Our Partners in COADAPT, IDEGO Digital Psychology and the University of Trento, are working on a Use case that aims to combat stress in an effective and engaging way in 60 days for ageing workers.
They have created a series of campaigns to attract participants in a trial to prove that change of habits can be done in 60 days. The following content is from their campaign, explaining how the Coadapt programme will help the participants using the Coadapt App.
Original Post at co-adapt.it
Why is it important to talk about stress?
Stress, especially in adulthood, is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as cardio-ischemic, cerebro-vascular and psychiatric diseases.
AssoSalute found that 90% of Italians suffer from some kind of stress-related health problem. The current pandemic situation, the need to adapt to new habits, new lifestyles and new ways of working, makes the issue even more topical and urgent.
But what is stress?
Stress is not necessarily something negative! It is in fact a physiological response by which the body tries to adapt to demands and/or pressures from the environment. The physical reactions to stress (heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, etc.) are natural and highly adaptive: they predispose us to action, for example to face a challenge, be it work-related or personal.
When does stress become harmful?
While our bodies are naturally ‘programmed’ to cope with stressful situations, even acute ones, this is not the case for stressors that occur continuously and over a long period of time! This is what we call chronic stress, the effects of which can be extremely damaging to health, both mental and physical.
How do we manage stress?
There are a number of strategies for effectively combating stress, many of which may not seem too difficult to put into practice: from having a more balanced relationship with your smartphone, to carving out time for ‘rewarding’ yourself with enjoyable activities, to learning to say NO to colleagues and superiors, rather than learning a relaxation technique.
A society that ‘rewards’ stress
However, there are several reasons why it is not always easy to combat stress. The first is cultural: we live in a society that seems to increasingly reward stress. Being tired, always in a hurry or irritable gives others a sense of commitment and determination, and so we end up being ‘normalised’ in our experiences, so much so that it clouds our ability to stop for a moment and recognise the problem.
The role of habits
The other factor is not cultural but personal, and is called HABITS. Putting a certain strategy in place from time to time does not bring particular benefits, only its constant practice! That is, when a strategy becomes habitual, and we integrate it into our lifestyles.
Changing a habit is not easy! Research has shown that it takes about 60 days for a certain behaviour to become a habit!
The Co-Adapt project. A new and engaging way to manage stress.
This is why the Co-Adapt project was created: a programme funded by the European Commission, involving IDEGO Digital Psychology and the University of Trento, which aims to combat stress in an effective and engaging way in 60 days. How?
Over the course of 8 weeks, you will be able to have 8 FREE and CONFIDENTIAL interviews with a Psychologist, via Skype, learning multiple strategies for managing stress: relaxation techniques, sleep management, time organisation, planning pleasant activities and much more. Not only that! During the 8 weeks you will be able to download and use the Co-Adapt App, an intelligent application for smartphones that will offer you suggestions and advice to put into practice the techniques and strategies learned in a simple and effective way, helping you to put them into practice daily and make them a habit!
What does the Co-Adapt project guarantee you?
1) First of all, you will receive a complete checkup! We are talking about psychological tests that will allow you to get a complete picture of your starting stress level and the personal and work factors to which it is linked.
2) You will receive 8 free psychological interviews with an experienced professional.
3) Use our innovative Co-Adapt App.
4) Learn 8 different techniques to effectively manage stress.
Why participate? Because change isn’t easy, that’s why the Co-Adapt Programme was created!
Want to get involved?
Have you decided it’s time to change things? Congratulations! You have taken the hardest step. The next one will be much easier! To participate in the Co-Adapt Project click here and follow the instructions. A Psychologist from the Co-Adapt staff will contact you by phone as soon as possible to give you all the instructions!
