Reset Now!
Introduce ten simple strategies to help students build self-regulation skills.
Ages 11-18 / 30
min Activity
Objectives
- Learn and practice strategies that help them return to an “okay” zone when they are in a “high” or “low” zone (learn more about the different zones in okay zone)
- Identify situations when these strategies might be helpful, and use them appropriately
Supporting Research
The “Help Now” strategies are a tool from the Community Resiliency Model ©, and they help individuals track more pleasant or neutral sensations in their body, enabling them to reset their nervous system and feel more balanced. Educators should encourage students to practice mindfulness to notice any emotions and sensations that they experience during this activity, and self-care to identify strategies that foster their mental, physical, and emotional health.
To learn more about these skills, and how they promote students’ healthy growth and the development of empathy, please check out our Empathy Framework.
Materials
Activity Partners
Instructions
- Start the activity by asking students: “When is it hard for you to feel motivated or think clearly? For example, when someone feels tired, they might have trouble focusing and doing schoolwork. Or, when they feel angry, they might say or do something that they regret later. In these situations, what usually helps you feel calmer and more alert?”
- Explain the “Reset Now!” strategies, which can help people feel more relaxed, confident, and focused. The strategies are:
• Drinking water or juice
• Naming the colors in the room
• Counting backwards from 20
• Listening to the sounds in the room
• Looking around the room, and noticing what draws your attention
• Touching a nearby surface or item, and noticing its textures and characteristics
• Touching the surface of something in nature
• Pushing your hands or back against a wall, and noticing how your muscles feel
• Walking while paying attention to your feet making contact with the ground, and the movement of your arms and legs
• Noticing the temperature of the room, and whether different parts of your body feel warm or cool
- Invite students to practice the “Reset Now!” strategies with one of the following activities.
Activity 1: Practice Stations
- Print a copy of the “Reset Now!” strategies and cut out the individual cards.
- Create ten stations around the classroom, and place a card at each station. Ensure that there is enough space to try out each strategy, and students have access to any necessary resources (e.g., a glass of water or juice, a plant or flower, etc.).
- Invite students to visit the stations and try out the different strategies. Encourage them to notice what happens in their body when they practice each strategy, and whether these sensations are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
- Afterwards, ask students to write down their three favorite strategies. Students should also think about a time when these strategies might come in handy (e.g., during a disagreement with a friend, or before an exam in their hardest subject).
Activity 2: Flashcards
- Ask students to make their own set of flashcards with paper or cardboard. Students should use pencils, crayons, or markers to illustrate one “Reset Now!” strategy on each card.
Remind them that the artwork doesn’t need to be realistic - it can be a symbol, shape, or color that reminds them of the strategies that are most helpful for them.
- Flashcards can be hole-punched and tied together in the corner with a loop of string or ribbon for students to use when needed, or if they notice a classmate or family member who might benefit from the strategies.