Do you ever feel like your brain is on overload?  Maybe you’ve got so much going on in there that it starts to stress you out.  Does your body ever feel tense, and you just want to be able to relax?  In this one-time class, students will learn that stress and worry are common feelings (especially for highly creative thinkers), will learn about the concept of mindfulness, and will learn and practice four stress-relieving mindfulness activities that they can use anywhere at any time.  The four activities will include the following: 
1.) Sound Hunt: When you focus all of your attention on listening to the sounds around you, it gives your brain a break from thinking about anything else.
2.) Squish & Let Go: This guided muscle relaxation activity helps you feel the physical benefits of intentionally relaxing your different muscle groups from your toes all the way up to your face.
3.) Square Breathing: Slow, deep breathing helps oxygen travel through your entire body and helps regulate your heart beat, leaving you with a sense of calmness.
4.) Glitter Jar: A jar full of swirling glitter is not only a great metaphor for what can go on inside your brain, but also a great tool for helping you to calm your swirling thoughts.  You will have the option of making your own glitter jar at the conclusion of the class!

This class is great for anyone but can be especially beneficial for academically or intellectually gifted students, high achieving students, and creative thinkers, as these types of students are often shown to deal more intensely with everyday stress.  While the techniques presented here are no substitute for clinical or medical treatments for anxiety, these are great tools to use to better cope with everyday sources of stress.  This is an educational class and not a replacement for therapy or counseling.

No materials are required for this class, but students can easily build their own glitter jar at home after class has concluded.  You can find the supplies listed in the materials section below.