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Stress Busting Strategies

Lesson Plan

Calm Your Chaos

Students will learn to identify stressors and apply practical coping mechanisms and mindfulness techniques to manage stress and build emotional resilience.

Learning to manage stress is crucial for maintaining mental well-being, improving focus in class, and fostering a positive and healthy learning environment. These skills will help students navigate challenges effectively now and in the future.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, guided practice, and personal reflection.

Materials

Mindful Moments Toolkit (Slide Deck)](#mindful-moments-toolkit), Mindful Breathing Exercises (Activity)](#mindful-breathing-exercises), and My Calm Corner Plan (Cool Down)](#my-calm-corner-plan)

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What is Stress?

10 minutes

  • Begin with a brief discussion: "What comes to mind when you hear the word 'stress'?" (2 minutes)
  • Use Mindful Moments Toolkit (Slide Deck) to introduce the concept of stress, its common causes in middle school, and its effects on the body and mind (8 minutes).

Step 2

Coping Mechanisms: Tools for Your Toolkit

15 minutes

Step 3

Practice & Reflection

15 minutes

  • Students will complete the remaining exercises on their Mindful Breathing Exercises (Activity) independently or in pairs.
  • Facilitate a brief class discussion on how the exercises felt and when they might use them.

Step 4

Creating Your Calm Corner Plan

10 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of a "Calm Corner" – a mental or physical space for de-stressing.
  • Distribute My Calm Corner Plan (Cool Down) and instruct students to begin outlining their personal strategies.
  • Collect the cool-down at the end of class.
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Slide Deck

What's Your Stress Story?

Ever feel overwhelmed? Tired? Grumpy?

That's stress! It's a normal part of life, but knowing how to handle it makes all the difference.

Think-Pair-Share: What comes to mind when you hear the word 'stress'?

Welcome students and gauge their initial understanding of stress. Encourage honest sharing.

Stress: Friend or Foe?

What is Stress?

  • Your body's reaction to a challenge or demand.
  • It can be good (like getting ready for a game) or not-so-good (like too much homework).

Common Middle School Stressors:

  • Tests & Homework
  • Friends & Social Life
  • Family Changes
  • Sports & Activities

Explain that stress isn't always bad, but chronic stress can be harmful. Connect to student experiences.

When Stress Takes Over...

How Does Stress Affect Us?

  • Physical: Headaches, tummy aches, trouble sleeping, feeling tired.
  • Emotional: Feeling worried, sad, angry, irritable, overwhelmed.
  • Mental: Trouble concentrating, forgetting things, making mistakes.

Discuss the physical and emotional effects of stress. Validate their feelings and experiences.

Your Stress-Busting Superpowers!

Coping Mechanisms: Your Toolkit for Calm

These are strategies you can use to manage stress and feel better.

  • Talk it out: Share with a trusted adult or friend.
  • Move your body: Exercise, dance, play sports.
  • Get creative: Draw, write, play music.
  • Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment.

Introduce the idea of coping mechanisms as tools. Emphasize that different strategies work for different people.

Breathe It Out: Mindful Breathing

What is Mindful Breathing?

  • Paying attention to your breath.
  • It helps calm your body and mind.
  • You can do it anywhere, anytime!

We're going to try some Mindful Breathing Exercises (Activity) together!

Transition to the mindful breathing activity. Explain that breathing is a powerful, always-available tool.

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Activity

Mindful Breathing Exercises

Practicing mindful breathing can help calm your body and mind when you feel stressed. Try these exercises to find what works best for you!

1. Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing)

  • Find a comfortable seated or lying position.
  • Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
  • Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your belly rise. Your chest should remain relatively still.
  • Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall. Gently press all the air out.
  • Repeat for 3-5 minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of your belly.

2. Square Breathing (Box Breathing)

  • Imagine a square in your mind.
  • Inhale: Slowly count to four as you breathe in through your nose (first side of the square).
  • Hold: Hold your breath for a count of four (second side).
  • Exhale: Slowly count to four as you breathe out through your mouth (third side).
  • Hold: Hold your breath again for a count of four before your next inhale (fourth side).
  • Repeat for 3-5 rounds.

3. Five-Finger Breathing

  • Hold one hand in front of you, palm open.
  • Use the pointer finger of your other hand to trace up and down each finger.
  • Inhale: As you trace up a finger.
  • Exhale: As you trace down the other side of the finger.
  • Continue until you have traced all five fingers, then reverse direction if you like.

My Favorite Breathing Exercise is...




I would use this breathing exercise when...







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Cool Down

My Calm Corner Plan

Sometimes, when stress gets to be too much, it helps to have a "calm corner" – a mental or physical space where you can go to feel safe and calm.

What does your Calm Corner look like? (Mentally or Physically)







What three strategies will you use in your Calm Corner to manage stress?










When do you think you would use your Calm Corner Plan?







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Cool Down

My Calm Corner Plan

Sometimes, when stress gets to be too much, it helps to have a

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Activity

Mindful Breathing Exercises

Practicing mindful breathing can help calm your body and mind when you feel stressed. Try these exercises to find what works best for you!

1. Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing)

  • Find a comfortable seated or lying position.
  • Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
  • Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your belly rise. Your chest should remain relatively still.
  • Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall. Gently press all the air out.
  • Repeat for 3-5 minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of your belly.

2. Square Breathing (Box Breathing)

  • Imagine a square in your mind.
  • Inhale: Slowly count to four as you breathe in through your nose (first side of the square).
  • Hold: Hold your breath for a count of four (second side).
  • Exhale: Slowly count to four as you breathe out through your mouth (third side).
  • Hold: Hold your breath again for a count of four before your next inhale (fourth side).
  • Repeat this
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