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This mini-course has lots of opportunities for integration into other BetterUp programs. For example, it could be
- recommended by a personal coach in full or in part
- pre-work for a group coaching session
- an extension/additional resource after a workshop

There are also links within the course that can connect to other BetterUp resources.

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Think about that stressor from yesterday (or perhaps you have a new one!) and ask yourself if this is important enough to feel stress over. Use the decision tree to figure out what to do with that stress.

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When it comes to planning a project like this, rather than say, "Here are the resources I'll need," I prefer to ask, "What resources do we have?" and go bigger or go smaller depending on those resources.

For something like what I've provided below, I could stand this up alone as long as I had access to our software (e.g. Articulate), stock imagery/footage, and research.

If I had access to all the tools and were doing this myself using the storyboard below, I could get it out in 5-7 business days.

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Activity 1: Do a stress-releasing activity

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Activity 1: Do a stress-releasing activity

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There are many ways we can release stress after tense moments. Choose one of the activities below to do a stress-releasing activity now!

(Participants click on one of the options and are taken the activity/article):

- Desk stretches (visuals of 3-4 stretches that can be done at your desk)
- Breathing activity (super easy to create on Articulate or I could record a video as I'm a certified meditation teacher)
- Take PTO (article on PTO)
- Journaling (3-4 prompts)
- Gratitude practice (3-4 questions)

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A short video of a dog shaking with a voiceover about adrenaline flush may be delightful but limited to resources. If there is stock footage of a dog shaking off, I could easily make the video but a picture like the one above could work.

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When dogs "shake-off" after a bath, the reason is clear - it's your dogs' personal drying system. It's also incredibly efficient. In fact, a study conducted on the physics of an animal self-drying and published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface found that dogs can shake-off around 70 percent of water on their fur in four seconds. But dogs also shake-off when they're dry - and that means something entirely different. The dog shake-off is part of their body language. Since they can't talk, it's up to us to interpret. "We can make some good guesses, based on when dogs do this behavior and what comes afterwards," says Kristin Benson, certified dog trainer and owner of Kristin Benson Dog Training in Manitoba, Canada. There are specific situations in which dogs shake-off that can give us insight to the meaning of the action. Here are few examples:

After a Nap

Benson notes that dogs sometimes shake-off when they stand up after a nap, often accompanied by a full-body stretch. "This is likely similar to what you do when you get up off your office chair: a quick stretch to get the muscles moving again." Related: Sleep Tight: 6 of the Best Orthopedic Dog Beds on the Market In this case, your dog is shaking off the grogginess of sleep in order to wake up, reinvigorate their body and get ready for action. The shake-off after a nap acts like a dog's cup of coffee.

In Times of Stress

"Shaking-off can be a sign of stress," says Lauren Novack, certified dog behavior consultant, professional animal trainer and director of training at Behavior Vets. "Any behavior that occurs 'out of context' is likely a sign of stress." This type of shake-off is sometimes called an adrenalin flush. In this case, stress can mean physical or emotional stress that's negative or positive. Related: Why 'Good' Dogs Bite and How to Prevent It A dog might shake-off after the stress of encountering a strange dog in the park, after smelling something intriguing, after sitting in one position for a stretch of time or when he's uncomfortable or fearful. The shake-off in this case is the dog version of a human taking a deep breath and letting something go.

In Social Situations

Dogs may shake-off after an exciting or stressful interaction with another dog or a human. They may have been uncomfortable or cautious, but were on their best behavior. The shake-off is a way of releasing both tense muscles and tense emotions. You may see a dog shake-off after energetic play with other dogs. "Although most of the time when dogs are playing rough, it's fine for both parties, occasionally there seems to be an intensification that one or both dogs decide isn't playful anymore," says Benson. At this point, they stop, check each other out, and do a quick shake-off. It functions as a brief timeout and allows the dogs to take it down a notch in play or stop playing altogether.

After High-Energy Exercise

"I have seen dogs who are playing athletically occasionally use a shake-off," says Benson. The dogs are shaking out extra excitement as well as the tension in their muscles. A dog will also shake-off when after he's been jumping around like a maniac waiting for you to put on his leash. When it's finally attached, he shakes off the rush of energy to be ready to go on his walk. It's the dog version of a full-body reboot. Dogs will sometimes shake-off after you return home. With their exceptional hearing, your dogs already knew that you were home way before you unlocked the front door, and they've been on high alert. The shake-off in this case is a way of releasing that energy and moving into a calmer state of mind.

When Feeling Uncomfortable

"In some cases, dogs will shake-off because they are uncomfortable, itchy or have a skin or ear problem," says Benson. This type of shake-off is often accompanied by scratching or pawing at the source of the discomfort. Sometimes, a dog will shake-off mental discomfort. A dog may feel stressed if you suddenly come home to find him lying in the antique armchair that's definitely off-limits. When your dog jumps off, he may shake-off the discomfort of wanting to be on the chair but having to move to another place. Or maybe he actually feels uncomfortable at being caught. The shake-off provides a way to get rid of the unpleasant feeling. Just like any other body language, in order to understand you have to observe what happened right before and right after. The shake-off appears to be either a self-calming or signaling effort, says Benson. It helps release tension and signals a pause in activity. Related: Here's What Is in Dog Food That Causes Allergies - and What to Do About It

From a fully body reboot to releasing stressful energy, here are specific situations in which dogs shake-off and why they do it.

When dogs "shake-off" after a bath, the reason is clear - it's your dogs' personal drying system. It's also incredibly efficient. In fact, a study conducted on the physics of an animal self-drying and published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface found that dogs can shake-off around 70 percent of water on their fur in four seconds. But dogs also shake-off when they're dry - and that means something entirely different. The dog shake-off is part of their body language. Since they can't talk, it's up to us to interpret. "We can make some good guesses, based on when dogs do this behavior and what comes afterwards," says Kristin Benson, certified dog trainer and owner of Kristin Benson Dog Training in Manitoba, Canada. There are specific situations in which dogs shake-off that can give us insight to the meaning of the action. Here are few examples:

After a Nap

Benson notes that dogs sometimes shake-off when they stand up after a nap, often accompanied by a full-body stretch. "This is likely similar to what you do when you get up off your office chair: a quick stretch to get the muscles moving again." Related: Sleep Tight: 6 of the Best Orthopedic Dog Beds on the Market In this case, your dog is shaking off the grogginess of sleep in order to wake up, reinvigorate their body and get ready for action. The shake-off after a nap acts like a dog's cup of coffee.

In Times of Stress

"Shaking-off can be a sign of stress," says Lauren Novack, certified dog behavior consultant, professional animal trainer and director of training at Behavior Vets. "Any behavior that occurs 'out of context' is likely a sign of stress." This type of shake-off is sometimes called an adrenalin flush. In this case, stress can mean physical or emotional stress that's negative or positive. Related: Why 'Good' Dogs Bite and How to Prevent It A dog might shake-off after the stress of encountering a strange dog in the park, after smelling something intriguing, after sitting in one position for a stretch of time or when he's uncomfortable or fearful. The shake-off in this case is the dog version of a human taking a deep breath and letting something go.

In Social Situations

Dogs may shake-off after an exciting or stressful interaction with another dog or a human. They may have been uncomfortable or cautious, but were on their best behavior. The shake-off is a way of releasing both tense muscles and tense emotions. You may see a dog shake-off after energetic play with other dogs. "Although most of the time when dogs are playing rough, it's fine for both parties, occasionally there seems to be an intensification that one or both dogs decide isn't playful anymore," says Benson. At this point, they stop, check each other out, and do a quick shake-off. It functions as a brief timeout and allows the dogs to take it down a notch in play or stop playing altogether.

After High-Energy Exercise

"I have seen dogs who are playing athletically occasionally use a shake-off," says Benson. The dogs are shaking out extra excitement as well as the tension in their muscles. A dog will also shake-off when after he's been jumping around like a maniac waiting for you to put on his leash. When it's finally attached, he shakes off the rush of energy to be ready to go on his walk. It's the dog version of a full-body reboot. Dogs will sometimes shake-off after you return home. With their exceptional hearing, your dogs already knew that you were home way before you unlocked the front door, and they've been on high alert. The shake-off in this case is a way of releasing that energy and moving into a calmer state of mind.

When Feeling Uncomfortable

"In some cases, dogs will shake-off because they are uncomfortable, itchy or have a skin or ear problem," says Benson. This type of shake-off is often accompanied by scratching or pawing at the source of the discomfort. Sometimes, a dog will shake-off mental discomfort. A dog may feel stressed if you suddenly come home to find him lying in the antique armchair that's definitely off-limits. When your dog jumps off, he may shake-off the discomfort of wanting to be on the chair but having to move to another place. Or maybe he actually feels uncomfortable at being caught. The shake-off provides a way to get rid of the unpleasant feeling. Just like any other body language, in order to understand you have to observe what happened right before and right after. The shake-off appears to be either a self-calming or signaling effort, says Benson. It helps release tension and signals a pause in activity. Related: Here's What Is in Dog Food That Causes Allergies - and What to Do About It

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Why Do Dogs Do Those Random Shake-Offs? - This Dogs Life

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From a fully body reboot to releasing stressful energy, here are specific situations in which dogs shake-off and why they do it.

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- A short-term stress response can be helpful
- It releases hormones that increase our focus, alertness, and more.
- When we're able to recognize short-term stress and question it, it can also help us understand what's important to us and make conscious decisions about what to do.
- The challenge comes in when that stress sits around too long in our brain and body. Once we've 'used' our stress or decided it's no serving us, we need to do something to bring ourselves back to homeostasis - it's sometimes referred as an 'adrenaline flush.'
- Animal kingdom analogy (dog shaking, deer stotting examples)

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Learners check the box for the technique they'll try within the next week.

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Be sure to click the image to see the full infographic draft (low-fidelity)

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Beige Maroon Teal Handdrawn Racism Comparison infographic

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By doing the inner work of converting your own stress, you're already doing something beneficial for your team. (Insert research/story/analogy).

But let's take it a step further and see what specific actions we can take to support our team in times of stress.

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Time:
3-5 minutes
Purpose:
Transfer of skills to support the team
Method:
Activating prior knowledge of the 3 steps to apply to their team
Format:
Copy, infographic, and checkboxes

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Time:
3-10 minutes
Purpose:
Increase positive outcome expectations for stress-releasing activities
Method:
Knowledge transfer and practice
Format:
Concise copy followed by a choice of activities

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Activity 3: Reframing your own unhelpful thoughts

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Activity 3: Reframing your own unhelpful thoughts

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Learners are shown two example of taking an unhelpful thoughts and turning it into a helpful thought.

Then, they write out 3 unhelpful thoughts they have and try to reframe them.

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(Insert interesting hook statement)
When looking at folks who had more 'helpful thoughts' about their stress, researchers found that they had a lesser cortisol response, meaning they'd be less likely to experience the long-term negative side effects of prolonged stress.

See if you can guess which of the following statements would be 'helpful' and 'unhelpful.'

Learners sort the statements from the article into "beliefs that show it's a strength" and "beliefs that show it's a growth area.

Takeaway: People who think the statements in the first column often have a greater impact at work and fewer negative health effects of stress.

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Copy key points: transferring steps to team

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Copy key points: transferring steps to team

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Witness their stress: ask folks to share their stress responses (if they feel comfortable) and how you can support in those moments

Help them choose a stress response: set clear expectations about priorities and what's worth stressing over.

Model releasing stress: practice gratitude, don't send emails during dark hours, take PTO, give positive feedback

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"Level up" the affect labeling skill with cognitive defusion.

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Copy Key Points: Just naming the emotion you're feeling can help you cope with it. (Explain movement to PFC)

Write down or say out loud: "I am feeling stressed about X."
How does that feel?

Choose your next activity:

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If yes --> Name it and convert unhelpful thoughts
If no --> Release (we'll talk about that tomorrow)
If not sure --> Ask yourself 5 'why' questions

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Lilac And Cyan Gradient Minimalist Mind Map Brainstorm

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- Not all stress is created equal. If we want to use it well, we have to know what stress is serving us and choose our response accordingly.
- Our stress often points us to what's important to us.

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Short breathing exercise to release the stress response we just put them in

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Activity 2: Reflect on personal stress response

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Activity 2: Reflect on personal stress response

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Jot down your response to the following questions:
(1) With that stressor in mind, where do you feel the stress in your body?
(2) What thoughts about it do you notice?
(3) How might/has your behavior change(d) because of this stressor?
(4) In general, what physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs tell you that you are having a stress response?

Click on the circles to see some examples of others' stress responses.

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Time:
10 - 12 min
Purpose:
Increase skills and self-efficacy in choosing stress responses and reframing unhelpful thoughts
Method:
Mainly CBT
Format:
Copy with decision-making tree, sorting activity, CBT personal practice

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Bring to mind something that has been causing you stress lately. Give yourself 30 seconds to close your eyes and think about that stressor. Then come back to the lesson. (30-second timer if available.)

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Categories of stress responses where participants can click the circle to flip it over to see examples of each type. If that functionality is not available, we could do something like what is pictured.

The key here is to focus on how someone might 'catch' themselves in a stress response (rather than the effects of stress).

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Grey Simple Modern 3 Point Circle Infographic Chart Graph (1)

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*The word 'witness' was chosen to aid in cognitive defusion (being able to view rather than become the emotion) but may need to be changed if 'witness' evokes a negative connection to criminal justice systems.

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Time:
8 - 10 minutes
Purpose:
Learn to notice their stress response, affect labeling, cognitive defusion
Method:
Personalizing information and reflection
Format:
Examples and then reflection. Depending on the technology, reflection can be done in the platform or just on paper.

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Image taken from a quick google search but we'd want to make our own

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Learners can roll over different body parts to see different 5-7 components of the stress response. Some options are above.

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Version 1:
Optional "Show me the research" button linked to the research such as https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-06053-001

Version 2:
Optional "Don't believe us?" button linked to article/research on Universe 25 specifically relating to Calhoun's takeaways about the need for stress

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Superhero imagery
or
"Goal: Eliminate Stress" (crossed out) --> "Goal: Utilize Stress."

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At BetterUp, we have a unique perspective on stress; we see stress as a hidden superpower. While it's often cast as the villain of our stories, stress can be a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

A short-term stress response releases adrenaline and dopamine that allows you to have increased focus, alertness, strength, and energy. Think about some of your proudest achievements like landing that promotion, raising your kids, or starting your business — stress was right there, fueling your journey!

We've delved into the depths of empirical research on stress and unlocked a profound truth: adopting a stress-as-a-tool mindset can lead to more success and fewer negative health effects from stress.  The good news is that making that mindset shift is a learnable skill. By applying behavioral science principles,  we've created a simple but powerful 4-day mini-course that will help you convert your stress into a useful tool for yourself and for your team.

At BetterUp, we want to help you rewrite your story with stress. We'll help you say goodbye to stress as the villain and welcome it as your trusty sidekick!

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L1: Completion of activities, knowledge quiz
L2: Pre-post self-efficacy assessment on desired behaviors
L3: Personal reflection/reporting on the use of behaviors, feedback from peers/supervisors
L4: Increased engagement reported from org-wide engagement survey, decreased absenteeism

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Inner work objectives
- Identify my personal signs of stress
- Label my stress response
- Make conscious choices about what to do when I am feeling stressed
- Turn unhelpful thoughts regarding stress into helpful thoughts
- Let go of stress when it's no longer useful to me

Leadership objectives
- Identify signs of stress in my teammates
- Help team witness their own stress and make decisions about it
- Model stress-releasing behaviors

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Convert this article into a delightful, actionable, and immediately useful experience by applying change methods utilized in Social Cognitive Theory and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

The experience will focus on reframing stress as a tool (superpower/sidekick) rather than an inherent problem (villain).

Learner time: 25-40 minutes

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Using a Sense of Purpose to Bolster Resilience and Performance in Sales

Move beyond the mindset that sales is all about the money. In this article, learn why a sense of purpose is equally-if not more-important.

5 min

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Using a Sense of Purpose to Bolster Resilience and Performance in Sales Move beyond the mindset that sales is all about the money. In this article, learn why a sense of purpose is equally-if not more-important. 5 min

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Time:
1-3 minutes
Purpose:
Grab attention to make the learner want to engage with the content.
Method:
Using a 'surprise' framing that piques interest that cuts through all the noise on stress reduction.
Format:
Written copy with simple visual and optional click