3 Tricks to Lower School-Day Stress FAST
When teaching, there are definitely days that you get escalated by a certain class, or maybe even a certain student. We are human, after all. My biggest struggle was always resetting and getting back to a place of calm in the midst of a packed schedule.
That’s why I LOVE these quick strategies to lower stress FAST. All of these tips can have you feeling more at ease in minutes. Some of them you can even do multitasking!
Read on for 3 simple but effective ways to lower stress.
Ear Massage
This idea comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine acupressure therapy. There is no exact pressure point on the ear to worry about specifically. Gently pull down on the lobes and massage the inner surface of the ear for 2-3 minutes. Notice that as you relax and massage your ear, you start to feel soothed and more calm overall. Do this during lunch, a planning period, between classes, or while students are working independently!
Wrist Pressure Point
Here’s one more acupressure idea. Look at where you wrist forms a crease with your hand. Generously apply pressure to this area with your thumb for about 2 minutes. This point is excellent for relieving tension in the whole body. This strategy is great because you can do it discreetly while sitting behind your desk, monitoring your classroom, or even during a more challenging meeting with a student or parent.
Yogic Breathing (Soft Belly Breaths)
Often when we are stressed, we take shallow breaths from the chest. Soft belly breathing can reduce tension in the neck and shoulders, massage the heart, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest and digest) through the phrenic nerve that runs down both sides of the diaphragm.
How to:
Practice sitting straight up in a chair to support your own spine.
Place your hands on your belly, thumbs at the navel and fingertips below.
Allow the belly to expand under your fingertips on the inhale and to contract on the exhale.
Envision an ocean wave: The belly expands on the inhale – the wave rises; the naval contracts on the exhale – the wave returns to the ocean.
If you aren't getting any movement, press your fingertips gently into your belly so you know it's contracting on the exhale. Release the press on the inhale.
It may be difficult to move your belly while you breathe at first, but if you continue to breathe with this intention it will become easier.
As the expansion and contraction become more natural, focus on keeping a rhythmic breathing pattern, where the inhale and exhale are equal. Over time, lengthen the inhale and exhale.
Ideally, we should be breathing like this MOST of the time to help us feel calm and centered during the day. Incorporate on your drive to work, while answering emails, or really whenever you remember to breathe this way!
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What tip do you find most helpful? Have any other tips for lowering stress fast at school? Share your ideas below in the comments!