Strengths for Stress

Overview

In this lesson, students identify their personal strengths and practise simple coping strategies that use those strengths when challenges feel big. They create a personal strengths poster to use as a reminder during stressful times.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify personal strengths they have and what those strengths help them do.
• Students will connect strengths to coping strategies they can use during stress or worry.
• Students will practise seeking help appropriately when they feel overwhelmed.
• Students will create a personalised strengths poster for future use.

Success criteria

• I can name at least two personal strengths and describe how they help me.
• I can match a coping strategy to a strength (for example, “When I’m upset, I can use…”).
• I can share my poster ideas respectfully with my group.
• I can identify one safe person or place to seek help.

Curriculum links

• Personal and social wellbeing: relationships and recognising feelings, using strategies to manage emotions and stress.
• Health literacy: using information about emotions and coping strategies to make helpful choices.
• Contributing to healthy, safe communities: recognising when and how to seek help.
• General capability: Personal and Social Capability (self-management, recognising emotions, help-seeking).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 2 min – Settling & purpose Students settle in a calm space. Teacher states today’s goal: “We’ll find our strengths and use them to cope with stress.”

2. 6 min – Feelings check-in (notice and label) Students choose a feeling picture/card (happy, worried, angry, excited, tired, nervous) and share one sentence: “Right now I feel… because…” Teacher prompts with “Do you feel it in your body? (heartbeat, tummy, shoulders)”.

3. 10 min – Strengths circle (group discussion) Teacher presents a simple “strengths” set of prompts (kind, brave, curious, good listener, patient, organised, funny, creative, hardworking). In turns, each student shares:

• one strength they have
• one time they used it to handle something tricky Teacher uses respectful talk moves: “I hear you…”, “That makes sense…”, “Can you tell us more?”

4. 8 min – Strengths to coping (mini modelling + examples) Teacher models a strengths-to-strategy link using one student-friendly example:

• Strength: “Good listener”
• Coping: “Take a slow breath, then talk to a trusted person.” Teacher then asks each student to select two strengths and brainstorm one matching coping strategy per strength (e.g. draw, write, move, ask for help, practise calming breathing, use a quiet corner).

5. 12 min – Create a personal strengths poster Students create posters on A4/A3 paper with thick marker supports. Provide a template with large spaces:

• “My Strengths” (2–3 boxes)
• “When I feel stressed, I can…” (2–3 strategy boxes)
• “My help person/place is…” (1 box) Teacher circulates and uses sentence starters for students with additional needs:
• “My strength is…”
• “It helps me when…”
• “I can cope by…”

6. 5 min – Poster share (low-pressure) Students share with the group using a quick routine: point to one strength and one strategy. Teacher reinforces positive phrasing: “Thank you for using respectful words” and “That’s a helpful coping idea.”

7. 2 min – Exit reflection & keep posters Students complete a final sentence verbally or with a one-word choice: “One strength I will use is…” Posters go home or into the class coping kit. Teacher reminds: “If your body feels too big, ask for help.”

Resources

• Feeling picture cards (multiple options, including body-sensation cues)
• Strengths cards/prompts (kind, brave, curious, patient, organised, funny, creative, hardworking, good listener)
• Personal strengths poster template (pre-drawn boxes) and plain paper for choice
• Thick textas/markers and crayons; stickers for strengths
• Calming tools: small laminated breathing card, fidget/comfort item (one per student)
• Timer or visual countdown for transitions
• Sentence starters strip for communication supports
• Help-seeking cue cards (“trusted adult”, “friend”, “teacher”, “nurse”, “quiet place”)

Assessment

• Observation during discussion: can students name strengths and give a simple example of when they used them?
• Poster review: completion of strengths, matched coping strategies, and at least one help person/place.
• Exit reflection: student can state one strength-to-strategy they will use.

Differentiation

• Provide a partially completed poster template and strength card choices to reduce writing load for students with ADHD/Autism.
• Use turn-taking with a visual routine and allow “pass” to support regulation; offer alternative communication (pointing, choosing cards, drawing).
• Offer sensory supports during creation (fidgets, quiet corner, movement breaks) and keep instructions to short steps.
• Extension: for students who finish early, add a “Plan B” coping strategy (another option if the first doesn’t work) and include a second help person/place.