No to Stress

No to Stress A handbook of practical activities for reducing stress, improving communication and encouraging pleasant emotions

Publisher: Industrijsko-obrtnička škola Virovitica The name of the original: „Ne stresu- Priručnik praktičnih aktivnosti za smanjivanje stresa, poboljšanje komunikacije i poticanje pozitivnih emocija”, ISBN: 978-953-95018-1- 3 Authors: Maja Ivanac Marina Nemet Irina Strija Silvija Pošta Mihaela Šiljković Maja Štampar Translation from the original: Silvija Pošta

The booklet was created as a product of the mobilities of teachers of the Industrial – Crafts School Virovitica within the Erasmus + KA1 project "Stress Free Teacher = Stress Free School", January 2022.

Copyright © Industrijsko-obrtnička škola Virovitica No part of this handbook may be transcribed, used or published in any other form without permission.

The handbook can only be used for educational purposes.

About the project

With the project „Stress Free Teacher= Stress Free School” Industrial- Crafts School Virovitica wants to develop and improve techniques for reducing stress in and outside of a classroom to help improve students' learning. By developing empathy, it aims to create better relationships in school and the wider community, act preventively in possible conflict situations, increase the critical and positive thinking in students and teachers and install healthy living habits in order to improve students' motivation and performance. In this way, competitiveness in the labor market is strengthened and the European dimension of the school is increased.

1 chemistry teacher, 1 biology teacher, 1 vocational subject teacher, 2 language teachers and 1 psychologist of Industrial-Crafts School Virovitica are participating in the project activities.

Project online: Internetska stranica škole Facebook

CONTENTS 1. Mindfulness exercises 1.1. Breathing exercise I (4-4-4) 1.2. Breathing exercise II (3-3, 4-4, 5-5) 1.3. Breathing exercise III (4-7-8) 1.4. Observation exercise 1.5. Exercise 5-4-3-2-1 and I am here 1.6. Concentration and breathing exercise 1.7. Observation exercise (outside of classroom) 1.8. Guided meditation 1.9. Encouraging pleasant feelings exercise 2. Communication and teamwork 2.1. Treasure hunt 2.2. Listening exercise 2.3. Role-play 2.4. The game of trust 2.5. Woodcutter 2.6. The 4-Ears-Model 3. Emotional intelligence 3.1. Fractal drawings 3.2. The snowball method 3.3. Personality test 3.4. The hand of support 3.5. Hot seat 3.6. Recognising emotions through a life story 3.7. Gratitude practice 4. Lesson plan examples 4.1. Stress management 4.2. Communication: The 4-Ears-Model 4.3. Mindfulness 4.4. Emotional intelligence 5. APPENDIXES 6. SOURCES

1. MINDFULNESS EXERCISES All the participants take part in mindfulness exercises on voluntary basis.

1.1. Breathing exercise I (4-4-4) Purpose: to slow down and deepen breathing, induce a sense of relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 5 minutes Materials needed: computer with an internet access Steps: • the teacher plays the "Box breathing video"1 • students do a box breathing exercise with the help of video which lasts 3 minutes or students count by inhaling up to 4, holding up the breath to 4, exhaling up to 4 and again holding up to 4 • students describe their experience of this exercise

1.2.Breathing exercise II (3-3, 4-4, 5-5) Purpose: to relax, return to the present moment, reduce stress Duration: 2 ˗ 5 minutes Materials needed: Steps: • the teacher introduces the breathing exercise and the students breath in and breath out by counting to 3, then increasing to 4, then counting to 5 while inhaling and up to 5 while exhaling

1.3.Breathing exercise III (4-7-8) Purpose: to relax, return to the present moment, reduce stress Duration: 2 ˗ 5 minutes Materials needed: Steps: • breathing 4-7-8 includes counting to 4 while inhaling through the nose, holding the breath and counting to 7 and exhaling through the mouth while counting to 8

1 Breathing exercise I (4-4-4): Box breathing. Healthline 31/3/2021. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#slowly-exhale (14/9/2021)

1.4.Observation exercise Purpose: to exercise attention, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: worksheet (Appendix 1) Steps: • distribute a worksheet to students • students should write on the worksheet which objects of a certain color they have noticed in the classroom / school yard • for each colour they need to write at least 2 items that they see

Exercise 5-4-3-2-1 and I am here (going back to the present moment through senses)

1.5.

Purpose: to improve concentration, to practice mindfulness which aims to encourage better time management Age group: 10+ Duration: 3-5 minutes Materials needed: Steps: • students sit quietly and notice 5 things they see, 4 things they hear, 3 things they touch, 2 things they smell and 1 thing they taste Note: This exercise can be done after a more demanding lesson, before and after the examination 1.6.Concentration and breathing exercise

Purpose: to improve self-regulation, focus attention on the present moment, improve attention, reduce feelings of stress Duration: 10 minutes Materials needed: a computer with an internet access, projector, pen and a piece of paper Steps: • watch with students a YouTube video "5 minutes Mindfulness Drawing Meditation Easy

Drawing the Breath Meditation Art Tutorial to Relax" 2 • students work individually, using their own paper and pencil • direct attention to their own breathing, when inhaling, move the pen upwards, and when exhaling, downwards • students spend 2 to 3 minutes in silence, trying to follow their own breathing by moving the pen on paper 1.7.Observation exercise (outside of classroom)

Purpose: to improve self-regulation, to focus attention on the present, to improve attention, to reduce feelings of stress Duration: 20 minutes Materials needed: a mobile phone with camera Steps: • students put their mobile devices in an airplane mode (so as not to interfere with the exercise) • it is desirable to go out with the students in the school yard • students move freely around and observe the environment (it is best to try to imagine that they see that environment and objects and plants in the environment for the first time) • students use a mobile device to take photos of objects in the environment • they can take photos of as many objects as they want, but they can only take one photo of every object (it is necessary to look carefully at the object and decide which shot they want to take) • students spend 10 minutes in this activity • after completing the activity, they can comment on the experience of this exercise and look at other people's photos or show the ones they took • if anybody wants, they can share their experience with the whole class 1.8.Guided meditation

Purpose: to improve emotional health, improve focus, reduce feelings of stress, encourage better interpersonal understanding, improve self-confidence, encourage pleasant feelings, encourage acceptance of different behaviors Age group: pupils, children, youth and adults Duration: 10 ˗ 15 minutes 2 Concentration and breathing exercise: 5 minute Mindfulness Drawing Meditation. Youtube 20/5/2020. Mindful Creative Muse. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LMuv21_4M (15/9/2020)

Materials needed: Steps: • participants must be comfortably seated and find a comfortable body position (e.g. let children sit at a desk, under a desk or you can organise the activity in nature) • play pleasant and relaxing music in the background •

participants close their eyes, focus on their own breathing ignoring the noise around them and focus as much as possible on the facilitator's voice

•

the facilitator begins with a speech that incites pleasant thoughts, for example, imagining a place ideal for life, remembering the loved ones, focusing on pleasant sounds from nature, such as birds chirping or the sound of water, or focusing on the relaxation of mind and body

•

participants remain silent in their position for another minute or two

An example of a guided meditation: "5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere"3 Note: it can be used in a classroom as an introductory part of the lesson for relaxation and a more pleasant atmosphere, but also among adults as a way of relaxing and releasing stress in team building activities.

1.9.Encouraging pleasant feelings exercise

Purpose: to reduce feelings of stress, improve self-confidence, encourage pleasant feelings, improve attention Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: worksheet (Appendix 2) Steps: • play quiet, soothing music in the background • students complete the activities on the worksheet on their own • when they finish, the facilitator invites the students to share with others what they have written.

It is desirable that for each part of the task several students say their answer, e.g. "Who will tell us what three things you are grateful for." (in this part participation is on voluntary basis, but it would be desirable that all students participate).

3 Guided meditation: 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere. YouTube 4/9/2019. Goodful. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM (15/9/2021)

2. COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK 2.1. Treasure hunt Purpose: to strengthen teamwork, to make the gatherings with friends and family more active by trying to solve puzzles and tasks with the aim of finding the final solution that leads to a team's victory, to encourage physical activity, to raise awareness of the importance of mutual support and personal contribution in achieving common goals through play and mutual assistance Age group: children, youth and adults Duration: 30 ˗ 50 minutes Materials needed: bags with prepared numbers for each team and puzzles leading to the next solution and a candy (or some other prize) for the winning team Working conditions: enough space to allow freedom of movement for all participants Steps: • it is advisable to go outside, but the activity can also be done indoors.

• divide the participants into smaller teams (eg 4 participants; minimum 2 competition teams) • select the captain of each team, the captain stays put and waits for the puzzle team members to solve the puzzles and he/she compiles the letters of the final answer key • indoors or outdoors (depending on where the activity takes place) prepare tasks first.

• place bags with letters inside in different hidden places (tell the participants at the beginning that it is necessary to collect a total of 10 letters that can be repeated), which are part of the answer to the puzzle. It is important to note that each team has a certain color to follow (for example: if it is a blue team, then all collected letters must be on a blue paper) • the leader gives each team a piece of paper with a puzzle that will take them to the first flag with a bag (the start time is the same for all teams). The winner is the team who finishes all the tasks first and arranges the correct phrase from the 10 letters obtained. The winning team wins a prize also prepared by the leader (diploma, candy, numerical grade if the work is done in school and if the puzzles are related to the teaching content, etc.)

• after the end of the activity it is necessary to comment with the participants on the experience of this activity and ask them to voluntarily say how they felt when they searched for puzzles and needed help from their team participants, as well as to say how they felt when they realized that the opposing team was winning An example of puzzles and answers can be found in Appendix 3.

Note: Based on the given 10 puzzles, an example of a final answer could be "we can do it".

Depending on the purpose of this game, the puzzles can be adapted to another topic, for example in teaching to repeat the teaching content, and the number of puzzles that will be set depends on the final answer.

2.2. Listening exercise Purpose: to improve communication channels between the speaker and the listener, to encourage active listening Age group: high school students (15 to 19 years), youth, adults Duration: 10 minutes Materials needed: pencil, paper, worksheet (Appendix 4) Steps: • students sit in pairs with their backs leaning against each other • students should each have their own paper and pen • one student gets a worksheet (Appendix 3) and explains to his / her pair what he / she sees • the other student listens and draws as accurately as possible according to the description, he/she is allowed to ask questions • students compare drawings and assess the quality of communication Note: Instead of a worksheet, students can draw something else (eg an ideal study) and describe it to their partner who draws it. The drawings are then compared. The exercise can be repeated with another pair.

2.3. Role-play Purpose: managing conflict situations Age group: youth, adults (parents) Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: instructions for resolving a conflict situation (Appendix 5) Steps: •

students are given roles in pairs to resolve a conflict situation; one person receives instructions on how to calm the conflict situation; students practice in pairs; it is possible to change roles

•

Potential situations: the student feels that he has not received the deserved grade and complains; the parent is dissatisfied with the work of a particular teacher; the student

complains about the measure taken by the class teacher; the boss comes into a conflict with the worker who was not given the required date off, etc

2.4. The game of trust Purpose: to raise awareness of the importance of mutual support and personal contribution in achieving common goals through play and mutual assistance, to increase physical activity Age group: children, youth and adults Duration: 10-20 minutes Materials needed: blindfold, prepared questions Working conditions: enough space to allow freedom of movement for all participants Steps: • it is desirable to go out of the room • divide half of the participants into pairs, the other half of the participants are waiting for further instructions • one of each pair gets blindfolded and waits for further instructions • the facilitator explains the rules to the rest of the participants: the other person from the pairs leads the blindfolded person to the finish line without speaking, he/she can only lead him/her. The rest of the participants are obstacles, they are allowed to go in front of them, throw themselves on the floor, etc. They should try to block the path to the finish line with their own bodies. The goal that the couple needs to reach can be reaching a certain point given by the facilitator or answering the questions at a given point. If the pair answers correctly, they are replaced by another pair which then move on to the next point.

• the activity should last until all participants experience all three roles: a blindfolded person, the leader of a blindfolded person and a barrier After the activity, it is necessary to comment with the participants on the experience of this activity and ask them to voluntarily say how they were feeling when they were led, when they led the person to the goal, and how they were feeling when they created obstacles for pairs who were moving to the finish line.

2.5. Woodcutter Purpose: to increase concentration, practice teamwork Duration: 5 ˗ 10 minutes Material needed: Steps: • students stand in a circle • one of the students raises his hands above his head and joins his palms to pretend to be a tree. As he raises his hands in the air he says out loud "ha" • students standing to the left and right of that student are acting as woodcutters. They clasp their palms and swing simultaneously at the student acting to be the tree, as if to cut it.

They also say "ha" out loud.

• the student who plays the tree then points to the next student who will play the tree and also says out loud "ha" • if the student who is next to play the tree or one of those students who are next to him is late, then they fall out of the circle • The game lasts until most students drop out and 4 remain

2.6. The 4-Ears-Model Purpose: to improve active listening skills in a dialogue between the speaker and the listener, to pay attention to the spoken words of the interlocutor, to avoid potential conflicts, to get to know each other and understand differences in characters and reactions in certain situations, to encourage pleasant feelings Age group: high school students (15 to 19 years) Duration: 40 minutes Materials needed: worksheets (Appendixes 6 and 7) Steps: see Lesson plan II

3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 3.1. Fractal drawings Purpose: to improve concentration, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 25 minutes Materials needed: black ballpoint pen, A4 papers, crayons Steps: • the facilitator shows the students examples of fractal drawings so that the students can understand what they need to do • each student is given a sheet of A4 paper and a black ballpoint pen • the teacher measures one minute with a stopwatch • during this time, students draw a fractal with their eyes closed (move freely their hand with a ballpoint pen on paper) • try to stay inside the paper's margines • after one minute students open their eyes and connect the starting and the end point with the nearest place or by feeling • then put the crayons in front of them and with their eyes closed choose the first crayon •they color a maximum of 12 fields with it (but they must not be the adjacent fields) • the drawing is finished when all the fields are painted An example of a finished fractal drawing (Appendix 8)

3.2 The snowball method Purpose: to stimulate pleasant emotions, to become aware of your intentions and goals Duration: 5 ˗ 10 minutes Materials needed: paper, pencil Steps: • each student writes their dreams, hopes and personal achievements on a piece of paper • they crumple the paper into a ball and throw it in the middle of the classroom • someone else in the class picks up one paper ball and reads what is written • students discuss about what is written together

3.3. Personality test Purpose: self-assessment of one's own personality Age group: youth and adults Duration: 5 minutes Materials needed: paper and pen or a mobile phone Steps: • instruct the participants to take a piece of paper and a pen or type in notes on their mobile phones They should write the following: 1. favorite color and 3 reasons why they chose that color 2. favorite animal and also 3 reasons why they chose it 3. type of water (mineral, spring, sea, natural, lake, ocean ...) and also 3 reasons why they chose it • wait for a few moments, repeat if neccessary. No one needs to read their answers but they are given the following explanation: No. 1 describes how you experience yourself; it describes your personality, No. 2 describes your opinion of your partner and No. 3 describes your sexuality.

• thus participants can gain insight into certain traits of their own personality

3.4. The hand of support Purpose: to help the abused person and the abuser who is aware of their problem Age group: school students, children, youth Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: worksheet (Appendix 9) Steps: • the participant is comfortably seated, indoors or outdoors (in nature) • he/she receives a worksheet with a drawing of a hand whose fingers are marked with numbers 1-5 • the participant fills in the hand by writing the names of the persons to be contacted in order of importance in case of bullying (eg friend, sister, teacher, mother, etc.)

• after completing the worksheet, the person keeps it as a guide in case of need for help

Note: the activity can be used to support children and young people with suspected bullying dominant behavior, and it can be carried out by the support service of the school or other educational institutions.

3.5. Hot seat Purpose: to encourage better interpersonal understanding, to improve self-confidence, to encourage the acceptance of different behaviors and traits, to free from the fear of public speaking Age group: school-age students, children, youth and adults Duration: depending on the number of participants, 10 ˗ 15 minutes Materials nedded: worksheet (Appendix 10) Steps: • participants are comfortably seated (they can sit in a circle), it can be held indoors or outdoors • worksheets are distributed • participants fill in the worksheet according to the questions asked (Appendix10) • after completing the worksheet, each participant presents himself by reading the answers (they do not have to answer all the questions and they can read the answers they choose) Note: the activity can be held in the introductory lessons with students to get to know each other better or among the adult population, eg in some teamwork building groups

3.6. Recognising emotions through a life story Purpose: to encourage better interpersonal understanding, to raise awareness of emotions, to encourage pleasant emotions Age group: pupils, children, youth and adults Duration: 30 minutes Materials needed: cards with words for emotions Steps: • participants sit comfortably in a circle • the activity can take place indoors or outdoors • the facilitator holds the cards with words that indicate a certain emotion (anger, love, joy, gratitude, etc.)

• each participant takes one card and tells a real-life story that connects them to that emotion, but he/she must not say the word on the card.

• other participants try to guess what emotion the participant is describing through their story

3.7. Gratitude practice Purpose: to improve the general psychophysical condition, adopt good habits and encourage positive emotions Age group: all Duration: 5 minutes Materials needed: pencil, paper, jar Steps: • students review the past week and anonymously write on pieces of paper 3 things they are grateful for or 3 nice things that happened to them at the end of the class once a week • students fold their pieces of paper and put them in a thanksgiving jar • students can decorate the jar with stickers or color it • at the end of the school year, students open a jar and read what they have written and remember the nice moments of the year Note: Adults can write 3 good things that have happened to them in their diary at the end of the day or week and think about them. At the end of a lesson, the teacher can ask what the students have managed to do well.

4. LESSON PLAN EXAMPLES 4.1 Stress management Purpose: to reduce stress and anxiety, encourage a feeling of relaxation, exercise attention Age group: high school students (15 to 19) Introductory activity (breathing exercise I) Purpose: to slow down and deepen breathing, induce a sense of relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 5 minutes Materials needed: computer with an internet access Steps: • the teacher plays the "Box breathing video”4 • students do a box breathing exercise with the help of video which lasts 3 minutes or students count by inhaling up to 4, holding up the breath to 4, exhaling up to 4 and again holding up to 4 • students describe their experience of this exercise Central activity (fractal drawings) Purpose: to improve concentration, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 25 minutes Materials needed: black ballpoint pen, A4 papers, crayons Steps: • the facilitator shows the students examples of fractal drawings so that the students can understand what they need to do • each student is given a sheet of A4 paper and a black ballpoint pen • the teacher measures one minute with a stopwatch • during this time, students draw a fractal with their eyes closed (they move freely their hand with a ballpoint pen on paper) • try to stay inside the paper's margines • after one minute students open their eyes and connect the starting and the end point with the nearest place or by feeling • then put the crayons in front of them and with their eyes closed choose the first crayon

4 Breathing exercise I (4-4-4): Box breathing. Healthline 31/3/2021. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#slowly-exhale (14/9/2021)

• they color a maximum of 12 fields with it (but they must not be the adjacent fields) • the drawing is finished when all the fields are painter • an example of a finished fractal drawing (Appendix 8)

Final activity (observation exercise) Purpose: to exercise attention, reduce stress and anxiety Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: worksheet (Appendix 1) Steps: • distribute the worksheet to students • students should write on a worksheet which objects of a certain color they have noticed in the classroom / school yard • for each colour they need to write at least 2 objects that they see

4.2 Communication: The 4-Ears Model Purpose: to improve active listening skills in a dialogue between the speaker and the listener, to pay attention to the spoken words of the interlocutor, to avoid potential conflicts, to get to know each other and understand differences in characters and reactions in certain situations, to encourage pleasant feelings Age group: high school students (15 to 19) Introductory activity Duration: 10 minutes Materials needed: pencil and paper, written explanation for 4-Ear Model (Appendix 6) Steps: • students are organized to work in pairs. Students are given an explaination of the 4-Ear Model.

• each student should have their own paper and pen and materials prepared for the activity • in pairs they decide who will take on the role of the listener and who will take on the role of the speaker Central activity Duration: 30 minutes Materials needed: papers with given roles, i.e. materials with written sentences for each student

(Appendix 7), a pencil for listener Steps: • the speaker speaks and the listener writes down the spoken sentence • based on the 4-Ear Model, the listener writes down all the possible meanings of the message and the feelings he felt the moment he heard the message • they both analyze together whether they have successfully completed the task • students change roles: whoever was the listener becomes the speaker • students replace the cards with a new sentence in pairs so that the pairs do not have the same situation Final activity Duration: 5 minutes Materials needed: pen and paper for listener and speaker Steps: • students write 3 good sides he/ she has discovered about his/ her partner.

• students analyze how they felt during the task by raising their thumb up if it was great, in a horizontal position if they didn't care and didn't learn anything new, and they put the thumb down if they didn't like the activity

4.3 Mindfulness Purpose: to improve self-regulation, to focus on the present, to improve attention, to reduce feelings of stress, to improve self-confidence, to encourage pleasant feelings Age group: high school students (15 to 19) Introductory activity (concentration and breathing exercise) Purpose: to improve self-regulation, focus attention on the present moment, improve attention, reduce feelings of stress Duration: 10 minutes Materials needed: a computer with an internet access, overhead projector, pen and a piece of paper Steps: • watch with students a YouTube video "5 minutes Mindfulness Drawing Meditation Easy

Drawing the Breath Meditation Art Tutorial to Relax" 5 • students work individually, using their own paper and pencil • students direct attention to their own breathing; when inhaling, they move the pen upwards. and when exhaling, downwards • students spend 2 to 3 minutes in silence, trying to follow their own breathing by moving the pen on paper The central activity (observation exercise outside of classroom) Purpose: to improve self-regulation, to focus attention on the present, to improve attention, to reduce feelings of stress Duration: 20 minutes Materials needed: a mobile phone with camera Steps: • students put their mobile devices in an airplane mode (so as not to interfere with the exercise) • it is desira to go out with the students in the school yard • students move freely around and observe the environment (it is best to try to imagine that they see that environment and objects and plants in the environment for the first time) • students use a mobile device to take photos of objects in the environment • they can take photos of as many objects as they want, but they can only take one photo of every object (it is necessary to look carefully at the object and decide which shot they want to take) • students spend 10 minutes in this activity • after completing the activity, they can comment on the experience of this exercise and look at other people's photos or show the ones they took • if anybody wants, they can share their experience with the whole class The final activity (encouraging pleasant feelings exercise) Purpose: to reduce feelings of stress, improve self-confidence, encourage pleasant feelings, improve attention

5 Concentration and breathing exercise: 5 minute Mindfulness Drawing Meditation. Youtube 20/5/2020. Mindful Creative Muse. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LMuv21_4M (15/9/2020)

Duration: 15 minutes Materials needed: worksheet (Appendix 2)6 Steps: • play quiet, soothing music in the background • students complete the activities on the worksheet on their own • when they finish, the facilitator invites the students to share with others what they have written.

It is desirable that for each part of the task several students say their answer, e.g. "Who will tell us what three things you are grateful for" (in this part participation is on voluntary basis, but it would be desirable that all students participate)

4.4. Emotional intelligence Purpose: to improve emotional health, improve focus, reduce feelings of stress, encourage better interpersonal understanding, improve self-confidence, encourage pleasant feelings, encourage acceptance of different behaviors Age group: children, youth and adults Introductory activity (guided meditation) Duration: 10 Steps: • participants must be comfortably seated and find a comfortable body position (e.g. let children sit at a desk, under a desk or you can organise the activity in nature) • play pleasant and relaxing music in the background •

participants close their eyes, focus on their own breathing ignoring the noise around them and focus as much as possible on the facilitator's voice

•

the facilitator begins with a speech that incites pleasant thoughts, for example, imagining a place ideal for life, remembering the loved ones, focusing on pleasant sounds from nature, such as birds chirping or the sound of water, or focusing on the relaxation of mind and body

•

participants remain silent in their position for another minute or two

6 Adjusted from: Pathway 2 Success. Mindful Morning Check-In: Digital and Print SEL Activity. Teachers Pay Teachers 2020. Available at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mindful-Morning-Check-In-Digital-PrintSEL-Activity-5389348 (15/9/2021)

An example of guided meditation: "5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere" 7 Central activity (recognising emotions through a life story) Duration: 30 minutes Materials needed: cards with words for emotions Steps: • participants sit comfortably in a circle • the activity can take place indoors or outdoors • the facilitator holds the cards with words that indicate a certain emotion (anger, love, joy, gratitude, etc.)

• each participant takes one card and tells a real-life story that connects them to that emotion, but he/she must not say the word on the card.

• other participants try to guess what emotion the participant is describing through their story Final activity Duration: 5 minutes Steps: •

the participants reflect on how they feel about the past events now and on how they can turn upleasant emotions into pleasant one

7 Guided meditation: 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere. YouTube 4/9/2019. Goodful. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM (15/9/2021)

5. APPENDIXES Appendix 1 (1.4. Observation exercise)8 FIND THE COLOUR RED

BLUE

GREEN

YELLOW

BLACK

WHITE

BROWN

GREY

8 Observation exercise: adopted from Focusing on the Colours You See. Mindfulnes Exercises. Available at: https://mindfulnessexercises.com/focusing-on-the-colors-you-see/ (10/11/2021)

Appendix 2 (1.9. Encouraging pleasant feelings exercise)9

5

Slowly and deeply breath in and breathe out 5 times.

4

Write 4 things that you can see around you.

24

3

Write 3 things that you are grateful for.

2

Write 2 positive things about yourself.

1

Write 1 thing you are looking forward to today.

9 Adjusted from: Pathway 2 Success. Mindful Morning Check-In: Digital and Print SEL Activity. Teachers Pay Teachers 2020. Available at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mindful-Morning-Check-In-Digital-PrintSEL-Activity-5389348 (15/9/2021)

Appendix 3 (2.1. Treasure hunt) 10 An example of activities for teams: • students are given a riddle on a piece of paper: My spine is stiff and my body is pale, but I am always ready to tell a tale. Since the answer to this riddle is a book, the participants need to find a book, get it and they will find a hidden bag with one letter and a puzzle for the search of the next letter. They bring the found letter to the captain of their team who is waiting for them at the designated post and they continue the search for the next letter until they find all 10 letters.

• 2nd riddle: I have a neck, but I don't have a head, but I still wear a hat; the answer: a bottle (the letter and the next puzzle are hidden next to the the bottle) • 3rd riddle: I am so simple that I just point out, I still guide people all over the world; the answer: a compass • 4th riddle: What is black and white and read everywhere? The answer: a newspaper • 5th riddle: I get bigger when I eat, but I die or get weak when I drink. The answer: fire •6th riddle: People climb on me, cut me and burn me, they don't show me respect! My rings are not made of gold, but they speak of my age. The answer: a tree • 7th riddle: I have a face that doesn't frown, I have hands that don't wave, I don't have a mouth, just a familiar sound, I don't walk - but I move. The answer: a clock • 8th riddle: I am full of holes and still retain water. The answer: a sponge • 9th riddle: I get wet while drying. The answer: a towel • 10th riddle: I have one eye, but I can't see. The answer: a needle • after collecting 10 letters, all participants of the team decide on the the final answer

10 Adopted from the course„Health and Emotional Education: Creating a positive and effective climate among learners (children, youths, adults)”, Anna Nicolaou, Rafael Nicolaou, STANDOutEdu organisation, Nicosia, Cyprus, 23rd-27th August 2021. An example on the webpage Davis, Mary. Treasure Hunt Activities for Schools. Classroom. Available at: https://classroom.synonym.com/treasure-hunt-activities-school-7977349.html (7/2/2022)

Appendix 4 (2.2. Listening exercise)11

11Active Listening Exercises;10 Team Activities to Improve Active Listening. A Drawing Task. 10.03.2021. Minute Leader. Available at: https://www.the10minuteleader.com/active-listening-exercises-10-team-activities-to-improveactive-listening/ (2/2/2022)

Appendix 5 (2.3. Role-play instructions)12 Listen carefully, show empathy and a sincere desire to know their needs.

Never say "I understand" but use the labels: "It seems that / It looks like" every 4th time.

Talk like a late night DJ. Mirror (repeat the last 3 words) - "Sorry,"…, 4 seconds of silence, repeat.

Start with a NO to gain control of the situation, and then use the “It seems that” labels (paraphrase).

For example, to "It's not fair!" - say "Sorry, what's unfair about that?" Or for adults, "Can you give me an example of unfairness?"

Summarize and paraphrase what they say to get 3 yeses.

Use body language (55% of communication depends on it).

Get them to say "That's right," not "You're right."

Be aware of negative feelings and replace them with positive, compassionate, solution-oriented thoughts.

Ask questions that start with What? and How? (rarely Why?).

Make requests with a conjunction because.

Use I-claims (I feel… .when you ...).

12 Role-play: adopted and adjusted from Voss, Chris. Never Split the Difference. Erlich, Yan-David. Summary CheetSheet. Available at: http://www.famvestor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/NeverSplitTheDifference-NegotiatingTechniques.pdf (7/2/2022)

Appendix 6 (2.6 The 4-Ears-Model)13

FOUR RECIPIENT EARS The listener needs "four ears" to understand the message sent to him by the speaker.

• OBJECTIVE CONTENT EAR - it is important to understand the subject and content.

• SELF-DISCLOSURE EAR - We need to see what kind of person we are communicating with and what is happening to them.

• RELATIONSHIP EAR - it is important to distinguish how the person speaks to us and who he thinks he is speaking to • EAR FOR APPEAL - it is important to see what we need to do, think and feel based on the statement and understand what the interlocutor wants us to do.

13 The 4-Ear-Model: Communication Model of Shulz Von Thun. Youtube 29/3/2017. Muffenbier, Ali. Welty, Jenna.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YwM6qMDq8 (5/2/2022)

Appendix 7 (2.6. The 4-Ears-Model) Cards with sentences spoken by student speakers.

• the traffic light is red.

• a classroom window is open.

• I don't like hard-boiled eggs.

• I am going to cry now.

• tea is bitter.

• your dress is too short.

• you cut your bangs.

• you forgot my notebook.

• you did not do your homework.

• dishes are not washed.

Appendix 8 (3.1. Fractal drawings)14

14 Fractal drawings: Gunes, Olga. Art-therapy: fractal drawing. Artademik. Available at: http://artademik.com/artterapija-crtanje-fraktala/ (9/2/2022)

Appendix 9 (3.4. The Hand of Support)15 Bullying can be: verbal, psychological, manipulative, physical Physical bullying can also be considered a crime!

Bullying is a situation of a person or group of people trying to overpower others!

Psychology says that bullying is the dominant behavior we see in animals.

Exercise: You are holding in your hand the support you need to overcome bullying!

Write down who you are going to inform to help you or support you if you are being bullied by others or if you are the bully to others!

15 The hand of support: examples on the webpage Helping Hand Anti-Bullying Activity. Twinkl. Available at: https://www.twinkl.hr/resource/us-t2-p-004-helping-hand-anti-bullying-activity (5/2/2022)

Appendix 10 (3.5. Hot seat) 16 HOT SEAT! Name: love pets

travel

The most embarrissing moment

What is your biggest regret?

htthttps://psy catgames.co m/hr/magazi ne/conversat ionstarters/icebr eakerideas/ps://ps ycatgames.c om/hr/magaz ine/conversa If I could meet tionanyone in the starters/icebr world, who eaker-ideas/ would it be?

The most horrid thing that happened to you

hobbies ljubimci

16 Adapted from the course „Health and Emotional Education: Creating a positive and effective climate among learners (children, youths, adults)”, Anna Nicolaou, Rafael Nicolaou, STANDOutEdu organisation, Nicosia, Cyprus, 23rd-27th August 2021. Examples of questions on the webpage Johnson, Courtney. 60 Hot Seat Questions. Ponly. Available at: https://ponly.com/hot-seat-questions/ (1/2/2022)

6. SOURCES The course „Health and Emotional Education: Creating a positive and effective climate among learners (children, youths, adults)”, Anna Nicolaou, Rafael Nicolaou, STANDOutEdu organisation, Nicosia, Cyprus, 23rd-27th August 2021.

The course "Stress Management and Recognition", Susan Gagliano, Europass Teacher Academy, Florence, Italy, 4th- 9th October 2021.

The course "Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence and Bullying Prevention", Europass Teacher Academy, Michael Farrell, Dublin, Ireland, 23rd-28th August 2021.

The course„ Mindfulness for Teachers: a Hands-on Approach”, Marta Mandolini, Europass Teacher Academy, Barcelona, Spain, 13th-18th September 2021.

1.5. Exercise 5-4-3-2-1 and I am here: webinar „Using mindfulness techniques for more successful coping with stress”, Josipa Mihić, prof., Gestalt therapist, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, AMPEU, 9th October 2020.

3.7. Gratitude practice: online course „Positive Education and Mindfulness in Schools”, Marta Mandolini, Europass Teacher Academy Training Platform, 28th September 2020.

Webpages: 1.1. Breathing exercise I (4-4-4): Box breathing. Healthline 31/3/2021. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#slowly-exhale (14/9/2021) Square Breathing Visual. Youtube 31/3/2021. UAB Student Affairs. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF_1ZiFta-E&t=76s (4/10/2021) 1.2. Breathing exercise II (3-3, 4-4, 5-5): Yoga Sama Vritti practice. Yogapedia. Available at: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8594/sama-vritti (13/9/2021) 1.3. Breathing exercise III (4-7-8): 4-7-8 Breath. Andrew Weil. Available at: https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/ (13/9/2021) 1.4. Observation exercise: adopted from Focusing on the Colours You See. Mindfulnes Exercises.

Available at: https://mindfulnessexercises.com/focusing-on-the-colors-you-see/ (10/11/2021)

1.6. Concentration and breathing exercise: 5 minute Mindfulness Drawing Meditation. Youtube 20/5/2020. Mindful Creative Muse. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LMuv21_4M (15/9/2020)

1.7. Observation exercise (outside of classroom): Sutton, Jeremy. Mindful Photography: 11 Tools to Get Started With This Powerful Practice. Positive Psychology.com. 2021. Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/mindful-photography/ (16/9/2021) 1.8. Guided meditation: 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere. YouTube 4/9/2019. Goodful.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM (15/9/2021) 2.1. Treasure hunt: an example on the webpage Davis, Mary. Treasure Hunt Activities for Schools.

Classroom. Available at: https://classroom.synonym.com/treasure-hunt-activities-school7977349.html (7/2/2022) 2.2 Listening exercise: an example on the webpage Active Listening Exercises;10 Team Activities to Improve Active Listening. 6.A Drawing Task. 10/3/2021. Minute Leader. Available at: https://www.the10minuteleader.com/active-listening-exercises-10-team-activities-to-improveactive-listening/ (2/2/2022) 2.3. Role-play: adopted and adjusted from Voss, Chris. Never Split the Difference. Erlich, YanDavid. Summary Cheet-Sheet. Available at: http://www.famvestor.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/01/NeverSplitTheDifference-Negotiating-Techniques.pdf (7/2/2022) 2.4. The game of trust: examples on the webpage Li, Lory. 20 Team Building Activities to Build Trust Among Coworkers (NEW activities added for remote teams). 1/6/2020. TINYpulse. Available at: https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/team-building-activity-trust (5/2/2022) 2.5. Woodcutter: Game of the Week: Wah!.19/12/2011. Playworks.org. Available at: https://www.playworks.org/resource/game-of-the-week-wah/ (2/2/2022) 2.6. The 4-Ear-Model: Communication Model of Shulz Von Thun. Youtube 29/3/2017. Muffenbier, Ali. Welty, Jenna. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YwM6qMDq8 (5/2/2022) 3.1. Fractal drawings: Gunes, Olga. Art-therapy: fractal drawing. Artademik. Available at: http://artademik.com/art-terapija-crtanje-fraktala/ (9/2/2022)

3.2. The snowball method: examples of activities on the webpage Peterson, Deb. Play Snowball Fight to Break the Ice or Review Lessons. 29/7/2019. Thought.Co. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/ice-breaker-snowball-fight-31389 (2/2/2022) 3.3. Personality test: examples on the webpage Pangilinan, Jessa. 7 Fun Printable Personality Tests for Students. 27/8/2021. Happier Human. Available at: https://www.happierhuman.com/personalitytest-students/ (5/2/2022) 3.4. The hand of support: examples on the webpage Helping Hand Anti-Bullying Activity. Twinkl.

Available at: https://www.twinkl.hr/resource/us-t2-p-004-helping-hand-anti-bullying-activity (5/2/2022). Helping Hand Activity. 25/4/2020. Rainbow Families Inc. Available at: https://www.rainbowfamilies.com.au/helping_hand_activity (4/2/2022) 3.5. Hot seat: examples of questions on the webpage Johnson, Courtney. 60 Hot Seat Questions.

Ponly. Available at: https://ponly.com/hot-seat-questions/ (1/2/2022) 3.6. Recognising emotions through a life story: examples of cards and activities on the webpage Burnett, Christie. Printable Feelings and Emotion Cards with 8 Matching Card Games Ideas.

Childhood 101, 2016. Available at: https://childhood101.com/helping-children-manage-bigemotions-printable-emotions-cards/ (8/2/2022) Appendixes Appendix 2 (1.9. Encouraging pleasant feelings exercise). Adjusted from: Pathway 2 Success.

Mindful Morning Check-In: Digital and Print SEL Activity. Teachers Pay Teachers 2020. Available at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mindful-Morning-Check-In-Digital-Print-SELActivity-5389348 (15/9/2021) Appendix 6 (2.6 The 4-Ear- Model). Taken from: Bridge, Mark. Malibu Man. 3/3/2015. treemagineers. Available at: Malibu Man – Treemagineers Blog (12/1/2022) Appendix 8 (3.1. Fractal drawing). Taken from: Gunes, Olga. Art-therapy: fractal drawing.

Artademik. Available at: http://artademik.com/art-terapija-crtanje-fraktala/ (9/2/2022)