Stress
management
Tutor manual
July 2014
Session plan
Objectives
1. Identify and describe stress
2. Determine sources and effects of stress
3. Describe ways of dealing with stress
Prerequisites
Nil
Time
Recommended time: 180 minutes (3 hours)
Training aids
Additional preparation





OHTs or Powerpoint 1 - 23
Handouts: 6
Paper for participants to write on (A5)
Flip chart paper / whiteboard
Different coloured whiteboard markers and coloured
‘Vivid’ markers
further information is available from
 Devise a way to break trainees into groups
 Prepare or come prepared with name tags/stickers;
lollies/chocolate.
 Arrange classroom so that trainees can sit in groups.
Page 2 of 15
Introduction
Welcome and Administration


Welcome participants. Cover housekeeping: emergency evacuation procedures, toilets,
Fill out T2, display or wear name tags.
The module is written with a broad focus – allowing individuals to identify their own stressors,
whether they are related to their budgeting work or from other sources. It is up to the tutor to
create the links regarding stress to the world of budgeting advice, dependent on the needs and
receptivity of the group. Whilst tutoring this module, you may find that some participants do not
believe they are ever stressed or suffer from stress. During the module, it may be necessary to
demonstrate to them (gently!) situations where they have in fact been stressed, but that they
appear to demonstrate good coping mechanisms and excellent strategies for managing or avoiding
stress. Everyone has stress – as will be shown later, it may be that it’s good stress i.e. stress that
motivates or is associated with pleasure.
Icebreaker
Devise your own icebreaker or use the one suggested below:
Remembered names
Advisers introduce themselves giving their name and a pastime that they have never tried but would
like to. First person (tutor) does themselves, subsequent people repeat everyone who has come
before them. Flip a coin to see which end of the room to start. Others can help out if the person
gets stuck.
Once completed, link this to how stress can arise in any situation! Working together can be a good
way to manage and reduce it.
Outline the objectives for today’s session:
Powerpoint: Slide 2: Objectives
1. Identify and describe stress
2. Determine sources and effects of stress
3. Describe ways of dealing with stress
Page 3 of 15
Objective 1 - Identify and describe stress
Ask:



How many of you have ever felt stressed?
How many of you felt stressed either about coming to or arriving at this session today?
What was it that made you feel stressed? Tell the person next to you.
Note: Write the word “STRESS” on the whiteboard.
What is stress?
Elicit answers as a brainstorm and record on a display board – Use different colours and keywords
rather than writing out long statements.
Ask: What are some definitions of stress?
Accept all of them or if none come up offer the following:
 Stress is a feeling that you are not in total control
 It is the feeling that the requests or demands made on you, at a particular time, are more
than you can manage or handle
 A symptom of stress can be a physical response e.g. a feeling of euphoria, excitement (e.g.
butterflies in the stomach), being physically sick, depressed, angry, unable to breathe etc
Powerpoint: Slide 3 Definition
One definition of stress is:
“The non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it”.
Non-specific in this case means that the response is different for each person dependent on what
else their body is managing e.g. If the temperature is 15 degrees, one person may shiver, but
another person may not
Handout 1: What is stress?
Now we have a definition of stress let’s look at some of the sources of it and its effects.
Page 4 of 15
Objective 2: Determine sources and effects of stress
Handout 2: Source of stress
Ask: Is the source of stress Environmental, Social, Physiological or Psychological?
Elicit answers, but first ensure that everyone is clear about the sources of stress.
Powerpoint: Slide 4 – 7 Sources of stress
Source of stress
Examples
Environmental
traffic noise, commuting, noise pollution, weather changes
too much money, not enough money, deadlines, demands
on our time & attention, work, managing competing
requirements, working in isolation
life changes e.g. adolescence, puberty, menopause, ageing,
illness, reaction to the environment, relationships with
others e.g. partner, friends, family, others
our thoughts and how we interpret the world e.g. our belief
system, thinking and learning style, personality, our
expectations
Social
Physiological
Psychological
Divide the whiteboard or a large piece of flip chart paper into four columns. Head the columns as
follows – environmental, social, physiological and psychological.
Ask: So, what causes you stress?
Brainstorm answers, again using colour / keywords and as a group, categorise the answers into the
four main sources of stress as above.
Think about the stressful situations that you experience in your work in budgeting. There are many
roles you may fulfil in your work in budgeting.
Have class call these out. Prompt to get some of the following list:
 Receptionist
 President
 Adviser
 Privacy officer
 Management committee member
 Regional representative
 Coordinator
 Health & Safety officer
 SIO officer
 District representative
 TMM adviser
 Supervisor of trainee budget adviser
 National Office employee
 National Committee member
 Tutor
 Māori representative
 Fundraiser
 Jack / Jill of all trades, cleaner, etc.
 Community budget educator
Page 5 of 15
What are the causes of stress for you in this role?
Choose one (or two) roles in budgeting that you fulfil. Write them down, and then see
if you can identify if they are environmental, social, physiological or psychological.
Keep hold of this piece of paper as you will need it later.
Now with this knowledge and context let’s look at how we react to our stressors.
Possible break time.
How do you respond to stress?
Powerpoint: Slide 9 Reaction to stress
Ask class to consider the following responses. It’s often easier to identify someone else’s stress
response but focus trainees on considering their own as they look at the slide.
Psychologist Connie Lillas uses a driving analogy to describe the three most common ways people
respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress:
Foot on the gas: An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional,
and unable to sit still.
Foot on the brake: A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show
very little energy or emotion.
Foot on both: A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do
anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated. (this is often
something we see in clients who put their bills in drawers, don’t open their mail, don’t contact
creditors etc)
Note: Allow a couple of minutes for discussion. Stress responses may not be clear cut and depending
on the duration or the cause of stress, people can respond in one or more ways. We will look at this
now.
Some possible ways people respond are:
 Shut down or withdraw
 Eat,
 don’t eat
 Sleep
 Don’t sleep
 Get angry
Page 6 of 15
The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body
and behaviour in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently. Not only can
overwhelming stress lead to serious mental and physical health problems, it can also take a toll on
your relationships at home, work and recreation.
Ask: How do you think stress affects your body, mood and or behaviour.
Handout 3: List of effects on the body.
Stress is important for us to survive, but it is the level of stress that is critical in ensuring our
wellbeing. Let’s consider the stress-ometer levels below.
Note: Draw a simple barometer on the board with four levels from cold to boiling. As you name each
stress level, write it on the barometer. Note that Eustress comes in at level 2 and Understress at
level 1.
Name of stress
Eustress
Understress
Overstress
Distress
Examples (elicit from group or provide)
This is good stress and is often a motivating factor in our lives.
Examples of eustress are romance, sporting commitments &
exercise, lottery win, holiday, a new job, a positive outcome of a
situation at work or home.
This is a situation of under stimulation perhaps at home or work.
It has a negative effect and can cause boredom or fatigue. It is
often called “Rust out” and can be debilitating.
Overstress is where we push ourselves beyond our limits due to
over stimulation which comes from constant demands from all
quarters – home, work, socially. It is the feeling of “too many
balls in the air”.
Distress is damaging or unpleasant stress and causes harmful
effects. It is manifested as frustration, a feeling of overload and
unresolved feelings of fear and anxiety.
When people experience overstress and distress, it leads to
burnout. Show PP6. Simply put this is a situation of taking on
too much, too intensively for too long. This results in emotional
exhaustion, depersonalisation, and a feeling of reduced personal
accomplishment
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,
“How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500 g.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the
Page 7 of 15
longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later
as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.
As with the glass of water you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now let
them down for a moment if you can. Relax, pick them up later after you’ve rested. Life is short, enjoy
it.”
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life.








Accept that some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
If you can’t be kind at least have the decency to be vague.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time. Then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
The second mouse gets the cheese.
Never buy a car you can’t push.
Handout 4: Are you suffering from Burnout?
Allow class a couple of minutes to complete it and score it. Explain that revealing their results is
entirely optional and that there is no obligation to do so.
Extra exercise can be done here.
Handout 5: Stress Scale
Powerpoint: 11 Burnout
If you haven’t taken a break, take one here.
Page 8 of 15
Objective 3
Describe ways of dealing with stress
We will now move to the final objective of the module.
Before we start this part of the module, it is important to remember that because we
are all unique, there is no one single answer for each person, and something that one
person finds helpful to de-stress them, may not necessarily work for another person!
Usually there are several strategies that people use to help them to move from a
situation of DIS-stress to one of less stress or DE-stress.
Did you know that scientists have found that laughter is a form of internal jogging that exercises the
body and stimulates the release of beneficial brain neurotransmitters and hormones?
A positive outlook and laughter is actually good for our health!
As adults we have something to learn from our children. Research shows that adults laugh
approximately 15 times a day – children laugh about 400 times a day!
So to get us started again, and make sure we get our quota, and at the unintentional risk of
offending some people, how about a few jokes?
Ask: Does anybody have any appropriate jokes they’d like to share?
Powerpoint: slides 12 - 14.
From now on intersperse script with jokes or funny quotes. There are some children’s quotes
provided as a starter.
How do you deal with stress?
Brainstorm or work in small groups / pairs as appropriate. Tutor to put suggestions
onto OHT or whiteboard / blackboard using key words.
What do you do to help you feel less stressed?
 Physical exercise.
 Talking with a close friend.
 Breaking the ‘problem’ or stressful situation into manageable ‘chunks’.
 Meditation / taking time out.
 Taking action by slowing down or doing things differently.
 Changing the environment e.g. rearranging the work/home space, interacting
with positive people.
 Changing the ‘self-talk’ i.e. working on changing self-perceptions.
 Creative visualisation.
 Humorous emails from friends.
 Avoid alcohol.
 Seek professional help.
 Off load tasks – do a division of labour.
 Cut down caffeine.
 Be assertive.
Page 9 of 15





Sleep well.
Have time for yourself.
Eat healthily.
Relax – breathing.
Structured problem solving.
All of these ideas can be incorporated into your own ‘grab bag’ for stress management.
Review the stressors you identified in your work in budgeting. Either alone or with
someone, discuss the following:
 How could you reduce the stress associated with this budgeting stressor?
 How difficult or easy would it be for you to implement a change to reduce the
stress?
 What barriers do you think there are to make these changes? (internal /
external / personal / other)
 What support is there for you to make these changes?
 What other strategies/tools from your ‘grab bag’ could be employed to help
you reduce the stress?
Discuss as a group or in small groups as appropriate. At the end of the discussion,
highlight some of the main issues that were discussed. It is not necessary to identify
particular people’s suggestions.
Focus the group on the issue of stress and budgeting ‘work’ as a result of the previous activity.


Where stress is related to the ‘work’ involved with budgeting
If stress and fatigue is related to work, it is the responsibility of both the individual and the
‘employer’ to assess and manage the risks. This is a new element in the Health & Safety in
Employment Act 1992. (amendment 2002).
Powerpoint: Slides 15 – 20: The bucket model view of stress.
Explain that the Department of Labour have come up with this ‘bucket model’ view of stress.
“The model suggests stress & fatigue result when a person’s reservoir of personal resilience is
drained faster than it is replenished. Things like interesting work, supportive relationships, good
health & rest fill the bucket. Difficult working conditions, conflict at work, emotionally draining
work, excess (or not enough) work & difficulties at home can drain the bucket. You are coping when
you maintain the balance between these factors.
There is no point in ‘filling the bucket’ if stressors keep draining it quickly. Control of stressors is
frequently needed – to ‘plug the holes’, or at least reduce their size – in order to prevent stress
building up.”
Handout 6: Ways to deal with stress
Page 10 of 15
How much stress is too much?
It is important to know your own limit. It is different for everyone, some people can roll with the
punches while others seem to crumble in the face of far smaller obstacles or frustrations.
Things that influence your stress tolerance level
 Your support network – a strong network of supportive friends and family can be enormous
buffer against life’s stressors. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated you are the
greater your vulnerability to stress
 Your sense of control – it may be easier to take stress in your stride if you have confidence in
yourself and your ability to influence events
 Your attitude and outlook – optimistic people are often more stress-hardy. They tend to
embrace challenges, have a strong sense of humour, and accept that change is a part of
 Life.
 Your ability to deal with your emotions.- You’re extremely vulnerable to stress if you don’t
know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry or overwhelmed by a
situation.
 Your knowledge and preparation – The more you know about a stressful situation, including
how long it will last and what to expect, the easier it is to cope.
Two core skills for reducing overwhelming stress:
Quick stress relief – use your senses – what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch – or movement. By
viewing a favourite photo, smelling a specific scent, listening to a favourite piece of music, tasting a
piece of gum or hugging a pet, for example, you can quickly relax and focus yourself. The key is to
experiment with your senses and discover the sensory experiences that work best for you.
Emotional connection. Nothing contributes more to chronic stress than emotional disconnection
from ourselves and others. Understanding the influence emotions have on your thoughts and
actions is vital to managing stress. Once you’re aware of your emotions, even the painful ones you
normally try to avoid or bottle up, the easier it is to understand your own motivations.
The keys to providing a healthy work space mean we must consider many aspects of our life – not
only those at work but also outside of work. That is we need to
Consider the total wellness of the individual. It is important to achieve an appropriate balance of the
physical, spiritual, family, cultural, work, intellectual and social aspects of our lives all need to be
provided for.
Powerpoint: Slide 21 Juggling and finding the balance in life and discuss.
Handout 6
Page 11 of 15
Ways of dealing with stress
Powerpoint: Slide22 Goal setting
Goal setting
When setting goals, try to ensure they are:
 Specific
 Measurable
 Agreed
 Realistic
 Time limited
Success, though appearing small at the beginning, may lead to more significant
changes.
Ask trainees for an example or prepare one. Eg too little time with a client
because s/he regularly comes late to appointments or is always getting
interrupted by children when adviser visits at home.
What can be done? Establish goals with client:
Specific: To be on time to next appointment.
Measurable: Both adviser and client will know if it has been achieved.
Agreed: Yes between the adviser and client and mother.
Realistic: Yes but needs to arrange childcare, mum to come round, drop kids off
and meet at the office.
Time limited: The time of the next appointment
Powerpoint: Slide 23 Time management
Time
management
Time Management is a tool used for reducing stress, not a simple method for
eliminating stress. It is part of the ‘grab bag’ we discussed earlier.
The acronym TASK provides an easy way of dealing with much of the ‘paper war’
and technology we find ourselves immersed in.
Shall I:
 Toss
 Action
 Send
 Keep
this piece of paper / information / idea / email etc.
Page 12 of 15
Relaxtation





Make yourself comfortable and supported, lying in the recovery position
is best.
Have music playing that does not have a distinct tune if you wish.
Tense up each part of the body, one at a time and then relax it.
Start with one foot and leg, then the other, then buttocks, one hand and
arm, then the other, shoulders up to your ears.
Then do the whole body from the feet to the shoulders as you breathe in
and then relax them all at once as you breathe out.
Ask: Are there any other ways of dealing with stress that you would like to suggest?
Respond and discuss as appropriate.
Handout 7: The 6 best kept secrets about stress
Review the session. Show participants the objectives again
Powerpoint: Slide 2 Objectives
Ask for final comment / clarification
Note: Allow time for discussion.
Knowing a little more about what stress is, how it is caused and how we can deal with
it, now write 3 things that you are going to do that will change the level of stress you
are experiencing. This can be at home, at work as a volunteer or in your paid
employment, or anywhere else.
Note: Give people time to write.
Take the time to review this piece of paper in a month and see if you have in fact
actioned any of these three things! Good luck!
An alternative to this would be:
Put out cards with the words on the attached list ‘Sayings for last exercise’ on them.
Get participants to pick one that speaks to them, that is particularly pertinent to them, or that they
are going to work on and say why.
Page 13 of 15
To sum up
Stress doesn’t have to be a soul-sucking, health-draining force but few people know how to
transform their stress into the positive kind that helps them reach their goals. Gaining control over
job demands, doing work that lends meaning and purpose to life and enjoying support and
encouragement from co-workers are all linked to beneficial stress. Simply changing attitudes and
expectations about stress – through coaching, training or peer-support groups –can also foster the
constructive kind of stress.
It is difficult to reverse an extreme stress response once it is under way. More often, people who
succeed in turning stress to their advantage make changes in advance, in their mind set or beliefs
about stress, or in the way they work or organise their lives.
Some final thoughts - though stress can have a negative impact on our lives, in the words of Selye,
remember
 Complete freedom from stress is death!
 Stress cannot be avoided
 Stress is the ‘spice’ of life!
Handout: T7 Training feedback form
Page 14 of 15
Closure
Feedback on Training
Please fill out a T7 feedback form now and return it to me. Tutor, please complete a T8 – Tutor
Feedback Form. This can be done whilst the participants are completing their feedback form, or
after the training session is complete.
Sayings for last exercise







Say No!
Identify what you can and cannot do!
Planning ahead.
Writing lists to ‘park’ tasks for future attention
Compartmentalising - set aside time chunks for different foci.
One thing at a time!
Focus on what matters most, putting the large rocks in first.
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important
Not important





Work within your circle of influence, not your circle of concern
Notice your own symptoms of stress as an early warning system!
Take action early!
Build in something for yourself each day, however simple.
Beware your own inner drivers:
o Be perfect,
o Work harder,
o Be strong,
o Please others




Go gently with yourself!
How much of this stress is about my own fears, anxieties about whether I can cope?
Faith in yourself and your own strengths, faith in others.
Faith that things will come right.
Page 15 of 15