Creative words for stress management

DESCRIPTION:

This activity encourages children's artistic abilities and helps them manage their stress.

OUTCOMES:

• Managing stress
• Enhancing creative thinking

DURATION: 45 minutes

MATERIALS:

• Paper
• Crayons

SKILLS RELATED:

• Managing stress
• Artistic expression

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Step 1: Teachers initiate a discussion with children prior to this activity to find out what kind of backgrounds they prefer. Then the teacher prepares three different backgrounds/pictures such as a city, the seaside, mountains, forest, etc.
• Step 2: Pupils are asked to meditate with closed eyes for 1 minute on how they feel and what are their strengths and then decorate the given backgrounds with creative associations, words or phrases that inspire them. This activity is done every time a child feels stressed in order not to forget his skills that can help manage stress.

Tips:

• Do not insist on the reasons for stress of children if they do not feel comfortable talking about them.
• Encourage the recognition of qualities in moments of stress to put 'good before evil'.

REFLECTION:

• What are some ways I take time for myself?
• Is there a person or reason to where the stress is coming from? Who?
• How do I define stress?