H4A Seminar: Stress, the Spice of Life

Hosted By: Wes Alles, PhD, Director, Health Improvement Program (HIP), SPRC. More bio details here.

Date & Time: Saturday, August 13, 2016 (Half-Day Seminar): 2:15-6:30pm (with breaks for coffee/snacks)

Schedule: Half-day seminar runs from 2:15-6:30pm and includes an afternoon break from 4:15-4:30pm. The seminar presenter may need to change the break times, if needed.

Location: Li Ka Shing Center, room 120, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305. Note: the Li Ka Shing Center is identified as the Stanford Medical School on the hyperlinked map.

H4A seminar agenda: Much of what we experience as stress comes from within us as we interpret the meaning of situations and our relationship to them. Much of the personal negative impact of stress is not caused by the original stressor, but rather, by our reaction to being “stressed”. In addition, personal negative impact comes from behavior patterns that we employ to help us move through a stressful situation. One such behavior pattern was initially termed, “coronary prone behavior pattern” and now is popularly referred to as Type A behavior pattern (not Type A personality). Behavior patterns are learned, and as such, they can be un-learned. Cognitive behavioral programs can help people re-orient their values and behaviors in ways that improve their quality of life and lower their risk for chronic conditions. This seminar is highly interactive, with the use of survey tools, stories that are prompted by slides, brainstorming, worksheets, and the creation of a personal action plan that encourages participant engagement.     

This seminar will cover the following topics and activities:  

• What is stress: a brainstorming activity
• Personal worksheet to identify stressors that are grouped within one of three types, and to clarify those stressors that are most troublesome
• What causes stress
• How do we interpret and respond to stress
• What are the behavioral characteristics and symptoms of someone who is “stressed”
• What strategies can be employed to prevent and manage stress: discussion and personal action plan worksheet
• What is Type A behavior pattern: brainstorming and a survey tool
• How does Type A behavior pattern get started and what factors perpetuate its existence
• How can Type A behavior pattern be managed and possibly extinguished
• What commitments will you make to prevent and/or manage stress that comes from within: a personal action plan.
  

What will you learn: In this seminar, participants will learn to:

• Synthesize information to speak articulately and with confidence about matters pertaining to stress & stress management and prevention
• Accept the fact that stress is a natural part of human existence and that everyone has vulnerabilities that make them susceptible to the effects of stress
• Appreciate the powerful impact that stress has on individuals, groups, and communities while recognizing that stress can produce serious (even life threatening) physical, emotional, and behavioral responses
• Accept that in potentially stressful situations, a calm, measured, intelligent response is often a preferred and more effective way to prevent and/or manage stress
• Value the cognitive and physiologic mechanisms embedded within our human capacity that enable the mind and the body to work symbiotically to prevent and/or manage stress
• Improve the lives of others by sharing their wisdom with family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, clients, students, and decision-makers in order to reduce the collective burden of stress within society.
   

Who should attend: This seminar will be beneficial to anyone who:

• Experiences stress or is negatively affected by stress
• Knows someone who experiences stress or is negatively affected by stress
  
• Seeks effective methods to prevent and/or manage stress
  
• Has a Type A behavior pattern or has a relationship (spouse, partner, co-worker, etc.) with someone who has a Type A behavior pattern
• Wants to help themselves or others by learning more about the topic of stress.
  

This seminar is geared toward:

• Interested community members
• Those working in non-profit community organizations, government agencies, and other sectors
  
• High school and college students
  
• Researchers and scholars working in the field of stress/stress management or related disciplines.
  

Cost: Half-Day Seminar Rates:

• Stanford STAP eligible.
  
• Early Bird Rate = $250 USD (through July 30)
• Scholarship Rate = $250 USD (includes students, trainees, H4A alumni, Stanford employees (STAP eligible), SHPN members, URMs, government agencies, and non-profit community partners)
  
• Regular Rate = $375 USD

How to register: Please visit our Registration Page (note: you will be directed to another web platform for registration).