Bust My Stress — Substitute Lesson Plan

Subject: Health | Grade Level: High School | Duration: ~45 minutes

Objective

Students will be able to describe the difference between acute, traumatic, and chronic stress, explain how stress connects to emotional, physical, and social well-being, and identify healthy coping strategies they can use when facing stress.

Materials

• "Bust My Stress" worksheets (Do Now handout)
• Slide presentation (if available/projector)
• Board, flipchart paper, or projector to record group answers
• 3 x 5 index cards
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Warm-up (~5 min)

1. Have students take out paper or their Do Now worksheet.
2. Write or read aloud these three questions for students to answer individually:
3. What is something that causes stress in your life that you have no control over?
4. What is something that causes stress in your life that you do have control over?
5. How do you respond in these stressful situations? Is your response the same or different?
6. Ask for 2–3 volunteers to briefly share one answer aloud to open the class.

Main Activity (~25 min)

Part 1: Types of Stress (10 min)

1. Ask the class: "Does anyone know what stress means?" Share the definition: Stress is a body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
2. Present the three main types of stress (write on board or show slides):
3. Acute stress — short-term, fight-or-flight, often tied to something new or exciting (linked to eustress, a positive stress reaction).
4. Traumatic stress — develops after shocking, emotionally overwhelming events.
5. Chronic stress — lasts a long time and can harm the body, mind, and life (linked to distress, a negative stress reaction).
6. Ask discussion questions to the whole class:
7. "When was the last time you were nervous but excited at the same time?" (examples: taking a test, speaking in front of a group, asking someone out, watching a scary movie)
8. "What are examples of distress?" (examples: feeling unsafe, arguing with a loved one, having too busy a schedule)
9. Briefly mention the Yerkes-Dodson idea: there is an "optimal level" of stress where you perform your best — enough to challenge you, but not so much it overwhelms you.

Part 2: There's Hope If I Can Cope (15 min)

1. Share definitions: Cope = to deal with problems and difficult situations and try to come up with solutions. Resilience = the ability to adapt well to adversity (a difficult situation or condition).
2. On the board/flipchart, create two columns: "Stressors/Triggers" and "Healthy Coping Strategies."
3. Ask students to call out common stressors or triggers they experience in life. Record answers in the first column.
4. Ask students to call out healthy coping strategies they use or know of. Record answers in the second column.
5. Fill in any strategies not mentioned using this list: meditating/deep breathing, getting adequate sleep (teens need 8–10 hours), talking to a friend or trusted adult, exercising (releases endorphins), eating a nutritious diet (leafy greens, berries, nuts, seeds, avocados, eggs, natural peanut butter), using positive self-talk, and avoiding excess caffeine.

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

1. Hand out a 3x5 index card to each student.
2. Have students answer on the card:
3. Name one type of stress (acute, traumatic, or chronic) and describe it in your own words.
4. Write down one healthy coping strategy from today's discussion that you personally want to try this week.
5. Collect the cards as students leave (or have them leave the cards on their desks).

If Time Remains

Play Two Truths and One Lie as a class. Read the following statements aloud and have students vote on which one is the lie:

• Truth 1: One-third of teens say that stress makes them feel overwhelmed, depressed, and as though they could cry.
• Truth 2: Teens who are stressed are more likely to lay awake at night.
• Lie: The most common way for teens to manage stress is through exercise or playing sports.

Reveal the answer (the third statement is the lie) and briefly discuss why healthy coping strategies matter even though exercise/sports aren't the most common method teens actually use.