“Stress and Pressure” Transformation Techniques — A Primary School Psychology Series Lecture on Emotions

“When do I feel stressed?”

“What physical and emotional symptoms do I experience when I’m stressed? How does it impact me?”

“If I had a button that could instantly eliminate my stress, would I press it? Why or why not?”

“What strategies can I use to feel better when I’m overwhelmed by stress?”

To address these and other questions from students, Ms. Candy from our Psychological Counseling Centre has been conducting a series of emotional well-being lectures for different grade levels in Primary School this semester.

Stress ‘Detective’

Ms. Candy guided the children through a warm-up game to help them recognize how stress levels fluctuate and how this influences their performance at school. The younger students used their hands to indicate the intensity of their recently-experienced stress, observing how a static image would change in their perception as a way to gauge their stress levels. Older students used a numerical scale to measure their recently-experienced stress and shared events that had caused them stress. Through meditation, the children visualized their stress, becoming more aware of its impact on both their bodies and minds.

Stress ‘Kaleidoscope’

What if there were a button that could make stress vanish with just a press? How would life be different? As the children imagined various scenarios, they came to understand that:

Some stress is actually necessary and beneficial, acting as a natural defense mechanism that helps us respond quickly and effectively to situations;

On the other hand, harmful stress and anxiety can skew our perception of problems, hinder our ability to take effective action, and severely impact our learning and overall quality of life.

Ms. Candy introduced the Yerkes-Dodson Law to help children understand that the relationship between stress and learning efficiency is not linear but forms an inverted U-shaped curve. She explained that too much stress results in tension and anxiety, which disrupts our memory and thinking processes, significantly lowering our learning efficiency. Conversely, too little stress diminishes our focus, leading to laziness, boredom, and poor efficiency. Thus, a moderate level of stress is optimal for enhancing learning efficiency.

Stress ‘Filter’

It seems that a moderate level of stress can help us perform at our best, but when stress becomes overwhelming, it is important to take timely action. So, what should we do when we often feel overwhelmed?

Ms. Candy introduced the “Positive Pause Method” to the younger students, guiding them through techniques such as “4-7-8 Deep Breathing,” “Finger Wave Relaxation,” and “Point Line Surface Body Grounding.” The children also shared various ‘distraction techniques’ that work for them, including regular exercise, listening to music, spending time in nature, reading, interacting with pets, and expressing themselves creatively. Ms. Candy introduced two ‘instant stress reduction methods’ to the older students —the “Direct Action Method” and “Mindfulness Relaxation” — along with two ‘long-term recovery methods’ —the “Stress Box Method” and “Anxiety Time Method”. She also guided the children to explore insights from the TED Talk “Making Friends with Stress,” emphasizing that it is not the stress itself that is harmful, but rather the belief that ‘stress is harmful’. The best way to take care of stress is to change our perspective and learn to embrace it. Through various case discussions, the children experienced how to reframe their thinking to better manage stress in their lives.

Turning ‘Pressure’ into ‘Frozen Pears’

Finally, during the training session, the students practiced the various stress reduction techniques they had learned in the lectures. They tried applying these methods to cope with the different challenges, setbacks, and pressures they might encounter in everyday life.

Following the lecture, the students reassessed their stress levels and discovered a significant reduction! This improvement is due to their better understanding of stress, their positive attitude in facing it, and their ability to manage it effectively using personalized techniques. They transformed ‘pressure’ into ‘frozen pears’!

We look forward to uncovering more magical insights into the secrets of our emotions in future psychological lectures. See you in our next magical emotions class!