Lesson Plan
Your Superpower: Self-Care
Students will be able to define self-care, identify personal self-care strategies, and create a basic self-care plan.
Learning self-care helps students manage stress, improve their mental and emotional health, and build resilience, which are essential skills for navigating adolescence and beyond.
Audience
Middle School Students
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Through discussion, activities, and reflection, students will explore the importance and practice of self-care.
Materials
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Self-Care Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Self-Care Warm Up (one per student).
- Print copies of the Self-Care Bingo Activity (one per student).
- Print copies of My Self-Care Journal (one per student).
- Print copies of the Self-Care Cool Down (one per student).
- Ensure access to a projector or interactive whiteboard for the slide deck.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm Up (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Begin by greeting students and introducing the topic of self-care using the Self-Care Slide Deck (Slides 1-2).
- Distribute the Self-Care Warm Up and give students 5 minutes to complete it individually.
- Facilitate a brief class discussion based on student responses from the warm-up, encouraging them to share their initial thoughts on self-care.
Step 2
Understanding Self-Care (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Continue with the Self-Care Slide Deck (Slides 3-5) to define self-care and discuss its importance.
- Engage students with questions and examples of self-care categories (physical, emotional, social, mental, spiritual).
Step 3
Self-Care Bingo Activity (15 minutes)
15 minutes
- Introduce the Self-Care Bingo Activity using the Self-Care Slide Deck (Slide 6).
- Distribute the bingo cards and explain the rules: students should mark off self-care activities they already do or would like to try.
- Allow students 10 minutes to complete their bingo cards, then facilitate a brief sharing session where students can discuss one or two new self-care activities they discovered or plan to try.
Step 4
Reflection & Planning (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Transition to personal reflection with the Self-Care Slide Deck (Slide 7).
- Distribute My Self-Care Journal and instruct students to begin brainstorming ideas for their personal self-care plan.
- Emphasize that self-care looks different for everyone and there's no right or wrong way to do it.
Step 5
Cool Down & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Conclude the lesson with the Self-Care Cool Down using the Self-Care Slide Deck (Slide 8).
- Distribute the cool-down slips and ask students to reflect on one self-care strategy they commit to trying.
- Collect the cool-down slips as an exit ticket and thank students for their participation.
Slide Deck
Your Superpower: Self-Care
What if you had a superpower that could help you feel better, handle stress, and be your best self?
Welcome students and introduce the concept of having a 'superpower.' Ask them to think about what a superpower is and what kind of superpowers they might like to have.
What is Self-Care?
Today, we'll explore what self-care means, why it's super important, and how you can use it to boost your well-being.
Transition to today's topic. Explain that this session will explore a real-life superpower available to everyone: self-care. Briefly explain what will be covered.
Self-Care Defined
Self-care means taking deliberate actions to care for your physical, emotional, and mental health. It's about looking after you so you can thrive!
Define self-care in simple terms. Emphasize that it's about taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health. Ask students for initial thoughts or examples.
Why is Self-Care Your Superpower?
- Boosts your mood: Helps you feel happier and more positive.
- Reduces stress: Gives you tools to handle tough times.
- Improves focus: Helps your brain stay sharp.
- Keeps you healthy: Supports your physical well-being.
- Builds resilience: Makes you stronger for future challenges.
Discuss why self-care is crucial, especially for middle schoolers facing new challenges. Connect it to managing stress, staying healthy, and improving mood.
Types of Self-Care
- Physical: Getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercise.
- Emotional: Expressing feelings, practicing mindfulness, journaling.
- Social: Connecting with friends and family, setting boundaries.
- Mental: Reading, learning new things, taking breaks from screens.
- Spiritual: Spending time in nature, practicing gratitude, quiet reflection.
Provide examples of different categories of self-care. Encourage students to think about activities that fit into these categories. This slide supports the 'Understanding Self-Care' instruction step.
Self-Care Bingo!
Let's discover some awesome ways to take care of ourselves with a fun game of Self-Care Bingo! Pick up your Self-Care Bingo Activity and let's play!
Introduce the 'Self-Care Bingo' activity. Explain that it's a fun way to explore different self-care ideas and find new ones to try. Remind them to be honest about what they already do and open to new ideas.
Your Personal Self-Care Plan
Self-care isn't one-size-fits-all! What works for one person might not work for another. Let's start thinking about YOUR personal plan. Use your My Self-Care Journal to brainstorm.
Transition from the activity to personal reflection. Explain that everyone's self-care plan is unique. Introduce the journal activity for students to start thinking about their own plan.
Your Self-Care Commitment
What's one self-care strategy you will commit to trying this week? Write it down on your Self-Care Cool Down slip!
Conclude the lesson by asking students to commit to one self-care strategy as an exit ticket. Emphasize that even small steps make a big difference. Thank them for their participation.
Warm Up
Self-Care Warm Up: What's Your Vibe Check?
Instructions: Take a moment to think about how you're feeling right now. Then, answer the questions below.
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On a scale of 1 to 5, how are you feeling today? (1 = not so great, 5 = amazing!)
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What does the phrase "taking care of yourself" mean to you?
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Name one thing you do when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
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If you had a magic button to instantly make you feel calm and happy, what would it do?
Activity
Self-Care Bingo: Find Your Feel-Good!
Instructions: Mark an "X" in the box for any self-care activity you already do. If there's an activity you haven't tried but would like to, circle it! Try to get a BINGO (five in a row, column, or diagonal) or even a blackout!
| B | I | N | G | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get 8 hours of sleep | Listen to your favorite music | Read a book for fun | Spend time in nature | Talk to a trusted friend |
| Drink a glass of water | Take a warm bath/shower | Practice deep breathing | Draw or doodle | Write in a journal |
| Help someone else | Stretch your body | Eat a healthy snack | Watch a funny video | Play a game |
| Go for a walk | FREE SPACE | Do something creative | Cuddle a pet | Declutter your space |
| Limit screen time | Meditate for 5 minutes | Say positive affirmations | Cook/bake something | Take a short nap |
After Bingo Reflection:
- What was one new self-care activity you discovered that you might want to try?
- Why do you think it's important to have different types of self-care activities?
Journal
My Self-Care Journal: Designing My Superpower
Instructions: Use this journal to reflect on your self-care habits and start creating a personal self-care plan.
Part 1: Self-Care Snapshot
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What are 3 things you already do to take care of yourself? These could be big or small!
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When do you most feel like you need self-care? (e.g., after a test, when you argue with a friend, before a big event)
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What makes it hard for you to practice self-care sometimes?
Part 2: Building My Self-Care Toolbelt
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Based on today's lesson and the Bingo activity, what are 2 new self-care activities you want to try?
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Think about different categories of self-care (physical, emotional, mental, social). List one activity you could do for each category:
- Physical:
- Emotional:
- Mental:
- Social:
- Physical:
Part 3: My Self-Care Commitment
Write down one specific self-care action you will try to do this week. How will you make sure you do it?
Cool Down
Self-Care Cool Down: My Commitment
Instructions: Before you leave, reflect on today's lesson. What is one specific self-care strategy you will commit to trying this week?
My Self-Care Commitment:
How do you think this self-care strategy will help you?