Are you looking to teach about stress in your middle or high school health or psychology class, but everything seems to only vilify stress and offer generic stress management techniques? It's time to look at stress as a way to build emotional resilience and to dive deeper into why we experience stress in the first place.
 
This lesson covers different types of stress—such as distress and eustress—and includes exercises that help teens transform anxious thoughts into excited ones. Did you know that stress and excitement are very similar in our bodies? Each of the 20 editable Google Slides and accompanying worksheet activities helps students explore their daily stresses and discover unique coping strategies. There are even fun activities, like "Let's Make This Worse," where students use ineffective coping techniques to learn what not to do.
 
Best part? There is a card game for students to play after the lesson. The whole point of the game is for teens to stay in the sweet spot of stress—not so little that they don’t challenge themselves, but not so much that they become overwhelmed. This balance helps them build the ability to cope with everyday stress. The game is super fun and includes reflection questions for students to apply their personal goals in finding the right balance of challenge.
 
Included:
20+ editable Google Slides
Teacher instructions (aligned with NHES standards)
3 student worksheets that accompany the lesson
A card game with instructions (requires prep)

This lesson is ideal for grades 7–12! It can take between 60-90 minutes depending on how many rounds of the game you play and how long the group discussions go.