Stress management training

In weekly sessions of 1.5 hours per session you will discuss topics related to chronic stress, burnout and mental well-being. The sessions will include both a thematic approach introduced by the coach and structured discussion of cases brought in by the participants. The sessions will be supervised and structured by a trained coach. In addition to the training you will be encouraged to do the online course.

You will receive further information by email if you are selected for this program.

The next round of this intervention starts on the 20th of April.

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Music

In this intervention you will be provided with an 8-week online e-course “Stay composed”. The e-learning requires a time investment of approximately 1.5 hours a week during the 8-week intervention period and the use of music during daily activities.

The e-course guides participants to create playlists for different moods, provides example playlists, teaches active mindful music listening, creates self-awareness in response to music, encourages embedding music in daily life for relaxation and focus, and explores making music as a means of de-stressing.

You will receive further information by email if you are selected for this program.

The next round of this intervention starts in the week of April 19th.

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Aikido: E-health format

For this intervention, there is also an e-health variant. You can choose the amount of time you put into this program. The more you practice the exercises, the more effect it will have.

The e-course consists of exercises based on aikido principles. The goal of the e-course is to develop a healthy balance between personal satisfaction and effective professional performance by

  • Increasing body awareness by connecting mind and body
  • Recognizing stress signals in the body and developing the ability to “re-set” and “re-center”
  • Building skills to utilize one’s unique mind/body connection to increase resilience, build self-confidence and enhance collaboration.

The e-course will require about 1.5 hours per week. You are encouraged to use the e-Health module for 30 minutes per day on 5 days per week.

You will receive further information by email if you are selected for this program.

The next round of this intervention starts in the week of April 19th.

Aikido: Blended format

The Aikido training will be given eight times on Tuesdays from 17:30 – 19:00 if in-person in a park next to the Erasmus MC and from 20:00 – 21:30 if online via Zoom, starting from April 20th.

In weekly sessions you will receive group-based Aikido lessons by a certified trainer. Each session will take 1.5 hours. Aikido consists largely of physical exercise, and each session will start and end with some individual relaxation exercises. We train the aikido techniques with different partners throughout the class. You will learn to fall (and fail!) without hurting yourself. You will learn to harmonize movement with your training partner. You will learn to regain your balance every time you lose it. In addition to the group class you will be encouraged to engage in practice using the e-Health module for 20-30 minutes per day on 5 days per week.

You will receive further information by email if you are selected for this program.

‘Respond to what life has to offer – that was my take-home message from the aikido sessions – respond in a meaningful and productive way rather than impulsively react.’

‘I really enjoyed the aikido lessons a lot and found them helpful in several ways. For example: the visualization of stress and how to handle it by absorbing the energy and using it, was helpful.’

Aikido

Ever wondered what a martial art can do for you? Aikido is a Japanese martial art. It is a gentle martial art that aims to protect both the attacker and defendant. Aikido is more than a method of defense: it trains focused attention, (self-)awareness, acceptance, compassion and connecting. It is a discovery of how your body responds to stress (symbolized by the attack) and through centering how to cope with the stress.

There are two variants of the aikido intervention. Please click on a format to learn more.

Blended format

E-health format

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Video: Anita Paalvast and Myriam Hunink training at Aikido Centrum Leiden

Running

Due to the corona pandemic, we are not able to offer the Running intervention this round.

In weekly sessions you will train with a group under supervision of a running therapist. A session will take around an hour and the group will be running in the area around Erasmus MC. Apart from the physical activity of running there will be exercises and discussion how to achieve relaxation, focused attention and (self-)awareness in the context of running. This will take another half an hour. In addition to the group sessions, you will be encouraged to use an application, twice a week to intensify your training.

The Running training will be given eight times, starting from the week of the 10th of February. Day and time will be announced soon.

You will receive further information by email if you are selected for this program.

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Yoga

Yoga is a time-tested method to improve resilience and reduce stress by combining the benefits of physical and mental training. The yoga classes that are offered as part of the DESTRESS trial include the elements of a traditional yoga practice: physical exercise, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation.

We acknowledge that it’s really hard to find the time and commitment to fit a regular practice into your (over)loaded schedule. To make it easier for you to incorporate yoga practice into your busy life, we have created a flexible class schedule.

Depending on your needs, you can choose any of our dynamic or restorative classes. Dynamic classes are based on Ashtanga vinyasa yoga and follow set sequences of active physical poses that flow together by means of steady-paced deep breathing. While the dynamic classes focus on aligning your breath with movement and emphasize strengthening and lengthening of your muscles, restorative yoga targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and spine. The emphasis in restorative classes lies on gentle movements, holding stretching poses for extended periods of time with the support of props, and practicing stillness. In addition to improving your range of motion and joint mobility, this practice is designed for deep relaxation. It reduces the effects of stress by releasing deeply held tensions from the body and mind and balancing the autonomic nervous system.

Depending on your needs, you can choose any of our dynamic or restorative classes. Dynamic classes are based on Ashtanga vinyasa yoga and follow set sequences of active physical poses that flow together by means of steady-paced deep breathing. While the dynamic classes focus on aligning your breath with movement and emphasize strengthening and lengthening of your muscles, restorative yoga targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and spine. The emphasis in restorative classes lies on gentle movements, holding stretching poses for extended periods of time with the support of props, and practicing stillness. In addition to improving your range of motion and joint mobility, this practice is designed for deep relaxation. It reduces the effects of stress by releasing deeply held tensions from the body and mind and balancing the autonomic nervous system.

The introductory session to meet your fellow DESTRESS participants will take place in person or online, depending on the Corona rules, on Monday April 19th 19:00-20:30. If the sessions take place in person, this will be at a professional center at 10-min distance (by bike) from the Erasmus MC. Over the next eight weeks, you’re welcome to attend any of the yoga classes that are offered daily either in-person or via live stream from the comfort of your home. Of course we’re compliant with the national Corona guidelines. You will receive further information by email if you are selected for the yoga program.

Remember: yoga can be practiced by everyone. You don’t need a flexible body. The only requirement is an open mind and willingness to commit and invest in yourself!

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Mindfulness: E-health format

For this intervention, there is also an e-health variant. You can choose the amount of time you put in this program. The more time you put into the program, the larger the effect. In this study we will use an application on your phone or tablet.

We advise you to invest 2 hours per week for the e-learning and do daily practice for 20-30 minutes per day on 5 days per week.

You will receive further information about this program by email if you are selected for this program.

The next round of this intervention starts in the week of April 19th.


Mindfulness: Blended format

The mindfulness intervention is the standardized Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). In weekly sessions you will train in a group under supervision of a certified MSBR trainer. Each session will take 2 hours.

MBSR focuses on three core elements: 1. mental and physical mindfulness exercises
2. stress management and how to apply the acquired skills in everyday situations
3. it is encouraged that all participants share their experiences of mindfulness and insight into automatic, reactive (thinking) patterns.

In these sessions you will practice different attention exercises focused on body perception, your thoughts, your feelings and your actions. Through these exercises, you will learn how to further develop mindfulness, an innate ability, and how to use it effectively for managing stress. This will increase your resilience and your effectiveness in dealing with hardships. You will learn how to think, feel and act without judgement while observing the interaction between all these elements. This attitude of simply observing your own persona without judgement will enable you to see how stress affects you and give you insight in how to handle stressful situations.

If there are participants who only speak English, the course will be given in English. If there are enough attendees and if the participants want to follow the program in Dutch, we will try to form two groups, one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday. One group will follow the program in English and one group in Dutch.

In addition to the sessions, you will be encouraged to practice daily at home starting with 5-10 minutes a day and then to gradually expand this to 20-40 minutes a day.

The next round of this intervention starts on the 21st of April.


Mindfulness

Daily life can be demanding because you have to balance multiple responsibilities at the same time: education, work, family, friends and last but not least self-care. We all want to meet the expectations of being a good student, a good partner and a good friend. This often results in stress, worries and the feeling of never doing it right. We create our own stress!

Most of the time we live and act without asking ourselves why we are doing certain things and whether this is the most convenient choice for this particular situation. It is like we are acting on automatic pilot. The advantage of this way of functioning is that it saves us a lot of time, we don’t have to think about every decision. However, a disadvantage of this daily routine in automatic pilot is that we are no longer aware of the small remarkable things happening around us. As a result our emotions flatten and we experience that life flies by.    

Mindfulness is about waking up from a life on automatic pilot and being sensitive to the novelty in our everyday experiences. Mindfulness is a way to approach life and boils down to living in a more conscious manner. This means that you actively pay attention to your surroundings and look at everyday experiences with an open and curious mind, while objectively analysing what is happening in the moment.

There are two variants of the mindfulness intervention. Click on a format for more information.

Blended format

E-health format

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