19 July 2024

Year 7 EMPOWER (Stress & Anxiety management) Program 2024

Article by From the Student Wellbeing Team

Year 7 EMPOWER (Stress & Anxiety management) Program 2024


The EMPOWER (Stress and Anxiety management) program concluded near the end of last Term after a successful 5-week run. Eleven Year 7 students participated in this small group setting to learn about managing stress and anxiety effectively. The Wellbeing Team hosted EMPOWER, which stands for Educate, Mindfulness, Progress, Obstacles, Wellness, Emotions, and Regulation.

The aim of the program was to enhance students' ability to cope with stress and anxiety through emotional regulation and psycho-education. Students received an overview of common stressors and participated in activities to learn about their own triggers and reactions, as well as developing and practising various coping strategies. They were provided with valuable resources to enable physical relaxation and combat unhelpful thoughts - most of which are accessible to all students on the Wellbeing Canvas page under the “Stress 101” tile. Students also created “personal coping menu cards” to take away and refer back to in their day-to-day lives.

Some of the techniques covered included box breathing, five-finger breathing, grounding techniques, and thought reframing.

Student evaluation showed collective positivity towards the program. Some of the feedback included “I have learnt what helps me when I am stressed or anxious” and “[I’ve learnt] how to understand my anxiety”. Many students also spoke about helpful strategies that they were able to take away from the program.

The EMPOWER program is now in its fifth year, and continues to be highly regarded by participating students. It will continue to be offered to the next cohort of Year 7 students.

From the Student Wellbeing Team.

wellbeing@ignatius.vic.edu.au


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