ABSTRACT
The coping strategies which you and your colleagues use in school and when you are away from work provide a valuable bank of resources from which each of you can make withdrawals to meet the demands you face. But it is important to know that the deposits in the bank can be increased by learning and practising new skills. This will help you to prevent the onset of harmful effects of stress such as illness and enable you to manage the changes in your role in the post-Reform Act era with confidence, competence and effectiveness. Preparation and prevention can be achieved by planning and putting into practice as soon as possible a stress-management programme, either alone or preferably with your colleagues. This programme could be based on your own ideas of what could be helpful. It could also include one or more of the following recommendations for strengthening coping strategies.
