Skills for Dealing with Stress

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"I'm bored" is a phrase we hear too often in our students when they have no other means of dealing with boredom. It is a good idea to have students come up with some positive and productive activities so they don't find themselves doing things that can get them in trouble.

Here are five strategies McGinnis & Goldstein wrote for teaching students on how to deal with stress:

bored: DEALING WITH BOREDOM:

    1) Decide if you are feeling bored.- Discuss how to recognize signs of boredom (e.g., you don't know what to do or feel jittery inside).
    2) Think of things you like to do.- Encourage student to generate and discuss personal lists of acceptable activities.
    3) Decide on one thing to do.
    4) Do it.
    5) Say to yourself, "Good for me. I chose something to do."- Discuss ways of rewarding yourself (p. 135).

Losing: DEALING WITH LOSING:

    1)Say to yourself, "Everybody can't win. It's okay that I didn't win this time."- Memorizing this statement will help the student control his/her impulses.
    2) Think about your choices:- These choices will help the student get involved in another activity and not dwell on losing.
      a. Ask to help someone. Offer help to a teacher, your parents, or a friend.
      b. Do an activity you like. Students should generate and discuss personal lists of acceptable activities.
      c. Do a relaxation exercise.
    3) Act out your best choice.- If one choice doesn't work, the student should try another one. (p. 139)

good sport: BEING A GOOD SPORT

    1) Decide how you and the other person played the game.- Discuss evaluating your own and an opponent's performance (e.g., level of skill or effort).
    2)Think of what you can honestly tell the other person.- Emphasize sincerity. Discuss the body language and nonverbal communicators that show a friendly, sincere attitude.
      a. "Congratulations."- The student may also want to shake the person's hand.
      b. "You played a good game."
      c. "You're getting a lot better at this game."- This is a way of encouraging another person. Students may want ot comment on one thing the other person did particularly well (p. 140).

failure: REACTING TO FAILULRE

    1) Decide if you have failed.- Discuss the difference between failing and not doing as well as hoped.
    2) Think about why you failed.- Discuss reasons for failure: You didn't try as hard as you could have or weren't ready; it was a matter of chance.
    3) Think about what you could do next time.- Suggest practicing more, trying harder, or asking for help. (p.143)

Relax: RELAXING

    1) Decide if you need to relax.- Discuss how to recognize bodily cues of tension (e.g., feeling tense, jittery, or queasy).
    2)Take three slow, deep breaths.-Teach students to breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths.
    3) Tighten one part of your body, count to three, and relax.- Instruct students about which parts of their bodies to tighten and then relax (jaw, shoulders, hands, stomach, legs, feet).
    4)Continue this for each part of your body.- Students will need to practice Step 3 before they can do this independently.
    5)Ask yourself how you feel- Discuss how students fell physically before and after tightening muscles (p. 146).

REFERENCE:

McGinnis, E. & Goldstein, A. (1997). Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child (Rev. ed.). Champaign, Il: Research Press.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES:

KidsHealth.org.

NCSU.

LD Online: Self Esteem & Stress Management.

National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Visit Other Cool Links

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child

Boredom Solution: Understanding And Dealing With Boredom


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