Welcome Back Readers!

For this week, I will be incorporating what I have learned in Physical Health Education, and Psychology into this post. I will explain and provide examples of different activities that anyone can do, and ways to modify it to make it harder if needed!

Activities that Release Stress:

There are many ways to relieve stress and every person enjoys different things, so, I have created a list with many different options to choose from.

I won’t go in depth with everything, just the ones I feel are crucial and relate to other ideas. I want to start with one we all know how to do, and that we do everyday without thinking about it. Deep breathing. While breathing is essential for life, it is also a great way to train your diaphragm and your body regulate yourself while stressed out. Deep breathing aims to focus your awareness on your breath, making it slower and deeper. When you breathe in deeply through your nose, your lungs fully expand, and your belly rises. This helps slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel at peace. Now, please join me and take a minute or 2 to do some breathing before continuing.

This is my personal favourite and most used strategy. You can do it anywhere, anytime. (Even in class or at work.) I hope you feel more relaxed and ready to continue! There are ways to further this strategy and become more relaxed, but it includes more time and space. The first, is incorporating a sit spot. A sit spot is where you find a spot in nature that you can regularly get to. Preferably a spot with no city sound. It is just you, your spot, and nature. My personal sit spot is in the forest behind my house. It is a quick 2 minute walk to a big rock pile within the trees. I focus on the sounds, my breathing, and gratitude for the land. Incorporation of gratitude will bring more positive thinking into your life. Even if it is just one thing. Like having time to escape to your spot. Secondly, You can mix deep breathing with stretching for a deeper stretch or lighter breathing with yoga.

Physical Activity:

Types of physical activity include include running, swimming, walking, hiking, dancing, and biking. I made a list to explain why these help. Lets check it out!

• Endorphin Release: Physical activity, stimulates the production of endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood elevators.

• Distraction: Running allows you to focus on the activity itself, providing a break from daily stressors and worries. This mental shift can help clear your mind.

• Mindfulness: The rhythmic nature of running can promote a state of mindfulness, where you concentrate on your breath and movement, helping to reduce anxiety and increase awareness.

• Routine and Achievement: Setting and achieving athletic goals can enhance your sense of control and accomplishment, which can combat feelings of stress and helplessness.

• Social Interaction: Lots of these activities can also be a social, whether through clubs or with friends.

• Improved Sleep: Regular exercise often leads to better sleep, which is crucial for managing stress levels

Now that we know many simple, effective ways to release stress and the basic science behind it, lets learn how to incorporate it into the classroom.

Classroom Strategy

I think the most effective way to relieve stress quick, is Brain Breaks. Brain breaks are quick, they should not be more than 5 minutes. And they give students a chance to get the sillies out to relax easier if they are fidgeting. But it can also wake students up if they are tired and down. There are 2 types: Active brain breaks and Calming brain breaks. “For many students, movement is an ideal brain break. That’s because exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps with focus and attention. In fact, research has shown that students learn more quickly after they’ve exercised. In one study, students learned vocabulary words 20 percent faster after exercising. Exercise also reduces stress and anxiety, making it easier to focus on important tasks. Relaxing brain breaks have similar benefits. They help calm students and allow their minds to settle enough to shift focus. For students who get overexcited or who have a hard time self-regulating, relaxing brain breaks may be more beneficial than energizing ones. After these quieter breaks, students are able to return to work because they’ve given the overworked areas of the brain time to recharge. Brain breaks benefit not only students but teachers, too. They help improve the pacing of your lesson while keeping you and your students refreshed, focused, and engaged.” (Reading Rockets)

Whats Next?

After learning about mental health, challenges in sports, and stress relieving activities, I will be looking at community based programs available to kids in Cranbrook, and the positives and negatives in each one. I am loving sharing my learning journey with you all and I will update you with another post next week!

– Carter White