STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS

Introduction

Stress is an inevitable part of life that every person must deal with; however, that doesn’t

mean we all handle stressful situations in the same way. Often times, stress is introduced in our

early teenage years and we are not fully aware of how it may affect us. High School students are

notorious for harboring stress and are often not taught how to handle all it may bring. In today’s

society, more than ever, it is necessary to teach students how to identify and cope with stress.

Schools, parents and students need to work in unison to create a less stressful environment

instead of adding to the problem (Smith, Segal, Segal, 2013). There are infinite factors that may

cause a person to feel stressed, particularly students. Family, social groups, sports, college

admission, puberty, grades and money are just a few of the reasons why students are facing

stressful situations earlier in their lives. In addition to the numerous factors, students are

unaware of how to approach each situation and who to ask for help. It is our mission as

educators to be role models to these students and to ensure they are learning both inside and out

of the classroom.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who experience “too much

work and too little play could backfire down the road.” Stress can trigger more severe problems

if it is not handled appropriately or even worse, ignored. Often times, if not addressed, stress can

lead to cognitive issues, emotional changes, physical ailments and behavioral problems (“Coping

with stress”, 2007). In order to prevent these issues, there is a need for more education on the

topic of stress. Groups focused on stress management in high school, would educate students

and bring about awareness that could prevent even larger problems down the road. The group

would not only benefit the student now but could provide useful techniques that will be helpful

in the future as well.

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Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the stress management group is to facilitate students who are having

difficulties facing situations that cause stress. We will work together to from a support system

that will create an opportunity for students to share what they are experiencing. This group will

teach students how to: identify stress, how they are affected physically, emotionally and

mentally, how to indicate what stressors are, ways to cope and pointers to avoid stress.

Group Specifics

The group will be a closed group consisting of no more than 8 students who have been

referred by their teachers, parents or a counselor. A closed group will allow the members to see

that all students are dealing with stress and that everyone can interpret it differently. This group

will consist of students from the freshman and sophomore classes and will meet at a different

time every week. Junior and senior Stress Management groups will meet separately and at

different times. The time will be varied to ensure that they will not miss a significant amount of

work for a particular subject. Meetings will be held for 40 minutes and will meet in the

boardroom in the guidance department. Sessions will run for 7 weeks.

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Parent/ Guardian Permission FormSchool Name

AddressPhone Number

EmailPermission Slip

Dear Parent/ Guardian,

The Guidance Department is excited to offer various opportunities for group counseling sessions throughout the 2012-2013 academic year. There are a variety of groups that students will be asked to join to provide assistance in coping with everyday situations. You child has been invited to join stress management group. This group will consist of 8 students and will meet over the course of 7 weeks. The time in which the group meets will vary to ensure they are not missing one class at the same time every week. In this particular group, we will be working on identifying stressors, coping skills and preventative measures for the future.

We ask that the form below be completed and returned to the Guidance Department at your earliest convenience. If there are any additional questions or concerns please contact the guidance department. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with your child.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Runyenrunyen.l@gmc.edu(School number)

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I give my child __________________________ permission to participate in the stress management group.

_______________________Parent / Guardian Signature

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Group Plans

Session 1: Group Introduction

Objective: Students will be able to identify the meaning of the group, establish group rules and be introduced to all members. Materials: writing prompts, stress ball

Procedure: Ice breaker activity: “Old Joke Mixer”- Students will each be given a slip of paper that

will either read a question or a punch line. They will walk around the room and ask each other what is on their slips in order to put the joke together. The pairs will then share the joke in its entirety to the group.

Facilitator will introduce themselves to the group and discuss why they have been referred to be a part of the group (ask if all members are willing to be a part of group too)

Members will be asked to introduce themselves to the group and mention one thing they do in their downtime

Members will establish rules for their time together (confidentiality will be stressed in order to provide the group to function more efficiently)

Evaluation: Using a stress ball as a talking piece, each student will be asked to identify one thing they wish to learn in this group.

Session 2: Defining Stress

Objective: Students will be able to define stress, what causes it, and identify how they feel and function when they are stressed. Materials: poster board, markers, stress ball

Procedure: Icebreaker: Students will repeat their names and one adjective that describes themselves

that starts with the same letter as their first name Facilitator will ask the group to review what was established last session (names, rules,

reason for group and each individual is involved to benefit from group) Web activity- posters will be hung at 3 different places in the room. (the words stress,

cause and feelings will be in the center of the web and students will surround it with their interpretations of each)

o Group will discuss What does the word stress mean to you? What causes it? How does it make you feel? (physically & emotionally)

Homework: Stress Journal (see attached)Evaluation: Members will be evaluated based on their participation in the group activity.

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Session 3: What are stressors?

Objective: Students will be able to define specific triggers that cause them to experience stress. Students will be able to acknowledge that stress is a unique experience and is interpreted differently. Materials: wastebasket, stress journal

Procedure: Facilitator will ask the group to revisit what they identified as stress, what caused it and

how it made them feel. “Puke Bucket” activity- students will discuss with the group the homework assignment

from the previous session. Members will be asked to share the situations they noted, specifically what caused their mood or feelings to change. Members will identify their triggers and how they led to their reactions. At the end of the sharing activity, each student will be asked to crumble up the stress journal paper and it will be tossed into the “puke bucket” in order to discard of those stressful situations.

Homework: Take a look at this worksheet (see attached) Evaluation: Using a stress ball as a talking piece, each student will be asked to identify one stressor that they would like to work on throughout this group.

Session 4: How does it affect us?

Objective: Student will be able to understand how stress affects their physical health and some coping strategies. Materials: wellness sheet, 50 ways to take a break sheet

Procedure: Group will explain to facilitator what they learned the previous week Activity- students will be given a “Wellness Wheel” activity sheet (see attached)

Group will discuss which areas are abundant and which are lacking. Discussion-

o Group will identify common bad habits that are caused by stress o Sleep, diet and exercise

How this may affect their stress? Are they important? What are some ways we can incorporate them into our daily routine?

o 50 ways to take a break sheet- (see attached) each student must identify at least 5 activities they can do to help themselves cope with stress.

Homework: Please wear comfortable clothes that you will be able to be active in. Evaluation: Students will be asked to share at least 3 ways they can take a break.

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Session 5: Relaxation Techniques

Objective: Students will be able to experience physical and mental strategies to assist them in coping with stress.Materials: stress ball

Procedure: Icebreaker activity- “Snow globe” activity- The facilitator will ask the students to

close their eyes, relax themselves and imagine themselves as if they were inside a snow globe. They will be asked to start breathing from their belly deeply and acknowledging the silence. The facilitator will have the students relax their mind and concentrate solely on their breathing for about 2 to 3 minutes. This will be followed by a small discussion on how this may or may not be beneficial in a stressful situation.

Yoga/stretching - students will learn basic physical ways to stretch and use yoga to help them relieve stress and stay active.

Homework: CHALLENGE: suspend the usage of all electronics thirty minutes before bed and focus on breathing and relaxation.Evaluation: Using a stress ball as a talking piece, each student will be asked to identify one thing that they liked or learned during this group.

Session 6: Positive Thinking (working toward the future)

Objective: Students will be able to determine what good and bad stress is. Students will be able to effectively identify how they will make changes for the better in the future. Materials: stress ball

Procedure: Icebreaker activity- Take 3-4 minutes to close eyes and relax themselves while

focusing on breathing. o Slight discussion about if members have used any techniques recently

Group will review what they have learned thus far together Discussion:

o How we can change for the future?o What techniques are useful to us?o Who can we talk to?o What is good stress for us?

Activity- group will work individually and create a plan for themselves for the future and then share what that may be.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated based on their participation in sharing their individual plan.

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Session 7: Closing- Pizza Party

Objective: Students will be able to recognize the advancements they have made and how they will use coping techniques in the future. Materials: Balloons, sharpies, party necessities

Procedure: Students will review what they have learned in the class and the progress they have made

in the past weeks. Each person will be given a balloon and asked to write a stressor that they previously had on the balloon. Students will then go outside as a group and let the balloons go. This will be followed by a pizza lunch and group discussion about what they have found useful from this group. Evaluation sheets will be distributed and returned at the end of group.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated by their participation in the balloon activity AND group discussion. Students will be given an evaluation sheet to be completed and returned to the counselor.

Evaluation Plan

Students will be given an evaluation form for the counselor to review. Students will also be

monitored after the group has ended by one on one “check ins” with the counselor in the weeks

to come

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Evaluation Survey

Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability. Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1= I am unable to and 5 = I am completely able to

_____ I can acknowledge when I feel stress

_____ I can separate good and bad stress

_____ I can identify a stressor

_____ I can feel my emotions change when I am stressed

_____ I am aware of how my body changes when I am stressed

_____ I can understand how stress may alter my way of thinking and decisions

_____ I am aware of how I handle stress

_____ I understand that all people view stress differently

_____ I am knowledgeable of at least 3 positive techniques that are useful when dealing w/stress

_____ I am willing to change the way I handle stress

_____ I have a personal plan of action for the next time I am faced with stress

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References

Department of Health, (2007). Coping with stress.Retrieved from Center for Clinical Interventions website: www.cci.health.wa

Horneffer-Ginter, K. (Producer). (2012, December ). 50 Ways To Take A Break [WebGraphic]. Retrieved from www.fullcupthirstyspirit.com

Smith, M., Segal, R., & Segal , J. (2013, April). Stress symptoms, signs and causes.Retrieved from www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm

Willard, C. (2010). Child's mind:mindfulness practices to help our children be more focused. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.

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