Calming Strategies for Teens: Choosing Calm
This session teaches calming strategies for teens, helping older students pause before reacting when emotions run high. They start with a guiding question about why pausing matters, watch a short video on responsible decision-making, and discuss a scenario where a student learns about a surprise quiz. A quick game lets them weigh possible responses to stressful moments and pick a calming strategy that fits.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Managing Stress
- Grade level
- Middle & High 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 lessonChoosing Calm
This video lesson reviews the concept of "thinking before you act" to help learners use responsible decision-making skills, even when emotions run high.
- Extension activity
Interactive Worksheet: Helpful and Unhelpful Strategies
Sort the different strategies as "helpful" or "unhelpful" in this interactive activity.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: 4-7-8 Breathing2:13
- Video: Obstacles into Opportunities Visualization1:19
- Video: Yoga Pose Library
Session Opener
Guiding Question: Why does pausing before reacting matter?
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 self-regulation means handling strong feelings in a thoughtful way instead of letting those feelings drive their actions. They practiced pausing before reacting when emotions run high and choosing a calming strategy that fit the moment, like taking deep breaths or using positive self-talk. Students also worked on telling helpful coping strategies apart from unhelpful ones.
Key Terms
- Press Pause
- Pressing pause means stopping for a moment before you react so you can think before you act. That pause gives you time to pick a calming strategy instead of responding on the spot.
- Self-Regulation
- Self-regulation means managing your thoughts, feelings, and actions so you can respond in a way that supports your goals and well-being.
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
When the student feels frustration building at home or at school, try suggesting they press pause for a moment before deciding what to do next. That short break gives them room to choose a response rather than react right away.
Ready to teach Choosing Calm?
Get the video, activity and discussion materials with zero prep.
Get These Materials Free
More Self-Regulation Activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Choosing Calm 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 middle and high school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Choosing Calm, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Interactive Worksheet: Helpful and Unhelpful Strategies.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, managing stress.
Get access to the full curriculum
A no-prep social skills curriculum with a full scope and sequence that builds student skills over time. MTSS-aligned across every tier, with 400+ whole class lessons and 800+ ready-to-teach sessions.
Start a 30-Day Free Trial
