National Stress Awareness Day 2018 – 5 Ways To Manage Stress
It’s National Stress Awareness Day 2018 and we’ve put together a few stress-busting tips for you to pass onto students.
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes and pupils will handle it in their own way, which is why the following are five suggestions and may work differently from person to person.
1) Encourage mistakes
Mistakes are a vital part of the learning and development process but lots of students are afraid to get things wrong.
The best way to counter this is to show them that mistakes are important and not the be-all and end-all.
Encourage students to reflect on mistakes with questions such as, ‘What could I have done differently?’ ‘What worked well?’
2) Time management
It’s no surprise that pupils get stressed if they think they’re running out of time to complete homework tasks. Promoting time management techniques should help them to focus.
Try promoting the use of homework planners to break tasks down into manageable chunks and plan ahead.
Be sure to remind them to allow plenty of time for study breaks, sleep and extra-curricular activities!
3) Improve understanding
It’s important that students are aware that stress is part of daily life and to be able to recognise the signs in themselves.
This could help them to seek advice if needed and to stay on top of things.
4) Exercise
You probably already know that exercise can be hugely beneficial for mental health, due to the endorphin release.
Encourage your students to set aside some time each week for moderate exercise and they should feel the benefits in no time.
5) Look after yourself
This last point is surprisingly easy to forget.
As teachers, you will be used to putting your students first but don’t forget about your own well-being.
One of the best ways to help pupils manage stress and anxiety is to lead by example. So make sure you take breaks from work, reflect on your own mistakes and spend time doing the things you love!
Have you got any other tips for encouraging a positive mindset in students? Have you been doing anything in school in honour of National Stress Awareness Day 2018?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or dropping us a quick tweet 🙂
The Boomerang Team.