Why do we feel stressed out?
It’s totally normal to feel stressed out! Maybe it’s hard to sleep the night before a big test at school, or you feel a little shaky before a big game. Stress can help us respond better in the face of an emergency, but it can be an uncomfortable feeling during daily life.
One way to calm ourselves down when we are feeling overwhelmed is to focus on breathing and distract our brains. Having a mindfulness jar can help remind you to slow down, breathe, and relax.
| Objectives: • Identify what is happening in the brain during stress and how it affects the body • Create a mindfulness jar to use to help focus on breathing during times of worry or stress Key Vocabulary: Stress, brain, brain waves |
Follow Along!
Facilitator Background:
The Neuroscience Behind Stress
- Brainwaves are produced by electrical pulses from neurons communicating with each other
- During a stressful event, the brain sends distress signals to alert the body of danger, creating most of the physical stress responses we are familiar with, including:
- increased heart rate
- rush of adrenaline
- deeper oxygen intake
- heightened senses.
- The body also produces increased cortisone, a hormone that helps replace all the energy lost from the event. When the stressful event is over, the level of cortisone drops and the body returns back to normal – this quick change adds to the intense feelings in the body.
- Although we don’t have control over the chemical response, there are things we can do with our bodies to relieve stress, reduce cortisone levels, and relax. These include:
- Focused breathing techniques
- Mindfulness/meditation
- Journaling
- Taking a bath or shower
- Listening to music
- Guided visualization
- Yoga
- Going for a walk with a friend or family member
- And more!
Kid Friendly Language:
- The brain controls all of our feelings and actions – it does this by sending “messages” to other parts of the brain and the body.
- During an emergency, the brain helps us prepare by sending lots of messages telling us to breathe faster, tense up muscles, and make your pulse faster – all things that would help us survive if we had to flee or respond to danger.
- When we are feeling stressed out, our brains send those same messages that make our bodies feel really active.
- There are other chemicals in the brain during stress that increase our energy. That’s why it’s normal to feel things in your body when you are stressed out, like your heart beating faster. It’s all from different messages being sent in the brain.
- Everyone feels stress differently. Your stomach might hurt, or you might have trouble sleeping. These are all normal, but you can always ask your teacher, parent, caregiver or another adult for help.
- There are things we can do to change the messages like:
- Yoga or meditation
- Using a calm down jar
- Taking a walk
- Talking to a friend, a sibling, or a loved one
- Chewing gum or playing with play-dough
- What else works for you?
Key Questions
- Leftover jar that has a water tight lid (such as a Mason jar or leftover salsa/peanut butter jar) – be sure to use plastic with small children!
- Glitter (in multiple colors/shapes if you have it!)
- Epoxy or other non-water-soluble strong glue; Duct tape could work as alternative
- Optional: glycerin/dish soap
- Optional: Other found items such as Lego’s, small action figures, or anything else water friendly
Activity Plan
- Connect to prior knowledge:
- Ask: What are some things that make you feel stressed?
- Explain: Stress is a normal part of our lives! Our brains control everything we do by sending different kinds of messages – When we are feeling relaxed, our brain sends one kind of message. But if we are worried about something, it’s a different kind that can make our bodies start feeling different things, like our heart might beat a little faster, or we might sweat a little. One of the things we can do to feel a little better and change the messages our brains are sending is focus on deep, slow breathing.
- Explain: The different things we add to the jar can represent different feelings or worries. When you add something to the jar, name it as a feeling or something you are worried about.
- Fill the jar most of the way with warm water.
- Add a pinch of glitter to the jar, if using. If you have multiple colors of glitter, one color might represent thoughts, another color might represent other feelings, and another color might represent other behaviors.
- Optional: Add any other chosen/found materials to the jar, naming different worries if you so choose.
- Optional: Add a few drops of glycerin to the jar (this helps slow the fall of the glitter)
- Seal the jar up with epoxy or other glue. Duct tape could work as an alternative.
- To use for mindful breathing:
• Shake the jar
• Watch the glitter in the jar begin to fall to the bottom
• Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting to five
• Slowly release the breath through your mouth, counting to five
• Repeat until all the glitter has settled
For an example script to follow, see this website.
As with all activities, adult supervision is strongly recommended. Plastic jars should be used in place of glass for younger children.
Follow-Up Questions
- What have you heard about stress or worry?
- What are some things that make you feel better when you are stressed?
Extension Activities
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