Stress Management workshop at Emmaus Counseliing Centre. 
On 21st of September 2014, Stress Management workshop was conducted at Emmaus Counseliing Centre. Fr. Alex Braganza, the Superior welcomed the participants.

Workshop consisted of 3 parts. General awareness, Stressors and Self help. Stress occurs when people perceive that pressure is higher than the resources at hand. S = P > R. Some of the important stressors discussed were, physical environment, social interactions, rudeness, bossiness from the authorities at work place, breakdown of machines, life style, daily hassles like misunderstanding, arguments, misplaced things, excessive work load, lack of sleep, lack of time for rest and relaxation, major life events like death of a loved one, lost job, marriage of son or daughter. Negative or pessimistic thinking like generalizing, mental filter, should and must beliefs, magnification, jumping to conclusions without an evidence. Pessimistic thinking and its effects on stress were also elaborated.

Self help tips were given like: Changing thinking, changing behavior and changing the life style.

Since our thinking leads to emotions and behavior, changing the way we think (more optimistic than pessimistic) and interpret situations can help us feel better and improve our emotions. Thought and emotion analysis was done. Participants were taught to replace the negative thoughts with positive and optimistic thoughts. Assertive behavior was also taught.

Tips on changing faulty life styles, adopting more of a healthy life style was given importance. Spending time with friends and family members, taking time out for relaxation, healthy eating, physical exercise was given importance. Tips on conquering procrastination were also given. Elaborate research background on the importance of mindfulness meditation and its effects on stress reduction was given. Prayer and its benefits in stress reduction were also elaborated. All the participants appreciated the workshop.