Balance-Coping with Stress and Pressure (2024-II)

Trainer: Drs. P.C.M. Meesters (Paula), PhD-psychologist

Learning objectives

The aim of this course is to enhance your understanding of pressure and stress and how to cope, which will result in a more successful and valuable PhD trajectory. You will learn to deal with criticism, to diminish too high external and internal expectations (without losing your motivation), to set boundaries and to enhance your work and private life balance. 

Instructional method

The course provides an equal balance between experience (opportunity to reflect on your personal development), observation and reflection (self-tests and discussion), theoretical background (Stress theory on primary and secondary appraisal and the 3 emotion regulation systems) and skills training. It is required you are willing to share some personal insights, values and experiences. Personal information will be kept strictly confidential by Paula Meesters and the participants.

Programme

The course consists of 3 sessions of two hours each.

• The first session is focused on the stress theory - part 1 ‘primary appraisal’, physical and emotional awareness (using mindfulness meditation exercises), and the 3 emotion regulation systems;
• The second session deals with the stress theory part 2 ‘secondary appraisal’: behavioural coping strategies, and cognitive coping strategies to change perspectives;
• The third session is about social skills: How to stand up for yourself like handling feedback and criticism.

Study load

In addition to the scheduled sessions, you should take into account an extra study load of approximately half an hour in between sessions. To prepare for the sessions you will fill out worksheets.

Trainer:

Drs. Paula Meesters, PhD psychologist at Utrecht University

Group size

max. 12

Number of credits

0.2 EC

Course schedule

Cancellation and No-show policy

This course is free for GSLS PhD candidates. However: free of charge does not mean free of responsibility. Once you have signed up for a course, we expect you to attend. For every late cancellation or no-show we have had to disappoint others who would have liked to attend. This is our policy:

• You may cancel free of charge up to 4 weeks before the start of the course. After this date you can only cancel if you have a GSLS PhD candidate to replace you in the course. Send the name and contact information of your replacement to pcc@uu.nl, at least 2 working days before the start of the course;
• We expect that you actively attend the full course, but at least 80%. It is mandatory to attend the first session. If you are absent the first session you cannot follow the remaining of the course;
• Not meeting the above requirements means you will be charged a no-show fee (€ 50). We will send the invoice after the course has ended. We are unable to make any exceptions, unless you have a valid reason (i.e., illness or death in the family 1^st/2^nd degree or partner). Your supervisor has to send an e-mail to pcc@uu.nl indicating the reason.

Unfortunately we don’t offer this course for participants not part of the GSLS. Our courses tend to be fully booked by GSLS PhD candidates.