• lenny-learning-logoLenny Learning
  • Home
    Home
    • Lessons
    Lessons
  • Curriculum
    Curriculum
  • Surveys
    Surveys
  • Videos
    Videos
  • Support
    Support
  • Log In
lenny

Stress Lab Live!

Jerica Brown

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Body Cues Lab Guide

Students will pinpoint four personal stress cues and practice the 4-7-8 breathing method, lowering their self-rated stress by at least one point.

Understanding one’s physiological stress signals and mastering a quick breathing tool builds self-awareness and coping skills for academic and personal challenges.

Audience

9th Grade

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Hands-on inventory, live lab, guided practice

Materials

Body Cues Lab Guide, Stress Physiology 101, Body Cues Inventory, Pulse and Breath Observation Lab, 4-7-8 Breathing and PMR Script, and Self-Care Log: Practice Tracker

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review the Body Cues Lab Guide and Stress Physiology 101 slide deck
  • Print enough copies of the Body Cues Inventory and Pulse and Breath Observation Lab for each student
  • Familiarize yourself with the 4-7-8 Breathing and PMR Script
  • Prepare a timer or stopwatch for pulse/breath measurements
  • Ensure students have access to their journals or provide the Self-Care Log: Practice Tracker

Step 1

Check-in and Review

5 minutes

  • Greet students and ask them to rate their current stress on a 1–5 scale
  • Briefly recap sympathetic vs. parasympathetic activation from last session
  • Introduce today’s goal: mapping stress cues and practicing a calming method

Step 2

Mini-Lesson on Nervous System

10 minutes

  • Present key slides from Stress Physiology 101
  • Explain common body cues (e.g., increased heart rate, shallow breathing, muscle tension)
  • Invite students to note any additional personal signs

Step 3

Body Cues Inventory & Lab

15 minutes

  • Distribute Body Cues Inventory worksheets
  • Guide students through filling in at least four personal stress cues
  • Hand out Pulse and Breath Observation Lab sheets
  • Students measure resting pulse/breath for one minute, then after a brief stress prompt (e.g., quick mental math)
  • Record and compare readings

Step 4

Guided Breathing Practice & Rating

10 minutes

  • Lead class through the 4-7-8 Breathing and PMR Script
  • After practice, ask students to re-rate stress on the 1–5 scale
  • Facilitate a quick share: how much did their rating change?

Step 5

Reflection & Application

5 minutes

  • Prompt students to journal in their Self-Care Log: Practice Tracker where/when they’ll use this technique this week
  • Encourage pairing up to remind each other to practice daily
  • Close by affirming the value of noticing cues and self-regulating
lenny

Slide Deck

Stress Physiology 101

Understanding how your nervous system responds to stress – and how you can track it – sets the foundation for building self-regulation skills.

Welcome everyone! Today we’ll explore how stress shows up in our bodies by looking at the underlying physiology.

The Autonomic Nervous System

• Sympathetic (“Fight or Flight”)
– Increases heart rate, breathing, muscle tension
– Mobilizes energy for action

• Parasympathetic (“Rest and Digest”)
– Slows heart rate and breathing
– Promotes relaxation and recovery

Introduce the autonomic nervous system as two branches: sympathetic and parasympathetic. Use a quick analogy: gas pedal vs. brake.

Common Physical Stress Cues

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Shallow, quick breathing
• Muscle tightness (neck, shoulders)
• Sweaty palms or clammy skin
• “Butterflies” in the stomach
• Restlessness or fidgeting

Highlight common scenarios: test anxiety, public speaking, or a surprise quiz. Invite students to share any physical signs they notice.

Self-Monitoring with Body Cues

Use the Body Cues Inventory to:

  1. Identify at least four personal stress cues
  2. Note when and where you notice them
  3. Prepare to measure pulse and breath in our lab

Explain that each person’s cues are unique. Distribute the Body Cues Inventory to help students catalog their top four signs.

Stress Rating Scales

• 1 = Completely calm
• 2 = Slightly tense
• 3 = Noticeable stress
• 4 = High stress
• 5 = Overwhelmed

Record your rating before and after each activity to see change.

Show a quick sketch of a 1–5 scale on the board. Emphasize consistent self-ratings before and after practice.

Introduction to 4-7-8 Breathing

  1. Inhale quietly through the nose for 4 seconds
  2. Hold your breath for 7 seconds
  3. Exhale completely through the mouth for 8 seconds

Repeat for four full cycles to activate relaxation.

Briefly explain what 4-7-8 breathing is and why it engages the parasympathetic system. Let students practice a trial round.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

• Tense each muscle group (feet → head) for 5 seconds
• Release tension and notice the contrast
• Combine with 4-7-8 breathing for deeper calm

Remind students that they’ll also learn a quick progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) component in the script.

Ready for the Real-Time Lab

In our 45-minute session you will:
• Complete your personal Body Cues Inventory
• Measure resting vs. stress-prompt pulse and breathing
• Practice the 4-7-8 breathing & PMR script
• Compare pre/post stress ratings

Preview how the lab will unfold: body cues inventory, pulse/breath observations under stress, then guided breathing and rating.

lenny

Worksheet

Body Cues Inventory

Instructions

Use this worksheet to record at least four personal physical signs of stress. For each cue:

  1. Describe what you feel in your body.
  2. Note when and where you notice it.
  3. Rate how strong it feels on a scale of 1–5 (1 = slight, 5 = overwhelming).

Cue 1

1. Description of physical cue:







2. When and where did you notice it?







3. Intensity (1–5):




Cue 2

1. Description of physical cue:







2. When and where did you notice it?







3. Intensity (1–5):




Cue 3

1. Description of physical cue:







2. When and where did you notice it?







3. Intensity (1–5):




Cue 4

1. Description of physical cue:







2. When and where did you notice it?







3. Intensity (1–5):




Tip: Keep this worksheet handy during the lab so you can easily compare your body cues with your pulse and breathing observations.

lenny
lenny

Activity

Pulse and Breath Observation Lab

Objective

Measure and compare your resting and post-stress-prompt pulse and breathing rates to observe physiological stress responses.

Instructions

  1. Pair up with a classmate. Decide who will measure first.
  2. Rest quietly for 1 minute, then:
    • Find your pulse (wrist or neck) and count beats for 60 seconds.
    • Record your resting pulse below.
    • Count your full breaths for 60 seconds and record your resting breath rate.
  3. Stress Prompt: Complete one minute of mental math (e.g., subtract 7 repeatedly from 500).
  4. Immediately after, measure your pulse for 60 seconds and record.
  5. Immediately after, count your breaths for 60 seconds and record.
  6. Switch roles and repeat steps 2–5.

Data Recording

ConditionPulse (beats/min)Breaths (per min)
Resting
Post Stress Task

Analysis Questions

  1. How did your pulse rate change after the stress prompt?




  1. How did your breathing rate change after the stress prompt?




  1. Which physical body cues did you notice alongside these changes? (e.g., muscle tension, sweaty palms)






  1. What do these changes tell you about sympathetic activation in stressful situations?






Tip: Compare your observations with your entries in the Body Cues Inventory and be ready to share insights in our next discussion.

lenny
lenny

Script

4-7-8 Breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Script

Teacher (Calm, steady tone):
“Class, now that we’ve measured our stress cues, let’s move into a brief exercise to help our bodies shift into relaxation mode. We’ll start with 4-7-8 breathing, then follow with a short progressive muscle relaxation. Ready? Let’s begin.

Part 1: 4-7-8 Breathing (≈2 minutes)

  1. Position: Sit up tall, feet flat on the floor, hands relaxed in your lap. If you’d like, close your eyes or softly gaze at the floor.
  2. Instructions: We will do four full breaths. For each breath:
    • Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4.
    • Hold that breath for a count of 7.
    • Exhale fully through your mouth for a count of 8, making a gentle whoosh sound.

Teacher (softly counting):
• Cycle 1 – Inhale: 1…2…3…4… (pause)
Hold: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7… (pause)
Exhale: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8… (pause)

• Cycle 2 – Inhale: 1…2…3…4… (pause)
Hold: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7… (pause)
Exhale: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8… (pause)

• Cycle 3 – Inhale: 1…2…3…4… (pause)
Hold: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7… (pause)
Exhale: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8… (pause)

• Cycle 4 – Inhale: 1…2…3…4… (pause)
Hold: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7… (pause)
Exhale: 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8… (pause)

Teacher (pause 5 seconds):
“Nice work. Take a moment to notice any changes in your breathing or heart rate.”
(pause 10 seconds)

Part 2: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (≈3 minutes)

Teacher:
“Now we’ll do a quick muscle relaxation. I’ll name a body area, you’ll tense it gently for 5 seconds, and then I’ll say ‘release’—let go and notice the feeling of letting go. Ready?”

  1. Feet:
    Teacher (counting): Tense your feet—curl toes and squeeze the soles. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)
  2. Calves:
    Teacher: Flex your calves—point toes up. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)
  3. Thighs and Buttocks:
    Teacher: Squeeze your thighs and buttocks. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)
  4. Hands and Arms:
    Teacher: Make tight fists and bend arms. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)
  5. Shoulders:
    Teacher: Lift shoulders toward ears and tense. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)
  6. Face and Neck:
    Teacher: Scrunch your face—raise eyebrows, squeeze eyes and jaw. 5…4…3…2…1… Release. (pause 4 seconds)

Teacher (pause 5 seconds):
“Great. Notice how your body feels now compared to before. You might feel lighter or more relaxed.”

Teacher:
“Gently open your eyes if they were closed. Let’s take one final deep breath together… inhale… and exhale. Now, please rate your stress again on our 1–5 scale. You should see at least a one-point drop—well done!”

lenny
lenny

Journal

Self-Care Log: Practice Tracker

Use this log to record your daily practice of the 4-7-8 breathing technique (or another calming method) and reflect on its effects. Aim to practice at least once each day.

Day 1

Date: ______________________
Technique Practiced: ______________________
Time of Day: ______________________
Stress Rating Before (1–5): ____ After (1–5): ____

Reflection Questions

  1. What did you notice in your body before practicing?






  1. How did your body or feelings change after practicing?






  1. When and where could you use this technique again this week?






Day 2

Date: ______________________
Technique Practiced: ______________________
Time of Day: ______________________
Stress Rating Before (1–5): ____ After (1–5): ____

Reflection Questions

  1. What did you notice in your body before practicing?






  1. How did your body or feelings change after practicing?






  1. When and where could you use this technique again this week?






Day 3

Date: ______________________
Technique Practiced: ______________________
Time of Day: ______________________
Stress Rating Before (1–5): ____ After (1–5): ____

Reflection Questions

  1. What did you notice in your body before practicing?






  1. How did your body or feelings change after practicing?






  1. When and where could you use this technique again this week?






Day 4

Date: ______________________
Technique Practiced: ______________________
Time of Day: ______________________
Stress Rating Before (1–5): ____ After (1–5): ____

Reflection Questions

  1. What did you notice in your body before practicing?






  1. How did your body or feelings change after practicing?






  1. When and where could you use this technique again this week?






Day 5

Date: ______________________
Technique Practiced: ______________________
Time of Day: ______________________
Stress Rating Before (1–5): ____ After (1–5): ____

Reflection Questions

  1. What did you notice in your body before practicing?






  1. How did your body or feelings change after practicing?






  1. When and where could you use this technique again this week?






Weekly Reflection

  1. Over the past week, what patterns did you notice in your stress levels and responses?











  1. What strategies will you continue to use or improve moving forward?











lenny
lenny