Stress and Self-Care - Understanding and Strengthening Well-Being

Overview: This course takes a practical, whole-person approach to understanding stress and strengthening self-care. Participants explore positive and negative stress, how stress increases during times of change, and how it affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally. The course also covers burnout, internal and external stressors, cognitive distortions, and how prolonged stress impacts thinking and decision-making. Participants engage in guided reflection to identify strengths and opportunities in their self-care across physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions. 

Learning Objectives

• Identify positive and negative sources of stress and understand why stress increases during times of change.
• Describe how stress impacts the body, mind, emotions, and behavior. 
• Differentiate between stress and burnout and recognize internal and external stressors.
• Explain how prolonged or heightened stress affects cognitive function and decision-making.
• Recognize common cognitive distortions and their impact on stress levels.
• Assess personal strengths and gaps across five self-care dimensions.
• Develop realistic, personalized strategies to support resilience and well-being. 

Presenter: Melissa Flynn-Dooyema, M.Ed., CPTD EAP Trainer & Consultant, Avera Behavioral Health

CE: NHA & SW, certificate of attendance