Stress, Resilience and the Pursuit of Happiness with Professor Jo Clarke

"We have the potential to lead stress-free lives. We know that it’s possible because we have evidence and training."

Professor Jo Clarke is a former Forensic Psychologist and worked in the criminal justice (prison) system for 23 years. She's the Founder and Director of Petros, a not-for-profit company dedicated to helping people of all ages live more resilient, balanced and productive lives.

In this episode, Jo shares fascinating insights into:

• human behaviour, in both adults and young people;
• 'resilience' and defining it in a practical and meaningful way;
• managing challenging situations and emotions, and how to 'file them away neatly with courage and honesty';
• what our emotions are  communicating with us and the best ways to respond to them;
• her research (with colleagues at York University) into the one thing that teachers find most stressful;
• how we can thrive in high-risk jobs;
• a wonderful philosophy from Ross Greene that “kids do well if they can, not if they want to";
• THE fundamental human need we all need to be met, and how to meet it;
• the 4 powerful principles that underpin her training around stress (one of them is "Stress is a choice"!)
• epigenetics, and how to not to be a victim to your genetics;
• and so much more!

"We fall asleep to the pressures that we’re under. Be awake, not sleepwalk through life.”

You can connect with Jo 

Via their website for information about their training www.petros.org.uk

Via her PA Laura Laura@petros.org.uk

Also mentioned in this podcast

• The Rudyard Kipling poem, If
  "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
  And treat those two impostors just the same..."
• Ross Greene (website) - Lives in Balance
• Ross Greene (books) Lost at School and The Explosive Child

Connect with Maria

On Twitter @Mariabrosnan

On LinkedIn Maria Brosnan

On Instagram @pursuitwellbeing

Find out more about our 5-step Wellbeing Action Plan for teachers online course.

And Maria's book, The Pursuit of Sleep for teachers, is available now.