Skills for coping with pressure and stress

Usually people speak about pressure and stress in a negative way, but to be under pressure has some advantages: people become more organised, concentrate more; do more in less time; generate good ideas; neglect unimportant things. You should see pressure as a challenge and opportunity for proving yourself.

However, for most people too much stress and pressure has a negative impact on their behaviour, health and emotions. There are different reasons for negative stress. Usually they are related to lifestyle, health, insufficient leisure time, too many ambitions. The main stress factors are:

	important things (events)
	different kind of changes especially those related to unclear or unknown consequences
	unstable or uncertain situations or people's behaviour

For learners, pressure and stress could be related to personal (out of course) problems, which could impact upon learning, behaviour and/or results, but pressure and stress could be provoked by the teaching/learning process itself by:

	lack of understanding between group members (bad relationships)
	lack of understanding between group (or some members) and teacher
	lack of sufficient study skills (for learners)
	lack of experience (for teacher)
	over-loaded programme (too much content in a short period of time)
	unrealistic learner expectations
	mismatch between teaching styles and needs of group
	frequent changes in the programme
	lack of learning resources
	limited time for preparation of learners
	failure at the assessment stage

There are different strategies to cope with stress and pressure. Some of them are successful in some situations, some - in others. You can suggest that your learners try to apply some of them in different situations and to think about the results. It will be useful to take notes as a basis for thinking later.

It's important to recommend that your learners monitor and revise what they do by:

	making notes of what they have tried and what works for them (what makes them feel better, builds their confidence, helps to identify what to do again)
	making notes of what hasn't worked
	making an action plan or keeping a diary/log - what they would like to change
	amending their action plan regularly

Suggest to learners ways of identifying in advance future stress situations and acting early to minimize the stresses. Recommend trying to:

	find time for regular relaxation, sleeping properly; taking breaks
	monitor their state of mind; become aware of stress indicators
	manage their time (be organised; set priorities)
	choose an appropriate place of learning
	get exercise
	have a healthy diet
	find time for pleasant activities
	celebrate success

Many learners feel pressure and stress around assessment. This can be avoided by starting work early and planning work throughout the course.