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Balancing Act

Lesson Plan

Balancing Act Lesson Plan

Students will link the health triangle’s physical, mental, and social domains to stress and stress management by identifying stressors and brainstorming coping strategies across each side.

This lesson helps students see how stress impacts the whole person, reinforcing balanced self-care and setting the stage for deeper stress-management skills.

Audience

6th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and collaborative brainstorming.

Materials

  • Whiteboard and Markers

Prep

Review Health Triangle

5 minutes

  • Review key definitions of physical, mental, and social health from the health triangle.
  • Prepare the whiteboard and ensure markers are available.

Step 1

Opening Discussion

5 minutes

  • Write “Health Triangle” on the whiteboard and draw the three sides.
  • Ask volunteers to name each side and share a real-life example.
  • Confirm definitions and highlight interdependence of all three domains.

Step 2

Introduce Stress Connection

5 minutes

  • Explain that imbalance in any side can lead to stress.
  • Ask: “What comes to mind when you hear ‘stress’?” and list responses on the board.
  • Emphasize that stress can affect physical, mental, and social health.

Step 3

Stress Impact Brainstorm

10 minutes

  • Draw a three-column chart labeled Physical, Mental, and Social on the board.
  • Invite students to suggest ways stress might show up in each domain (e.g., headaches, anxiety, arguments).
  • Record all ideas to illustrate wide-ranging effects of stress.

Step 4

Stress Management Strategies

5 minutes

  • Challenge students to propose one coping strategy for each column (e.g., exercise, deep breathing, talking to a friend).
  • Write strategies under the corresponding domain.
  • Highlight simple, everyday techniques they can try.

Step 5

Closure and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Ask 2–3 students to share one insight about stress and the health triangle.
  • Summarize: stress impacts all sides, and managing it keeps us balanced.
  • Explain that upcoming lessons will build on these strategies for stronger resilience.
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Slide Deck

Balancing Act: From Health Triangle to Stress

• How do the three sides of health connect to stress?
• Let’s dive in and see how keeping balance helps us handle stress.

Welcome students and introduce today’s focus: linking the health triangle to stress and stress management. Remind them that this builds on what they already know about physical, mental, and social health.

Recap: The Health Triangle

Physical Health
• Body strength, fitness, sleep, nutrition

Mental Health
• Thoughts, emotions, mindset

Social Health
• Friendships, communication, empathy

Write “Health Triangle” on the board and draw a triangle labeled Physical, Mental, Social. Ask for volunteers to name each side and share a quick example.

Introducing Stress

What comes to mind when you hear the word “stress”?
• ____________________
• ____________________
• ____________________

Explain that when one side is off-balance, it can create stress. Ask: “What comes to mind when you hear ‘stress’?” Call on students and capture responses on the slide.

Stress Impact Brainstorm

PhysicalMentalSocial
• _______• _______• _______
• _______• _______• _______
• _______• _______• _______

Draw a three-column chart on the board or fill in as students share. Encourage everyone to think of real-life signs of stress in each domain.

Stress Management Strategies

PhysicalMentalSocial
• _______• _______• _______
(e.g., exercise)(e.g., deep breathing)(e.g., talking to a friend)

Challenge students to suggest one simple strategy for each domain. Emphasize techniques they can do at home or school.

Closure & Reflection

• Stress impacts our physical, mental, and social health.
• Using simple strategies can help us stay balanced.

Up next: Building on these coping skills for stronger resilience!

Invite 2–3 students to share one insight. Reinforce that managing stress across all three sides keeps us balanced and healthy.

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Warm Up

Stress Word Splash

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and perceptions about stress through word association.

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

  • Whiteboard or chart paper
  • Marker

Instructions:

  1. Word Splash Setup (1 minute)
    • Write 8–10 stress-related words randomly across the board, for example:
      • Test • Deadline • Friends • Family
      • Pressure • Worry • Busy • Nervous
  2. Silent Reflection (1–2 minutes)











    • Ask students to quietly choose 3–4 words from the board and write one quick thought or feeling that comes to mind next to each word.
  3. Partner Share (1 minute)
    • Have students turn to a partner and share one word and their associated thought or feeling.
  4. Whole-Class Debrief (1 minute)
    • Invite a few volunteers to share what they discussed.
    • Highlight that stress shows up in many ways and that everyone experiences it differently.

Transition: Explain that today we’ll explore how stress relates to our physical, mental, and social health and learn strategies to manage it effectively.

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Cool Down

Balance Reflection (Exit Ticket)

Time: 5 minutes

Instructions: Respond to the prompts below to reflect on how stress impacts health and identify a strategy to manage it.

  1. Describe one way stress can affect your physical health.




  1. Describe one way stress can affect your mental health.




  1. Describe one way stress can affect your social health.




  1. Choose one stress-management strategy you learned today and explain how you will use it.






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