Mindful Eating/Lessons/10

Day 10: Coping with Stress

• Watch Coping with Stress (video)

Title of the Activity:

• The Stress See Saw

Primary Learning Goals:

• Intro/survey of how to cope with stress

Primary Learning Objectives:

• Review list of ways to cope with stress

Workshop Plan/Procedures:

• Watch video “Coping with Stress” in Learning Circle
• Review examples of stressors, effects on body/health, where we feel stress
• Review list of coping and stress reduction (make Wall Chart)
• Note that routine habits support our coping (systems and resources).
• Campers write the stressor and the coping responses relevant to them on post-its
• Experiment with these on the see-saw with blocks
• Test and photograph See-Saw of stressors and coping responses … kids label their preferred coping responses
• Blog/post on “life is balance”

Introduction Motivation or Hook:

• How to live happier and longer
• Laughter, even made up laughter works for coping. Pretend. Do some acting.

Materials Needed:

• See-Saw, yoga blocks with sticky notes , markers

Literature:

• Coping with Stress for Health and Wellness (book) Bruce S. Rabin, MD, PHD

Extensions and Explorations (Blog/Homework):

• Blog about one of your stressors and three different ways to cope.
• Sketch pictures of coping behaviors on post its and place them on a wall.
• Continue on second day of workbook, page 47, Whole Grain Journal.

Open Ended Questions:

• How do you know you are experiencing stress?
• Where do you feel stress in your body?
• What does it feel like?

Assessment and evaluation of learning:

• Blog reflections:
  • Write five sentences (or more) as a reflection on today's learning.
  •  Write on the Whole Grain Journal, page 47 in the workbook.
    • How much did the students blog about the process?
    • How many words on the topic were written?
• Rate this session on a 10-point scale
  • Students rate content, from 1 (worst) to 10 (best):
  • Campers rate fun, from 1 (worst) to 10 (best):
  • Campers rate usefulness, from 1 (worst) to 10 (best):

• 0-5 Do you think everyone should know about the stress/coping see-saw?
• Are campers able to ID stressors and coping strategies in their own lives?
• How well do they rate this lesson, 0-5 scale of useful?

Resources:

• CD, “Coping with Stress for Health and Wellness” Bruce S. Rabin, MD, PHD

Nutritional Bite:

• Closing your eyes as you slowly, mindfully, chew your food, adds flavor and satisfaction to the food you eat. You can be more satisfied with less food when focus on eating.

Mindful Bit:

•  Challenges are doors to new learning opportunities.
• The written, Chinese symbol for crisis means risky opportunity.
• The greatest weapon against stress is to choose one thought over another. William James
• Just pausing to feel one’s breath for a moment helps bring us back to the present where we can enjoy being.

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