Calm Mind Skills

Overview

Today’s lesson is lesson 2 of 9 in the unit “Managing Stress and Seeking Help”. Students will practise simple self-calming strategies they can use when they notice stress in their body and thoughts.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify signs of stress in their body and feelings.
• Students will practise at least two self-calming strategies (breathing and grounding).
• Students will choose a strategy that matches how they are feeling.
• Students will explain when it is helpful to use self-calming before seeking support.

Success criteria

• I can notice when I feel stressed (in my body, thoughts, or feelings).
• I can practise a breathing strategy safely and calmly.
• I can name and use one grounding/mindfulness technique.
• I can tell someone what I need if I’m still feeling too stressed.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education learning: recognising emotions and managing behaviour in ways that support wellbeing.
• Health learning: practising personal safety and help-seeking strategies when emotions feel too big to manage alone.
• Personal and Social Capability: building self-management skills to regulate emotions and cope with challenges.
• Critical and Creative Thinking: reflecting on which strategy works best for different feelings and situations.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 3 minutes – Welcome and lesson goal

• Briefly explain: “We’re learning self-calming strategies for when we feel stressed.”
• Remind students that practising doesn’t mean they are in trouble; it’s like training for “calm”.

2. 7 minutes – Stress check-in: body signals

• Use a simple “body thermometer” visual (low/medium/high) and ask students to point to where they feel stress (e.g., tummy, chest, head, fists, fast feet).
• Teacher models “I notice…” language and asks each student one prompt question: “What happens in your body when you’re stressed?”

3. 10 minutes – Strategy 1: breathing to calm

• Teach a child-friendly breathing routine: “Smell the flower, blow the candle.”
• Do 3 rounds together: inhale through nose (pretend smell), exhale slowly (pretend blow).
• Add one choice variation: “If you prefer, you can count 1–3 on the exhale.”

4. 12 minutes – Strategy 2: grounding/mindfulness (hands-on)

• Introduce a sensory grounding activity: “5-4-3-2-1” using objects in the room (or a small grab-bag of items).
• Students choose what to notice: 5 things they can see, 4 things they can feel (touch the chair/fabric/ground), 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, 1 thing they can taste (or pretend if tasting isn’t possible).
• Teacher guides with a calm voice and keeps prompts short. Students practise for about 6 minutes, then repeat once if time.

5. 8 minutes – Apply it: calm choice scenario

• Present 2 quick “practice stories” (teacher reads):
• Scenario A: “Lining up feels too loud and you feel tense.”
• Scenario B: “You made a mistake in class and feel embarrassed.”
• Each student selects which strategy to use first (breathing or grounding) and demonstrates it for 20–30 seconds.
• Teacher supports language: “I chose ___ because ___.”

6. 4 minutes – Help-seeking bridge

• Explain: “Self-calming helps first. If you’re still too stressed, you can seek help.”
• Prompt: “Who could you ask?” Provide common classroom options (teacher, trusted peer, wellbeing/support staff).
• Students complete a quick verbal sentence frame: “I can calm with ___. If I still feel ___, I will ask ___.”

7. 1 minute – Closure

• Celebrate effort: “You practised calm skills.”
• Preview next lesson: coping with stress using more supports and help-seeking.

Resources

• Visual “body thermometer” (low/medium/high) for stress
• Calm breathing cue cards (Smell the flower / Blow the candle)
• Small sensory items or a “sensory bag” (smooth/rough object, paper texture, small bell for sound)
• Timer (for short rounds of breathing/grounding)
• Sentence strips: “I notice… / I chose… / I can ask…”
• Aquiet corner option (chair spot or soft mat) if a student needs regulation space
• Teacher example script (calm voice prompts)

Assessment

• Observation checklist during activities: student can participate in breathing and grounding with support.
• Informal discussion check: student can name a body stress signal and choose a strategy.
• Help-seeking evidence: student can state who they would ask if still stressed (even with prompting).

Differentiation

• Support (ADHD/Autism): short steps, predictable routine, clear start/stop signals, and reduced language complexity; allow non-verbal participation (pointing or demonstrating without speaking).
• Support: offer choice cards (two strategies only today) to reduce decision overload.
• Extension: ask “What could you try next if the first strategy doesn’t work?” and practise a second mini-round.
• EAL/SEN: provide sentence frames and allow responses via pointing, drawing a body location, or repeating key phrases.