International Relaxation Day Online Conference
Conference Theme: Harnessing Relaxation to Enhance Wellbeing
Held on 14th & 15th August, 2025
This 24 hour clock is in BST UK Time.
Start Times. Recordings available at:
15th August: 07:00 New Zealand; 05:00 Sydney, Australia; 03:00 Singapore; 03:00 Beijing, China.
14th August: 21:00 Central European Time (CET) & South Africa; 20:00 BST UK; 16.00 Brazil; 15:00 NY, USA.
Location: Virtual. Conference held on Zoom & YouTube
Cost: Free event
Welcome to the International Relaxation Day Online Conference, 2025. We will have presentations from relaxation and stress experts, academics, researchers and practitioners from around the world sharing with us their knowledge about relaxation and mindfulness methods and techniques.
For ease of watching internationally with the different time zones, our conference has been pre-recorded. Depending upon your location, the Zoom links or video recordings below go live on afternoon of the 14th August in North and South America, the evening of the 14th August in Europe and the morning of the 15th August in New Zealand, Australia, China and Singapore. Some recording in the programme below are being premiered on YouTube at set times starting on 14th August at 15:00 NY, USA; 20:00 BST and 15th August at 07:00 New Zealand.
Each conference paper lasts for approximately 20 minutes. The conference co-chairs Prof Stephen Palmer PhD and Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD give an extended 90 minute joint keynote titled, Overview to Relaxation Techniques to reduce stress, enhance health and wellbeing.
Who is this conference for?
The conference may interest members of the public, HR, health professionals and academics who may wish to learn more about relaxation techniques and their benefits to enhancing health and wellbeing, and reducing stress and anxiety.
Conference recognition
The conference is recognised by the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and the International Society for Coaching Psychology for continuing professional development (CPD). Both organisations support International Relaxation Day.
Speaker Biographies
Click HERE for the full biographies of the speakers.
Conference supporters
You can find the list of conference supporters on this webpage. Our huge appreciation and thanks to the supporting organisations.
Social media hastags
Social media hashtags are: #internationalrelaxationday #internationalrelaxationday2025 #IRDConf2025
Event Disclaimer
Link to full Event disclaimer
Techniques and interventions
Panel speakers and discussants may demonstrate a relaxation technique or strategy. National Wellbeing Service Ltd and the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd cannot verify the effectiveness or appropriateness of techniques or strategies demonstrated and are not liable for their use unless demonstrated by their staff. If concerned, you are not obliged to undertake any technique or intervention. They are for demonstration purposes only.
DRAFT CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
This year’s speakers and facilitators will include Lorenza Clifford (UK), Liz Hall (Spain), Dr Siobhain O’Riordan (UK), Dr Stephen Palmer (UK), and Dr Qing Wang (China).
Introduction to Conference
Introduction to the International Relaxation Day Conference with Dr Stephen Palmer PhD and Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD
In this presentation, Dr Stephen Palmer and Dr Siobhain O’Riordan provide a brief over to the second International Relaxation Day Conference.
Conference co-chairs
Dr Stephen Palmer PhD CBiol CPsychol CSci CPsychol FIHPE (Hon) FISMA (Hon) is a Chartered Scientist, Chartered Biologist, Chartered Coaching Psychologist, Registered Health Psychologist and APECS Accredited Executive Coach and Supervisor. He is a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behaviour Therapist and AREBT Accredited Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapist and Coach. He is Adjunct Professor of Coaching Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark and a Director of Studies and supervisor of PhD students at UWTSD. He has written and edited 60 books.
Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD CSci CPsychol FISCP MIHPE Hon is Chartered Scientist and Chartered Coaching Psychologist. She has full divisional membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DARTP) and is a member of the BPS Psychobiology Section. She has published research and practice papers and her latest book is Introduction to Coaching Psychology (2021, with Palmer).
Harnessing Relaxation to Enhance Wellbeing with Dr Stephen Palmer & Dr Siobhain O’Riordan
In this keynote Dr Stephen Palmer & Dr Siobhain O’Riordan will provide an overview to relaxation. They will cover the Stress and Relaxation Responses, briefly focus on relaxation research, and will in more depth at relatively ‘simple’ relaxation techniques. They will invite attendees to have a go at one or more relaxation techniques and monitor their effectiveness (eg scaling, heart-rate and blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, Fitbit etc)
Coping creatively and using creativity to cope: How creativity can be applied in meditation and stress management
This session premieres on 14th August at 15:00 NY, USA; 20:00 BST and 15th August at 07:00 New Zealand
Coping creatively indicates that people actively think about new approaches to coping and deliberately try something never used before in order to regulate emotions. Using creativity to cope is the usage of creativity (e.g., expressive art) as a positive coping strategy when facing stress. In this presentation, I will discuss the connections of these two approaches of creative coping and how to apply them in relaxation, meditation and stress management
The recording lasts for about 12 minutes.
Dr. Qing Wang is an educational psychologist, chartered psychologist, accredited coaching psychologist and a passionate lifelong learner. She completed PhD from University of Bristol and currently works as Associate Professor in Educational and Coaching Psychology at the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University (ECNU). She established Educational Coaching Research Group (ECRG) at ECNU focusing on coaching psychology research and practice in the field of education. She is Fellow of International Society for Coaching Psychology (ISCP), Associate Fellow and Chartered Psychologist of British Psychological Society (BPS) and Chartered Member of International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP).
Zoom facilities
This conference is supported by the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd who are providing the Zoom Webinar facilities.
Event Disclaimer
Link to full Event disclaimer
Panel speakers and discussant opinions and sensitive materials
Panel speaker and discussants may express views and opinions which do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of National Wellbeing Service Ltd and International Academy for Professional Development Ltd and their staff or the conference supporters. Event presentations and panel sessions may include personal and sensitive material.
Techniques and interventions
Panel speakers and discussants may demonstrate a relaxation technique or strategy. National Wellbeing Service Ltd and the International Academy for Professional Development Ltd cannot verify the effectiveness or appropriateness of techniques or strategies demonstrated and are not liable for their use unless demonstrated by their staff. If concerned, you are not obliged to undertake any technique or intervention. They are for demonstration purposes only.
