Anxiety and stress affect everyone at some point in their lives. For some people, it’s for a short amount of time, such as during exams. For others, ongoing anxiety can require additional support. Whether it’s short-term or long-term anxiety or stress, there are many strategies students can learn to help them manage anxiety and stress.
Learning Intention
Students will identify when and how to seek professional help for long-term anxiety and stress.
Key Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- understand the difference between short-term and long-term anxiety and stress
- discuss and choose management strategies for further practice.
Activity 01
Compass points: How to manage stress and anxiety 40 min
To feel more confident when teaching this lesson, we recommend you access the:
- Explain to students that they will be thinking about how to manage anxiety and stress. Briefly make the following points:
- Anxiety and stress affect everyone at some point in their lives.
- For some people, it’s for a short amount of time, such as during exams.
- For others, ongoing anxiety can require additional support.
- Whether it’s short-term or long-term anxiety or stress, there are many strategies that can be effective.
- Draw two intersecting lines in a + shape on the board. If online, share a digital version. Alternatively, provide an image on a compass.
- Write ‘N’, ‘S’, ‘E’ and ‘W’ on the points (like a compass). On each point, write:
- N: Need to know
- S: Stance or suggestion moving forward
- E: Excited
- W: Worrisome
- Provide students with access to the ReachOut.com article ‘How to manage your anxiety and stress’.
- Individually, in small groups or as a class, students read the article and make notes on their compass diagram. Use the following question prompts to help students.
- E = Excited: What excites you about anxiety/stress management techniques? What’s the upside?
- W = Worrisome: What do you find worrisome about trying strategies or talking about anxiety? What’s the downside?
- N = Need to Know: What else do you need to know or find out about strategies? What additional information would help you to evaluate which strategies you like?
- S = Stance or Suggestion for Moving Forward: What is your current stance or opinion on managing anxiety or stress?
- Students share their diagrams with each other.
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