. This advice and many other tactics have been discussed in the time management literature as ways to enhance your behaviour in managing your time and personal organisation. This week you will explore strategies to enhance your skills in managing your time – how to do what you have to do more efficiently. You will also examine two common problems facing many people in dealing with demands on their time: the tendency to put off doing what you should be doing (i.e. procrastination) and the desire to do things perfectly (i.e. perfectionism). Finally, you will recap the course and apply the lessons to make changes to your behaviour to help build resilience.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Examines building resilience, which is highly relevant to managing stress in today's competitive work environments
Taught by Dr Alena Soboleva, who is recognized for their work in resilience and stress management
Explores personal resilience, which is core for contemporary leaders to withstand and cope with stress
Develops time and personal organization skills, which are critical for resilience and effectiveness in managing demands
Provides strategies for self-management, motivation, and organization, which are essential skills for managing stress and boosting resilience

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Reviews summary

Personal resilience

Learners say that Build personal resilience is a highly positively reviewed course that largely focuses on helping students understand and overcome stress. Reviewers note that the course is engaging and well structured, with plenty of practical tools and techniques that can be easily applied to daily life. The instructors are knowledgeable and engaging, and the course materials are well-organized and well-researched. Overall, learners say that this course is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their personal resilience and manage stress more effectively.
Course encourages learners to reflect on their personal values and goals.
"This course has help me shine a light on the importance of self-awareness."
"This course is very helpful for self realisation and to build on your strengths."
Course emphasizes the importance of time management for reducing stress and building resilience.
"I really enjoyed learning about techniques to better understand your own reactions and emotions."
"Helpful strategies in time management have already proved helpful and are adequately explained in the literature attached."
Course helps learners build self-awareness and identify their stressors.
"This course has helped me shine a light on the importance of self-awareness."
"The stress and resilience framework allow us to keep up through the course."
Course offers practical strategies and techniques for reducing stress and building resilience.
"I found this course very effective and practical oriented."
"The course had a good blend of both theoretical as well as a practical approach to building once personal resilience."
Course provides a comprehensive understanding of stress and how to build resilience to deal with it.
"The instructor explained the concept of stress and resilience beautifully."
"There were many new things that I learnt about stress and how to build personal resilience to overcome the stress."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Build personal resilience with these activities:
Read Atomic Habits by James Clear
Gives the student a baseline understanding of key psychological concepts involved in stress and well-being.
Show steps
  • Read the book.
  • Take notes on key concepts.
  • Summarize the book in your own words.
Learn about relaxation techniques
These techniques can help students to reduce stress and improve their overall well-being.
Browse courses on Relaxation Techniques
Show steps
  • Find a guided relaxation or meditation practice.
  • Listen to the guided practice and follow the instructions.
  • Notice how you feel after practicing the relaxation technique.
Discuss stress management strategies with a peer
Students can benefit from sharing their experiences and learning from each other's perspectives.
Browse courses on Stress Management
Show steps
  • Find a peer who is also taking the course.
  • Schedule a time to meet.
  • Discuss your stress management strategies.
Two other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all five activities
Develop a stress management plan
Provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of stress management techniques to their own lives.
Show steps
  • Identify your stress triggers.
  • Develop a list of coping mechanisms.
  • Create a plan for implementing your coping mechanisms.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of your plan.
Contribute to an open-source project on stress management
This can give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world project.
Browse courses on Stress Management
Show steps
  • Find an open source project on stress management.
  • Identify a way to contribute to the project.
  • Make a contribution to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Build personal resilience will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Chief Wellness Officer
As a Chief Wellness Officer, you are responsible for your company's health and wellness program. This means you will oversee the creation and implementation of programs that will help employees improve their physical, mental, and emotional health. This course on personal resilience can help you become a more effective Chief Wellness Officer by giving you the tools you need to help employees manage stress and build resilience. This course will help you understand the nature of stress and resilience, the sources of stress, as well as approaches to manage stress and ways to build resilience.
Psychologist
Psychologists study and treat mental health disorders. This course on personal resilience can be beneficial for those who want to become Psychologists, as it provides an understanding of the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help patients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall mental health.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health disorders. This course on personal resilience can be beneficial for those who want to become Psychiatrists, as it provides an understanding of the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help patients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall mental health.
Life Coach
Life Coaches help people identify and achieve their personal goals. This course on personal resilience can help you to become a more effective Life Coach by giving you the tools you need to teach your clients how to manage stress and build resilience. The knowledge you learn can be used to help clients overcome obstacles, achieve their goals, and live more fulfilling lives.
Corporate Wellness Manager
Corporate Wellness Managers are responsible for developing and implementing wellness programs for employees in corporate settings. This course in personal resilience can be beneficial for Corporate Wellness Managers as it provides an understanding of the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to design and deliver effective wellness programs that help employees manage stress and build resilience, thereby improving their overall health and well-being.
Wellness Consultant
Wellness Consultants help individuals and organizations improve their health and well-being. The course on personal resilience can be useful for those who want to become Wellness Consultants, as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help clients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall health and well-being.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapists help people with disabilities or injuries to regain or improve their ability to perform everyday activities. This course on personal resilience may be helpful for those who want to become Occupational Therapists as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help clients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall quality of life.
School Counselor
School Counselors provide counseling and support to students in elementary, middle, and high schools. This course on personal resilience may be useful for those who want to become School Counselors as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help students identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall academic and personal success.
Registered Nurse
Registered Nurses provide and coordinate patient care. This course on personal resilience may be useful for those who want to become Registered Nurses as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help patients cope with the stress of illness and treatment, and to build resilience in the face of challenging health conditions.
Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselors diagnose and treat mental health disorders. This course in personal resilience may be useful for those who want to become Mental Health Counselors as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help clients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall mental health.
Social Worker
Social Workers help people cope with personal and social problems. This course in personal resilience may be useful for those who want to become Social Workers as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help clients identify and manage stressors, develop coping mechanisms, and build resilience, thereby improving their overall well-being.
Yoga Instructor
Yoga Instructors teach yoga to individuals and groups. This course on personal resilience may be helpful for those who want to become Yoga Instructors as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help students understand the benefits of yoga for managing stress and building resilience, and how to incorporate these principles into their teaching.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists dispense medications and provide information about their use. This course on personal resilience may be useful for those who want to become Pharmacists as it provides insights into the nature of stress and resilience and how to manage stress. This knowledge can be used to help patients cope with the stress of illness and treatment, and to build resilience in the face of challenging health conditions.

Reading list

We've selected eight books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Build personal resilience.
Is essential reading for managers who want to understand and manage workplace stress. It can be used to supplement the course by providing more in-depth information on the causes and effects of stress, as well as strategies for managing it.
Provides a comprehensive overview of resilience, including its benefits, how to develop it, and how to use it to overcome challenges. It can be used to supplement the course by providing more information on the practical aspects of resilience.
Explores the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. It can be used to supplement the course by providing more information on how to manage emotions and build relationships.
Classic self-help book that explores the power of positive thinking. It can be used to supplement the course by providing more information on how to develop a positive attitude.

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