During morning meeting, students settle down by following a student leader in a relaxation exercise such as touching each finger to the thumb while repeating phrases like “I am calm now,” speaking more quietly each time.

Students grow a gratitude tree. They create a tree in their classroom and add things they are grateful for to the tree.

Teach students breath control for self-calming. This can mean having students simply count to three as they inhale and as they exhale. Students could also pretend to inflate a balloon in their stomachs or visualizing their lungs contracting and expanding each time they breathe.

Teachers can narrate a story filled with vivid imagery and then talk about what thoughts and pictures they are seeing in their minds.

Written reflection is a way that teachers can encourage students to be mindful and think about their feelings.

Students can notice how they are sitting in their chairs and how they physically feel in the classroom space at any given time. They can reflect on a time when they were having a positive classroom experience and try to recreate that.

Lead the students in yoga in the classroom for a brain break after a challenging task.

Students can sit in complete silence and just let their brain relax for a few minutes for a reset.

Take a wiggle break. Let students spread out around the room, play some quiet music and just let students wiggle their bodies to release energy and stress.