Destressing Tips
Quick & simple activities to help students destress.
Square Breathing
Breath in for 4, hold for 4, breath out for 4, hold for 4.
Continue for 3-5 cycles.
Pay attention to your breath while doing the exercise.
How does your body feel?
What did you notice?
Classical Music
Count Backwards
Tense and Let Go
1. Sit in a relaxing position.
2. Spend a few moments paying attention to your breath.
3. Scrunch your toes as tight as you can, hold them for two seconds, then let them rest. Now tense both feet, and when you let them relax, imagine they are very heavy.
4. Squeeze all the muscles in your legs. You might find your legs lift off the ground a tiny bit. After a few seconds, let your legs relax, and feel them settle comfortably into the chair.
5. Pull your belly button in for a few seconds, then let let it get very soft. Relax your back into the back of your chair.
6. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears, hold for a couple seconds, then relax them down.
7. Make your hands into fists, and squeeze all the muscles in your arms for two seconds. Now rest your arms by your sides.
8. Close your eyes tightly, scrunch up your nose, and squeeze your lips together. Hold your face like this for a few seconds, and then let it relax. Take a big breath in then let out a deep sigh through your mouth.
9. Now pay attention to your whole body. If any part isn’t relaxed, tense it up, then let go, until you’ve relaxed each part of your body