Identify sources of stress in their lives.

Describe healthy coping strategies for managing stress.

Develop a personal action plan for stress management.

Begin with a brief discussion about stress: What is it? How do we experience it?

Ask students to share their biggest sources of stress.

Introduce the concept of emotional well-being and why it's important.

Present various coping strategies (e.g., deep breathing, exercise, mindfulness, time management, seeking support).

Discuss the importance of recognizing one's feelings and understanding how to respond to them.

Divide students into small groups and give each group a different stressor scenario (e.g., academic pressure, family issues, friendship conflicts).

Have groups brainstorm and present coping strategies for their scenario.

Facilitate a class discussion on the effectiveness of different strategies.

Distribute journals or paper and ask students to write down:

• A source of stress they face.

• One coping strategy they plan to implement.

• An action plan outlining steps to manage their stress.

Invite a few students to share their action plans.

Reinforce that managing stress is a lifelong skill and encourage students to reach out for support when needed.

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Stress Management. Retrieved from [CDC website].

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018). Coping with Stress. Retrieved from [NIMH website].