Activities for students based on coping with stress and emotion
Answers
find a consoler and have a meeting with him/her and the student to talk about the matter
Life skills: Coping with Stress & Emotion, Creative thinking, Critical thinking
Important points
It is useful to do the Behaviour which Hurts/Activities 2-4 (see page xxx) before doing this activity. If the children are not familiar with the idea of a volcano another image can be used instead e.g. a bomb
Materials
A picture of a volcano or bomb
Squares of card or paper
Paper bags
Steps
1. Explain that many things can cause feelings to build up and that can lead to stress and anger. Explain the three types of stress and ask children to give examples for each.
Frustration – occurs when someone is blocked when they want to do or ask something and they can’t because they are blocked by others or by the situation as a whole
Conflict – occurs when a difficult choice must be made
Pressure – occurs when someone feels forced to do something s/he does not really want to do, or forced to do too much.
2. Show the picture of the volcano or bomb. Explain that some people will explode like a volcano if the level of stress builds up too high.
3. Ask the group to give examples of causes of stress. Here are some of the responses from children who did this activity.
When people harass me
When I work hard for a little payment
When we girls have to work more than our brothers
People using bad language against us
Hunger
A sick friend
Loneliness
When we are beaten at home
Noise
Smell
Health problems such as headache, tooth ache, sports injury, spots on the face, toothache, heavy cold
Heat or cold
Doing unhealthy things in order to cope such as drinking, smoking, acting irritably with others, driving too fast
4. Ask what happens when people explode (become very angry)
They may harm others
They may harm themselves
They may run away
5. Divide the children into groups of three and ask them to discuss or draw causes of stress in their own lives. Ask them to decide the point at which someone may explode if all these causes came together. Give each group a paper bag.
6. Each group tells the whole group the causes of stress they have discussed, and they blow up and burst the paper bag at the point where they think someone might explode because as a result of all this stress.
You can also use physical movement for feedback. In their presentations, the group can take one step forward every time they mention one stress and then shout loudly for the explosion!
Act52
Final discussion
What are your main sources of stress? (peers, family, school, media, police, others?
What signs are there that stress is building up?
lose temper
small things become frustrating
thoughts going round and round in your mind
sinking feeling in the stomach
How can stress be reduced?
deep breathing
moving away from the cause of the stress
go for a walk/run/play sport
listen to music
a good diet
How can you tell if someone is stressed
changes in behaviour
drop in school work
conflicts with someone respected
smoking or drinking more
drugs
refusing to admit that s/he is stressed etc