Emotional Regulation for Kids: What Is Stress?
This session includes emotional regulation activities, helping students understand what stress is and how it shows up in their bodies. Through a short video, a discussion about noticing their own stress signals, and a movement game where they respond to true-or-false statements, students learn to name what they feel and pick a calming strategy that helps them feel ready to learn.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Managing Stress
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video modeling lessonWhat is Stress?
In this video modeling lesson, students learn what stress is, how it can show up in their bodies, and why it’s a normal experience for everyone. Students are taught simple, practical strategies to manage stress by noticing stress signals, naming their feelings, and choosing calming strategies that help them feel supported and ready to learn.
- Extension activity
Staying Calm Self-Reflection
Students check the feelings and changes they experience in their bodies when they get upset.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: How might stress show up in the body?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video modeling lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that stress is a normal feeling everyone has and that it can show up in the body as a racing heart or upset stomach. They practiced noticing those early signals and naming how they felt with words like "I feel nervous." They also tried picking a strategy, such as taking a break or a few deep breaths, to help themselves feel ready.
Key Terms
- Stress Signals
- The feelings in your body that warn you stress is building, like a fast heartbeat, sweaty hands, or a sore stomach. Noticing them early helps you take care of yourself before stress gets bigger.
- Name It to Tame It
- Saying how you feel out loud, like "I feel nervous" or "I feel stuck." Putting a name to the feeling helps your brain and body start to calm down.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Managing Stress
Learner will recognize signs of stress in their own body or thinking (e.g., tight chest, racing thoughts, feeling overwhelmed) and apply a self-selected strategy (e.g., deep breathing, positive self-talk, taking a break) to manage the feeling in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the classroom, when a student seems tense, you can try gently naming what you notice, like "Your shoulders look tight, are you feeling worried?" Putting words to the feeling can help them start to work through it.
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More Self-Regulation Activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on What Is Stress? is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on What is Stress?, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Staying Calm Self-Reflection.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, managing stress.
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