SMALL GROUP CURRICULUM FOR

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND COPING

SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Rachel Kwan
CSP 670- San Diego State University
May 13, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Supporting Research/Background Information.3
Screening instructions....8
Lesson 1: Welcome/Group Orientation/Initial Bonding..10
Creating Norms
Group Goals
Personal Goal Setting
Icebreaker- Human Bingo

Lesson 2: Acknowledging Stress in Ourselves and Others..13

Icebreaker- Ultimate Rock Paper Scissors
Learning about Stress
The Stress Walk

Lesson 3: Identifying Personal Stressors.16

Icebreaker- Jump In, Jump Out
Throwing Out Your Worries
Stress Balls

Lesson 4: Dont Worry, Be Happy..18

Icebreaker- Mingle Mingle
The Role of Worrying
Worry Dolls

Lesson 5: Stress Busters...21

Icebreaker- Group Juggler
How to Deal with Stress
Stress Busters
Stress Management Plan

Lesson 6: Types of Stress and Mindful Meditation..25

Icebreaker- Act and React
Positive/Productive Stress
Mindfulness Meditation

Lesson 7: Closure and Celebration...27

Icebreaker- Tangled Web
Reviewing Goals
Wrap Up and Compliment Cards
Certificates

Evaluation.....29
Pre/Post Group Data Evaluation

Appendices....30

The Impact of Stress on High School Students

Stress is a normal and unavoidable part of life. However, excessive stress and long-term
stressful environments can negatively influence performance, as well as cause emotional,
behavioural, and psychological problems. Stress during adolescent years can be damaging during
current and later years, both physically and emotionally. In fact, adolescence is a stage of life
where individuals are dealing with adjustment, relationships, self image, academics, and many
other issues.
To explore the sources of stress and coping strategies, a cross sectional study on high
school students was conducted using data from 288 students (Lin & Yusoff, 2013). Close to an
exam period, the students completed self report questionnaires regarding general health,
stressors, and coping methods. Results indicated that 46.7% of students were dealing with
psychological distress, mainly related to their academics, with the most common stressors being
fear of not being accepted into university, too much material to cover, and lack of time to study.
Negative coping mechanisms such as behavioural disengagement and self-blaming were also
found in students who reported higher levels of stress.
As can be seen by Lin and Yusoffs identification of negative coping mechanisms,
interventions to teach students about coping with and managing stress are extremely important in
order to balance the academic pressure of school. Another maladaptive coping mechanism seen
in schools is substance abuse. In a 2012 study by Mache, it was found that in addition to health
relaxation activities such as meeting with friends and sleeping, 55% of German students reported
drinking alcohol and 21% reported smoking cigarettes to relax. As illustrated from the
aforementioned studies, excessive stress can be damaging to adolescents, especially when they
turn to negative coping strategies.

Indeed, so with many possible negative coping strategies, it is important for educators to
teach students how to cope with stress is more positive ways. According to KadzikowskaWrzosek (2012), certain personality variables have a stress-buffering effect. Action oriented
individuals are people who have high self regulation competences, since they are able to regulate
emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. State oriented individuals are unable to regulate their
emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, making them unable to change their state. In this study, 92
participated aged 18-19 completed a self regulation competencies and perceived stress scale
close to their final exams. Results indicated that a higher level of perceived stress was associated
with emotional ill-being. However, self regulation (a quality of action oriented individuals)
moderated the influence of the perceived stress. In contrast, state oriented individuals who were
unable to use self regulation had more mental health problems and had increase perceived stress.
As evident from these findings, teaching students how to be action oriented rather than state
oriented could help reduce the harmful effects of stress. By helping students learn how to both
interpret and regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, they would be more able to deal
with stressful situations oand environments without turning to some of the negative coping
mechanisms found in other studies.
A different method of promoting stress reduction and management in schools comes from
the practice of yoga. As an ancient system of physical, mental, and spiritual discipline,
Venkataramana, Poomalil, and Shobhasree (2008) believe that it may be a key to coping with
stress. While academics have been shown to increase stress levels of students, yoga leads to a
relaxed body and mental state. In this study, 139 students were randomly assigned to either the
yoga (experimental) condition, or the non-yoga (control) condition. The yoga group participated
in yoga practice one hour a day for a continuous 90 day period, while the non-yoga group did

nothing different. Both groups took a scale on academic stress before and after the 90 day period,
with results showing a change only in the yoga group. The students in the experimental group
reported a significant decrease in academic stress, which can be attributed to their practice of
yoga. These results highlight the importance of a balanced lifestyle- the type of internal balance
that yoga seeks to create.
Although it may not be practical to dedicate an entire hour of every school day to the
practice of yoga, certain ideas can be taken from it. For example, the idea of meditation as a way
to clear the mind and focus on the present, or the idea of physical wellness impacting mental
wellness. This idea has been explored by Winser (2013), who found that by implementing a
program of mindfulness meditation (a type of meditation that seeks to achieve a mind that is
table and calm), students had significantly improved stress management, enhanced emotional
coping, and improved state of mind.
Stress is often seen as a negative word; in the media, by medical professionals, with our
classmates or colleagues, and even in this exploration of stress management techniques. After all,
why would we need to manage something that was having a positive influence on our lives?
However, it is important to communicate with students that not everything about stress is
negative. Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal gave a talk about some of the benefits of stress.
Physiologically, when people experience stress, they may feel their breathing and heartbeat
quicken or their palms start sweating. While most see this is a negative signal that they are under
too much pressure, these physical symptoms can also be viewed positively as their bodys way of
overcoming obstacles and preparing to meet new challenges. Another physiological response to
stress is the release of oxytocin hormone, which aids in heart cell regeneration to repair stress-

induced damage. It is often referred to the cuddle hormone because of the way it makes people
more social, leading them to connect with others and seek support when they are under stress.
When stress is viewed as our body priming us to seek help to deal with challenges, it
takes on a less negative connotation. However, it has still been shown that increased levels of
stress lead to many negative outcomes. Why is that? In an eight year long longitudinal study,
Keller, Litzelman, Wisk, Maddox, Cheng, Creswell, and Witt (2011) collected data from a
national health survey was linked to the national death index in order to examine the interaction
between amount of stress and perception of stress, and how those factors impacted health. They
found that perceptions of stress were more indicative of an early death than actual levels of stress
themselves. That is, if one who experienced little stress viewed it in a negative light, they were
still more likely to die earlier than someone who had more stress, but viewed stress in a positive
light. This highlights the importance of how individuals interpret stress, and what impact their
interpretation may have on their health.
Teaching students ways of coping with or reducing stress is important, but it is also vital
to teach them that stress responses can be seen in a positive light. By showing them how stress is
an adaptation meant to help humans, they may have an easier time accepting their stressful
feelings and finding a way to overcome the source of their stress.

References
Kadzikowska-Wrzosek, R. (2012). Perceived stress, emotional ill-being and psychosomatic
symptoms in high school students: The moderating effect of self-regulation competences.
Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 14(3), 25-33.
Keller, A., Litzelman, K., Maddox, T., Cheng, E.R., Cresswell, P.D., & Witt, W.P. (2011). Does
the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality.
Health Psychol, 31(5). 677-684.
Lin, H., & Yusoff, M. (2013). Psychological distress, sources of stress and coping strategy in
high school students. International Medical Journal, 20(6), 672-676.
Mache, S., Vitzthum, K., Groneberg, D., & Klapp, B. F. (2012). How to stay mentally healthy
during medical education. Stress coping and relaxation behaviour of female and male
students. Medical Teacher, 34(10).
Tenore, M.J. (2014, February 6). Kelly McGonigal: Your biological stress response is telling
you to share your story. Retrieved from http://ivoh.org/kelly-mcgonigal-biologicalstress-response-telling-share-story/
Venkataramana, H., Poomalil, S., & Shobhasree, T. T. (2008). Effect of yoga on academic stress
of high school students. Social Science International, 24(1), 89-97.
Wisner, B. L. (2013). An exploratory study of mindfulness meditation for alternative school
students: Perceived benefits for improving school climate and student functioning.
Mindfulness, doi:10.1007/s12671-013-0215-9

Screening instructions
Students in this group may be referred by teachers or parents who think that the student is
experiencing high levels of stress, or may also volunteer to be part of this group themselves if
they are feeling stressed. The strongest candidates would be students who have experienced
stress-induced breakdowns at school or at home, students who report maladaptive ways of
coping with stress (e.g. smoking, self-blame, etc.), and students who develop anxiety symptoms
in stressful situations.
The group will meet once a week for seven consecutive weeks, with each session lasting
50 minutes. Preferable size for the group is to have eight to twelve students in order to maximize
the sense of community and sharing, while giving each student enough time to fully participate
in the group. These numbers represent the ideal, but the group will still function if there are a few
more or less students.
Candidates for this group will be interviewed by one of the facilitators in order to
determine if he or she will be a good fit and benefit from the group. During the screening
process, attention should be given to whether the student has been part of other groups, and how
they interact with others. The pre-group screening will take approximately 15 minutes per
student. In this screening, you should first give an introduction about what the group is about,
why they are being asked to participate (reminding the student that participation is voluntary),
and how often meetings will occur. It is important to talk about what the student can gain from
participating (meeting new people, learning new skills), as well as help the student select a few
general goals to match the topic of the group. Attendance, behaviour, and confidentiality
expectations should be discussed so that the student knows what behaviours are acceptable in

sessions. Lastly, each student should receive information about the parent and teacher forms to
be completed, and when they are due.
This group is voluntary, and students who indicate are unwilling to participate should not
be forced to attend. If a student displays some disinterest or is unsure whether they want to be a
part of the group, the facilitators may invite the student to the first group as a trial for whether
they would like to continue. This group is designed to be closed in order to focus on building
close relationships and maintaining group dynamics. Additional students who outnumber the
available group slots but are interested and a good fit should be put on a waiting list to enter the
group during its next session.
Lastly, students selected for the group should receive a consent form for their parents to
sign and return to the school (please see Appendix A).
Goals for the group:

Develop a network of support for the students

Provide a safe space for students to discuss their stressors and stress triggers

Teach students methods of coping with and reducing stress

Discuss the positive aspects of stress, and how interpreting our bodys stress reactions as
positive can aid our overall health

Explore the importance of self care and why it is important

Address the importance of physical wellness to reduce stress

Discuss ways to help others who are experiencing stress

SESSION #1: Welcome/Group Orientation/Initial bonding (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will be told about the purpose of the Stress Management and Coping skills group. They
will come up with the group rules that are to be followed for the remaining sessions, and
participate in an icebreaker activity to begin the group bonding process.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, large poster, large marker, index cards, pens, pre-test, small
prizes (bookmarks, water bottles, candy, etc.)
PRIOR TO FIRST MEETING:
Inform teachers of students group participation, and inform them about the time, place, and
dates of all group meetings. Also keep them updated on any important information that arises.
Passes will be sent out during the class prior to the groups scheduled time.
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will introduce themselves and explain the purpose and goals of the Stress
Management and Coping group, as well as reconfirm information about the weekly
meeting times and place.
3. Explain confidentiality, what it is, why it is important, and its limits. Ensure that students
understand the situations in which confidentiality may be broken:
a. A student is hurting themselves
b. A student is being hurt by someone else
c. A student is planning to hurt someone else
d. A student has knowledge about someone else being hurt
Emphasize that all other information that does not apply to these guidelines will be kept
confidential within the group.
4. Create the group guidelines. Ask the students to come up with rules for the group in order
for them to feel comfortable and respected throughout the sessions. Write the guidelines
down on a poster so that members will have a visible reminder of the rules they came up
with. Make sure the poster is visible at every meeting.
5. Explain the feelings check in and model it for the students to understand. Ask the students
to go around in the circle and check in, reminding them that they have the right to pass if
they are not comfortable with sharing.
6. Discuss the goals of the group and what you hope to impart on students during their time
together with you.

10

SESSION #1: Welcome/Group Orientation/Initial bonding-CONTINUED

7. Activity: GOAL SETTING:
Pass out an index card and pen to each student.
Ask them to write down their name and one to three goals that they hope to achieve
by being in the Stress Management and Coping Skills group.
Let them know that these wont be shared with the group, but that theyll be collected
by the facilitators and returned on the second last day of group.
8. Give the students the Pre-Evaluation (Appendix B). Explain that it is anonymous and that
they should be honest and answer to the best of their abilities.
9. Icebreaker activity: HUMAN BINGO:
Pass out human bingo sheets (Handout #1) and explain the rules written on the sheet.
Anyone who completes the activity gets a prize.
10. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity.
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
First impressions are important, so be sure to convey a sense of caring but also control over the
group. It is important to build trust within the group, so it is encouraged that you participated in
the same activities as the students.
(Lesson adapted from Insight Curriculum, Session #1)

11

SESSION #1: Welcome/Group Orientation/Initial bonding-HANDOUT #1

HUMAN BINGO
I own more than
3 hats

I know all the

words to a
cartoon opening
theme song

I have been
camping

I watched a
movie in
theatres in the
last month

I can touch my
nose with my
tongue

I have planted a
tree

I dislike eggnog

I ate fast food

in the past 5
days

I can sing the

alphabet
backward

I own a kite

I can find
Hungary on a
world map

I snore

I can do a magic
trick with cards

FREE BOX

I floss my teeth
at least once a
week

I have milked a
cow

I collect
something
(stamps, coins,
etc.)

I sleep with
only one
pillow

I prefer waffles
to pancakes

I own a device
that requires AA
batteries

I am taller than
one of my
parents/guardians

I can touch my
toes (standing up
and bending
forward- bending
knees is
cheating!)

I have a
favourite pen

I woke up before
8:00am today

I eat around the

pretzels in party
mix

RULES
1) You must ask someone to initial for a specific box (you cant just hand them your sheet
and ask them to sign whichever applies to them)
2) Each person can only sign for one box on each sheet (each box has to have a different
initial)
3) Anyone who can get 5 in a row wins!
12

13

SESSION #2: Acknowledging Stress in Ourselves and Others (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will learn to identify and come to terms with their own sources of stress, as well as
recognize that it is a normal part of life and present in the lives of others. The icebreaker will
promote early group bonding and cheerleading for one another. The Stress Walk will be used to
show students that others also experience stress at times, fostering a sense of camaraderie.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, coloured tape
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will remind students about confidentiality and the group rules created during
the last session, then review the agenda for the day.
3. Students and facilitators will do a brief feelings check in, taking time to address negative
feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: ULTIMATE ROCK PAPER SCISSORS:
Instruct students to find a partner and introduce themselves.
After introductions are complete, each pair will play a best out of three game of rock
paper scissors. After one participant wins, the losing player will become the winning
players biggest fan. This means that they will follow the winning student around and
cheer them on enthusiastically.
The winning player (with their fan), will find another winner and repeat the process:
introducing themselves and playing a best out of three game of rock paper scissors.
Afterward, the loser and all of their fans will now become fans of the new winner.
Repeat this processes until the final two players compete with these enthusiastic
squads cheering them on! (Note: fans are to cheer for players, never against another
player).
(Icebreaker taken from Jonathan Piliser)

5. Discussion about stress:

a. What is stress?
b. Who experiences stress?
c. What are they symptoms and consequences of stress?
d. How do you feel when you are stressed?
e. What are some of the things that stress you out?
6. Activity: THE STRESS WALK:
Put a piece of tape down the middle of the room, dividing it in half.
Ask students to stand on one side of the room. Explain that you will be reading out
situations, and that the students are to walk across the line to the other side if the
situation or description applies to them.
14

SESSION #2: Acknowledging Stress in Ourselves/Others- CONTINUED

Tell them that this is a silent exercise (no talking allowed). Students maintain the right
to pass if they are uncomfortable, but encourage them to take risks.
After each statement, say looking into the eyes of those you have taken with you
Look into the eyes of those you have left behind... Allow yourself to feel whatever
feelings you are feeling You may now walk back across. Give enough pause for
students to look into the eyes of one another.

(Activity adapted from Insight Curriculum, Session #3)

Debrief: What did you learn from doing this activity? How did you feel when you were
crossing the line? How did it feel when you didnt have to cross the line? How did it feel to
have other people on the same side of the line as you?
7. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
The culture walk can be a powerful activity, so it is important to debrief with the group. If the
group is too large for the space provided, the culture walk may be conducted outside or in a
different area.

15

SESSION #2: Acknowledging Stress in Ourselves/Others-CONTINUED

THE STRESS WALK
Cross the line if
1) Your favourite colour is red.
2) You like ice cream more than pizza.
3) Youve ever felt stressed about school.
4) Youve ever felt stressed about something going on at home.
5) Youve ever felt stressed because of your friends.
6) Youve felt anxiety about a test or assignment.
7) Your hands get sweaty when youre stressed.
8) Youve blamed yourself for your stress.
8) You avoid situations that make you feel stressed.
9) You have been unable to sleep because of stress.
10) Youve felt stressed about small things that you dont think people should get stressed out
about.
11) Youve hurt yourself to deal with stress.
12) Someone has made fun of you for getting stressed out.
13) Sometimes the stress feels so unbearable that you dont know what to do.
14) You feel like you put too much pressure on yourself.
15) Youve skipped school because of stress.
16) Youve used alcohol or drugs to deal with stress.
17) Youve lashed out at others because you were stressed.
18) You feel like others put too much pressure on you.
19) You cant imagine your life without stress/
20) You think being stressed is abnormal.

16

SESSION #3: Identifying Personal Stressors (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will think about and share their own sources of stress. They will them practice imagery
techniques to get rid of their stress, then make stress balls to eliminate remaining stress/anxiety.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, Play Doh, balloons
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will remind students about group rules, then review last weeks session (the
stress walk) and talk about the agenda for the day.
3. Students and facilitators will do a brief feelings check in, taking time to address negative
feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: JUMP IN JUMP OUT:
Instruct students to stand in a circle and hold hands. Explain that every time the
facilitator gives an instruction, the group is to repeat what the facilitator has said as
they complete the action (either jumping in to make a smaller circle, or jumping out
to make a bigger circle).
Play the first round for about 30 seconds, either saying jump in or jump out
For the second found, everyone in the group will still repeat the instruction that the
facilitator gives, but they must perform the opposite action. Play this round for about
30 seconds.
For the third round, everyone in the group will say the opposite instruction of what
the facilitator says, but perform the correct action. Play this round for about 30
seconds.
(Icebreaker taken from Sally Barquin)

5. Activity: THROWING OUT YOUR WORRIES:

Ask students to think about the things that make them stressed.
Tell the students to imagine that they have an invisible pencil and some invisible
paper. Tell them to use their imaginary materials to write down what they just thought
about (the stressors).
After all students are done, ask them to throw their stressors into an imaginary
garbage can in the middle of the circle.
Discussion: Ask students to share one of the things they wrote down, and why it stresses
them out. Remind them that they have the right to pass, but that taking risks and being honest
helps the group as a whole.

17

SESSION #3: Identifying Personal Stressors - CONTINUED

6. Activity: STRESS BALLS:
Give each student a small tub of Play Doh and a Balloon.
Instruct the students to take their Play Doh and flatten it into a pancake, imaging that
they are squishing the stressor that they just talked about.
Have the students roll their Play Doh pancake into a tube, then insert it into their
balloon, pressing down to fill the balloon from the bottom up.
Next, ask the students to tie the bottom of their balloon into a knot (just as they would
tie a regular balloon to close it).
Explain that they just created their own stress balls. They stuffed their stress inside
the balloon, where it is now trapped. They can squeeze the balloon if they ever want
to squish their stress.
(Activity adapted from Moonfyre, retrieved from http://www.moonfrye.com/diy/diy-play-dough-stressballs/)

7. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity.

FRIENDLY REMINDER:
At this point, the group should feel safer taking risks and sharing their thoughts and feelings.
Gently encourage quieter students to speak up if they have not done so thus far.

18

SESSION #4: Dont Worry, Be Happy (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will examine the role of worrying in stress, and how it does not improve the situation or
relieve stress. Students will also create a worry-doll to transfer their worry to.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, wooden clothespins, yarn or embroidery thread, pipe cleaners,
markers, worry flowchart handout
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will remind students about group rules, then review last weeks session (the
stress walk) and talk about the agenda for the day.
3. Students and facilitators will do a brief feelings check in, taking time to address negative
feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: MINGLE MINGLE:
Instruct students to stand up in no particular order or shape.
Explain that they will be walking around the room saying, Mingle mingle. The only
rule is that they cannot walk close enough to be linking arms.
When the facilitator yells a number, the students are to form a group with that amount
of members. Anyone who does not get a group will join the facilitator in choosing
numbers for the next round.
The game continues until there is one group of winners.
(Icebreaker taken from Lili Barajas)

5. Discussion about worrying:

a. How is worrying connected to stress?
b. Why can worrying make a situation worse?
c. What are some of the things that you worry about?
d. Handout #1: The Worrying Flowchart: Tell students to apply some of their worries to
the flowchart. Ask them questions such as: how would you behave differently if you
followed the flow chart? Do you feel different when things are in your control versus
out of your control? What are some challenges you may face while trying to apply
this flowchart to the things youre worrying about?
6. Activity: WORRY DOLLS:
Tell the students that worry dolls are a traditional Guatemalan toy that take the form
of small and colourful people. If they are feeling worried or if something is bothering
them, they can tell the doll and then put it under their pillow while they sleep at night.
Over the course of the night, the worry dolls are said to worry in the persons place,
letting them sleep peacefully and get enough rest.

19

SESSION #4: Dont Worry, Be Happy-CONTINUED

Hand out the clothespins, yarn or embroidery thread, and pipe cleaners.
Instruct the students to wrap the pipe cleaner around the clothespin close to the top.
Cut the pipe cleaners to create the right length for arms for their worry dolls.
Next, tell students to wrap their clothespin with the yarn or thread, wrapping over the
pipe cleaner too.
Once they get to the waist (where the clothespin splits into two), they can wrap each
leg individually with a different colour yarn or thread.
After they are done wrapping their worry doll, they can use markers to draw a face
and hair onto their doll.

(Activity adapted from Gretchen Miller, retrieved from

http://gretchenmiller.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/worry-doll-muneca-quitapenas-how-to/)

Discussion: If time permits, ask each student to share one thing that theyre going to ask their
worry doll to worry about for them.

(Completed Worry Doll, Image taken from Gretchen Miller)

7. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity.

8. Homework: Use your worry doll! Keep track of some of the things that you tell it to
worry about for you. Does it work for you?
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
At this point, the group should feel safer taking risks and sharing their thoughts and feelings.
Gently encourage quieter students to speak up if they have not done so thus far.

20

SESSION #4: Dont Worry, Be Happy- HANDOUT #1

The Worry Flowchart

21

SESSION #5: Stress Busters (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will discuss positive and negative ways of dealing with stress, and how positive stress
busters can relieve their stressful feelings if theyre feeling overwhelmed. Students will also
create a plan with specific stress busters to use for things that are currently stressing them out.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, stress busters handout, stress management plan, pens, 4-7 tossing
items such a bean bags, soft toys, tennis balls, etc.
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will remind students about group rules, then review last weeks session
(worry dolls). Ask students about their homework, and then talk about the agenda for the
day.
3. Students and facilitators will do a brief feelings check in, taking time to address negative
feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: GROUP JUGGLER:
Tell students to form a standing circle. The facilitator starts by naming a person in the
group, then throwing the object to them.
The person who has the object will name another person and pass it to them. This will
continue until everyone has received the object once (students should cross their
hands over their chest after they pass on the object to show that they have already had
it).
The final person should throw the object back to the facilitator. Now the facilitator
will introduce three or four more objects, and instruct group members to continue
to pass it to the person they passed it to the first time.
Next, the facilitator will add another object, with the rule that it must be passed in the
opposite direction (you will receive the object from the person you usually pass it to).
Discussion: How did you handle having to juggle so many things at the same time? How do
we balance things in life when we have a lot going on? Was there anything that made this
activity easier? Can we apply helpful strategies from this activity into our lives?
(Icebreaker taken from Katie Hickey)

5. Discussion about how to deal with stress:

a. Discuss how everyone deals with stress in a unique way
b. Talk about negative ways to cope with stress (lashing out at others, self blame,
substance abuse) and positive ways to cope with stress (getting enough sleep,
exercising, connecting with others).
c. Explore the benefits of trying out new positive ways to deal with stress

22

SESSION #5: Stress Busters-CONTINUED

6. Activity: STRESS BUSTERS:
Hand out the stress buster worksheet (Handout #1) and pens to students.
Ask them to read through the list of stress busters and put stars next to the ones that
they like, underline the new ones that they want to try, and writing in any additional
ideas they have at the bottom (5 minutes).
Discussion: Once everyone is done, ask every student to share one stress buster that they
starred, one that they underlined, and one that they wrote in. Tell the students that they should
keep the handout to refer to if theyre ever looking for other ways to cope with stress.
7. Activity: STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN:
Hand out the stress management worksheet (Handout #2).
Ask students to think of some of the things that cause stress in their life, then list them
at the top of the page.
Next, ask students to take one or two of the stress management techniques discussed
and create a plan for using them when their stressors get in the way.
8. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity.
9. Homework: Use one of the underlined (havent done it before, but want to try) stress
busters this week. Did it work for you? What did you like or dislike about it?
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Let the group know that you only have two more sessions together. Tell them that they are past
the halfway point in the group, and that you are proud of all the progress they have made in
managing their stress.
(Lesson adapted from Insight Curriculum, Session #7)

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SESSION #5: Stress Busters- HANDOUT #1

STRESS BUSTERS

Breathe: concentrate on breathing.

Tense and relax: once you are aware of body tension; center on the affected region then
tense the muscle followed by relaxing the muscle.

Exercise gets your heart beating very quickly to reduce bodily tension

Yell stop: if at all possible verbalize stop, if not mentally say stop when your mind is
racing and cluttered with worry and fear.

Daydream: fill your mind with pleasant thoughts so there wont be room for anxiety.

Positive self-talkavoid irrational thinking, avoid What if, I must, I Cant statements.

Daily Balance: healthy eating habits, sleep, physical activity

Relationships: socializing and communication provide support.

Hobbies: provides an outlet for stress.

Danger Zone: unhealthy activities (overeating, drug/alcohol use, pessimism) provide

temporary and ineffective stress relief.

Take a hot bath or shower.

Avoid procrastination.

Listen to an uplifting song.

Talk about how you feel.

Keep a journal.

Do something spiritual.

Dont ignore your feelings.

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25

SESSION #5: Stress busters- HANDOUT #2

STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN
Your stressors:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Stress management technique you plan to use: ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
How will you know when its time to use it?__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What do you need to use that technique?_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Where will you use that technique?_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What will you do if that doesnt work?______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Another Stress management technique you plan to use: _________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
How will you know when its time to use it?__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What do you need to use that technique?_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Where will you use that technique?_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What will you do if that doesnt work?______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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SESSION #6: Types of Stress and Mindful Meditation (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will review last weeks lesson through acting in an icebreaker activity. Next, the group
will explore how stress can be a positive thing in the ways our bodies react to stress. Students
will learn about the benefits of meditation and a peaceful mind, then experience relaxation and
visualization techniques.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, index cards, pens, bag
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators will remind students about group rules, then ask about homework (using their
stress management plans) and talk about the agenda for the day.
3. Students and facilitators will do a brief feelings check in, taking time to address negative
feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: ACT AND REACT (stress management variation):
Hand out index cards and pens to the students. Ask them to think of one of the stress
management techniques from last session and write it down on the index card.
Collect all the cards and put them in a bag, then get two people to draw cards from
the bag.
The people who pick the cards have one minute to simultaneously act out the
management technique on their card (speaking is allowed), while the non-actors try to
guess what was written on their cards.
After the actors scenarios have been guessed correctly, two more people draw cards
from the hat and act out the scenarios. This continues until everyone has had a chance
to act
(Icebreaker adapted from Elva Pena)

5. Discussion about positive ways our bodies deal with stress.

a. Ask students how they feel physically when they get stressed (common answers
might include rapid heartbeat, shaking hands, sweating, etc.) Discuss how those
symptoms can be the bodys way of increasing adrenaline to deal with difficult tasks.
b. Talk about oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) and the way it repairs damage to the
heart and drives us to seek the company of others.
c. Explore how stress can cause negative side effects, but there is also productive stress
which can be seen as our body helping us deal with difficult situations. Ask each
student to think about a time that their stress has helped them in a productive way.
d. Discuss how our body is important, and things yoga or meditation can balance the
body and mind, reducing stress.

27

SESSION #6: Types of Stress and Mindful Meditation - CONTINUED

6. Activity: MINDFULNESS MEDITATION:
Tell students that the group will be using mindfulness meditation in order to clear
their minds, relax their bodies, and reduce stress.
Ask students to sit upright with their feet touching the ground and their hand resting
wherever comfortable. Tell students to either close their eyes, or direct their gaze
downwards, not staring at anything in particular. They should breathe normally, but
focus on each breath going in and out.
Next, they should clear their minds. Explain that this will be tricky, since the mind is
prone to wandering.
Encourage them to focus on their breathing and not feel defeated if they start to
daydream. If that happens, instruct them to simply push those thoughts aside and tell
them, that may be an important issue, but right now is not the time to think about it.
Allow students to focus on mindful meditation for about 10-15 minutes.
Discussion: How did you feel before meditating, and how do you feel now? What aspects of
this activity did you find easy or hard? Why do you think this can be helpful in creating a
calm mind?
7. Close the session on a positive note with an upshift activity.
8. Homework: If students found the mindfulness meditation helpful, ask them to practice it
every day for 10 minutes a day until the next group session, where they can talk about it
has led to any improvement in their stress levels.
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Remind the group that there will only be one more session together, and cheerlead the progress
that theyve made at managing and coping with their stress. Let them know that next week will
be a celebration of their progress, and that each person will receive a certificate of completion
(Appendix D) for the Stress Management and Coping Skills group.

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SESSION #7: Closure and Celebration (50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE:
Students will review their goals from the first session, discuss what theyve learned, give each
other positive feedback, and celebrate the completion of the group.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Group sign in sheet, tissue box, index cards, pens, goal cards from the first session
LESSON:
1. Students sign in.
2. Facilitators ask about homework (practicing mindfulness meditation), congratulate
students for making it to the end of the program, then talk about the agenda for the day.
3. Conduct a brief feelings check in, address negative feelings if necessary.
4. Icebreaker: TANGLED WEB:
Explain that this is a silent activity (no talking). Break students into groups of 4 or 5
and ask them to stand in a circle.
Each person is to put their right hand in the circle and grab the right hand of another
person. Next, participants do the same thing with their left hands, making sure they
do not grab the hand of the person holding their right hand.
Explain that once you have taken a persons hand, you cannot let go of it until the
game is over or unless the person is in pain.
The aim of the icebreaker is for participants to untangle themselves until they are
standing in a circle.
After the game is completed successfully in the small groups, have all students try
untangling themselves in one large group.
(Icebreaker taken from David Leftwich)

5. Activity: REVIEWING GOALS:

Hand back the index cards that students wrote their goals on during the first session.
Ask students to review the goals that they made, and think about whether they have
achieved them or not.
Remind them that it is okay if they did not fully complete their goals, since they will
always have time to reach them.
Cheer students on if they have achieved their goals, and ask them what it would take
to reach their goals outside of the group if they havent.
(Activity adapted from Insight Curriculum, Session #8)

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SESSION #7: Closure and celebration- CONTINUED

6. Activity: WRAP UP AND COMPLIMENT CARDS:
Hand out a stack of index cards and a pen to each student, then put one chair in the
center of the circle and have a group member volunteer to sit on it.
The student in the middle is to talk about what theyve learned in group while all the
other group members write something kind about the person on one of their index
cards.
After this is done, two people share what they have written about the person in the
middle.
Next, the student in the middle collects the index cards about them and picks
someone else to sit in the middle seat.
This is repeated until all members have sat in the middle and received their
compliments on index cards.
Take about 2 minutes after this activity for students to look at all their compliment
cards. Ask everyone to think of one word or sentence to describe how they feel after
reading their cards.
(Activity taken from Vanessa Gomez-Lee)

7. Certificates of completion (Appendix D): Present each student with their certificate of
completion and reflect on one memory that stands out about them in group (contributions
they made, support they offered, an insightful comment they said, etc.)
8. Post-Evaluation handout (Appendix C)
FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Let students know that even though you wont see them weekly anymore, they are always
welcome to see you if they have any problems.
Also ask them to be completely honest on their evaluations. Let them know that it will be
anonymous since they will not be putting their names on the sheets.

30

Group Evaluation
In order for an accurate evaluation on the effectiveness of this program to be made, data
must be collected both before the group sessions begin, and after they are completed. Certain
data can be collected from school records (such as G.P.A., attendance, and behavioural referrals
for the term prior to group involvement). This information can be compared to current records
for any changes that may have been influenced by group involvement.
Another valuable way to collect information about group is to give a pre and post-test. By
doing this, facilitators are able to ask questions measuring attitudes about the group topic, skills
related to the group topic, and knowledge about the group topic. By giving the same test before
groups begin and after they are completed, differences can be calculated to show if the program
is effective statistically.
Statistical data is important as proof for administration and community stakeholders that
the counselors work is making an impact on the school. Qualitative data such as long answers
can also be useful, since students will be given the opportunity to list what worked best for them
and make suggestions about the parts that did not.

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Appendix A
Dear Parent/Guardian,
The counseling program at Bayfront High School is designed to be preventative and
developmental. In addition to seeing students individually and in classroom guidance lessons, we
teach skills and information in small-group settings. We emphasize to students that groups are
for everyone; being part of a group does not indicate a problem. Students in groups learn life
skills that enhance their ability to succeed academically and socially, as well as cope with stress.
Your child, ____________, has shown interest or been recommended for our Stress Management
and Coping Skills program that I will facilitate this year. I have met with your son/daughter and
explained the content and nature of the group.
This group consists of seven sessions, meeting once a week for seven consecutive weeks for
approximately 50 minutes. During these sessions we will be working on:
Understanding that stress is a normal part of life, but that excessive stress can be harmful
to mental and physical well-being
Discussing the role of worrying
Exploring ways to reduce and cope with stress
Understanding the way stress can impact us positively
Since counseling is based on mutual trust between students and counselors, all information
shared by group members is legally and ethically confidential, except when there is an ethical
responsibility to report certain situations. These situations include: if a student reveals
information that he/she intends to harm his/herself or another person, or if a student reveal that
he/she is being harmed. In these situations, you will be notified.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. It is important to us that
you are informed of your childs activities. Please mark the bottom of this form to grant us
permission to work with your child in this group program.
Thank you for your support in our mutual goal of raising healthy, and successful children.
Sincerely,
Bayfront High School Counselor
Check one and return to the counselor.
_____My son/daughter may participate in this support group
_____My son/daughter may NOT participate in this support group
Parent/Guardian signature_____________________________________
(Consent adapted from Orange Glen High School Counseling Program & Group Counseling for School Counselors:
A Practical Guide)

32

Appendix B
Name of group_______________________________

Date:____________________

Group Pre-Evaluation
1) How stressed do you feel on an average day? (Circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
Not stressed at all

A bit stressed

Somewhat stressed

Stressed

2) How comfortable do you feel talking about the things that stress you out?
1
2
3
4
Not stressed at all

A bit stressed

Somewhat stressed

Stressed

5
Very stressed

5
Very stressed

3) Which of the following is a negative way of dealing with stress?

a) Keeping a journal
b) Blaming yourself
c) Meditating
d) Talking to a friend
c) None of the above are negative ways of dealing with stress
4) Stress is always bad for you. (Circle your answer)
True /False
5) What I hope to get from this group is______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

33

Appendix C
Name of group_______________________________

Date:____________________

Group Post-Evaluation
1) How stressed do you feel on an average day? (Circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
Not stressed at all

A bit stressed

Somewhat stressed

Stressed

2) How comfortable do you feel talking about the things that stress you out?
1
2
3
4
Not stressed at all

A bit stressed

Somewhat stressed

Stressed

5
Very stressed

5
Very stressed

3) Which of the following is a negative way of dealing with stress?

a) Keeping a journal
b) Blaming yourself
c) Meditating
d) Talking to a friend
c) None of the above are negative ways of dealing with stress
4) Stress is always bad for you. (Circle your answer)
True /False
5) The most helpful part of this group was____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6) A change/changes I would make about this group would be ___________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7) Additional comments __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

34

Bay Front high school

certificate of completion
This certificate is awarded to:
[Recipient name here]

In recognition of
Stress Management and Coping Skills

Signature_____________________________Date_______________
Ms. Rachel Kwan, Counselor

35