How to Eliminate Stress in the Classroom:

A little stress can be beneficial to a student's performance in the classroom. Stress keeps students alert and motivated, and it keeps them working hard. However, stress is normally more hurtful than helpful to today's teens. Below are some ideas to help teachers not only eliminate their own stress, but strategies to help them eliminate their students' stress.





Stress can have very negative effects on our students:

Students may shy away from challenges

Procrastination is used as an escape

Student's confidence will be effected

Achievement will not have the same meaning





There are several effective ways to help eliminate stress. Teachers, "have to keep in mind that the goal is not to eliminate all stress but to help students develop a variety of skills to cope with the negative aspects of stress" (www.ericdigests.org). The following are some ideas for helping your students eliminate their stress in order to be able to motivate them to do their best:

Breathing Exercises

Meditation

Guided Imagery

Visualization

Exercise

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Music

Yoga

Visualization Technique

Get comfortable. Sit in a supportive chair or lie on your back.
Relax your body by releasing any areas of tension. Allow your arms to go limp... then your legs....
Feel your arms and legs becoming loose and relaxed...
Now relax your neck and back by relaxing your spine.... release the hold of your muscles all the way from your head, down your neck....along each vertebra to the tip of your spine...
Breathe deeply into your diaphragm, drawing air fully into your lungs.... and release the air with a whooshing sound....
Breathe in again, slowly.... pause for a moment.... and breathe out.....
Draw a deep breath in.... and out....
In..... out.....
Become more and more relaxed with each breath....
Feel your body giving up all the tension.... becoming relaxed.... and calm.... peaceful....
Feel a wave of relaxation flow from the soles of your feet, to your ankles, lower legs, hips, pelvic area, abdomen, chest, back, hands, lower arms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, neck, back of your head, face, and the top of your head....

Allow your entire body to rest heavily on the surface where you sit or lie. Now that your body is fully relaxed, allow the visualization relaxation to begin.
Imagine you are walking toward the ocean.... walking through a beautiful, tropical forest....
You can hear the waves up ahead.... you can smell the ocean spray.... the air is moist and warm.... feel a pleasant, cool breeze blowing through the trees....
You walk along a path....coming closer to the sea....as you come to the edge of the trees, you see the brilliant aqua color of the ocean ahead....
You walk out of the forest and onto a long stretch of white sand.... the sand is very soft powder.... imagine taking off your shoes, and walking through the hot, white sand toward the water....
The beach is wide and long....
Hear the waves crashing to the shore....
Smell the clean salt water and beach....
You gaze again toward the water.... it is a bright blue-green....
See the waves washing up onto the sand..... and receding back toward the ocean.... washing up.... and flowing back down..... enjoy the ever-repeating rhythm of the waves...
Imagine yourself walking toward the water.... over the fine, hot sand.... you are feeling very hot....
As you approach the water, you can feel the mist from the ocean on your skin. You walk closer to the waves, and feel the sand becoming wet and firm....
A wave washes over the sand toward you.... and touches your toes before receding...
As you step forward, more waves wash over your feet... feel the cool water provide relief from the heat....
Walk further into the clear, clean water.... you can see the white sand under the water.... the water is a pleasant, relaxing temperature.... providing relief from the hot sun... cool but not cold....
You walk further into the water if you wish.... swim if you want to.... enjoy the ocean for a few minutes..... allow the visualization relaxation to deepen.... more and more relaxed... enjoy the ocean....

Now you are feeling calm and refreshed...
You walk back out of the water and onto the beach...
Stroll along the beach at the water's edge.... free of worries... no stress... calm..... enjoying this holiday....
Up ahead is a comfortable lounge chair and towel, just for you...
Sit or lie down in the chair, or spread the towel on the sand.... relax on the chair or towel.... enjoying the sun.... the breeze.... the waves.....
You feel peaceful and relaxed.... allow all your stresses to melt away....
When you are ready to return from your vacation, do so slowly....
Bring yourself back to your usual level of alertness and awareness....
Keep with you the feeling of calm and relaxation.... feeling ready to return to your day....
Open your eyes, stretch your muscles... and become fully alert... refreshed... and filled with energy.

Meditation and Chocolate

1. For the chocolate meditation, you need, of course, a piece of chocolate. I recommend a small piece of dark chocolate with a large cocoa content, but you can use a chocolate kiss, a handful of semi-sweet chips, or whatever you have on-hand. It need not be a large piece of chocolate, either; in fact, bite-sized or a little larger is best.
2. Next, take a few deep breaths to relax your body. You want to start your chocolate meditation as physically relaxed as possible. Close your eyes, if you feel comfortable with it.
3. Finally, take a small bite of your chocolate. Let it sit on your tongue and melt in your mouth. Notice the flavors from the chocolate, becoming completely absorbed in what you're experiencing right now. Continue your deep breathing, and concentrate on the sensations in your mouth.
4. As you swallow, focus on how it feels going down. Notice how your mouth feels empty. Then, as you take a second bite, try to even notice how your arm feels as you raise the chocolate to your mouth, how it feels between your fingers, and then in your mouth. Again, focus on the sensations you are feeling in the present moment.
5. If other thoughts come into your mind during your chocolate meditation, gently refocus your attention to the flavors and sensations associated with the chocolate. The idea is to stay in the present moment as much as you possibly can.
6. Savor this feeling. When you're done savoring your chocolate, revisit the feeling throughout your day, and feel more relaxed. You may choose to continue your meditation after the chocolate is gone, or simply resume your day immediately afterward.

Learning to Breath

The most important thing that we need to teach students is to control their breathing because the most basic stress managemnet skill is breathing.

Provide students with the following directions:

1. Stand straight up with feet shoulder-width apart

2. Arms and hands are relaxed downward

3. Body is relaxed

4. Eyes closed

5. Focus on lower abdomen (belly) and imagine a small balloon in that space

6. Breath in slowly and deeply through nostrils, imagining the balloon inflating

(getting bigger/larger/growing) slowly, hold a few seconds

7. Slowly exhale through the mouth, imagining the balloon gently deflating

(getting smaller, shrinking); blow out of the mouth as if blowing out a candle

8. tip: Place a hand over the lower abdomen to feel it go up and down, and make sure you’re not breathing with the chest

9. Repeat at least 10 times