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www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
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The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end, so we have included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.
These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.
Some of the activities are long-term strategies for coping with stress.
Teachers may want to refer to information on the DfES's Teachernet website about handling controversial issues:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/
behaviour/tacklingbullying/racistbullying/
preventing/controversialissues/
or consider undertaking a group agreement before starting on the activities:
Group agreements help to establish safe environments for young people to engage with potentially sensitive issues.
Firstly, split the group into pairs and ask them to spend 5-10 minutes discussing:
Now ask the group to discuss as a whole the points that they have come up with. It is important to ensure that pupils are clear about the following points:
Develop these discussions into an agreement of how the group will work. Everyone should sign the agreement to demonstrate his or her commitment. Make sure that it is visibly displayed and return to it during future sessions if necessary.
Download printable version of
Four Steps to Keeping Stress at Bay [PDF, 37KB]
Step 1: Identifying the reasons
These are some reasons young people give for feeling stressed:
Which ones affect you? Add some of your own.
Questionnaire
(If you are lucky enough not to suffer from stress, answer these questions by interviewing someone else.)
When did your feelings of stress, tension or anxiety begin? Do your feelings relate to anything in particular like an event in your life or a circumstance that scares you?
Do you have physical symptoms along with your feelings of anxiety? What are they? Some possible symptoms of anxiety are given below:
Does anything make your anxiety better? Does anything make your anxiety worse?
Step 2: Talking
Find someone you trust who will listen to you. Often, just talking to a friend or loved one is all that is needed to relieve anxiety. Most communities also have support groups and hotlines that can help. Some situations may benefit from the intervention of a social worker, psychologist or other mental health professional for therapy and medication.
Step 3: Clear your work place and clear your mind
Step 4: Keep healthy
Have a look at the Four Steps to Keeping Stress at Bay in the 'Before viewing' section. Which would have helped Erica? Which would have helped Kerry?
Download printable version of
Four Steps to Keeping Stress at Bay [PDF, 37KB]
Have a look at the following tips and note the ones that might help you:
Download printable version of these stress-busting tips [PDF, 38KB]
1) If you are unsure about your career:
2) If are facing a stressful situation, try the visualisation technique:
3) Whenever the stressful feelings return:
4) Mark explains an unusual technique
Programme 1, 15:09 – 16:35
What do you think of the auto-rocket? Mark says that symbolism is important in ridding yourself of damaging feelings. Can you think of another way of getting rid of the negative thoughts that might be preventing you from moving on?
5) Try the deep breathing technique
Programme 2, 14:19 – 16:04
Find a quiet place. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. When you breathe out, your abdomen should expand, creating a see-saw motion. Breathe deeply and slowly. This increases the in-take of oxygen, slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure – all of which helps to lower stress levels. Do this for 5, 10 or even 15 minutes a day until you feel calmer.
6) Have a good night's sleep
Use the deep breathing technique above if you have difficulty getting to sleep.
Think of five things from the list above that might work for you and put them into practice as soon as you get stressed. As Kerry says at the end of Programme 2: you can't change what happens to you but you can change the way you deal with it.
Read the following articles and discuss how much you agree with them:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/
sats/story/0,,2084533,00.html
Article about exam stress.
and
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/
main.jhtml?xml=/health/2001/02/22/tlbry22.xml
Article about teenage stress.
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Citizenship, PSHE and careers for 14-19s from 4Learning. Packed with interactive games and activities.
Index of Notes to support Channel 4 Learning programmes.
Full listings of Channel 4 Learning programmes for the week ahead.
