I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Two things are certain in life: death and taxes.” And while that’s true, I would add a third certainty: stress. Everyone will, at one point or another, experience stress in their lives. The level of severity might differ, but the existence of stressors is a given.
I wish I could say that stress only happens once you’re an adult, but that’s just not the case. Kids and teens are experiencing stress early on. As adults, we have had more time to figure out how to handle the various kinds of stresses that come into our lives. But for teens and kids, managing stress can be overwhelming when they don’t have knowledge of or access to proper stress management techniques. Teachers have a unique opportunity to be able to incorporate those kinds of skills and techniques into their curriculum, thus providing the rising generation with the tools they will need to manage the stress they encounter.
You may have a few techniques that you know work, but there are always more to learn and try. Below are some stress management techniques you might consider teaching your students.
- Teach students to organize and prioritize their time. Show them how to use a planner or digital task tracker. When you feel more organized, tasks feel easier to take on.
- Help students to learn and practice various breathing techniques for high stress moments.
- Practice mindfulness as a class, then teach them to practice it individually.
- Belly breathing– this helps to redirect their focus and calm their nervous systems.
- Physical activity– movement does amazing things for the brain, and is a great way to release emotional energy.
- Journaling- doing a brain dump is a great way for kids to get everything out that is stressing them so they feel like they can move forward.
- Art- creating art is a great stress reliever! It’s a really good creative outlet that can help students refocus.
- Encourage students to get a good night’s sleep. Solid sleep has amazing benefits in so many areas.
- Teach students to use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: identify 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. You can practice this together as a class and have students write their answers down, then as they get comfortable with the process, they can do it on their own.
- Teach your class how to do progressive muscle relaxation as a way to calm down in stressful situations.
- Do regular brain breaks during class time as a way to break up the time, get students moving, and to give their minds a break from the rigors of learning.
Kids of all ages can benefit from these stress management techniques. Providing kids with proper tools can help them tremendously, and can help them turn to healthy ways to manage stress rather than unhealthy ways.