Whilst many individuals and organisations all over the world strive for social impact and contribution, an increasing number of people working towards such causes are suffering from burnout, stress, depression and lack of fulfilment and meaning in the workplace. Ultimately this hurts not only those individuals and organisations but also those very social causes which they are working towards, hence underlying the importance of the role which inner work has to play when it comes to creating effective and impactful change in the world. At UNITAR we are working towards creating a series of online and face to face offerings to enable change agents, humanitarian workers and other helpers to increase their inner wellbeing so that they contribute to a better and more peaceful world in a more effective and sustainable way.

This course is the first of the series. As you have cared so much for others, let us join you on the journey of taking care of yourself!

Objective

This short, self-paced course enables learners to identify various types of stress and recognize the signs within themselves. Using various tests and self-diagnostic tools, learners will be able to raise their awareness about their stress levels. This is the first step towards dealing with stress in their daily and working life. The course also provides a few helpful tools to manage stress on a daily basis.

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Define basic, cumulative and chronic stress;
• Describe common causes and consequences of stress;
• Show self-awareness of personal stress levels;
• Identify useful habits to decrease stress levels and manage stress.

Content and Structure

The course starts out with an overview of the various types of stress, highlighting examples from the field of social change and humanitarian work, as well as working in post/conflict settings. Furthermore, the course contains various tests and self diagnostic tools to help learners identify their stress levels. In addition, the course contains various practical exercises for self-diagnosis, stress-awareness and management. The course concludes with an overview of helpful habits to deal with the burden of stress on a daily basis.**

Target Audience

Given the pervasiveness of stress in our modern lives, the course is relevant for anyone experiencing stress in their daily and working lives. However, the examples and stories in the course have specifically been designed for people working in conflict and post conflict environments and the humanitarian sector.