AAPS PD: Session 1: Being in the Storm and Regulating Your Nervous System
Program Summary
If it feels like there is more stress, chaos, and uncertainty around you these days, you aren’t alone.
Whether you are impacted by family and community obligations, global stressors and uncertainties, technology shifts, changes in the workplace, and still trying to grow, learn new things, and have meaningful and joyful experiences. All combined - it’s a lot.
Our nervous systems were designed to keep us aware of potential threats and protect us. But they were never intended to be left in a state of constant arousal, vigilance, and alertness. Our modern world keeps us in this state, and if we aren’t careful, it can lead to chronic stress and eventually burnout.
Join us in this session where we will:
- Explore the cumulative stress of modern life and working in large institutions
- The impact this can have on our health, mental health, energy, wellbeing, performance, relationships, etc.
- And learn practical ways to regulate, ground, and calm your nervous system including, short-term interventions and long-term practices
Learning Outcome: Participants understand what is happening in their minds and bodies and gain tools to calm and stabilize themselves in real time.
How You Will Learn (online):
- Practices and reflection
- Small and large group discussions
- Slides, stories, and examples
- Third-party engagement tools (e.g. Mentimeter)
- Zoom meeting platform and tools
About this Series
Developing Agency in Uncertain Times: A six-part series to help you build skills to adapt to our rapid world.
There is a lot going on in our personal lives, professional workplaces, communities, and globally. What can we do to help ourselves so that we can continue our personal, professional, and community work? How do we stave off overload and overwhelm to be able to pursue our passions and joys? How do we find optimism and fun in the prospect of the future while making space for action?
We are pleased to welcome back popular AAPS facilitator Scott Orth for this six-part series, designed specifically for AAPS and APSA members.
We will explore topics related to the themes of adaptability, resilience, change, self-management, agency, and interpersonal relationships. Through conversations, tools, and experiences, we will work to develop practices and structures that we can carry through our days to help us stay steady, calm, caring, and connected. We aim to have you ending the series feeling more clear, confident, and hopeful.
Session 1: Being in The Storm and Regulating the Nervous System: Thursday, April 23, 2026 from 12pm-1:30pm
Session 2: Between Stimulus and Response - Managing Reactivity and Choice: Friday, May 29, 2026 from 12pm-1:30pm
Session 3: Energy, Focus, and Personal Cadence - Sustainable Performance in High-Demand Systems: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 from 12pm-1:30pm
The final half of the series will run from September through December 2026. We’ll post dates and finalized topics in August. Sessions will likely include building capacity, boundaries, relational-strength, and staying focused and grounded going forward.
We will make a recorded version of each of the sessions.
About your Facilitator
Scott is a resilience coach and trainer who gives busy professionals the tools they need to delete the overwhelm, focus on what matters most, and create the life they want. He helps them understand and better manage their reactive brain, teaching them how to be more focused, resilient and happier - even when stressed.
He previously had a career at one of Canada’s largest employee-owned engineering and science consulting organizations, moving from a role as a front-line consultant to a role on the senior leadership team. This brings a wealth of experience and understanding to Scott’s coaching and training.
He uses these tools every day in his own life and brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to it all. Scott is happily married to Meghan, is an engaged father of a 19-year-old son (Noah) and 17-year-old daughter (Kayla). He is a constant reader, avid mountain biker, passionate espresso maker, and loves staying active and healthy.
About Your Host
AAPS is your labour relations organization representing the Management and Professional Staff group to your employer UBC. AAPS is a separate organization from the University, and your conversations with us are confidential. We offer members professional labour relations advice that is in your best interest as an employee. We encourage you to get to know AAPS and your Collective Agreement.
The AAPS Professional Development Program is designed and hosted by AAPS for our members. We offer a variety of topics on management, leadership, interpersonal skills, workplace skills, as well as personal and social development. The AAPS PD Program is designed in consultation with the AAPS Board of Directors and staff. Member Services Officer Sarah Muff is the program's architect and manager. She staffs the PD events. If you have ideas or feedback, please email Sarah at sarah.muff@ubc.ca.
We will be co-hosting this session with APSA at SFU.
Registration
The AAPS Professional Development program is designed for and offered exclusively to AAPS members at no cost. AAPS members can register to attend an in-person, live Zoom session, or access the recorded version. Before registering, please consider your schedule and your ability to actively participate.
The live Zoom sessions require you to use audio, and video is also strongly encouraged. For the in-person and live Zooms, your presence and focus are important for the structure of this session. If that doesn't work for your schedule this time around, no worries, there is always the recorded version.
If you have accessibility requirements or questions, please email aaps.pd@ubc.ca. Zoom auto-captions are always enabled for our sessions. Please let me know if you need a live transcriber, interpretation, or other specific audio or visual supports for in-person or Zoom sessions. If you have other accessibility requirements for in-person sessions or would like more information about the venue, I can also answer those questions.
Register for the Recording versions of this series:Developing Agency in Uncertain Time