Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Adults often look back on their childhoods as a stress-free time of fun and play. But we often forget the stress we felt as kids. Children can, and do, feel anxious and worried. When they reach school age, they are forced to encounter a whole realm of new experiences. Preschoolers might wonder what kindergarten is like, if they will be able to make new friends there or if the teacher will be nice. Older kids might feel insecure about their ability to successfully complete a difficult course, if they will be allowed to participate in sports, or whether they will be accepted by peers or the opposite sex. Just like adults can have a bad day at work, kids can experience a bad day at school.
The more kids know about how to handle stress when they are younger, the more confidence they will have to take on new challenges when they grow older. Here are some simple stress-relieving techniques you can teach nearly any age student.
Take 5 slow diaphragmatic breaths. A good time to practice this technique with your class is just before a test or competition, or when you would like your students to transition to quiet time. Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, is done when the breath is drawn in through the belly – not the chest. Have your students place one hand on their chests and the other hand on their abdomens. Have them slowly inhale through the nose, as they feel the abdomen expanding. Then they can exhale slowly through pursed lips. A good way to show younger students how to breathe properly is through blowing bubbles, since successful bubble blowing requires slow, controlled breaths. Taking long, slow inhales and exhales has a positive physiological effect on the body by slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure and decreasing levels of a stress hormone called cortisol.
Music therapy. When kids have excess energy to burn, turn up the music and let them dance about. Teenagers respond well to music, too, and might open up a little more about what’s bothering them if they’re listening to a song they enjoy. Ask older kids to explain what they like or dislike about a particular song and whether they ever feel the emotions expressed in the song. Younger students can be asked to draw what the song describes, such as a cow jumping over the moon, or a twinkling star in the sky. Karaoke is another fun way to use music as a stress reliever in your classroom.
Write in a daily journal. Many adults journal their thoughts, and the experience can be just as rewarding for kids. If you teach younger children, you can ask them to draw a picture of how they are feeling and use the drawing as a starting point for a discussion about those emotions.
Make a joke. Kids love a funny joke, and laughing is a natural stress-reliever. There’s evidence that a good laugh relaxes the entire body, boosts the immune system, releases of endorphins and protects the heart by increasing blood flow throughout the body. Encourage your students to utilize their senses of humor in the classroom – when appropriate, of course!