Creating Calm: Reducing Stress and Anxiety in the Classroom

During these uncertain times, especially around the holidays, teachers and students may experience increased stress and anxiety. When these feelings grow overwhelming, they can disrupt learning, focus, and overall well-being. By recognizing anxiety and using simple strategies, teachers can create calm, supportive classrooms where students learn more effectively and educators feel more confident.

Recognizing Anxiety

Anxiety comes from the brain’s fight-flight-freeze survival response. While useful in real danger, it can become chronic when the brain reacts to threats that aren’t there. Symptoms may include a racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, sweating, tingling, racing thoughts, and trouble concentrating.

In the classroom, anxiety may show up as restlessness, irritability, avoidance, “zoning out,” or difficulty completing tasks. It is often fueled by negative internal messages such as “I’m not good enough.” When these thoughts build, the stress system can stay stuck in the “on” position, leaving both students and teachers exhausted. The good news is that anxiety is highly treatable, and many practical strategies can help.

1. Personal Strategies for Teachers and Students

These techniques support individual stress management:

• Deep breathing: Slow breathing signals safety to the brain and helps release tension.
• Regular exercise: Physical activity boosts endorphins and reduces stress.
• Journaling: Writing releases worries and interrupts negative self-talk; gratitude journaling can shift perspective.
• Scheduled “worry time”: Setting aside a specific time reduces constant rumination.
• Reframing thoughts: Replace anxious thoughts with realistic, calming statements such as “I can get through this.”
• Reaching out: Talking with trusted people provides support and grounding.
• Prioritizing self-care: Engage in activities that restore energy and joy.
• Setting boundaries: Saying no when needed helps prevent overload.
• Seeking professional help: Support is essential when anxiety becomes persistent or unmanageable.

Remember: About 90% of what we worry about never actually happens!

2. Supporting a Stress-Reduced Classroom

Educators can help students manage anxiety by creating safe and predictable learning spaces. Helpful strategies include:

• Normalizing stress: Let students know anxiety is common and the classroom is a supportive place.
• Mindful breaks: Brief breathing or stretching exercises help reset the nervous system.
• Clear structure: Predictable routines reduce uncertainty, a major anxiety trigger.
• Promoting positive self-talk: Encourage students to replace “I’m going to fail” with “I can try my best.”
• Fostering connection: Supportive relationships act as a buffer against stress.
• Modeling calm: When teachers model healthy coping strategies, students are more likely to follow.
• Softer lighting: Natural light or lamps can reduce sensory stress.
• Calming corners: Provide comfortable seating, noise-reducing tools, or soft music for brief resets.

3. Resources:

• Eager to learn more? On November 6 and December 8, 2025, ATLAS offered two webinars around healing-centered practices for adult education. The first (with Lucy Amis Rosario) focused on organizations and leadership, and the second (with Andrea Echelberger) focused on classroom routines. In addition, a new video on Traumatic Stress & the Brain was recorded in fall 2025, specifically made for MN Adult Education. You can find all of these recordings here.
• Virtual Calming Room: A collection of music, visual relaxation, guided meditations, and breathing exercises created by Osseo Learning Center.
• PANDA’s Mental Wellness Tip Sheet: Tools for teaching students how to maintain mental well-being.
• PANDA’s Mental Health Resource page: Apps, low-cost clinics, and free 24/7 crisis lines.

Simple strategies and supportive routines can lower stress for both students and teachers, creating a calmer and more focused classroom.