Today, we often feel overwhelmed with the amount of things to do and it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage work-related stress in our daily lives.

Eight teachers and educational staff from different parts of Europe tried to understand the causes of stress and how to deal with it during the course “Stress and Conflict Management: the way to resilience and satisfaction” which took place in Palermo from the 3rd to the 9th of April. The participants came from Kimpisen lukio (Finland), Maison de l’Europe Bordeaux-Aquitaine (France), Sint Ursula instituut (Belgium) and Pallas Athene College (Nederlands). They shared their experiences and got to know each other through a lot of practical activities aimed at acquiring knowledge and practices to handle stress and conflict.

​After a brief introduction to the course, we tried to give a definition of stress starting from a brainstorming. They tried to identify the stressors, the causes of stress, which can be physical, environmental, family-related and work-related. After focusing on the positive and negative aspects of stress, the participants understood that stress is not always bad because in moderate amounts it can be stimulating to achieve performance improvements. Therefore, they learned to distinguish between bad stress (called Distress) and good stress (called Eustress).
 
During the course, the participants acquired some cognitive and behavioral useful strategies to overcome stressful situations at school and in the workplace in general. They learned, for instance, the importance of time management through practical activities aimed at increasing their ability to manage time and avoid overplanning and time stealers. Guided by the trainer, they also did breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and visualization, useful good practices to do when we feel stressed-out.
​Moreover, the group focused on the features of empathy, which is a fundamental element when talking about conflict management because it allows you to understand the others. They learned to distinguish empathy from other attitudes and acquired some strategies to be more empathetic.
 
After focusing on different communication styles, the participants explored the topic of conflict starting from a fun group activity in which each of them had to give a different contribution to handle a conflict situation. Obviously it was not easy but they learned to see conflicts as opportunities and how to make the most of them, especially in the working environment and in the classroom. They were provided with different conflict management strategies to use depending on the situation and everybody shared their perspective and experiences.
​Apart from the training activities, the group also had the opportunity to do two walking tours through Palermo city center, to discover its charming beauty and contradictions, and taste typical Sicilian cuisine. They also participated in a cultural visit to Monreale and its cathedral.
 
The course was a great experience for all the group and everybody gave their contribution to make the most of it by sharing ideas and experiences.
ELA is looking forward to welcoming you again!
More information on this and other courses at this link: https://erasmustrainingcourses.com/course-catalogue
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