-Stress Management-
-Stress Management-
Embedded Files
HOW TO USE THIS LESSON: The webpage below is intended to be projected for students to follow along. It includes basic instructions, definitions, etc. to guide students. Depending on your technology, you can have a student in charge of scrolling through the site, on your cues. Just have them try not to scroll past the thin purple dividers or thick colored banners until you are ready to start that next section!
You will also need to download and/or print this facilitator's guide. This document contains extra instructions, facilitator's notes, and other behind-the-scenes content necessary for the lesson.
Grade 10 - Stress Management (30-35 minutes)Objective: You will learn about sources and types of stress, and will gain confidence in your ability to cope with stressful situations by identifying sources of stress, choosing helpful coping strategies, adopting healthy attitudes towards stress, and asking for help when needed.
NOTE:
NOTE:
The Google Slides provided here will guide you and your class through the entire lesson. You will also find an outline of the lesson below.
Please note that additional facilitator instructions are included in the "Speaker Notes" section. You can view and project the slides from the section to the right, or may wish to open directly in Google Slides using the button below.
Introduction
Introduction
Listen to the following thoughts:
Stress is the body’s automatic response to a challenge, pressure, or threat. Challenging situations can trigger changes in the body that can be uncomfortable, such as a faster heartbeat or breathing, feeling shaky, or sweating. This is also called the fight, flight, or freeze response. When under stress, you might notice the desire to fight back against a threat, run away or escape the situation, or to freeze up. Stress and anxiety have a lot of overlap, but are separate concepts.
you will be watching a short video in which teens discuss what stress and anxiety feels like to them.
After viewing the video, share your thoughts and reactions with the class.
Main Activity
Main Activity
Types of Stress
Types of Stress
Sit in groups of 2-3 with those nearby, and follow the instructions:
Discuss in your groups: What are the biggest sources of stress for high school students today?
Choose one group member to write down your thoughts as you brainstorm, and choose another member to share the ideas at the end.
You have 3-4 minutes for discussion, then share your list, adding only the stressors previous groups haven't already contributed.
We have identified a number of sources of stress. These stressors fall into three different categories: Positive, Tolerable, and Toxic.
Some could be identified as positive or everyday stress, which are the pressures of everyday life. This can include school, homework, activities, navigating a difficult conversation with a friend, trying something new, giving a presentation, etc.
Another type of stress is known as tolerable stress. This is often due to a difficult or unpredictable life situation such as an injury or serious illness, the death or loss of a loved one, or a natural disaster. Tolerable stress can be very challenging but usually doesn’t happen every day. It’s temporary or gets easier to manage over time.
Finally, there is toxic stress. This is an accumulation of many small stressors that pile up, or stress that doesn’t go away, such as facing mental health challenges, facing bullying, discrimination, or harassment that doesn’t stop or that occurs frequently. This kind of stress can cause long-term impacts on people’s health, especially if they don’t seek help.
Consider the list of stressors you and your classmates brainstormed, and shout out which kind of stressor you think each might be. You will likely not be in agreement or not find a simple answer- that's ok, and part of the point!
Listen to the following thoughts:
Two people can go through the same situation and experience it very differently. What one person finds a little stressful, another might experience as extremely stressful OR not stressful at all.
How we experience and respond to stress depends on a lot of factors, like:
Coping skills
Support system (family, friends, teachers)
Access to resources for help
Amount of stressors that have "piled up"
History of successfully or unsuccessfully coping with similar stressors in the past
Agree / Disagree / Unsure
Agree / Disagree / Unsure
Respond to each example with whether you agree, disagree, or are unsure whether the example displays a healthy and helpful coping strategy.
A student is stressed about giving a presentation in class at the end of the week. They try to cope with the stress by avoiding thinking about the presentation and bingeing TV shows instead.
A student is being bullied verbally in person and on social media nearly every day by other students in their grade. They try to ignore it.
A student-athlete feels nervous about not making the varsity team in the fall. They use their feelings as motivation to go to bed on time and wake up early for workouts throughout the summer.
A student who is feeling a lot of pressure to get high grades in all of their classes starts using marijuana on the weekends with friends to relieve tension.
A student who is going through a lot of family conflict talks to a close friend about it.
A student struggling with a recent break-up and considering self-harm posts about their feelings on social media
Closing
Closing
We usually tend to think of stress as a bad thing, but in reality, it isn't always!
Let's watch a video about how stress can make us stronger.
After viewing, remind students of these three take-aways:
Stress can give me energy to tackle challenges
Stress reminds me to reach out to others
Although I would never choose a difficult situation, I can learn and grow from stressful experiences
Looking for a little more content?
Looking for a little more content?
Extension Activity
Extension Activity
Watch this 4 minute video about how stress impacts the body. Then, discuss or write about the following:
What types of changes happen in cells after experiencing acute stress?
What types of changes happen in the body when it's under chronic stress?
Remediation Activity
Remediation Activity
Watch this 2 minute video about stress management. Then, discuss or write about the following:
How do I define stress? Coping?
What are a few examples of times I've experienced stress? How did I try to cope? Was it successful? How could I have responded differently?
Like this lesson? Here's another on the topic:
Like this lesson? Here's another on the topic:
Report abuse