Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic director focused on measurable results and operational excellence in maritime education. Integrates IMO/STCW regulations and ISO 21001/9001 f
Diploma · 800 h · 8 modules
Diploma in Stress Management at Sea
The Diploma in Stress Management at SeaThis program provides you with the essential tools to face the unique challenges of the maritime environment. Learn to identify, understand, and mitigate the factors that contribute to str
Duration800 h
FormatOnline
Starts7 December
Places20 / 20
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Programme overview
What is the Diploma in Stress Management at Sea?
The Diploma in Stress Management at Sea
This program provides you with the essential tools to face the unique challenges of the maritime environment. Learn to identify, understand, and mitigate the factors that contribute to stress, improving your well-being and professional performance on board. This program will equip you with practical strategies and techniques for emotional management, effective communication, and resilience, optimizing decision-making under pressure and fostering a safe and healthy work environment.
Differential Advantages
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Reduces anxiety and improves concentration in critical situations.
- Assertive Communication and Conflict Resolution: Strengthens interpersonal relationships and teamwork.
- Time Management and Task Prioritization: Optimizes efficiency and reduces work overload.
- Personalized Coping Strategies: Develops an individual plan to manage stress effectively.
- Psychological Support and Onboard Resources: Learn about available services and how to access them at sea.
Programme type
Diploma
Study mode
Online
Duration
800 hours
Modules
8
Start date
26-11-2026
Programme highlights
- Master Stress: Learn emotional management and resilience techniques adapted to the maritime environment.
- Optimized Performance: Improve your concentration, decision-making, and communication under pressure.
- Holistic Well-being: Prioritize your mental and physical health for sustainable performance at sea.
- Practical Tools: Gain strategies to cope with loneliness, isolation, and irregular rhythms.
- Professional Certification: Accredit your skills and demonstrate your commitment to safety and well-being.
- wellbeing on board.
- Prepare to sail with confidence and balance in the challenging maritime world.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 8 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Basics of work stress in the maritime environment
- Fundamental concepts of stress, coping, adaptation, resilience and psychosocial burden in maritime contexts
- Differences between acute stress, chronic stress, fatigue, anxiety, exhaustion and adaptive disorders
- Stressors of the high seas: isolation, confinement, family separation, noise, vibration, movement and limited space
- Influence of guards, rotating shifts, sleep deprivation and long campaigns on psychological balance
- Physiological, cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses to situations of sustained pressure
- Relationship between stress, performance, decision making, safety and coexistence on board
- Construction of a preventive vision of stress as human, organisational and operational risk in boats
- Concept of work stress and particularities of work on the high seas
02
Identification and evaluation of stress factors in crews
- Detection of early signals of overload, irritability, withdrawal, demotivation and performance impairment
- Assessment of stressors related to workload, responsibility, work environment, hierarchy and lack of control
- Analysis of the impact of multiculturalism, linguistic barriers and differences of values in coexistence
- Identification of personal factors: experience, expectations, history of coping, social support and emotional vulnerability
- Use of questionnaires, interviews, observation, fatigue records and organisational indicators to assess stress
- Preparation of psychosocial risk maps by positions, shifts, work areas and navigation phases
- Construction of diagnoses that allow prioritising preventive measures and resources of psychological support
- Evaluation tools: validated questionnaires and scales
03
Individual techniques of emotional regulation and coping
- Diaphragmatic breathing, muscle relaxation, and brief physiological activation reduction techniques
- Mindfulness, mindfulness and anchoring strategies adapted to maritime work environments
- Cognitive restructuring to handle catastrophic thoughts, negative anticipation and frustration
- Personal organisation, time management, priority setting and recovery between shifts
- Self-care through rest, eating, exercise, hydration, leisure and mental disconnection
- Development of resilience, tolerance to uncertainty, psychological flexibility and sense of purpose
- Construction of personal coping plans for periods of high pressure or prolonged campaigns
- Breathing techniques, relaxation and mindfulness
04
Fatigue, sleep and physical and mental recovery on board
- Fundamentals of sleep, circadian rhythms and effects of guards on the organism
- Identification of drowsiness, microsleep, cognitive impairment and loss of attention during critical operations
- Sleep hygiene in shared cabins, noisy environments, schedule changes and movement conditions
- Management of breaks, breaks, strategic naps and recovery between operating days
- Relationship between caffeine, food, physical activity, screens and quality of sleep
- Organisation of shifts and workloads to reduce accumulated fatigue and human error
- Construction of recovery protocols that improve alert, security and sustainable performance
- Guard organisation and fatigue prevention
05
Communication, social support and conflict management on board
- Assertive communication to express needs, limits, concerns and requests for support
- Active listening, empathy and companionship between partners during situations of emotional tension
- Conflict management derived from prolonged coexistence, cultural differences, hierarchy and distribution of tasks
- Prevention of rumors, social isolation, hostility, harassment and deterioration of the work climate
- Preventive leadership and role of commanders and supervisors in reducing crew stress
- Internal support networks, mentoring, companionship and structured contact with families and services on the ground
- Construction of cohesive equipment capable of detecting, containing and resolving tensions before they scale
- Peer support and partner figure
06
Stress management in emergencies and critical situations
- Psychological reactions to fires, collisions, breakdowns, rescues, storms and ship abandonments
- Control of fear, panic, blockage, hypervigilance and behavioural disorganisation during emergencies
- Decision making under pressure, prioritisation of actions and maintenance of situational awareness
- Psychological first aid for affected people, witnesses and response teams
- Crisis communication, clear instructions and emotional coordination between command and crew
- Post-incident recovery, grief management, peer support and progressive return to activity
- Construction of psychological protocols to respond with order, control and resilience to critical events
- Psychological first aid after critical incidents
07
Organisational Prevention and Wellness Programs on the Sea
- Design of internal policies for stress prevention and promotion of mental health in maritime companies
- Integration of psychosocial factors in security systems, human resources and crew management
- Training of commands in early detection, healthy leadership, communication and referral of cases
- Remote support programmes, telepsychology, helplines and coordination with medical services
- Awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and facilitate the search for professional support
- Monitoring indicators: fatigue, absenteeism, incidents, rotation, work environment and use of support services
- Construction of continuous improvement systems that maintain psychological well-being as part of safety
- Indicators of well-being and monitoring of programmes
08
Applied Final Sea Stress Management Project
- Definition of the case study related to a crew, boat, fleet or offshore installation
- Diagnosis of stressors, working conditions, shifts, work environment, social support and psychosocial risks
- Design of the prevention programme with individual techniques, organisational measures and leadership actions
- Elabouration of the protocol of fatigue, sleep, communication, support between colleagues and crisis response
- Development of the training plan, follow-up, professional referral and indicators of psychological well-being
- Drafting of the comprehensive technical report with schedule, resources, managers, risks and evaluation criteria
- Evaluation of the proposed programme and conclusions
- Presentation and defence of the final project with preventive, psychological, organisational and operational validation of the developed proposal
Workload
Study Time and Workload
800 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Merchant mariners and cruise ship crew members seeking effective tools to manage pressure, isolation, and fatigue on long voyages.Officers and captains who want to lead resilient teams, optimizing communication and preventing burnout among their subordinates.Offshore platform and fishing vessel personnel exposed to demanding working conditions and high mental demands.Doctors and nurses on bo
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Implement resilient coping techniques
- 02Identify and mitigate specific stressors in the maritime environment
- 03Optimize communication and teamwork under pressure
- 04Applying self-care and personal well-being strategies in adverse conditions
- 05Develop skills for effective decision-making under stress
- 06Effectively manage available resources to reduce the impact of stress
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Onboard Officer: Improved decision-making under pressure, emergency management, and team leadership in critical situations.
02Captain: Optimized crew stress management, creating a safer and more productive work environment.
03Shoreside Support Staff (Shipowners/Consignees): Greater understanding of the challenges faced by crew members and improved communication and support.
04Offshore Project Supervisors and Managers: Reduced risk of human error due to stress and improved operational safety.
05Onboard Medical Personnel: Improved crisis management and emotional support for the crew.
06Trainers in the Maritime Industry: Integration of stress management techniques into training programs to improve performance and safety.
07Maritime Safety Consultants: Evaluation and improvement of safety protocols to reduce stress and fatigue.
08Maritime Accident Investigators: Greater understanding of the role of stress in incidents and improved identification of causes and solutions.
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Questions
Entry Requirements
Oil platform workers, divers, sailors, research vessel personnel or any other worker who carries out their work on the high seas.
Yes. The itinerary includes ECDIS/Radar-ARPA/BRM with harbor, ocean, fog, storm, and SAR scenarios.
Online with live sessions; hybrid option for simulator/practical placements through agreements.
Professionals who work in marine or offshore environments, such as oil platforms, merchant ships, or oceanographic research, and who experience high levels of stress due to working conditions.
Recommended functional SMCP. We offer support materials for standard phraseology.
Yes, with a relevant degree or experience in maritime/port operations. The admissions interview will confirm suitability.
Optional (3–6 months) through Companies & Collaborations and the Alumni Network.
Simulator practice (rubrics), defeat plans, SOPs, checklists, micro-tests and applied TFM.
A degree from Navalis Magna Institute + operational portfolio (tracks, SOPs, reports and KPIs) useful for audits and employment.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Academic/Professional Profile:Desirable background in psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, or fields related to mental health; or relevant work experience in maritime environments.Maritime Experience (Desirable):Familiarity with life on board, roles and responsibilities, challenges of isolation, and work rhythms.Soft Skills:Empathy, effective communication skills, active listening, resilience, and adaptability.Documentation:Updated CV, copy of qualification (if applicable), cover letter (optional), ID/Passport.Technical Requirements (for online):Computer wit
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
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