A Stress Management Course That Lasts the Whole Year

• Burn-out is about work

  The WHO says burn-out is in ICD-11 “as an occupational phenomenon” and “It is not classified as a medical condition.” WHO

• Working days lost

  The WHO says that, globally, “an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety”. WHO, Mental health at work

• Work-related stress in Great Britain

  HSE estimates “964,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new and long-standing) in 2024/25”. HSE statistics, 2025

1. Module 1. Stress, burnout and when it isn’t “just stress”

   • What stress is, in the words of official health sourcesHow the WHO, the NHS and healthdirect describe stress, why some stress is normal, and when it starts to become a problem worth acting on.
   • Burnout: what the WHO definition says, and what it doesn’tWhy the WHO calls burn-out an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition, its three dimensions, and why that wording shapes this whole course.
   • Wellbeing education or medical care: what this course is and isn’tWhere everyday stress skills end and health care begins, what official sources say about when to get help, and how to use this course alongside your GP.
   • Getting help now: urgent and crisis lines in Australia, the UK and the USThe official urgent-help lines for Australia, the UK and the US, quoted word for word, and how to save them before you need them.
   • Setting up your Recovery Year: logs, calendar and practising safelyHow the course runs across 12 months, the logs you’ll keep, and the safety note about breathing and meditation practice.
   • Project: P1 Your Recovery Year starting point
2. Module 2. Your load audit

   • The six areas of work design: HSE’s Management StandardsHow Britain’s Health and Safety Executive groups the main causes of work-related stress into six areas, and why they make a good audit framework anywhere.
   • Demands and control: mapping your workload honestlyWhat HSE says good looks like for demands and control, and how to map your own workload, hours and say over your work without scoring how you feel.
   • Support, relationships, role and changeThe other four areas: what HSE says good support and role clarity look like, how to record relationships and change factually, and where unacceptable behavior fits.
   • Home and life load: the other half of the auditWhy caring, money, health and life changes add to the load, what the NHS lists as common causes of stress, and how to record them without oversharing.
   • Choosing your top three pressure pointsHow to turn the audit into three pressure points you can actually work on, separating what you can change, what you can influence and what you need to accept for now.
   • Project: P2 Your load audit and top three pressure points
3. Module 3. Boundaries and workload conversations

   • Boundaries at work: what they are, and what they aren’tBoundaries as clear, agreed limits on time, availability and scope, why they protect recovery, and the difference between a boundary and a refusal to do your job.
   • Saying no and renegotiating priorities: scripts you can adaptPractical scripts for declining, deferring and trading off work, how to offer options instead of a flat no, and how to handle pushback.
   • Talking to your manager about workloadHow to prepare for and run a conversation about workload and stress with your manager, using your audit, and what official guidance says employers should do.
   • Out-of-hours contact: Australia’s right to disconnect, and what to do elsewhereWhat the Fair Work Ombudsman says about the right to disconnect in Australia, and how to agree out-of-hours expectations where there’s no equivalent rule.
   • Flexible working requests: what Australia, the UK and the US sayWho can request flexible working and how employers must respond, from the Fair Work Ombudsman and gov.uk, plus what to consider in the US.
   • Project: P3 Your boundaries, scripts and one real conversation
4. Module 4. The recovery toolkit

   • What recovery from work means: switching off, calming down and doing things for youRecovery as an active part of the week rather than leftover time, four kinds of recovery activity, and why “me time” is in official stress guidance.
   • Micro-breaks and the working day: breaks, rest and what the rules sayWhy recovery needs to happen during the day as well as after it, how to build micro-breaks into busy work, and what UK and US official pages say about breaks.
   • A calming breathing exercise, step by step from the NHSThe NHS calming breathing technique, quoted step by step, how to fit it into your day, and what to do if breathing exercises don’t suit you.
   • Relaxation techniques: progressive muscle relaxation, imagery and what NCCIH says about safetyWhat relaxation techniques are, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a few you can try, and the safety notes that go with them.
   • Building your recovery menu: options for 2 minutes, 20 minutes and a whole dayHow to turn what you’ve tried into a recovery menu sized by time, so there’s always something you can do, and how to protect the bigger items in your calendar.
   • Project: P4 Your recovery menu and break plan
5. Module 5. An 8-week guided practice block

   • What mindfulness is, and what it isn’tHow the NHS and healthdirect describe mindfulness, what it isn’t, and why this course uses it as a general wellbeing practice rather than a therapy.
   • Setting up your 8-week practice: time, place and a logHow to set up a short daily practice that you can keep for eight weeks: when, where, how long and how to log it without turning it into a score.
   • Weeks 1 to 4: breath focus, everyday noticing and a body scanWeek-by-week guided practices for the first month, based on NHS and healthdirect descriptions: breath focus, noticing the everyday, a body scan and naming thoughts.
   • Weeks 5 to 8: something new, longer sits, mindful movement and an honest reviewThe second month of practice: trying new things, gradually longer practice if you want it, mindful walking, and an 8-week review that decides what you keep.
   • Practising safely: when to pause, alternatives, and choosing apps or classesWhat official sources say about the risks of meditation, when to pause or stop, alternatives if sitting practice isn’t for you, and how to choose an app, class or instructor.
   • Project: P5 Your 8-week practice log and review
6. Module 6. Sleep routines

   • Sleep and recovery: what official guidance says about how much sleep adults needWhat healthdirect, the NHS and the CDC say about sleep for adults, why sleep matters for recovery, and why this module is about routines rather than diagnosing sleep problems.
   • A regular schedule and a wind-down routineWhy official guidance recommends regular sleep and wake times, how to build a wind-down “buffer zone” before bed, and how to adapt this for shift work.
   • Bedroom, screens, caffeine and alcohol: what official pages suggestThe environmental and habit tips that appear on official sleep pages: a comfortable bedroom, keeping work out of it, putting screens away, and timing caffeine and alcohol.
   • When work worry keeps you awake: parking thoughts and getting upPractical, general ways to handle work worry at bedtime: closing the workday, writing a worry list earlier in the evening, and what official pages suggest if you can’t sleep.
   • When to talk to a GP about sleepWhat official pages say about when to see a GP or doctor about sleep, how to prepare for that conversation using your T7 notes, and why this course doesn’t cover sleep medicines.
   • Project: P6 Your sleep routine plan
7. Module 7. Movement as recovery

   • Movement and recovery: what the official guidelines sayWhat the WHO, Australian, UK and US physical activity guidelines say for adults, why “any amount is better than none” matters when you’re worn out, and how movement fits a recovery plan.
   • Sitting less and moving more during the working dayWhy the guidelines mention breaking up sitting, simple ways to move more at work, and how movement breaks can double as recovery breaks.
   • Fitting movement into a busy life: small sessions, things you enjoy and other peopleHow to fit movement into a busy week: shorter sessions, choosing activities you enjoy, combining movement with connection, and planning around work and caring.
   • Moving safely: starting gradually, health conditions and listening to your bodyGeneral safety for building movement back into your life: when to talk to your GP first, starting gradually, and what to do if something doesn’t feel right.
   • Project: P7 Your movement week
8. Module 8. Connection and support

   • Why connection matters for recoveryWhat the CDC and NHS say about social connection, how pressure tends to shrink our social lives, and how to notice what’s gone missing.
   • Your support map: who’s there for whatHow to build a simple map of the people, groups and services that support you at work and at home, and spot the gaps.
   • Asking for help: practical words for friends, family and workWhy asking for help is hard, how to make specific requests, and how to talk to your employer about adjustments using official guidance from healthdirect and Acas.
   • Employee assistance programs, your GP and other servicesWhat an employee assistance program may offer, how to use your GP as a starting point, and how to find support services in Australia, the UK and the US.
   • Supporting a colleague who seems to be strugglingHow to check in with a colleague kindly, what to say and what not to say, how to point them to support, and when to get urgent help.
   • Project: P8 Your support map
9. Module 9. Work design and career levers

   • Shaping your job: small changes to tasks, relationships and how you see the workWhy work design matters as much as personal coping, what WHO says about risks at work, and how to make small changes to the shape of your own job.
   • Time-blocking: protecting focus, recovery and the edges of your dayHow to use time-blocking to protect focused work, breaks and finish times, and how to handle a calendar that others fill for you.
   • Leave and working hours: what official pages say in Australia, the UK and the USGeneral information from official government pages on maximum hours, annual leave, sick leave and family leave in three countries, so you know where to check your own position.
   • When small changes aren’t enough: planning a bigger change carefullyHow to tell when a job may not be sustainable, how to plan options like a role change, reduced hours or a new employer without rushing, and how to protect your health while you decide.
   • Project: P9 Your work design plan
10. Module 10. Your Recovery Year plan

    • Your one-page Recovery Year planHow to pull everything from Modules 1 to 9 into one page: your why, your top three pressures, your boundaries, your recovery habits, your support and your help plan.
    • Your 12-month calendar: pressure points, leave and recovery in advanceHow to map the coming year: predictable pressure points, leave, recovery breaks and review dates, so recovery is planned rather than squeezed in.
    • Quarterly reviews: checking your plan with your logsHow to run a 30-minute review every three months using your logs and templates, what to keep, change or drop, and how to update the one-page plan.
    • Early-warning habits: noticing when your plan is slippingHow to spot early behavioral signs that your plan is slipping, such as skipped breaks and late-night email, and agree in advance what you’ll do when you notice them.
    • Setbacks and restarting: the plan for when the plan falls apartWhy setbacks are part of any year, how to restart without starting from scratch, and a short restart routine you can use any time.
    • Project: P10 Your Recovery Year plan
11. Module 11. Capstone: your Recovery Year plan

    • Starting point and why (Modules 1–2)Bring together your reasons, your help plan and your load audit into the first page of your capstone workbook.
    • Boundaries, conversations and work design (Modules 3 and 9)Record your boundaries, one real workload conversation, your out-of-hours agreement, a time-block week and your hours and leave check.
    • Recovery habits and logs (Modules 4–7)Show your recovery menu, eight weeks of practice logs, your sleep routine and your movement week, with honest notes.
    • Support and help (Module 8)Show your support map, two requests you made, your professional services and your plan for checking in with others.
    • Your Recovery Year plan and first review (Module 10)Finalise your one-page plan, 12-month calendar, early-warning habits and restart routine, and complete a first review using your logs.
    • Final assessment (40 questions)A 40-question assessment drawn from an 80-question bank, mostly scenarios, covering every module. Pass mark 80%; retakes allowed.
    • Project: Capstone rubric (self-assessed; health results are not scored)

Course types, not named competitors. These are our general observations of each type, not a survey.