The girls in my class are very interested in learning about stress management and mental health – particularly anxiety. This can be a very sensitive subject, so it’s very important to make sure that students feel safe, and to follow up on any issues that may concern you. I do a general powerpoint presentation on stress management and mental health, and have students follow along, completing worksheets, and answering questions.
Mental Health Matching Activity
We will follow up in the next class with an activity that can prevent and reduce stress – yoga, tai chi, listening to a relaxation CD, meditation, breathwork, visualization, etc. Even if you do not have experience with any of these activities, there are many resources available on the internet or on DVD; so you can simply press play and allow the students to follow along. You may also be able to organize to have a guest come in to lead one of the aforementioned activities.
If students still have unanswered questions we will have a group discussion, or I will ask students to write down questions anonymously, and I answer them next class. Depending on your group, you may need multiple classes to cover everything that students are interested in – this can be a heavy topic, so spread the lessons out. You may even need to ask a specialist (counsellor, psychiatrist, etc.) for help – information, resources, or even to come in as a guest speaker.
Girls PE 