Morning

• Welcome to participants & Introduction of Facilitator

Housekeeping

• Confidentiality ; importance of safe environment & individual respect; self care; what is a huge stressor to one person is not a stress to someone else so be careful of laughter
• Hours, breaks, washroom locations; emergency procedures Mixer (Relaxation Bingo) & discussion of importance of relaxation and self care
  

Seminar objectives

• To be able to recognize the signs of Stress
• Select and use appropriate stress reduction techniques
• Face stressful situations with increased awareness;
• Iimprove the quality of your lives both at home and at work;
• Recognize the choices available to you in all situations;
• Understand the impact of your perceptions in creating stress
• Learn to see the "big picture"

Activities & Discussion

• Participants introduce themselves and state what they would like to learn (group expectations - written on flip chart)
• Mixer (Relaxation Bingo) & discussion of importance of relaxation and self care
• What is Stress ? ( group brainstorm - facilitator writes answers on flip chart)
• Discussion of Stress symptoms vs Stressors
• Stress exhaustion symptoms (physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, realtional)
• Have group identify specific Stressors in their lives (noted on flipchart)
  

Question - Is Stress Good or Bad?
Discuss can be either depending on kind of stress (Eustress vs Distress) and our attitude
VIDEO - "Stressed to Kill" - discussion of key points -
Tie back into importance of self care, exercise
Type A or Type B quiz & discussion with handout -
Type A behvior can be a habit and become and addiction

Attitude of Gratitude reading -
importance of appreciating

What we have -
Gratitude journal

Discuss impact of perceptions on Stress (using visual aids)
Importance of giving the benefit of the doubt

Discussion
Does this work?
Impact of whining and complaining on our Stress level

Have talked about Attitude of Gratitude what can we learn from this exercise? (we can increase our Stress by the way we talk and think about our problems)

Lengthy discussion on the extent to which we make choices in our lives;
Difference between control & choices;
Perception & attitude are the key ;
Discussion on types of choices we make
Inaction, reaction, action
Our beliefs, communication/listening,
Self-talk, compromise, kindness, happiness, forgiveness, thoughts,

Boundaries, priorities, what we eat, exercise, sleep, smiling etc)

Name 3/4 things in your life you are the most grateful for
How much time & energy do you chose to invest in them ?
Reading from Victor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning"
Discussion of staying curious as to what we can learn from life situations
What can be the benefit that comes from this

3 QUESTIONS TO BLANCE STRESS - (time permitting)

Participants break into smaller groups
Pick a stressor and apply 3 Quesions in small group discussion
Reconvene and have groups give summary of process and insights

Catastrophe Game (partner up and whine/complain about how miserable their lives are and try to one-up each other)
Re-cap of previous day (Any "A-haa's"?)
Resiliency Test
Discussion on how to increase resiliency

BRAINSTORM
What gets in the way of stress management?
Back to choices
diet, exercise and sleep
PINK ELEPHANT challenge
Who controls your thoughts
Importance of postive thinking
Impact on emotions
Anatomy of emotions
Impact of perceptions, beliefs, habits & values on our feelings and resulting behaviors

Video "DIET, EXERCISE, SLEEP"
discussion of the value of exercise - a choice
discussion on importance of sleep - a choice

Video "DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA" VIDEO CLIP (5 min)

break into groups
Nutrition quiz
silly prizes for group with most correct answers

Mixer
VIDEO - "Humor in the Workplace"
Goal setting for Stress Reduction handout & resolutions readings
The End of the Beginning

Final group discussion - round table - ask each participant what they have learned or will take away from the worksho
Participants complete Seminar evaluation