Self-Care Strategies

Overview

In this lesson students develop personal self-care strategies to support their well-being and cope with puberty changes. They connect changes in mood, body, and relationships to practical ways they can seek support and manage their emotions.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify common puberty-related changes that can affect feelings and confidence.
• Students will analyse how transitions and changing emotions can influence their health and relationships.
• Students will practise coping and communication skills to self-manage emotions.
• Students will create a personal self-care plan for the next two weeks.

Success criteria

• I can name at least three self-care strategies that suit different situations (at school, at home, with friends).
• I can explain how one strategy helps me cope with puberty changes.
• I can identify at least two trusted people or services I can talk to if I need support.
• I can use calm communication to ask for help or express a boundary respectfully.

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P02 (analyse the impact of changes and transitions, and devise strategies to support themselves and others)
• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P06 (analyse factors influencing emotional responses and devise strategies to self-manage emotions)
• Health and Physical Education: AC9HP8P10 (plan and implement strategies, using health resources, to enhance wellbeing)
• Unit focus alignment: “Nutrition and Growth Essentials” (growth-related changes, wellbeing, and practical self-care)

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook. Teacher displays two short scenario cards: “New body changes make me feel awkward at school” and “I’m moody and don’t want to talk after sport.” Students do a silent “thumbs” vote: which feeling is harder—awkwardness, anger, worry, embarrassment—then share one reason with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Mini teach: puberty + emotions. Teacher explains that puberty can change bodies, sleep, stress levels, and friendships, which can affect emotional responses. Students complete a quick “Cause → Feeling → Impact” table for one scenario (e.g., body change → embarrassment → avoiding PE or snapping at friends). Teacher circulates and prompts students to use respectful language.

3. 12–22 min · Skills practice carousel (self-management). Teacher sets up 3 stations with short prompts and examples. Students rotate every ~3 minutes.

• Station A: Coping tools (e.g., breathing, grounding, stepping away, hydration, sleep reminders).
• Station B: Communication tools (e.g., “I need a moment”, “Can we talk later?”, refusing unwanted teasing).
• Station C: Support tools (who to talk to: parent/guardian, year coordinator, school counsellor, trusted teacher, reliable health info). At each station, students add one strategy to their workbook and write one sentence on when they would use it.

4. 22–32 min · Self-care plan drafting. Teacher models a simple template: “When X happens, I will do Y, because Z.” Students choose two “When” situations that match them (examples provided: before/after sport, change rooms, at school with friends, at home). They must include:

• 2 coping actions (one quick, one longer-term)
• 1 communication/boundary action
• 1 support option (a trusted person/resource) Students work individually; teacher provides sentence starters on the board.

5. 32–38 min · Share + feedback. In groups of 3, students read their plan and give one “Glow and Grow” comment: one thing that seems helpful and one small improvement (e.g., “make it specific”, “add a support person”, “ensure the boundary line is respectful”). Teacher reminds students to keep personal information appropriate.

6. 38–40 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “One self-care strategy I will try in the next two weeks is… It will help me because…” Teacher collects for quick review of understanding.

Resources

• Scenario cards (teacher-made) covering embarrassment, mood changes, teasing, and needing privacy
• Student self-care plan template (paper or digital)
• Station prompt sheets with examples of coping, communication, and support
• Timer for rotations
• Sentence starters for planning (displayed on board)
• “Trusted support” card list (school-based contacts and general help services if provided by the school)
• Pens/pencils and workbook or device

Assessment

• Formative check during station carousel: teacher notes whether students can identify coping, communication, and support strategies
• Workbook self-care plan: review for specificity, relevance to puberty transitions, and inclusion of support
• Exit ticket: confirm students understand the “strategy → purpose → situation” link and can articulate a reason it helps

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters, a word bank (embarrassed, overwhelmed, calm, boundaries, privacy), and a partially completed plan template for students who need scaffolding.
• Support: allow students to choose from example “When” situations aligned to typical Y7 experiences (sport, change rooms, friendships).
• Extension: challenge students to add an additional strategy for a different context (online/digital or at home) and justify it with a brief explanation.
• SEN/EAL: reduce writing load by allowing dot points, offer a choice of “quick coping” options, and check understanding verbally before rotation.
• Wellbeing safety: remind students they can pass on sharing personal details; they may keep plans private and only share general strategies.