Wellbeing Course Modules

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To raise participants’ awareness of how their perceptions of situations influence their emotions and behaviour.
• To describe the types of unhelpful thinking we can identify in our perceptions.
• To provide an opportunity to identify how to change unhelpful thinking in a situation of the participant’s choosing.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 20 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart and at least 4 post-it notes per participant.

Notes:
The modules Managing Emotions and Difficult People – And How to Deal with Them are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session. This module can be used as part of a course on managing or preventing stress. It can also be useful in courses on communication or negotiation, or presentation skills, where participants’ emotions and perceptions may influence their performance.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants identify simple strategies for coping with stress.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of between 8 and 12 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Post-it notes.

Notes:
Since this module involves paired conversations, it works best in an environment where you can send people out of the training room to find a comfortable spot where they can talk freely and with a degree of confidentiality. On sunny days, this might be outside; in winter, a reception area or lounge can work very well. This module is suitable for anyone, but particularly those working in potentially stressful environments who need to identify and use simple coping strategies for stress. We suggest that this works best with a group of 8 -12 people - even numbers are best as this module requires working in pairs, although it will work with trios.

This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
• Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to increase awareness of their emotional reaction to other people’s behaviour and how to deal with people they find ‘difficult’.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
The modules Managing Emotions and Changing Perceptions and Emotions are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercises in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To raise awareness of self-awareness, the first strand of emotional intelligence.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A flipchart, pens and the handouts provided.

Notes:
This module forms part one of a two-part introduction to emotional intelligence. (Part 2 can also be used alone to explore awareness of others and empathy as a skill.)

This module (Part 1) looks at intra-personal intelligence - self-awareness - and the ability to notice and regulate or manage our own emotional state or mood.

Part 2 examines interpersonal intelligence – being able to distinguish other people’s emotions, moods and temperaments.

It is important to have an understanding of emotional intelligence and the effects of discussing it with a group of participants. You will find Mike Bagshaw’s Article in Trainers’ Library useful for this.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants understand the impact of their behaviours on others and the part they can play in developing and improving difficult relationships at work.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Everyone who interacts with others at work.

You'll Need:
• 2 different colour pens for each participant (to complete the handout).

Notes:
A great exercise to demonstrate our role in conflict with others. It’s designed to help anyone reflect on how to improve their workplace relationships, not just those who are in conflict. It is also a useful addition to Emotional Intelligence training.

We do recommend that you practice reading Flenda’s Tale aloud a couple of times before using this exercise.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to consider their attitude.
• To encourage discussion around optimistic versus pessimistic outlooks.
• To recognise the impact that attitude has on performance.
• To enable participants to identify personal traits that might be holding them back.
• To encourage leaders to consider how they might deal with negative attitudes in their team.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module provides an excellent opportunity, when working with a wide range of participants, to consider how attitude can impact on performance. Topics where the inclusion of a module looking at optimism/pessimism might be beneficial include:
• Managing change.
• Problem solving and decision making.
• Customer service.
• Selling skills.
• Leading a team.
• Strategic leadership.
• Communication skills.
• Planning and scheduling.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 50 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify where resilience comes from and what makes people resilient.
• To understand how and why different people have different levels of resilience.
• To introduce six keys to personal resilience.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff and managers at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Coloured post-it notes.
• A set of six cut-keys and labels (from the template provided) for each team.
• String and blu-tack.
• Enough clear wall space for each team within the group to be able to put up, and move around, lots of post-it notes.

Notes:
This module can be used as a stand-alone module but is also a great way to introduce various topics that you might want to go on to explore in greater detail. It helps participants understand the wide range of factors that can influence an individual’s levels of resilience.

If you are going to move on to look at the six keys to personal resilience in greater detail then you may wish to leave out the final exercise. In this case you should be able to complete the module in 60 minutes.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify the management of emotions as a skill of emotional intelligence.
• To increase participants awareness of how emotions affect behaviour.
• To enable participants to describe strategies for taking control of emotion in themselves and others.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
The modules Difficult People and Changing Perceptions and Emotions are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To reflect on what mental ill health looks like.
• To highlight why stereotypes might not help us identify people with a mental illness.
• To explore what someone suffering with mental ill health might experience.
• To discuss why people might hide depression, or any other mental illness.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels. However, please ensure participants are aware of the topic to be discussed and are happy to participate.

You'll Need:
• Two flipcharts and a range of flipchart pens and other design materials. (You could, for example, give participants access to old magazines etc. from which they can cut images for inclusion in their posters.)

Notes:
You will need to ensure this session takes place in a space participants consider safe. We recommend ensuring participants have access to our list of helpful resources (or an equivalent for your region if you are located outside the UK.)

Before running this module, facilitators should have an understanding of mental health and have completed training around this topic.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants recognise signs that may indicate that someone is suffering from stress.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. We suggest groups of 12-14 and certainly no fewer than 8.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
You can be as creative as you like with this exercise. As a minimum, give participants access to blutak, marker pens, crayons and plenty of flipchart paper. You might also supply glue, glitter, different colour papers, musical instruments – anything that you think the teams could use to carry out the exercise.

Notes:
This module is suitable for anyone, but particularly those working in potentially stressful environments who need to be able to identify signs in themselves and in others which may indicate that they are experiencing stress. We suggest that this works best with a group of 12 -14 people – certainly, no fewer than 8.

This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
•  Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 100 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 150 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants, especially managers, recognise likely causes of workplace stress and take steps to deal with these.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Post-it® notes and blu-tak.

Notes:
This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to asses the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
• Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

For this session you will need to download the Management Standards and be familiar with the definitions for each of the six factors identified.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To increase participants awareness of the brain’s flexibility and potential for growth.
• To explore ways in which our Stretch Zone can be expanded, to strengthen our resilience.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module can be used as an alternative to The Monster of Anesi, or in conjunction with it. Where the focus of that module is on learning, the focus here is on resilience, though many of the learning points are shared.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants understand what depression is.
• To highlight why stereotypes might not help us identify depression.
• To explore what someone suffering with depression might experience.
• To discuss why people might hide depression, or any other mental illness.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels. However, please ensure participants are aware of the topic to be discussed and are happy to participate.

You'll Need:
• Magazines and newspapers etc., sticky tape or glue, flipchart paper and pens.

Notes:
You will need to ensure this session takes place in a space participants consider safe. We recommend ensuring participants have access to our list of helpful resources (or an equivalent for your region if you are located outside the UK.)

Before running this module, facilitators should have an understanding of mental health and have completed training around this topic.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.