Teaching Relaxation Skills

Why should I do it:

Students can get overwhelmed easily

Many students want to be successful but haven’t yet developed all the skills, which can lead to anxiety/frustration

Everyone needs a break every once in a while

Provides students a way to manage their own feelings and emotions

Increases instructional time when students can calm themselves and utilize coping skills, like relaxation

Improves student focus and attention

Helps refocus and refresh students

Has positive physiological benefits, like improved blood flow, oxygen levels, and endorphin levels, as well as decreased cortisol or “stress hormone” leves

When should I do it:

When you see a student becoming frustrated (banging things, groaning, crying, refusing to do work)

When a student is involved in a mild confrontation with another student

When student has a lot of work to do

When a student appears, tense, uptight, anxious

When a student is having a “bad day”

When a student appears uncomfortable

When a student has become unfocused and off task

How do I do it:

Take time to speak with the individual student alone or teach the entire class the relaxation techniques they will use in class

Assure student that everyone gets stressed/frustrated/worried/ overwhelmed

Teach the student to know when they are stressed, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed, etc (some common answers are: clench fists, breathe heavily, cry, sweat)

Teach student when they feel stressed, frustrated, upset, etc, to ask to go relax

Practice the first time with the student or class

Establish where, when, and how students will initiate and carry out a break to relax (establish where in or out of the room students will do it, if there will be one or more choices of relaxation techniques to choose from, how they ask to take a relaxation break, how long they are, how may and which students may do them, etc)

Practical relaxation techniques for students:

Deep Breathing

Count to 10

Write in a journal

Draw

Color

Scribble

Read

Visualization

Listen to music or nature sounds

Take a break

Support for technique: