Modern work isn’t slowing down... and neither are expectations. This short course is designed for people who want to stay sharp, focused, and effective in high-pressure environments without running themselves into the ground. This course examines the concept of stress and real-world insights: why pressure starts to build, what burnout actually looks like in everyday work, and how it quietly impacts performance, decision-making, and energy. You’ll gain practical ways to recognise early warning signs, understand the factors that push work from manageable to overwhelming, and develop simple, sustainable habits that help you keep performing at your best over time. This course equips you with strategies to stay in control, protect your capacity, and work in a way that’s both effective and sustainable, without sacrificing your edge.
- Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter (2022) The Burnout Challenge - Managing people's relationships with their jobs. Harvard University Press
- Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job Demands–Resources Theory: Taking Stock and Looking Forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285.
In this course, students will:
- Explore pressure, stress and performance; productive pressure vs chronic stress, how our body respond to threat and stress and identifying signs when pressure becomes problematic
- Regognising Burnout; what it is, how it shows up and the impact on our wellbeing and performance
- Exploring risks and protective factors in the workplace; what are job demands and resources, identifying current workplace demands, job and personal supports and areas needing strengthening
- Practical strategies for sustaining high performance; regulating our stress response, psychological flexibility, energy and recovery management and sustainable work habits
- Action planning for a sustainable future; what I need to keep thriving under pressure
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Differentiate between adaptive stress and harmful chronic stress
- Define Burnout and its indicators and recognise early warning signs in themselves and others
- Identify workplace and individual factors that contribute to pressure and burnout risk
- Identify and apply practical strategies to support self and regulate stress response
- Develop more sustainable work habits and recovery strategies
- Create a personalised sustainable work and wellbeing action plan
