managing pressure

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Recognise early signs of pressure and emotional overload

• Stay calm and steady in challenging situations

• Manage their response when facing conflict, distress or difficult interactions

• Maintain clarity and judgement under pressure

• Support others without taking on their emotional load

• Build simple habits that help sustain energy and focus over time

This is a practical, experiential masterclass.

Participants learn and practise simple techniques based on body, breath and attention, and apply them to situations they recognise from their work. Each section introduces an approach, followed by guided practice.

The focus is on what happens in the moment, helping participants respond more steadily rather than react under pressure.

• Half-day masterclass (3.5 hours)

• Can be extended to a full day to cover additional objectives

• Delivered in-person or virtually

• Mixed groups from across teams

• Level set to match the group on the day

• Up to 20 participants

• From £1,800 per session

09:30 – 09:45
Introduction and context
Understanding pressure in public sector work

09:45 – 10:30
Recognising pressure and internal responses - Using the Head-Heart-Gut model to notice whether a reaction is coming from logic, emotion or instinct, and what that's signalling

10:30 – 11:15
Staying steady in the moment - A guided state reset: a quick check-in, box breathing, posture and a shift in inner dialogue to move from stress to steadiness

11:15 – 11:30
Break

11:30 – 12:15
Responding rather than reacting - Rehearsing real scenarios in small groups, with grounding techniques like box breathing and finding a physical touchpoint to draw on in the moment

12:15 – 12:45
Sustaining energy - Using motivational driver cards to identify what sustains or depletes each person's energy, and agreeing simple habits to protect it

12:45 – 13:00
Key takeaways and application