If you ask a bunch of teachers to list how they tackle stress, you are likely to get a range of suggestions. Some of these will correspond to sound psychological theory; others may seem like complete nonsense. You need to remember that no matter how hard-headed and skeptical you are when it comes to pseudo-science and coffee-table mumbo-jumbo, some very odd things do seem to work for some people, and you are not exempt from these oddities. You need to experiment and find out whether there is an oddball remedy which works, as if by magic, for you - even if you find it embarassing.
The following list comprises things which seem to work quite a lot of the time for quite a lot of people, including hard-headed sceptical teachers. They seem to work, in fact, regardless of the amount of meaningless psycho-babble surrounding them.
Whale sounds and stuff like that
No, we're not going to try and sell you a CD. There are plenty available in second-hand shop bargain buckets, and plenty of examples free on YouTube. The idea is simply that you listen to some natural sounds (waterfalls running, whales crying, rainforests doing whatever rainforests do) and your body's stress reduces.
Classical music
This does seem to work in a calming way, even if your natural musical tastes tend to Jay Z or Green Day. Here is a list of pieces most frequently used:
Albinoni: Adagio in G Minor
Bach: Air on the G String and his slower second movements
Chopin: Nocturnes
Handel: Water Music
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 21
Pachelbel: Canon
Schubert: Symphony No 8 in B Minor
Common scents
Aromatherapy is a posh name for it, but some smells tend to have a calming effect on most people. You just need to find which particular smells work for you... hopefully without wasting too much money on little bottles of smelly floral oils. Experiment with some childhood household favourites: things like fresh fruit, soaps, ground coffee, fresh bread...
Water
A shower, or a bath is reported as relaxing by many people, particularly if linked to nice smells and calming music.
Smile
Nothing much to add really. Just smile. It works for some people. The psychology of this is pretty straightforward: just as our attitudes determine our behaviour, we can sometimes change our attitudes by changing our behaviour. This doesn't always work (not for me, anyway) but it is certainly worth trying.
Eat Sensibly
Well, I haven't checked their medical credentials, but some people claiming to be dietitians recommend specific foods to reduce the risk of stress. They were wearing white coats, anyway...
Almonds. Avocados. Bananas. Blueberries. Broccoli. Brown Rice. Milk. Oranges. Salmon. Sweet Potatoes. Tuna
When I find a recipe including that lot, I will let you know.
And of course, my mum would never forgive me if I wrote a book on stress management without recommending, at least once, a 'nice cup of tea'.
Massage
Massage clearly has medically-proven benefits in some cases: if you have tense or stiff muscles, then relaxing them is a sensible step. However, the notion of 'relaxing' has more general benefits, and can be integrated into a number of other scented-candle, whale-music scenarios.
Media Engagement
This ('media engagement') is a posh phrase which covers banal techniques such as 'reading a good book' or 'watching a favourite comedy'. Again, this technique lends itself to integration: why not read a Mills & Boon while listening to Schubert in the bath with scented candles?