Stress Management Courses: The Top 5 Courses From Universities, Training Companies & Stress Experts
Written by Stress Management Course Creator, Matt Adams
Are you looking for a credible course on stress management to either prevent, manage or overcome stress?
In this article I’ll be revealing 5 top online stress management courses that offer specialized information, techniques, exercises and solutions to help you learn about and effectively manage stress for a better work/life balance.
So whether it’s time management, workload management, lifestyle editing or recognizing the signs of stress, it’s all here in these online courses.
Let’s get into it…
The 5 Best Courses On Stress Management (Online And In-Person)
Before you signup to one or more stress courses, it’s crucial to make sure it’s the right course to meet your true needs and current skill level.
Some are DIY courses while others involve more hand-holding.
Each of the following stress relief courses have their pros and cons and I’ve tried to be as objective as possible about these.
Whether you’re looking for general advice or specialized step-by-step instructions, you’ll enjoy self-paced learning that you can fit it around your schedule.
Let’s find out what each offers…
Course #5: “Wellness And Well-Being” by American Institute Of Stress
Attending stress relief classes in person can be intimidating for some, which is why this online offering may be more suitable.
Its focus is on mindfulness in your behaviors, strategies and mindset.
In terms of a basic stress management online training, this short course has been designed as a brief overview to help promote healthy activities that make you feel more at ease at work.
Course Creator: American Institute Of Stress
Who’s It For? People with stress levels under 5 out of 10
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Teacher/Instructor: Shelly Harlander
Duration: About 20 minutes
Delivery Method: Online
Format: Slideshow + multiple choice questions
Cost: Free
Ongoing Support: No
Website: View the AIS Course
Course Topics & Modules:
- The stress response system
- Diet optimization
- Conflict management
- Healthy assertiveness
- The benefits of exercise
- Coping strategies
- The 4 A’s of stress management (Alter, Accept, Adapt, Avoid)
- The relaxation response
- Resilience mindset
What I Like:
- It’s quick, easy and interactive
- It’s free and you can start immediately and be finished in around 20 minutes
What I Don’t Like:
- It’s quite surface level information
- There are no details about nutrition or exercise, just that it’s important
- The strategies and tips may make little difference to a chronic stress sufferer
Course #4: “Stress Management” by NHS (UK)
This course aims to provide participants with an overview and understanding of the causes and factors that contribute to stress.
It covers popular therapies such as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), as well as mindfulness.
Its focus is on helping you build self-awareness of your stress cycle and taking care of yourself.
Course Creator: NHS (UK)
Who’s It For? People with stress levels under 6 out of 10
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Teacher/Instructor: Unknown
Duration: 8 weeks, 2 hours per lesson/session
Delivery Method: Classroom, in-person
Format: Group meetings
Cost: Not mentioned
Ongoing Support: No
Website: View the NHS Course
Course Topics & Modules:
- CBT and ACT explained
- Relaxation techniques
- Detaching from worry
- Mood, thinking and behaviours
- Lifestyle and communication
- Relapse management
What I Like:
- It’s in-person, so it may be too far for you to get there (even if you’re in the UK)
- It’s a group format, which may be intimidating for some
What I Don’t Like:
- There’s no mention of workplace-specific strategies
- There’s no mention of diet or exercise in the course curriculum
Course #3: “Stress Management Program” by This Way Up
As a 4-part stress control course, the program is founded on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Its focus is on using effective coping skills to improve self-care and improve the way you feel on a day to day basis.
It includes theory as well as practical. After each lesson is completed, you’ll spend 5 days in between lessons to practice the new skill before the next lesson is accessible.
In terms of free stress management courses online, this course could be a solid starting point.
Course Creator: ThisWayUp.org.au
Who’s It For? Anyone feeling stressed, overwhelmed and looking for self-care strategies (Australian residents only)
Skill Level Required: People with stress levels under 6 out of 10
Teacher/Instructor: Unknown
Duration: Approx 4-8 weeks
Delivery Method: Online
Format: Self-guided videos
Ongoing Support: No
Extras: Workbooks, Action Plans, Tools, Alerts & Reminders, Progress Tracking
Cost: Not mentioned
Website: View the ThisWayUp Course
Course Topics & Modules:
Lesson 1:
- Understanding and coping with stress
- Underlying potential causes of your stress
Lesson 2:
- Problem solving and assertive communication
- Managing stressful situations
Lesson 3:
- Shifting perceptions
- Thoughts management and self-talk
Lesson 4:
- Shifting behaviours
- Using graded-exposure to reduce unsustainable behaviours
What I Like:
- It’s a quick and simple 4-module course (so you’re more likely to complete it)
- There’s a mix of theory and practical exercises (and the exercises are somewhat ‘forced’ upon you, which is a good thing)
What I Don’t Like:
- There’s no mention of the teacher/expert who is leading the course
- There’s just 4 modules (which suggests it’s a course solely for beginners)
- The protagonist of the course being ‘Sue’, could alienate men who may be interested in the course
Course #2: “Stress Management” by Harvard Health Publishing
This resilience and stress management training course helps you restore calm and put you back in control of your mind by giving you the tools to protect yourself against stress and its negative effects.
You’ll learn how to address stress, anger and anxiety and increase your body’s defense system against stress.
Harvard offers this stress management training online, through self-paced learning.
Course Creator: Harvard Health Publishing
Who’s It For? People with stress levels under 6 out of 10
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Teacher/Instructor: Mallika Marshall, MD and Gregory Fricchione, MD
Duration: Unknown
Delivery Method: Online
Format: Self-Paced Videos
Extras: Quizzes, Interactive Content
Cost: USD$29.95
Ongoing Support: No
Website: View the Harvard Course
Course Topics & Modules:
- Why we feel stress
- Stress and your health
- The faces of stress
- Relaxation response and strategies
- Boosting resilience using strategies
- Go-to stress relief strategies
What I Like:
- There are several positive student reviews
What I Don’t Like:
- The course syllabus appears somewhat generic
- The two instructors make no mention of themselves suffering from stress or burnout
- I would have expected greater detail and more in-depth content from Harvard
Course #1: “Zero Stress Workday” by Matt Adams
This coping with stress course gives you the mental, physical and emotional tools and techniques you’ll need to effectively manage stress during your workday.
It’s designed specifically for office-based workers.
In terms of online stress management training, this course is one of the best as it’s highly-focused and it’s created and delivered by one of the top stress and burnout experts.
Course Creator: Stress And Burnout Expert, Matt Adams
Who’s It For? People with stress levels under 8 out of 10
Skill Level Required: Any
Teacher/Instructor: Matt Adams
Duration: 4 Hours
Delivery Method: Online
Format: Approx 30 Self-Paced Videos (Lectures, Tutorials & Instructional How-to Videos)
Extras: PDFs, Checklists, Products list, Supplements list
Cost: USD$498
Ongoing Support: Yes (Optional)
Website: View the ‘Zero Stress Workday’ Course
Course Topics & Modules:
- Stress, burnout and anxiety: Why it really happens
- Workplace mental health essentials
- Anti-stress mindset
- Psychological stress vs physical stress in the workplace
- At-work stress prevention and management techniques and strategies
- Time management techniques
- How to deal with stress from other people (Boss/Mgr, Coworkers, Client/Customers)
- Anti-stress foods for optimum nutrition
- Anti-stress supplements
- Stress-busting products
- Getting anonymous support for stress
What I Like:
- It’s focused solely on stress at-work (for office workers)
- It shows you multiple techniques: preventative and management of stress
- The videos are short and easily digestible
What I Don’t Like:
- Only that I’d like to add hundreds of more videos to the course 🙂
Matt’s burnout, stress and anxiety management course will empower you to take control of your well-being at work, during work hours.
3 Biggest Benefits Of Taking Stress Management Training Courses (For Individuals And Organizations)
Whether it’s for yourself or your employees, here are the top benefits of learning stress management…
For Individuals:
- You’ll learn effective strategies, techniques and exercises to prevent, control or relieve stress.
- You’ll feel a greater sense of control over your own health and well-being, and gain confidence and competence in stress management
- You’ll have the tools and skills to know what to do in any stressful situation (once-off or ongoing)… for the rest of your life.
For Companies:
- You’ll empower employees with the knowledge and skills to self-manage stress
- You’ll be seen to be actively promoting and supporting employee well-being and workplace wellness
- You’ll reduce costs relating to sick days, sick leave, EAP costs, therapy/counselling, medical while increasing productivity and performance.
A stress management workshop for employees, whether in-house or virtual can be a positive first step to becoming a resilient workplace.
And educating your staff will give them vital knowledge, tools and skills to better recognize the symptoms of stress and burnout so they can take preventative measures.
Should You Attend In-Person Stress Management Classes, Seminars And Workshops Instead Of Online?
We’re so used to online learning these days it almost seems strange to attend a live, in-person workshop or class.
Searching ‘stress management classes near me’ will give you local results showing Government bodies, training organizations and individual experts offering courses, seminars, workshops and classes.
From the USA to Canada, UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia and New Zealand you’ll find stress management seminars and workshops focusing on the various competencies in the areas of stress, burnout and work-related anxiety.
These could be presented by Government, industry groups, local training companies, psychologists or everyday experts.
Here are 3 things to look for when you search ‘stress management courses near me’:
- Course Content – does the course’s focus match your desired topics of learning, especially, how to overcome chronic stress?
- Course Leader/Presenter – does the instructor have real world credentials in the form of results in dealing with and overcoming stress or burnout?
- Course Reviews – is the course well-reviewed from previous students? If not, what is the main theme(s) of complaints?
Completing an in-person or stress management online class annually can keep your health and well-being top of mind, ensuring your job and career stay on track over the long term.
FAQs
How important is time management in reducing stress?
Managing your time at work is crucial to be able to deal with stress sustainably over the course of a day and even your career.
Time and stress management training courses can give you the practical techniques and strategies you’ll need to manage your most precious resource: Time.
Who offers good stress management courses online?
You’ll find typically five entities/people offering courses on preventing, coping with or getting rid of stress.
These are Government, Universities, Non-profits, private training organizations and stress specialists.
Do I actually need to take a course on handling stress?
Yes, anyone in the workforce today can benefit from educating themselves about the dangers of stress, how to manage it and how to build resilience; mentally, physically and emotionally.
And having a mentor in an area where you don’t have knowledge or expertise in as a wise decision in any area of life.
Are courses on sites like Udemy and Coursera worth it?
You’ll find numerous stress management short courses on sites like Udemy.com and Coursera.com, and they’re generally all budget-focused, around the $15 mark.
You’ll also find several on LinkedIn Courses too.
So if you’re looking for general advice, these courses may be suitable.
Are free online stress management courses worth taking?
Any form of learning about stress or burnout is valuable.
Whether you learn from a University professor, lecturer, doctor, professional trainer or everyday expert, there are valuable insights to be gained.
It really depends on your current stress levels and your current knowledge and skill level, as this is what should drive your decision on which course to sign-up to.
What’s included in corporate stress management programs and courses?
Stress and burnout courses for corporate organizations help to educate and empower your employees to self-manage.
Whether you buy an off-the-shelf course or request one or more customized stress management courses for employees, you’ll be rewarded with increased productivity and performance.
Does stress management lead to wellness in the workplace?
Managing stress is a component of achieving and maintaining well-being.
An authentic course teacher will have the knowledge, skills and results not only in relation to reducing stress, but also increasing workplace wellness
Only through educating employees within the work environment can an organization hope to achieve a healthy workplace.
Final Thoughts
Generally, any form of stress relief training is a good thing as we’re not educated about such topics at school or during childhood.
So attending stress management classes online is a positive first step to getting educated and getting the skills you’ll need to stay healthy, mentally, physically and emotionally throughout your career.
And by investing in one or more of the above courses, you’ll be taking a positive first-step to improved mental, physical and emotional health for yourself and/or your employees.
