Lesson Plan

Calm Under Pressure

By the end of this session, students will understand and apply key emotional regulation and distress tolerance strategies—like deep breathing and grounding—to manage intense emotions, complete practice scenarios, and create personal action plans.

Teaching these skills helps students build resilience, reduce impulsive reactions during stress, and improve peer interactions by providing concrete strategies to cope with challenging emotions, promoting a healthier classroom environment.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Check-In

5 minutes

Step 2

Teach Emotional Regulation Skills

10 minutes

Step 3

Distress Tolerance Practice

10 minutes

Step 4

Reflection & Action Planning

5 minutes

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Slide Deck

Calm Under Pressure

Objectives & Norms

Emotional Check-In

Key Skills Overview

Deep Breathing

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Grounding Technique

Distress Tolerance Practice

Reflection & Action Planning

Keep Practicing!

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Worksheet

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Reading

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Activity

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Rubric

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Cool Down

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Calm Under Pressure

For Schools