How can we help ourselves when stress becomes a problem?
Stress becomes a problem when:
Repeats over a long period of time (chronic stress),
We interpret the task as a threat, which causes an overreaction.
See more in the Stress subpage.
How we can work with stress
Using the methods we practice during the Stress Reduction Course, we can learn to:
Be aware of what is happening to us and choose our response to stressors (it allows us to go beyond the habitual reaction).
Better recognize whether the stressor is a task or a threat (adequate level of stress and reaction)
Be with difficult experiences if we have no solution (better acceptance of the experience)
Prepare for a stressful situation (especially in a threatening situation) using appropriate techniques and return to this situation to assess whether it was really a threat (building experience).
Be here and now, directly experiencing the inner and outer world. We often feel stress long before the situation occurs, which puts us in stress mode when we do not need increased mobilization yet. This exhausts and weakens the ability to complete the task. Being here and now allows us to calm down premature stress reactions and regenerate.
Practice of physical exercises: sport, Yoga or Tai Chi which allow us to be more in the body and also here and now.
Stress Reduction Course (MBSR – Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)
The aim of the course is to practice techniques supporting conscious and adequate choices and reactions in order to reduce stress level by using them by our own (during and after the course).
The MBSR course was developed at a university clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has been used for over 40 years all over the world. It has been repeatedly tested on large groups and is discussed in many scientific publications.
The course lasts 8 weeks and includes 8 weekly meetings (2.5 – 3 hours) and a mindfulness day (7-8 hours). We work in a group in a venue and also online. Between meetings, we do homework and practice (an hour a day).
We work with awareness of what is happening in and around us to make decisions and live more consciously. We use various techniques, e.g. breathing, meditation, body work (yoga, body scanning), work with imagination and direct experience.
MBSR is not psychotherapy or treatment, but it can support them. It can be stressful. You can access difficult memories or become aware of difficult emotions. The reception of your experiences may be more intense. You can also be more aware of your expectations and how you deal with them. MBSR offers the possibility but does not promise specific results. Be open and try not to focus on expectations.
Active participation in all meetings and home practice are important. During classes, we will conduct a mindful dialogue about home practice and your current observations and feelings
What we discuss in class remains between us. All (participants and teacher) are obliged to keep confidential personal stories or information about participants that are discussed during the course.
Syllabus:
Interview before the course
Topics of meetings:
Awareness – mindfulness.
How we perceive the world and ourselves
Getting comfortable in your own body
What is stress?
Stress – reaction and mindful response
Mindful communication
Taking care of yourself
Summary and continuation of practice
Interview after the course
If you are interested in participating in the course, please visit the subpage courses or contact me.