Managing stress

• Show Slide 2. Tell the learners that they're going to listen to a conversation between two teenagers. These are four phrases they use. What do the phrases mean, and how do both speakers feel?  
• Answer: They feel stressed.
• Check meaning, and model and drill the expressions. 

• Tell the learners that they're going to listen to Kae and Ana and answer the questions. Show the listening questions on Slide 3. What are they stressed about? What does Ana do to manage stress? What does Kae do to manage stress?
• Play the audio to the end.  
• Learners check their answers with a partner, then check the answers with the whole class. 
• Answers: They are stressed about exams; Ana does meditation; Kae does slacklining.

• Tell the learners that they're going to listen again to find out more about these two ideas for managing stress. 
• Set up, give out the Worksheet and tell learners they are going to answer the listening comprehension questions. 
• Play the audio. You might have to play it again, according to your learners' needs. 
• Learners share their answers with a partner. 
• Conduct class feedback. 

Note: In the worksheet exercise, Kae is referred to with the gender-neutral pronouns they/them. Some people use they/them as singular pronouns to reflect their gender identity.

Answers: 

1. Kae gets overwhelmed and finds it hard to focus. When Kae tries to revise, either distractions get in the way or panic sets in, leading to no productive studying at all. 
2. Ana has discovered meditation, specifically guided meditations and visualisations. These techniques involve listening to calming sounds and a soothing voice that guides her through a relaxing scene, helping her engage all her senses and stay in the present moment. 
3. Ana imagines herself under some trees on a beach, watching the water gently lapping at the shore. The scene is very peaceful and stress-free. 
4. Kae finds it difficult to clear their mind because thinking of nothing is really hard, and their mind tends to wander. 
5. Ana prefers to practise meditation just before she goes to sleep because it helps her relax and sleep better, which is very helpful for studying. 
6. Kae struggles to find a quiet place at home because they have a big family, and there is always noise and distractions from their siblings. 
7. Kae does slacklining to relieve stress. Slacklining is similar to tightrope walking but uses a narrow piece of strong fabric stretched between two points, like two trees, requiring focus and balance. 
8. Slacklining helps Kae manage stress because it requires intense focus and concentration to keep balanced, which means there's no room to think about stressful things like exams. The deep focus helps clear Kae's mind of stress. 

• Follow-up question: Which one would you prefer, guided meditation or slacklining? Why? 

• Tell the learners that they are designers working for a games company, 'GamesForUs', that specialises in designing games and activities from recycled or used materials. The latest proposal has just arrived. Show Slide 4. 
• In small groups, the learners brainstorm and think about the people they are designing the activity for and their needs, using the question prompts on Slide 5. 

• The learners are going to randomly choose the materials for their game/activity. Tell them to write down five numbers between 1 and 12. 
• Show Slide 6. Tell the learners to find the materials that correspond to their five numbers and write them down. These are the five materials they have at their disposal. They must use at least three of the five in their design. 

Note: By giving our learners constraints, it helps them to think creatively. 

• The learners in their groups use the information they've brainstormed and the materials they've chosen to design a game/an activity that will help teenagers manage stress. They need to be ready to present it to the class and so they can choose to write, draw or both to be clear for their audience. 
• Each group presents their design to the class. Encourage listeners to ask follow-up questions. As a class, decide which one should be chosen for the company's final design. 

• Learners research other ways to manage stress and share what they found out in the next lesson.