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From Stress to Serenity

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Kathleen Attea

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Stress-Relief Lesson Plan

Students will identify personal stressors and practice three creative stress-relief techniques—drawing, expressive writing, and simple movement—to build a personalized coping toolkit.

Teaching creative stress management empowers students to recognize and cope with stress early, improving emotional resilience and overall well-being in and out of school.

Audience

Upper Elementary to High School Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Art, writing, and movement activities

Materials

Drawing Supplies (white paper, colored pencils, markers), Writing Journals or Lined Paper, Open Space for Movement, Stress-Relief Slide Deck, Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet, and Stress-Reflection Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

  • Gather and arrange drawing supplies, journals/paper, and open space for movement activities
  • Load and review the Stress-Relief Slide Deck
  • Print copies of the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet and the Stress-Reflection Worksheet
  • Familiarize yourself with each activity prompt and anticipate potential student questions

Step 1

Introduction & Objectives

5 minutes

  • Display first slide of the Stress-Relief Slide Deck
  • Briefly define stress and its common causes for students
  • Share the session’s objective: learn three creative ways to relieve stress and build a personal toolkit
  • Invite students to keep an open mind and participate fully

Step 2

Identify Personal Stressors

5 minutes

  • Ask students to silently reflect and jot down 2–3 things that have caused them stress recently in their journals
  • Volunteers can share one example aloud (optional)
  • Emphasize that stressors can be big or small, physical or emotional

Step 3

Drawing for Stress Relief

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet
  • Prompt: "Draw an abstract or concrete image that represents how stress feels to you, then beside it, draw an image of calm or serenity."
  • Encourage use of color, shapes, and symbols
  • Circulate to support students and validate their feelings

Step 4

Expressive Writing

10 minutes

  • Ask students to open their writing journals or use lined paper
  • Prompt: "Write a short letter to yourself or a trusted friend describing your stressor, how it affects you, and one positive message you need to hear right now."
  • Remind students this writing is private unless they choose to share
  • Offer sentence starters on the board for those who need support

Step 5

Movement Break

5 minutes

  • Clear space for standing and light movement
  • Guide students through 3–4 simple stress-relief movements (e.g., deep breaths with arm stretches, gentle neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, or a short guided walk in place)
  • Play calming background music (optional)
  • Highlight the importance of physical release for tension reduction

Step 6

Reflection & Toolkit Creation

10 minutes

  • Hand out the Stress-Reflection Worksheet
  • Instruct students to list which technique(s) they found most helpful and why
  • Ask them to plan when they might use each technique in future stressful moments
  • Invite volunteers to share one insight or plan
  • Conclude by reinforcing that these creative tools can be revisited anytime stress arises
lenny

Lesson Plan

From Stress to Serenity Plan

Students will identify personal stressors and practice drawing, expressive writing, and simple movement to develop a personalized creative coping toolkit.

Creative stress management empowers students to recognize stress early, express emotions safely, and build resilience through accessible art-based strategies.

Audience

Upper Elementary to High School Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Art, writing, and movement activities

Materials

Drawing Supplies (white paper, colored pencils, markers), Writing Journals or Lined Paper, Open Space for Movement, Stress-Relief Slide Deck, Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet, and Stress-Reflection Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

  • Gather and arrange drawing supplies, journals or lined paper, and open space for movement
  • Load and review the Stress-Relief Slide Deck
  • Print copies of the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet and the Stress-Reflection Worksheet
  • Familiarize yourself with each activity prompt and anticipate potential student questions

Step 1

Introduction & Objectives

5 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Stress-Relief Slide Deck
  • Define stress and discuss common causes with students
  • Share the session objective: learn three creative ways to relieve stress and build a personal toolkit
  • Encourage an open mind and full participation

Step 2

Identify Personal Stressors

5 minutes

  • Ask students to reflect silently and jot down 2–3 recent stressors in their journals
  • Optionally invite volunteers to share one example aloud
  • Emphasize that stressors can be physical, emotional, big, or small

Step 3

Drawing for Stress Relief

15 minutes

  • Distribute the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet
  • Prompt students: “Draw an abstract or concrete image representing how stress feels to you, then beside it draw an image of calm or serenity.”
  • Encourage use of color, shapes, and personal symbols
  • Circulate to support and validate student feelings

Step 4

Expressive Writing

15 minutes

  • Ask students to use their journals or lined paper
  • Prompt: “Write a short letter to yourself or a trusted friend describing your stressor, its effects, and one positive message you need to hear right now.”
  • Remind students that writing is private unless they choose to share
  • Provide sentence starters on the board for additional support

Step 5

Movement Break

5 minutes

  • Clear space for standing and light movement
  • Guide students through 3–4 stress-relief movements (e.g., deep breaths with arm stretches, gentle neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, or marching in place)
  • Optionally play calming background music
  • Highlight the role of physical release in reducing tension

Step 6

Reflection & Toolkit Creation

15 minutes

  • Hand out the Stress-Reflection Worksheet
  • Instruct students to note which technique(s) they found most helpful and why
  • Ask them to plan when they might use each technique in future stressful moments
  • Invite volunteers to share one insight or plan
  • Conclude by reinforcing that these creative tools can be revisited anytime stress arises
lenny

Slide Deck

From Stress to Serenity: Creative Stress-Relief Techniques

A 60-minute lesson for grades 4–12 to identify stressors and practice art-based coping strategies.

Welcome students and introduce the session topic. Outline the flow: definition, stressors, three creative techniques, and reflection.

Objectives

• Understand what stress is and common causes
• Identify personal stressors
• Practice three creative techniques: drawing, writing, movement
• Create a personalized stress-relief toolkit

Briefly expand on each objective and why it matters.

What Is Stress?

Stress is your body’s reaction to challenges or demands.
Common causes:
• Schoolwork & tests
• Friend or family conflicts
• Time pressures
• Big life changes

Define stress in simple terms. Ask students for additional examples of stressors.

Identify Personal Stressors

Take 2–3 minutes to silently reflect and write down 2–3 things that have caused you stress recently in your journal.

Invite students to reflect quietly. Offer examples if they’re stuck. Optionally invite a volunteer to share one stressor.

Drawing for Stress Relief

Use the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet:
• Draw an image representing how stress feels to you.
• Next to it, draw an image of calm or serenity.
• Experiment with colors, shapes, and symbols.

Distribute the Creative Stress-Relief Activity Sheet. Encourage bold colors and unique symbols.

Expressive Writing

In your journal or on lined paper:
• Write a short letter to yourself or a friend describing your stressor, its effects, and one positive message you need.
• Remember: this is for your eyes only unless you decide to share.

Remind students the writing is private unless they choose to share. Offer sentence starters on the board.

Movement Break

Clear space for standing and follow these movements:

  1. Deep breaths with arm stretches
  2. Gentle neck rolls
  3. Shoulder shrugs
  4. March in place
    (Optional: play calming background music)

Lead each movement slowly and clearly. Monitor space and safety.

Reflection & Toolkit Creation

Use the Stress-Reflection Worksheet:
• Note which technique(s) helped most and why
• Plan when you might use each technique in the future
• Be ready to share one insight or plan

Hand out the Stress-Reflection Worksheet. Encourage honest reflections and future planning.

Next Steps

• Practice these techniques regularly
• Keep your personal toolkit handy for stressful moments
• Share your favorite strategies with friends or family
Thank you for participating!

Reinforce the importance of ongoing practice and sharing strategies with others.

lenny

Activity

Creative Stress-Relief Activity

Instructions: Use this sheet to visualize and reflect on your stress and calm through drawing.

1. Draw Your Stress

Draw an abstract or concrete image that represents how stress feels in your body or mind.











2. Draw Your Serenity

Beside your stress image, draw a scene, symbol, or abstract shape that makes you feel calm and peaceful.











3. Reflect on Your Drawings

a. What colors and shapes did you choose for your stress image? Why?






b. How does your serenity image make you feel when you look at it?






c. One thing you can do when you feel stressed is:






Keep this activity sheet in your personal toolkit. Revisit it anytime you need a creative way to manage stress!

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Stress Reflection Worksheet

Name: ______________________ Date: _______________

  1. Which technique helped you most?
  • Drawing
    - [ ] Writing
    - [ ] Movement




  1. Why did this technique feel most helpful?






  2. Rate how helpful each technique was (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful):

  • Drawing: ____
  • Writing: ____
  • Movement: ____



  1. When might you use each technique in the future?
    a. Drawing:





    b. Writing:





    c. Movement:




  2. One insight about stress relief that I want to remember:








  3. My personal stress-relief action plan (next steps):






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lenny