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  • Welcome
    • About Us
    • Podcast
    • Parents and Administrators
    • Sitemap
  • Service Projects
    • Paradise U
    • Most Important Job in America
    • SPARTAN Races
    • Other Projects
    • Coalition for Quality Physical Education
  • Advocacy
    • Importance of Physical Education
    • Quality Physical Education
    • Advocacy Resources
    • "No Excuses!" Documentary
    • Importance of Recess, Play, and Active Classrooms
  • Effective Teaching
    • Teaching Methods >
      • General Strategies
      • Adapted Physical Education
      • English Language Learners
      • Cross Disciplinary Examples
      • Facilitating Discussions and Debriefs
      • Social and Emotional Learning
      • Growth Mindset and Multiple Intelligences
      • Social Justice and Diversity
      • Engaging Families
      • Advice for New Teachers
      • Miscellaneous Articles and Videos
    • Planning >
      • Planning Units
      • Domains of Learning
      • Instructional Models
      • Teaching Styles
    • Assessment >
      • Assessment Overview
      • Rubrics for Assessment
      • Grading
      • Fitnessgram Guidelines and Resources
    • Class Management >
      • Class Management Overview
      • Tools for Assessing Behavior
      • Techniques for Forming Groups
  • Teaching Resources
    • Physical Education >
      • Activities and Lessons
      • DIY and Hacks
      • National Observances Related to PE
      • Organizations
      • Safety
    • Fitness >
      • Activity Promotion and Adherence
      • Creative Fitness Activities
      • Stress Management Techniques
      • Health, Fitness, and Nutrition Resources
    • Instructional Videos >
      • Ice Breakers and More
      • Instructional Dance Videos
      • Dance Resources
    • Professional Development >
      • Information and Resources
      • Social Media Resources
      • Teaching Evaluation Forms
    • Technology >
      • Technology Overview
      • Online Resources
      • Mobile Apps
      • Projector Uses
      • Virtual Reality
      • Augmented Reality
      • 360 Degree Photos/Videos
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Stress Management Techniques

Why wait until we are adults before learning how to manage stress? This page offers a few basic stress management techniques that can be incorporated into your physical education curriculum.
  • A School Replaced Detention with Meditation: The Results are Stunning
  • Autonomy-Supportive Teaching and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction among School Students: The Role of Mindfulness
  • ​​Mindfulness Is All the Rage—But Does It Work?​
  • Mindfulness Training Helps Kids Sleep Better, Stanford Medicine Study Finds
  • ​Practical Mindfulness
  • What Changes When a School Embraces Mindfulness?​
  • ​When Mindfulness Feels Like a Necessity​

Assessing Coping Style and THE RATIONALITY OF BELIEFS
Use this questionnaire to assess your students' coping ​styles. 
Download the Document.
Assess coping style questionnaire
Use this questionnaire to assess any "irrational beliefs" your students may hold. ​Download the Document.
Beliefs Inventory
Basic Tension Relievers
  • Stretch and yawn.
  • Smile when you feel tension coming on.
  • Slow down and take your time.
  • Listen to relaxing sounds and music.
  • Stay focused on the present.
  • Be prepared.
  • Make the situation as fun as you can.
  • Prepare and practice for stressful situations.​​​

  • Neck Movements: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, move the head in the following ways: up & down; side to side; and bend ear toward shoulder. Inhale for the first half of the movement, exhale for the last half of the movement. Match the length of the movement to the length of your breath.
  • Shoulder Movements: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, move the shoulders in the following ways: up & down; forward & back; and in circles. Inhale for the first half of the movement, exhale for the last half of the movement. Match the length of the movement to the length of your breath. 
  • Vertical Trunk Twisting: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, twisting side to side, arms relaxed at sides gently swinging. Continue for several seconds.Stand with feet shoulder width apart, hands on head, elbows out, twisting slowly and exhaling to the right, inhaling and twisting to the center. Repeat on left side. Match the length of the movement to the length of your breath. Repeat several times.
  • Walking: Walk mindfully, paying attention to how it feels when your heal touches the ground, and then the middle of the bottom of the foot, and then the toes, and so on. Pay attention to each tiny movement. See how slow you can walk. See how many tiny parts of the movement you can pay attention to. Alternatively, see if you can coordinate your breathing with your walking. For example, see if you can inhale while stepping to with the right and exhale while stepping with the left.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is our natural way of breathing, just look at the way babies breathe! Unfortunately as we grow older, stress along with other factors contribute to a more unnatural breathing pattern through our chest, which can often be shallow, rapid, or irregular. Diaphragmatic breathing is a quick and easy way to elicit relaxation and relieve stress. Check out these articles and Tweets for more breathing activities: 9 Breathing Breaks Strategies, How to Breathe, Tweet 1, Tweet 2, and Tweet 3.
  • Step 1: Get in a comfortable lying position.
  • Step 2: Assess your current breathing pattern by placing one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen.
  • Step 3: Focus on breathing through your abdomen, paying attention to the breath and rise and fall of your stomach (inhale through the nose and exhale out of the mouth). It is okay if your mind wanders, just return to focusing on your breathing when you become aware.
Guide to Diaphragmatic Breathing
​
Mindful Minutes - Youtube Playlist

GUIDED MEDITATION AND MENTAL IMAGERY
You can use pre-made scripts, your own script that is specific to your students, or websites/apps such as Calm.com, Mindfullness for Teens, and Smiling Mind (app). Below are some tips to help with execution:
  • Pre-assess imagery skill using a Sport Imagery Questionnaire.
  • Practice in settings with little to no distractions.
  • Combine with relaxation techniques.
  • Establish realistic expectations.
  • Use vivid and controllable images.
  • Maintain a positive focus.
  • Include both the execution and end result of skills.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
​Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a technique used to make the participant aware of which muscles are carrying tension. The process involves tensing a muscle group for a short time, relaxing the muscle group, and focusing on those sensations. Not only does this technique help relax muscles but it also makes the people aware of where they carry their stress.
Additional Resources
Our Stress Management Glideapp (more mobile friendly)​

  • 5 Mindfulness and Meditation Apps
  • ​A Soft Murmur (Ambient Noise)
  • Calming Corner Tweet Collection
  • CNUSD Virtual Calming Room​​​​​
  • Mindfullness Choice Boards
  • ​Mindfullness Homepage (Edutopia)​​
  • ​Resources on Managing Stress (Edutopia)​
  • Take 5ive (Healthy Kids Learn More)

Resources Used for this Page
  • Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Weinberg, R. & Gould, D. (2006).
  • The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook. Eshelman, E.R. & McKay, M. (2008).

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