StressManagement

Course outline and requirements:

Please attend the first class in person on the first week of the semester! Here we will assign you in groups and you WILL HAVE TO ATTEND SEVEN IN-PERSON CLASSES at the Kazinczy Street building of the Psychology Institute TO FULFILL COURSE REQUIREMENTS! These include in person assessments (2x30min), in person training sessions (4x90min) and online queries (2x30min + 5min every week).

Aim of the course: 

The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of stress and management strategies. We’ll explore the biological and psychological aspects of stress from an evolutionary, cognitive and behavioral perspective. By the end of this course, students will have knowledge of different techniques for stress management, including time management and relaxation techniques. 

Learning outcome, competences:

Knowledge: 

• Understanding the basics of the physiology of stress and relaxation; 

• Understanding of different stress management strategies;  

Attitude: 

• Openness to different stress management approach;  

• Scientific and adaptive way of thinking on the ways of stress reduction;  

• Critical thinking while dealing with social media information;  

Skills: 

• Identify different types of stress;  

• Analyse own stressors and find possible adaptive strategies;  

Topics of the course:

• Welcoming, setting up expectations, course dynamics and description; 

• Stress profiling; 

• Emotions, feelings and behaviors – how they communicate and affect our daily lives; 

• The evolutionary and biological basis of stress – how it relates to our attention process;  

• Stress and stressors – how avoiding stress can cause the opposite effect;  

• Relaxation techniques – from traditional breathing exercises to technological solutions;  

Learning activities, learning methods:

• Demonstrations 

• Group discussions 

• In class exercises  

• Individual research  

Evaluation  

• Class attendance and participation in the assigned tasks;

Recommended reading list 

Faid, T, Gordon, W. V, Taylor E, C (2022) Breathing Exercises, Cold-Water Immersion, and Meditation: Mind–Body Practices Lead to Reduced Stress and Enhanced Well-Being. ADVANCES. ISSN#1470-3556.  

Tolin, D.F, et al (2021) Psychophysiological assessment of stress reactivity and recovery in anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders Volume 82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102426