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Mindfulness for Anxiety

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Lesson Plan

Mindfulness for Anxiety

Students will identify three mindfulness tools (mindful breathing, body scan, and mindful observation) and practice using them to manage anxiety effectively.

Learning mindfulness tools provides students with practical, accessible strategies to cope with stress and anxiety, fostering greater emotional regulation and overall well-being during a challenging period of their lives.

Audience

9th Grade High School Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive instruction, guided practice, and reflection.

Materials

Presentation: Mindfulness for Anxiety Slides, Activity: Mindfulness Practice Guide, and Worksheet: Mindfulness Reflection

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: How Are You Feeling?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to take a moment to notice how they are feeling physically and emotionally without judgment. (2 minutes)
    * Briefly share with a partner or jot down one word describing their current state. (3 minutes)

Step 2

Introduction to Mindfulness

5 minutes

  • Use the Mindfulness for Anxiety Slides to introduce the concept of mindfulness: paying attention to the present moment without judgment. (2 minutes)
    * Explain how mindfulness can help reduce anxiety by bringing focus away from worries about the past or future and into the present. (3 minutes)

Step 3

Mindfulness Tool 1: Mindful Breathing

5 minutes

  • Introduce mindful breathing using the Mindfulness for Anxiety Slides. (1 minute)
    * Lead a short, guided mindful breathing exercise (2-3 minutes) focusing on the sensation of breath. (4 minutes)

Step 4

Mindfulness Tool 2: Body Scan

5 minutes

  • Introduce the body scan tool using the Mindfulness for Anxiety Slides. (1 minute)
    * Lead a brief, guided body scan, directing students to bring awareness to different parts of their body and any sensations they notice. (4 minutes)

Step 5

Mindfulness Tool 3: Mindful Observation

5 minutes

  • Introduce mindful observation using the Mindfulness for Anxiety Slides. (1 minute)
    * Guide students to mindfully observe an object in the classroom (e.g., a pen, a leaf) using all their senses. (4 minutes)

Step 6

Cool-Down: Reflection and Application

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Mindfulness Reflection. (1 minute)
    * Ask students to complete the worksheet, reflecting on which tools resonated with them and how they might use them. (4 minutes)
    * Collect worksheets or discuss briefly.
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Slide Deck

Mindfulness for Anxiety: Find Your Calm

Discover simple tools to reduce stress and worry.

  • What is anxiety?
  • How can mindfulness help?
  • Three tools for a calmer you!

Welcome students and set a calm tone. Explain that today we'll be exploring tools to help manage feelings of stress or worry.

What is Mindfulness?

Paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, and without judgment.

  • It's NOT about emptying your mind.
  • It IS about noticing.
  • Helps you focus away from worries.
  • Brings you back to right now.

Ask students what comes to mind when they hear 'mindfulness'. Guide them to understand it's about being present, not emptying the mind.

Mindfulness & Anxiety

Anxiety often comes from worrying about:

  • The past (what happened)
  • The future (what might happen)

Mindfulness brings you to the present moment, where you can:

  • Notice what's real.
  • Choose how to respond.

Explain how anxiety often pulls us into the future or past. Mindfulness helps anchor us in the present, where we can act.

Tool 1: Mindful Breathing

Your breath is always with you!

  • What it is: Focusing your attention on the sensations of your breath.
  • Why it helps: Calms your nervous system and anchors you to the present.
  • How to do it: Just notice each inhale and exhale.

Introduce mindful breathing as the first tool. Emphasize its accessibility.

Practice: Mindful Breathing

Let's try it!

  • Sit comfortably.
  • Close your eyes gently or soften your gaze.
  • Place one hand on your belly.
  • Notice the natural rhythm of your breath.
  • Feel your belly rise and fall.
  • If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.

(2-3 minute guided practice)

Lead a short guided practice. Encourage students to simply notice, not to 'do' anything special with their breath. Let thoughts come and go.

Tool 2: The Body Scan

Tune into your body's signals.

  • What it is: Bringing awareness to different parts of your body, noticing sensations.
  • Why it helps: Connects your mind and body, releases tension, and grounds you.
  • How to do it: Systematically move your attention through your body.

Introduce the body scan, explaining it's a way to connect with physical sensations.

Practice: Body Scan

Let's try it!

  • Sit comfortably.
  • Gently bring your awareness to your feet.
  • Notice any sensations: warmth, coolness, pressure.
  • Slowly move your awareness up to your legs, then torso, arms, hands, neck, and head.
  • Just observe what's there, without judgment.

(2-3 minute guided practice)

Lead a brief body scan. Guide them from head to toes, or vice versa. No need to change anything, just observe.

Tool 3: Mindful Observation

See the world with fresh eyes.

  • What it is: Focusing intensely on one object using all your senses.
  • Why it helps: Pulls you out of your thoughts and into the present sensory experience.
  • How to do it: Choose an object, and explore it with sight, touch, sound, smell, and even imagined taste.

Introduce mindful observation as a way to engage with the world around them in a new way.

Practice: Mindful Observation

Let's try it!

  • Find a small object nearby (e.g., a pen, a leaf, your hand).
  • Look at it closely. What colors, shapes, textures do you see?
  • Touch it. How does it feel?
  • Listen. Does it make a sound when you move it?
  • Notice any smell.
  • Just explore every detail.

(2-3 minute guided practice)

Guide them to pick a small object (pencil, eraser, hand). Encourage detailed observation. What do they notice they hadn't before?

Your Mindfulness Toolkit

You now have three tools to help you manage anxiety:

  1. Mindful Breathing
  2. Body Scan
  3. Mindful Observation

Which one feels most helpful to you right now? How can you use it in your day?

Summarize the tools and encourage students to experiment. Distribute the reflection worksheet.

Reflection & Next Steps

Take a moment to reflect:

  • Which tool resonated with you the most?
  • When and where could you use one of these tools this week?

Remember: Mindfulness is a practice, not perfection!

Encourage students to use the worksheet for personal reflection. Reiterate that practice makes it easier.

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Activity

Mindfulness Practice Guide

Welcome to your mindfulness toolkit! These practices can help you calm your mind and reduce anxiety by bringing your attention to the present moment.

Tool 1: Mindful Breathing

When to use it: Anytime you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or need to re-center.

How to practice:

  1. Find a comfortable seated position, or lie down if possible.
  2. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze downwards.
  3. Bring your attention to your breath. Don't try to change it, just notice it.
  4. Feel the air enter your nostrils, move into your lungs, and then leave your body.
  5. Notice the rise and fall of your belly or chest with each breath.
  6. If your mind wanders (and it will!), simply acknowledge the thought and gently guide your attention back to your breath.
  7. Continue for 1-3 minutes.

Tool 2: Body Scan

When to use it: When you feel tension in your body, are distracted by physical sensations, or need to feel more grounded.

How to practice:

  1. Find a comfortable seated or lying position.
  2. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
  3. Bring your awareness to your feet. What sensations do you notice? Warmth, coolness, tingling, pressure?
  4. Slowly move your attention up through your legs, noticing any sensations without judgment.
  5. Continue this gentle scan up through your torso, arms, hands, neck, and head.
  6. If you find an area of tension, simply notice it. You don't need to fix it, just observe.
  7. Continue for 2-4 minutes.

Tool 3: Mindful Observation

When to use it: When your mind is racing, you feel distracted, or you want to connect more deeply with your surroundings.

How to practice:

  1. Choose a small, everyday object around you (e.g., a pen, a leaf, a piece of fruit, your hand, a desk item).
  2. Hold the object in your hand or place it nearby.
  3. Sight: Look at the object as if you've never seen it before. What colors, shapes, patterns, and textures do you notice?
  4. Touch: Explore its texture with your fingertips. Is it smooth, rough, warm, cool, hard, soft?
  5. Sound: If you move it, does it make a sound? Is there any sound associated with it?
  6. Smell: Bring it closer and notice if it has any scent.
  7. Thoughts: As you observe, notice any thoughts that arise about the object (e.g.,
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Worksheet

Mindfulness Reflection: Finding Your Calm

Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________

During our lesson today, we explored three different mindfulness tools to help reduce anxiety and bring us to the present moment.

Part 1: Your Experience

  1. Which of the three mindfulness tools did we practice today?
    a) _____________________________________________
    b) _____________________________________________
    c) _____________________________________________



  2. Which of these tools resonated with you the most, or felt the most helpful? Why do you think that is?












  3. Describe one specific sensation or observation you noticed during one of the mindfulness practices today (e.g., during mindful breathing, body scan, or mindful observation).









    ## Part 2: Application

  4. Think about a time this week when you felt stressed or anxious. How might you have used one of these mindfulness tools in that situation?












  5. When and where do you think you could realistically try practicing one of these mindfulness tools again in the next few days? (e.g., before a test, during a stressful conversation, when you can't sleep)






  6. Mindfulness is a practice, not about being perfect. What is one small step you can take to incorporate a mindfulness practice into your routine?






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