Flourishing Under Stress

Michigan State University via Coursera

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Details

Go to class

Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

6 weeks, 1 hour a week
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

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Flourishing Under Stress introduces strategies for personal and collective development, focusing on both personal practices and methods for thriving in stressful work environments. Grounded in the study of stress, its causes, and its effects, this Coursera course develops approaches for personal and collaborative renewal, with a particular focus on reducing burnout, enhancing resilience, and improving fulfillment for working professionals. The course outlines proven approaches for personal practice and for implementing well-being techniques both individually and within workplace settings. By engaging with the science of well-being, approaches to self-care, and contemplative practices such as mindfulness as tools for stress management, learners will develop skills to enhance their own lives and the lives of others. At the same time, the course critically engages the complexities of these approaches, including questions of cultural appropriation, commodification of contemplative traditions, ableism in dominant models of well-being, and the structural conditions that shape stress and constrain access to flourishing. Recommended Audience: This course is designed for individuals and working professionals seeking practical tools to navigate stress and cultivate well-being in demanding environments. No prior experience with self-care techniques or contemplative practices is required. This course is thus well suited for anyone interested in developing mindfulness practices, strengthening resilience, and fostering more compassionate and sustainable approaches to personal, collective, and professional life.

Syllabus

Introduction Module

Welcome to the Introduction Module. This short opening module is designed to orient you to the course. In the introductory video, you will be guided through the aims of the course, the key learning outcomes, and the overall course structure so you know what to expect as you move forward. This is your starting point for understanding with confidence how the course fits together and how each module builds on the last. By the end of this introduction, you should have a clear sense of the course journey ahead, what you will be learning, and how to approach the material successfully. Take a few moments to settle in, get familiar with the course design, and begin with curiosity. You are about to begin an important exploration of well-being, stress, mindfulness, and flourishing in personal and professional life.

Module 1: Flourishing, Well-being, and Assumptions

Welcome to Module 1: Flourishing, Well-being, and Assumptions. In this module, you will explore what it means to flourish and why ideas about well-being are often more complex than they seem. Through the video lectures and readings, you will examine different theories of human flourishing, consider how well-being is understood in personal and organizational contexts, and begin to question the assumptions behind common definitions of a “good life.” This module encourages you to think critically about who these definitions include, and who they may leave out. As you engage with questions of ableism, access, and universality, you will develop a more thoughtful and inclusive understanding of flourishing. To help you apply these ideas, you will first complete an ungraded Well-being Assessment Tool practicum. This is a chance to reflect on how a well-being tool measures flourishing and what it may overlook. You will then use those insights in your graded Well-being Analysis, where you will connect your own experiences to the module concepts. By the end of this module, you will be better prepared to reflect on well-being with curiosity, self-awareness, and a critical lens.

Module 2: Stress, Work, and Burnout

Welcome to Module 2: Stress, Work, and Burnout. In this module, you will explore what stress is, how it shows up in everyday life, and why work can be such a powerful source of strain, fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. As you move through the video lectures and readings, you will examine different forms of stress and begin to recognize how personal habits, workplace demands, and broader socio-cultural expectations all shape your experience. You will first complete an ungraded Stress Assessment Tool practicum, which gives you a chance to reflect on how stress is measured and what these tools may capture, assume, or miss. You will then build on that reflection in your graded Stress Assessment Analysis, where you will map your own stress patterns, consider signs of burnout, and think critically about the difference between coping strategies and structural conditions. By the end of this module, you will have a stronger understanding of stress and a clearer lens for examining how work can both shape and challenge well-being.

Module 3: Self-care, Mindfulness, and Enhancing Resilience

Welcome to Module 3: Self-care, Mindfulness, and Enhancing Resilience. In this module, you will explore mindfulness and self-care as possible ways of responding to stress and supporting well-being. You will examine how these practices are used in everyday life and professional settings, while also thinking carefully about their limits, assumptions, and broader cultural context. Through the video lectures and readings, you will learn about key mindfulness practices, consider how they may affect attention, stress, and presence, and reflect on important questions about secular mindfulness, including appropriation and commodification. This module invites you to stay curious about both the promise and the complexity of mindfulness as a tool for flourishing. To support your learning, you will first complete an ungraded Mindful Experience practicum, where you will try two mindfulness practices and reflect on what you notice. You will then build on that experience in your graded Mindful Critique, connecting your reflections to concepts from Modules 1, 2, and 3. By the end of this module, you will be better prepared to evaluate mindfulness not just as a personal practice, but as a broader well-being strategy shaped by context, access, and meaning.

Module 4: Stress Management and the Workplace

Welcome to Module 4: Stress Management and the Workplace. In this module, you will explore how stress management, self-care, and mindfulness are used in real-world work and learning environments. You will consider not only how these practices may help reduce stress, fatigue, and burnout, but also how workplace culture, expectations, and environment shape whether they are truly supportive. Through the video lectures and readings, you will examine practical stress-reduction strategies, reflect on the role of mindfulness in professional settings, and learn how nature and biophilic design can contribute to healthier, more restorative environments. This module invites you to think critically about the value of these approaches, while also asking what they can and cannot address on their own. To support your learning, you will first complete an ungraded Mindfulness and Stress Management practicum, where you will apply two practices in an everyday setting and reflect on the experience. You will then build on those insights in your graded Critical Analysis of Mindfulness and Workplace Well-Being, connecting your observations to ideas from Modules 1 through 4. By the end of this module, you will have a stronger understanding of how workplace well-being strategies function in practice, and how to evaluate their possibilities, limits, and role within broader systems of work and stress.

Conclusion Module

Welcome to the Conclusion Module. This final module invites you to reflect on what you have learned across the course and bring the key ideas together. As you look back on themes such as well-being, stress, burnout, mindfulness, and workplace culture, you will consider how your understanding has grown and what you will carry forward.