Stress management and coping
Students face a range of challenges that are relative to their personal, social, and cultural lived experience. They also have existing ways of coping. Through instruction and modelling, you can help students practise new and bolster existing coping strategies. Be sure to consider sources of stress and examine and address structures that reinforce inequitable conditions that add stress to individuals and entire communities.
Calm classroom
Practising strategies to develop a sense of calm can help to reinforce self-regulation and attention skills, and when practised as a class may assist with classroom management. Calm classrooms are good for all and especially important for students who need a predictable and steady environment to be successful.
Deep breathing
Practising deep breathing several times a day can help to increase alertness and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. It can also help to enhance positive feelings, promote positive behaviour, and provide a sense of calm.
Guided imagery
Guided imagery provides an opportunity to shift our focus away from worries. It can help students to relax as they visualize an image that promotes feelings of calm.
Pause and reflect
Taking time to pause and reflect can help students develop an awareness of their physical and mental states. It can provide a fresh perspective or needed break and may help students to avoid becoming overwhelmed in times of stress by cultivating a sense of calm.
Stretching
Stretching is a natural physical and mental stress reliever. Taking time for a short stretch in the classroom can help students re-focus with refreshed attention.
Support seeking
Knowing how and when to seek support is an essential skill both personally and academically. Learning to seek support for emotional needs can also be encouraged at school. Modelling and practising help-seeking can reduce the stigma sometimes associated with asking for help.
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