One in Five Minds Blog

Whether your school is meeting virtually, in person, or using a hybrid model, your students have had to let go of their expectations for what a typical school year looks like and adjust to a new way of doing things. You may notice that some of your students are exhibiting signs of stress as they adjust not only to the new school year in general, but also to a new way of doing things at school. Children and adolescents often struggle to be able to put into words how they are feeling, so stress often manifests itself in physical ways, changes in mood, or changes in behavior, according to The Harvard School of Public Health. How to Help To help make your students’ adjustment to the new school format as smooth as possible and to help minimize stressors that may impact their mental health, there are several things you can implement as you begin the new school year.

In the physical classroom, teachers can see the signs that a student may be struggling with a mental health condition. Almost 20% of adolescents will experience a mental health disorder between the ages of 6–17, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Here are five ways to create a safe and inclusive online classroom environment to help you identify students who may be struggling with mental health challenges and connect them with resources. In a virtual classroom, building trust might mean taking a few minutes to compile and share a list of community resources or preparing a brief video message about the importance of mental health and what this means to you.

Not only are the benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation very helpful when it comes to managing stress, but learning mindfulness meditation doesn’t require highly specialized training or a month-long retreat in a far-off land. Some popular forms of mindfulness meditation include deep breathing, body scan, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery. There are many deep-breathing exercises to choose from, such as belly breathing, morning breathing, and roll breathing, and it is a great strategy to use if you only have a minute or two to address your stress. Similar to deep-breathing exercises, this form of mindfulness meditation helps you improve your ability to not only notice your stress “pain points,” but also to promote relaxation and stress management.