Strategies to manage student anxiety and stress
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.
Year level
9-10
Duration
60 minutes
Type
In class activity
Online learning
SEL Competencies
Self-awareness
Self-management
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.
Materials needed
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
Access to ReachOut.com article ‘How to manage your anxiety and stress’ (via sharing screen or handouts)
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk (AC9HP10P08)
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capability:
Self-awareness
Self-management
NSW PDHPE Syllabus
Researches and appraises the effectiveness of health information and support services available in the community (PD5-2)
Assesses and applies self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD5-9)
Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Plan, rehearse and evaluate options (including CPR and first aid) for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety and wellbeing may be at risk (VCHPEP144)
Identify and critique the accessibility and effectiveness of support services based in the community that impact on the ability to make healthy and safe choices (VCHPEP145)
Activity 1
Compass points: How to manage stress and anxiety
40 minutes
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.
Activity 2
Reflection
10 minutes
Ask students to look back at their compass diagram and highlight their notes under ‘S’ (stance or suggestion for moving forward).
Using these notes, students answer: What is your stance or opinion on managing anxiety or stress?
Activity 3
Exit ticket: Bin, Bag, Head, Heart
10 minutes
Bin: Which strategy did you not like in the ReachOut article? Taking a break, because I already do this.
Bag: What is the one strategy you will take away from the article? Practising being present, or making a thought journal.
Head: What part of the article really made you think? The difference between long-term and short-term anxiety.
Heart: What emotions would describe how you felt after today’s lesson? Curious and motivated.
