Many of us currently live in a stressful environment and sometimes feel that help or support is not available, especially during a pandemic.

However, one NI man shared how a free online course from the Public Health Agency helped him regain control after trying to manage stress with alcohol due to work-related stress.

Colin Taylor believes the online course gave him the skills he needed to deal with “that fear” of his stress and get his life back on track.

“It’s amazing how many people have stress-related issues, and it doesn’t matter that you have yet to face that fear. Some people use alcohol, I do. I’ve used it as a crutch, but it’s not the solution.

“I felt anxious and thought too much and created problems in my head that might never come up. The course gave me the skills to control my reactions and the tools to become my own therapist.

“You may stumble again, but you will not fall, and the more you use the tools of the course, the more you will want to use them in your daily life so that they become second nature to you.”

And Colin isn’t the only one benefiting from the free service: so far more than 94,000 people have taken the opportunity to learn skills to help them manage the impact the pandemic is having on their mental and emotional well-being between June to deal with. and December will be last year.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has now announced three new courses which will be available from January to March this year to meet further interest and demand.

Fiona Teague, Head of Mental and Emotional Wellbeing at the Public Health Agency, said: “We were delighted to see how many people from across Northern Ireland took part in the free online stress management courses last year. We have responded to the continued need by providing additional classes as we feel there is a clear interest in accessing support.

“People experience emotions and feelings of stress that they may not have encountered before. You may feel overwhelmed, and that’s perfectly normal. It’s clear that people want to learn more stress management skills during these difficult times, so we hope that these lessons will continue to support the mental well-being of our population.

“For anyone who wants guidance in managing their feelings and actions, this is the course for them.”

Topics covered during the Stress Management Course include an overview of what stress is, controlling your body and mind, mastering your actions and techniques for sleeping well. Stress management is a lesson, not ‘group therapy’. The other benefit is that people can attend classes from the privacy of their own homes, which means they don’t have to meet others in person, which is safe from a COVID-19 perspective and also better for stress and well-being in the flow. are circumstances

The digital approach is one of the ways services are adapting to provide support in innovative ways during the pandemic.

The lessons were given by Dr. Jim White, a clinical psychologist, and is available on a dedicated Northern Ireland website at www.ni.stresscontrol.org

DR White said: “We are delighted to be offering the courses again following the tremendous response to online stress management courses last year when between June and December 94,000 people in Northern Ireland downloaded our booklets, listened to the relaxation and mindfulness tracks and the six viewed. videos.

“The free stress management courses have always been very popular. They used to be held in a physical location in the community, but getting them online is a great way to make them accessible to even more people, as they are accessible from the comfort of your own home. The phenomenal number of participants in the past year is proof of this, as well as the need it fulfilled.

“The feedback from so many people has been incredible and we look forward to a similar response when these sessions take place again in the next three months. Whatever you bring to the sessions, we hope people benefit from it.”

Students do not need to register or log in to view the course – just click on the January course link and watch the streamed courses twice a week for six weeks. Lessons can be viewed in the morning or evening and last 90 minutes. Each course lasts three weeks and consists of six sessions. A new session will be held on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00 am. provided and can be viewed 24 hours a day until deleted (at 23:00 the night before the next session).

Support booklets and a self-assessment, relaxation and mindfulness tool are also available in the Free Zone.

The free online stress management courses are supported by the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Agency and the Department of Health and Welfare.

Course January 2021:

Session One: Monday 11, 09:00 (available until Wednesday 13, 23:00)

Session 2: 09:00 Thursday 14th (available until 23:00 Sunday 17th)

Session Three: Monday 18th 09:00 (available until Wednesday 20th 23:00)

Session 4: Thursday 21, 09:00 (available until Sunday 24, 23:00)

Session Five: Monday 25th 09:00 (available until Wednesday 27th 23:00)

Session Six: Thursday 28th, 09:00 (available until Sunday 31st, 23:00)

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Course February 2021:

Session 1: Monday 8th, 09:00 (available until Wednesday 10th, 23:00)

Session 2: Thursday 11, 09:00 (available until Sunday 14, 23:00)

Session Three: Monday 15, 09:00 (available until Wednesday 17:00, 23:00)

Session 4: Thursday 18, 09:00 (available until Sunday 21, 23:00)

Session Five: Monday 22 09:00 (available until Wednesday 24 and 23:00)

Session Six: Thursday 28th, 09:00 (available until Sunday 31st, 23:00)

Course March 2021:

Session 1: Monday 8th, 09:00 (available until Wednesday 10th, 23:00)

Session 2: Thursday 11, 09:00 (available until Sunday 14, 23:00)

Session Three: Monday 15, 09:00 (available until Wednesday 17:00, 23:00)

Session 4: Thursday 18, 09:00 (available until Sunday 21, 23:00)

Session Five: Monday 22 09:00 (available until Wednesday 24 and 23:00)

Session Six: Thursday 25, 09:00 (available until Sunday 28, 23:00)