Ask
your students to imagine a person carrying a heavy box. Now ask
them to imagine what would happen if someone came up to that person
carrying the box and cracked a joke. What would happen? Is it difficult
to maintain strain (and for that matter stress) when you are laughing?
You
bet. The person carrying the box would burst out laughing and drop
the box. Laughter releases stress. A similar reaction to stress
occurs after vigourous physical activity.
We seldom think of children
of this age as facing stress. Stress is usually something we associate
with the pressure of being an adult. But take a moment to think
about the things that may be causing stress for your students. They
feel the pressure of taking tests, friendships, and family relationships.
Have
your students share experiences when physical activity helped them
deal with stress. Now ask students to lie comfortably on the floor,
face up. Students must be quiet with their eyes shut (use mats if
you like).
Ask them to completely
relax. Next ask them to tense each body part individually, starting
with their toes and working up to their face. Hold the tensed muscles
for six seconds, then relax. Again tighten, and relax. Then work
down from the head to the toes. End with a full body tightening
and relaxing.
Students should begin
to feel a sense of relaxation. Make the connection for them between
the tensing and relaxing of muscles as it relates to activity and
the relaxation that comes from doing activity.
