Stress Awareness and Healthy Thinking

Illness is miserable for everyone. For those experiencing it, and for those at work who have to cope short-handed. Stress is a common cause of illness at work.

Everyone has different needs and levels of tolerance, and in order to take care of ourselves, we need to learn what these are and know what to do about them.

In this workshop, we use the arts to help participants look at stress in a fun and interactive way. During the day we:

• Look at the ‘stress curve’ to become better aware of what constitutes good and bad stress. Identify what ‘feeling good’ means, and when well-being is under threat.
• Learn relaxation techniques and meditation.
• Explore the impact of positive and negative beliefs and attitudes.
• Become more confident in managing work situations to find a ‘win-win’ solution.
• We can use drumming and singing to inspire positive states and confidence.
• We can use drama games to encourage integration of body and mind.
• We can also use art-making to access creativity, imagination, and valuable intuition.

Art and Visualising Change

A common cause of stress is a feeling of helplessness and loss of choice in our everyday experience. Arts activities can help people to regain a sense of potency and control that aids better decision-making. In addition, if people can ‘visualise’ a better state or outcome, they are better able to effect positive change in their lives. The arts enable people to engage their imaginations so that they can broaden their vision of possibilities, and take more responsibility for their state of well-being.