Anxiety Workshops

Workshop 1: Stress vs Anxiety

Lesson Plan Stress vs Anxiety (lesson title)

for

School Counselor: Dwyer Team

Target Audience: 6th-8th Grader's
Mindsets & M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of
Behaviors: mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
(limit of three) B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a
problem.
B-SMS 9: Demonstrate personal safety skills.
Lesson 1 Of 1

Learning Objective(s)/Competency
Students will: Learn what stress and anxiety are.
Students will: Learn about coping skills and what healthy vs. unhealthy coping skills
look like.
Students will: Identify their individual healthy coping skills.
Materials:
- Laptop/computer/internet access
- Powerpoint
- Pre/post test
- Writing and coloring tools (if in person)
- Activity link
- Handouts
Evidence Base:
⬜ Best Practice
Teach Coping Skills. PBIS World RSS. (n.d.).
https://www.pbisworld.com/tier-1/teach-coping-skills.
⬜
⬜ Action Research

⬜ Research-Informed
Evidence-Based
Procedure: Describe how you will:
Introduce: The counselors will begin by introducing themselves, and welcoming
students to the lesson. They will explain that the classroom lesson topic is
on the similarities and differences between Stress and Anxiety.
Communicate To communicate the lesson objective, the counselors will briefly explain
Lesson Objective: that the goals of the lesson are to give students a brief introduction to
stress and anxiety and how to manage stress and anxiety in healthy ways,
and quickly go over the agenda.
Teach Content: Before heading into the lesson, counselors will provide students with the
link to the pre-test. Counselors will ask students to try their best to answer
all the questions, and that the answers will be kept confidential.

After everyone has completed the pre-test, counselors will begin the
lesson by facilitating a guided mediation from (BOOK FROM CLASS).
In this meditation, students will be asked to visualize their happy place.
Before they begin, the counselors will explain how mindful outlets like
meditation and breathing are great ways to relax, and manage stress and
anxiety.

After completing this activity, the counselors will begin the lesson by
asking the class “what is stress?” and “what does stress feel like?” Then
the counselors will explain that “stress is a feeling that can make you sad,
unhappy, or nervous. It can be caused by the things that happen around
you. Like having an argument with a friend, having too much homework,
preparing for a test, moving to a new house, coming to a new school, the
birth of a new brother or sister, or parents arguing at home.”

The counselors will explain that stress can be felt internally and
externally. The internal feelings of stress can feel like: being nervous, sad,
unhappy, angry, scared, or confused. The external feelings of stress can
feel like: having a stomachache, feeling tired, aching muscles, feeling hot,
or having a headache.

The counselors will continue the lesson by asking the class “what is
anxiety?” and “what does anxiety feel like?” Then the counselors will
explain that “anxiety is a feeling that can make you worried, scared, or
nervous. It can be caused by things that happen around you or by your
feelings. Like having stress, arguing with a friend, scary situations, tests,
or not knowing what will happen.”
 The counselors will explain that anxiety can be felt inside and outside.
The inside feelings of anxiety can feel like: being nervous, scared, angry,
sad, confused, unhappy, or panicked. The outside feelings of anxiety can
feel like: having a stomachache, aching muscles, sweating, having a
headache, breathing too fast, or being tired.

The counselor will explain “as you can see, stress and anxiety can feel
very similar, but it is important to note a few differences between the two.
First, stress is usually caused by something temporary while anxiety can
stay for a long time. Next, stress can cause anxiety. Last, while we don’t
want any anxiety, it is sometimes okay to have a little bit of stress. This is
called ‘good stress.’”

The counselor will explain that good stress can help us sometimes. The
counselor will explain a few examples of good stress: “When you’re
riding your bike but you accidentally go too fast and almost crash into
your friend that is riding in front of you. The “good stress” kicks in. You
may get scared or nervous really fast, but it helps you quickly squeeze the
brakes to stop. Before a big test, a little bit of ‘good stress’ can help
motivate you to study and try your best.”

Next, the counselors will explain the concept of “coping” to the students.
“Coping is how you handle or deal with feelings of stress or anxiety.”
The counselors will explain examples of unhelpful coping examples:
negative self-talk, yelling, hitting, kicking, hurting yourself, avoiding
tasks, avoiding friends, eating too much, eating too little, or temper
tantrums. Examples of helpful coping skills: Talking to an adult, positive
self-talk, talking to a friend, going on a walk, coloring, listening to music,
reading a book, or taking a nap.

Next, the counselors will lead an activity that has students create their
own stress ball. They will facilitate a conversation on what other
techniques or fidget toys the students find helpful.

Practice Content: Following the lesson, counselors will lead the class through the stress ball
activity.

Counselors will first facilitate a guided meditation. This asks the student
to quiet their bodies and minds in order to find their happy place.
Following the guided mediation students will discuss their experiences
and rate the coping skill on a scale of 1 to 10 on its effectiveness.

The second activity at the end of the lesson will explain how to make a
stress ball and discuss the efficacy and use of fidget toys.
 meditation
https://rainbowlighttherapies.com.au/happy-place-meditation-script/

make their own stress balls

https://www.mindfulmazing.com/homemade-stress-balls-for-kids/

Slides:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEqqBOCnR8/share/preview?token=B7
YDIGKaxQ0TlYeh9FYpHw&role=EDITOR&utm_content=DAEqqBOC
nR8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=shar
ebutton

Summarize: In this lesson, the counselors introduced what anxiety and stress are, what
their causes are, what they feel like, and provided examples of healthy
and unhealthy coping strategies. Some important new coping strategies
they introduced to the students included mindfulness (breathing
techniques, grounding techniques, and body scans) and the “stress ball”
activity to help students find which coping skills are best suited for them
and to give them the ability to go back and use their “stress ball” in the
future when that are dealing with stress or anxiety.”
Close: To close, counselors will provide students with the link to the post-test
and open a space for students to ask any final questions. After everyone is
done with the post-test, counselors will present the resource slide, and the
last slide that thanks the students for their time and participation.
Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, this section only need be completed once
Participation Data: 
Anticipated number 100 students
of students:
Planned length of 30 minutes
lesson(s):
Mindsets & Behaviors Data:
▪ Pre-test administered before first lesson
▪ Post-test administered after lesson (if standalone) or after last lesson of unit/group session 
▪ Pre-/post-assessment attached
Outcome Data: (choose one)
Achievement (describe):
Achievement can be monitored through report card/progress report grades and teacher comments

⬜ Attendance (describe):
Discipline (describe):
This lesson aims to decrease the number of discipline referrals and increase student involvement
in activities and homework.

Workshop 2: Social Anxiety

Lesson Plan Relationship Stress (lesson title)

for

School Counselor: Dwyer Team

Target Audience: 6th-8th Grader's
Mindsets & M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of
Behaviors: mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
(limit of three) B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a
problem.
B-SMS 9: Demonstrate personal safety skills.
Lesson 1 Of 1

Learning Objective(s)/Competency
Students will: Learn what relationship stress
Students will: Learn about coping skills and what healthy vs. unhealthy coping skills
look like.
Students will: Identify their individual healthy coping skills.
Materials:
- Laptop/computer/internet access
- Powerpoint
- Pre/post test
- Writing and coloring tools (if in person)
- Activity link
- Handouts
Evidence Base:
⬜ Best Practice
Teach Coping Skills. PBIS World RSS. (n.d.).
https://www.pbisworld.com/tier-1/teach-coping-skills.

⬜
⬜ Action Research

⬜ Research-Informed
Evidence-Based
Procedure: Describe how you will:
Introduce: The counselors will begin by introducing themselves, and welcoming
students to the lesson. They will explain that the classroom lesson topic is
relationship anxiety.
Communicate To communicate the lesson objective, the counselors will briefly explain
Lesson Objective: that the goals of the lesson are to give students a brief introduction to
relationship anxiety and how to manage it in healthy ways, and quickly go
over the agenda.
Teach Content: Counselors will present a PowerPoint presentation detailing different
characteristics and aspects of relationship stress. It will address the
following areas:
● What is relationship stress?
● What does it feel like?
● What can cause it?

Practice Content: Following the lesson, counselors will lead the class through an art
activity:
Think about what you need to keep or hold on to in your life and what
you need to let go of or keep out of your life. Find a way to represent this
on the page with words and images.

Hands: Trace your right hand and left hand onto the page. On one hand,
write the things that you need to hold on to. On the other, but the things
that you need to let go of. Develop your art piece further however you
wish.

Hearts: Draw a large heart on the page. On the inside, put the things that
you want to keep in your heart. On the outside, put the things you need to
keep out of your heart.

Mandala/Circle: Draw a large circle on the page. On the inside put the
things you need to keep or bring into your life. On the outside, write the
things you need to keep out of your life.
Summarize: In this lesson, the counselors introduced what relationship stress is and
why it matters. It helps to identify the feelings associated with this kind of
stress/anxiety and how it can impact one's life. This lesson also allows
students to identify coping strategies and healthy decision making skills
that will help them to alleviate these feelings.
Close: To close, counselors will provide students with an open a space for
students to ask any final questions. After everyone is done, counselors
will present the resource slide, and the last slide that thanks the students
for their time and participation.
Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, this section only need be completed once
Participation Data: 
Anticipated number 100 students
of students:
Planned length of 30 minutes
lesson(s):
Mindsets & Behaviors Data:
▪ Pre-test administered before first lesson
▪ Post-test administered after lesson (if standalone) or after last lesson of unit/group session 
▪ Pre-/post-assessment attached
Outcome Data: (choose one)
Achievement (describe):

Achievement can be monitored through report card/progress report grades and teacher comments

⬜ Attendance (describe):
Discipline (describe):
This lesson aims to decrease the number of discipline referrals and increase student involvement
in activities and homework.
Workshop 3: Social Anxiety
Lesson Plan Social Anxiety (lesson title)
for

School Counselor: Dwyer Team

Target Audience: 6th-8th Grader's
Mindsets & M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of
Behaviors: mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
(limit of three) B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a
problem.
B-SMS 9: Demonstrate personal safety skills.
Lesson 1 Of 1

Learning Objective(s)/Competency
Students will: Learn what social anxiety
Students will: Learn about coping skills and what healthy vs. unhealthy coping skills
look like.
Students will: Identify their individual healthy coping skills.
Materials:
- Laptop/computer/internet access
- Powerpoint
- Pre/post test
- Writing and coloring tools (if in person)
- Activity link
- Handouts
Evidence Base:
⬜ Best Practice
Teach Coping Skills. PBIS World RSS. (n.d.).
https://www.pbisworld.com/tier-1/teach-coping-skills.

⬜
⬜ Action Research

⬜ Research-Informed
Evidence-Based
Procedure: Describe how you will:
Introduce: The counselors will begin by introducing themselves, and welcoming
students to the lesson. They will explain that the classroom lesson topic is
relationship anxiety.
Communicate To communicate the lesson objective, the counselors will briefly explain
Lesson Objective: that the goals of the lesson are to give students a brief introduction to
social anxiety and how to manage it in healthy ways, and quickly go over
the agenda.
Teach Content: Counselors will present a PowerPoint presentation detailing different
characteristics and aspects of relationship stress. It will address the
following areas:
● What is social anxiety?
● What does it feel like?
● What can cause it?

Practice Content: Following the lesson, counselors will lead the class through an activity:

When kids are stressed, sad, or angry, the amygdala’s natural fight, flight,
or freeze response kicks in, making rational decision-making nearly
impossible.

Mindfulness gives kids space and time to calm down and pay attention to
what is going on in their body and environment. Regularly practicing
mindfulness reduces stress and increases wellness and self-control.

Glitter jars are a useful mindfulness tool at home and school. Watching
the glitter swirl to the bottom of the jar gives kids time to calm down and
regain control.

1. After gathering supplies, pour 1/2 cup of distilled water into the
jar. We used 16-ounce glass mason jars, but plastic water bottles
would work as well (and should be used for kids who are prone to
throwing objects when they are angry).
2. Invite kids to pour 1/2 cup of glitter glue or clear glue into the jar.
If you use our exact ingredients and recipe, it will take about 2
minutes for the glitter to settle in the jar.
3. If you are choosing to do so, add 1–2 teaspoons of extra glitter to
the jar.
4. Fill up the remainder of the jar with distilled water.
5. Use a hot glue gun to squeeze a ring of glue around the lid of the
jar. Press the lid onto the jar and secure with the metal ring.
6. Shake the jar well to distribute the glitter. (It took many shakes
and a rest overnight to convince the glue to disperse completely.)

How to use the glitter jar :

 Before you give a glitter jar to a child, you must teach them how to use it.
Invite your child to sit down comfortably. Encourage them to shift their
gaze to the swirling glitter, breathing deeply in and out as they watch it
sink to the bottom of the jar.

Next, invite them to notice the calm feeling moving through their body as
they breathe. Perhaps their feet feel heavy and warm, and that feeling is
moving up towards their shoulders. As they breathe, ask them to notice
how their heartbeat feels steady and their body temperature feels just
right. All the while breathing in…and out. As the glitter settles and the
water clears, so will their thoughts, feelings, and body.

Summarize: In this lesson, the counselors introduced what social anxiety is and why it
matters. It helps to identify the feelings associated with this kind of
stress/anxiety and how it can impact one's life. This lesson also allows
students to identify coping strategies and healthy decision making skills
that will help them to alleviate these feelings.
Close: To close, counselors will provide students with an open a space for
students to ask any final questions. After everyone is done, counselors
will present the resource slide, and the last slide that thanks the students
for their time and participation.
Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, this section only need be completed once
Participation Data: 
Anticipated number 100 students
of students:
Planned length of 30 minutes
lesson(s):
Mindsets & Behaviors Data:
▪ Pre-test administered before first lesson
▪ Post-test administered after lesson (if standalone) or after last lesson of unit/group session 
▪ Pre-/post-assessment attached
Outcome Data: (choose one)
Achievement (describe):

Achievement can be monitored through report card/progress report grades and teacher comments

⬜ Attendance (describe):
 Discipline (describe):
This lesson aims to decrease the number of discipline referrals and increase student involvement
in activities and homework.

Workshop 4: Academic Anxiety

Lesson Plan Academic Stress/Anxiety (lesson title)

for

School Counselor: Dwyer Team

Target Audience: 6th-8th Grader's
Mindsets & M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of
Behaviors: mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
(limit of three) B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a
problem.
B-SMS 9: Demonstrate personal safety skills.
Lesson 1 Of 1

Learning Objective(s)/Competency
Students will: Learn what academic stress/anxiety
Students will: Learn about coping skills and what healthy vs. unhealthy coping skills
look like.
Students will: Identify their individual healthy coping skills.
Materials:
- Laptop/computer/internet access
- Powerpoint
- Pre/post test
- Writing and coloring tools (if in person)
- Activity link
- Handouts
Evidence Base:
⬜ Best Practice
Teach Coping Skills. PBIS World RSS. (n.d.).
https://www.pbisworld.com/tier-1/teach-coping-skills.

⬜ Action Research
⬜
⬜ Evidence-Based
Research-Informed

Procedure: Describe how you will:

Introduce: The counselors will begin by introducing themselves, and welcoming
students to the lesson. They will explain that the classroom lesson topic is
academic anxiety.
Communicate To communicate the lesson objective, the counselors will briefly explain
Lesson Objective: that the goals of the lesson are to give students a brief introduction to
academic anxiety and how to manage it in healthy ways, and quickly go
over the agenda.
Teach Content: Counselors will present a PowerPoint presentation detailing different
characteristics and aspects of relationship stress. It will address the
following areas:
● What is academic anxiety?
● What does it feel like?
● What can cause it?
● How can we manage these feelings

Practice Content: Following the lesson, counselors will lead the class through an art
activity:
Watercolor your Worries:
“When we are stressed, anxious, sad or preoccupied, often the first thing
we stop tending to and caring for is…ourselves. Often we lose touch with
the things we love that bring us joy and happiness. We spend so much
time focusing on what HAS to get done or stressing about our fears or
flaws, the things we want and life’s imperfections, that we forget to make
time to do things that make us happy.

Many times when I ask someone to name the activities, hobbies or places
that make them happy, they are unable to do so because they have been
out of touch with this part of themselves for so long.

Watercolor flows, colors blend and a “mistake” can be a beautiful

addition. Of course, it may be hard for some of us to have that mentality,
but the practice of watercolor can also help one to embrace
self-forgiveness and the opportunity to see the beauty in imperfection.”
Summarize: In this lesson, the counselors introduced what academic anxiety is and
why it matters. It helps to identify the feelings associated with this kind of
stress/anxiety and how it can impact one's life. This lesson also allows
students to identify coping strategies and healthy decision making skills
that will help them to alleviate these feelings.
Close: To close, counselors will provide students with an open a space for
students to ask any final questions. After everyone is done, counselors
will present the resource slide, and the last slide that thanks the students
for their time and participation.
Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, this section only need be completed once
Participation Data: 
Anticipated number 100 students
of students:
Planned length of 30 minutes
lesson(s):
Mindsets & Behaviors Data:
▪ Pre-test administered before first lesson
▪ Post-test administered after lesson (if standalone) or after last lesson of unit/group session 
▪ Pre-/post-assessment attached
Outcome Data: (choose one)
Achievement (describe):

Achievement can be monitored through report card/progress report grades and teacher comments

⬜ Attendance (describe):
Discipline (describe):
This lesson aims to decrease the number of discipline referrals and increase student involvement
in activities and homework.