Stress Management Strategies

Overview

Class: Entry 3 (Post-16 to 25 SEND Employability & Life Skills)
Duration: 90 minutes
Group size: 10 students
Unit: Navigating Mental Wellbeing (Lesson 5 of 5)
Topic: Introducing practical stress management techniques such as mindfulness, physical activity, and time management to support mental health and wellbeing.

---

Curriculum Links

This lesson supports the following statutory requirements from the National Curriculum (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education - PSHE) for Post-16 learners with SEND, aligned with the guidance from the PSHE Association and relevant government frameworks:

• Health and Wellbeing:

  • Understand strategies to maintain physical and mental health, including recognising early signs of stress and ways to manage it.
  • Explore practical ways to cope with everyday challenges and changes.
  • Develop personal resilience and self-regulation strategies.

• Personal Development:

  • Develop positive coping skills appropriate to the learner’s needs and situation.
  • Foster independence through time management and structured planning.

---

Learning Objectives / WALT

• WALT: Identify common causes of stress and recognise how stress affects our body and mind.
• WALT: Explore and practise at least three practical strategies to reduce stress, including mindfulness, physical activity, and time management.
• WALT: Create a personalised stress management plan to support wellbeing in everyday life.

---

Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Describe what stress feels like and identify triggers in their own lives.
• Demonstrate simple mindfulness techniques and explain how physical activity helps reduce tension.
• Use a basic time management tool to plan their day and reduce stress.
• Propose a stress management plan with at least two techniques they feel comfortable using.

---

Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed “Stress Management Tips” worksheets with visuals
• Timer or stopwatch
• Yoga mats or comfortable seating for mindfulness practice
• Simple planners or daily time management templates (large print if needed)
• Stress balls or handheld fidget tools
• Audio file or script for guided mindfulness (calm, short breathing exercise - 3-5 mins)

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Activity: What is Stress?

• Teacher-led discussion: Ask students what the word “stress” means to them. Use visual aids of body posture and facial expressions indicating stress.
• Share simple physiology: e.g., heart beats faster, muscles tense, mind feels worried.
• Each student verbally or with pictures shares one thing that can cause stress in their life (work, relationships, etc.).
• Record ideas on the whiteboard under “Common Stress Triggers”.

Differentiation:

• Use picture cards for ideas to support learners with communication difficulties.
• Allow students to respond verbally, using symbols, or personalised communication aids.

---

2. Main Activity Part 1: Exploring Techniques (30 minutes)

Chunk 1: Mindfulness (10 minutes)

• Explain mindfulness simply: paying attention to right now without judgement.
• Teacher leads a brief guided breathing exercise (3-5 minutes).
• Discuss how students felt before and after the exercise.

Chunk 2: Physical Activity (10 minutes)

• Talk about how moving your body can help manage stress.
• Together perform gentle stretches or seated yoga poses (demonstrate 3-4 easy moves).
• Encourage students to notice how their body feels afterwards.

Chunk 3: Time Management (10 minutes)

• Show a simple daily planner template.
• Explain how planning your day can help reduce worrying about too much to do.
• Students fill out a basic plan for the next day or week (support provided as needed).

Differentiation:

• Offer one-to-one support for planning task for students who need help structuring responses.
• Use large print, symbols, or digital apps for time management.
• Provide fidget tools or allow movement breaks for students with sensory needs during mindfulness.

Extension:

• Challenge advanced learners to identify when a planned activity might need adjusting due to stress, and how to build flexibility into their plans.

---

3. Main Activity Part 2: Personalised Stress Management Plan (20 minutes)

• Provide worksheets that prompt students to list:
  1. Their top 3 stress triggers.
  2. Stress management strategies they found helpful today.
  3. Which strategies they will try in daily life.
• Students create a simple “Stress Toolkit” poster or chart to display and refer to.

Differentiation:

• Use sentence starters or visual choice boards.
• Allow drawing or symbol use for easier expression.

---

4. Plenary / Reflection (15 minutes)

• Students share their “Stress Toolkit” ideas in small groups or with the teacher.
• Use a “Traffic Light” system for reflection:
  • Green = I feel confident using these new strategies.
  • Amber = I still have some questions or worries.
  • Red = I do not feel confident yet.
• Teacher notes any individual needs or follow-up support required.

---

5. Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment through observation during activities and discussions.
• Check completion and quality of personalised stress management plans.
• Use reflective feedback (traffic light) for self-assessment of confidence.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• Visual aids, simplified language, and one-to-one support for accessibility.
• Multi-sensory activities (movement, audio, tactile fidgets).
• Break tasks into small steps with clear instructions.
• Allow alternative forms of communication and expression.

---

Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Lead a short mindfulness or physical activity session for peers.
• Research and present an additional stress management technique (e.g., journaling or creative arts).
• Develop a weekly time management schedule incorporating stress reduction strategies with rationale.

---

Teacher Notes

• Model calm, reassuring behaviour to create a safe space for open sharing.
• Encourage use of personalised communication systems and adapt delivery as needed.
• Reinforce small successes and normalise that stress is a common experience.
• Prepare sensory-friendly adaptations for the mindfulness section where necessary.

---

This lesson concludes the unit “Navigating Mental Wellbeing” and aims to empower learners with practical skills transferable to work, life, and personal contexts.