9 Male Actors: Judd Jared Mr. Campbell Fred Randy Doug Bill Blake Nick 7 Female Actors: Monica Daphne Bonnie Trixie Cathy Martha Barbara 2 or more Narrators: Guys or Girls Narrator : There are pivotal events that happen in this country that impacts us all. The Connecticut school shooting that happened on the 14th of December, 2012, is one of those events. Narrator : In an effort to bring comfort, understanding, and a way to help us deal with our feelings of stress, empathy, and anger, this series has been created. Narrator : This is an excerpt of a role-play about anti-bullying. Just the part about learning about ways to manage our feelings of stress is included. BONNIE: Mr. Campbell, what will we be talking about today? MR. CAMPBELL: Today, we will be discussing some ways to manage your stress. We call this stress management. Narrator : Fred Harvey jokingly clutched his neck, stuck his tongue out a bit, widened his eyes, and said in an exaggerated somewhat squeaky voice: Stressed? What do you mean stressed? Narrator : Mr. Campbell and the class laughed appreciatively. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Well done, Fred. Narrator : Fred smiled with satisfaction. He loved playing the class clown. MR. CAMPBELL: There are all kinds of things that can make you feel stressed. Perhaps you got a bad grade. Maybe a teacher gave you a demerit slip. Perhaps your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you. Maybe a friend or family member got upset with you. Perhaps you or someone you care about has a health issue. Maybe some kid bullied you in the hallway or cafeteria. This list could go on and on. Narrator : Almost every member of the class nodded their head in agreement. Narrator : Placing a poster on the board, Mr. Campbell said: 1
2 MR. CAMPBELL: I would like to introduce you to the eight tools of anger management developed by Dr. Tony Fiore. Dr. Fiore is also known as the Anger Coach. Among other things, Dr. Fiore is a licensed psychologist, marriage therapist, and certified anger management provider. (http://www.angercoach.com/) TRIXIE: Mr. Campbell, I thought we were going to talk about stress management not anger management. MR. CAMPBELL: We are actually going to be covering both topics as they both can be dealt with in the same way. After all, anger is a form of stress. Plus, feeling stressed can make us feel angry. TRIXIE: Okay, that makes sense. Narrator : Mr. Campbell also displayed the Anger Continuum poster and stated: MR. CAMPBELL: Look at the Anger Continuum poster. Notice that list of emotions. Can I get a volunteer to read off that list of ways you might be feeling if you are stressed-out or angry? Narrator : Randy Carter volunteered. He read: RANDY: Embarrassed, worried, sad, annoyed, anxious, fearful, irritated, frustrated, angry, aggravated, indignant, sarcastic, spiteful, vengeful, resentment, and bitter. MR. CAMPBELL: Today, we will discuss the first of Dr. Fiore s eight tools for anger management. Tool #1 on the 8 Tools of Anger Control poster is
MR. CAMPBELL: RECOGNIZE STRESS. Does anybody wish to share an example of a time you have felt one of those emotions that Randy read to us; in other words, a time you have felt stressed in some way? Narrator : Just about every student in the room started thinking about what made them feel stressed; however, just saying it out loud would have made them feel even more stressed. For example, Nick Sanders thought: NICK: I get stressed by my bully big brothers, by my absentee dad, by my mom who has to work all the time, and by that Judd guy. Narrator : Jared Christie thought: JARED: Narrator : Judd thought: JUDD: I get stressed by being in a class with two bullies: Nick and Judd. Having to be in this waste-of-time class makes me feel stressed. Talking about all this stuff is a bunch of crock! Why couldn t I have been in gym class instead? Narrator : One of the kids who was happy to share his thoughts was Fred. He said: TRIXIE: MONICA: Like I said yesterday, I get stressed when I have to do homework instead of watch TV. I also feel stressed because my bossy big sister sometimes drives me crazy. Yeah, I feel stressed when my little sister messes around in my room and breaks some of my things because she s so clumsy. I felt stressed yesterday because I was late to class and got a demerit slip from my math teacher. Narrator : In response, Daphne Honey thought but did not say out loud: DAPHNE: I get stressed by that bully Monica. I m glad she got a demerit slip yesterday. She deserves it for being such a bully. MR. CAMPBELL: Anybody else wish to share? Narrator : When nobody said anything, Mr. Campbell continued: MR. CAMPBELL: Those are three really good examples. So I imagine that most of you recognize when you feel stressed. Does anybody know some things you can do to manage your stress; in other words, do you know of some things you can do to feel better, calmer, and more peaceful? CATHY: Counting to ten or one hundred can sometimes help. Narrator : Bonnie was a member of the girls basketball team. She said: 3
4 BONNIE: DOUG: I like to channel all my anger into the way I play basketball. I m kind of an aggressive player. Hey, that s cool. I do the same thing when I play football. I do the same thing when I run track. Running, for me, is a great stress releaser. Narrator : Martha Evans surprised herself by volunteering: MARTHA: I like to walk in nature when I feel stressed. Narrator : Her heart was palpitating a bit since she hardly ever felt brave enough to speak up in class; however, she felt proud of herself at the same time. RANDY: TRIXIE: I like to release stress by skateboarding and dirt biking. Doing fun stuff like that really takes my mind off anything that might be bothering me. It makes me feel less stressed by talking things out with my best friend. I also write in my journal. My mother de-stresses by cleaning the house. You couldn t have found a speck of dust or grime anywhere when she found out about my cousin Samantha trying to commit suicide due to all the bullying she went through. And of course, my cousin de-stressed by talking with a guidance counselor. Narrator : Daphne looked around and gently asked: DAPHNE: Bill, what about you? What did you do to de-stress when you found out about your cousin? Narrator : Bill looked a bit embarrassed. He said: Well, at first, I went out to the garage and threw a bunch of punches at a punching bag my big brother has set up in our garage. He s learning to be a kick-boxer. Then I spent a long time playing computer games and reading. Narrator : When it appeared that no one else was going to share, Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Those were all great suggestions. One of the most important destressors is to remember to breathe. Narrator : Fred clutched his throat and jokingly said: Ahhhhhhhh! Oh, no! I forgot to breathe! I m dy-ingngngngng! Narrator : The class laughed and Mr. Campbell smiled as he said:
MR. CAMPBELL: Fred, I think we will always be able to count on you when we need a little comic relief. Thankfully, breathing comes naturally to all of us; however, that is not the type of breathing that I am talking about. A friend of mine, Mr. Brian Myers, runs a martial arts school. He told me that one of the first things he teaches his students is to remember to breathe. Does anybody know anything about martial arts? BLAKE: I watched a TV special about martial arts once. They talked about how when someone grabs you from behind, you might freeze up in surprise so much that you actually forget to breathe for a moment. Oh, I saw that special too. They talked about this woman who was grabbed from behind by a mugger. There were some people about thirty feet away who might have been able to help her if she had called out to them or screamed. BARBARA: Yeah, I saw that too. Since she forgot to breathe, she couldn t manage to get any volume out of her mouth when she tried to call for help. BLAKE: BLAKE: BLAKE: Yup! So she signed up for martial arts training. One of the first things she learned was to force herself to take a deep breath. Then, from down in her diaphragm.... Diaphragm? What s that? Your gut, Fred. Your diaphragm is your gut your lower stomach area. Ohhhhhh! Right! Okay, what are you supposed to do with your gut? From your gut area, you re supposed to take a deep breath, and let out a loud whoop or NO! or a scream or yell. BARBARA: They even suggested you could call out FIRE! as sometimes people will ignore yelling or screaming; however, they probably will look around if they think something or somebody is on fire. MR. CAMPBELL: Excellent explanation! In a moment, let s take three deep breaths together. Try to breathe in through your nose to the count of four and then breathe out through your mouth to the count of four. Since I will be doing this with you, I will hold up my fingers to help us count. Afterward, let s discuss what you noticed happening in your body. Okay, let s begin to slowly take three deep calming breaths together. Narrator : Fred, ever the class clown, started coughing halfway through. This broke the rest of the class up in laughter. Mr. Campbell said: 5
MR. CAMPBELL: Yes, sometimes you might accidentally start coughing as you might have breathed in or out in the wrong way. Should this happen, continue breathing deeply anyway. Let s try to take three deep breaths again. Narrator : The actors and narrators should try that exercise now. MR. CAMPBELL: Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 NICK: Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 What did you notice happening in your body? When I did it right, I noticed that my heart rate felt like it was slowing down. I actually felt more relaxed. That was kind of cool. BARBARA: I felt like my body was getting lighter. BLAKE: I felt a lot calmer. I can see why they teach you to breathe like that when you get mugged or something. If it actually makes your heart rate slow down, your body feel lighter, and you feel calmer and more relaxed, you would actually be able to think better. That s true. If you can think better, you would have a better chance to come up with some kind of way to make your escape from the mugger. Narrator : Inside his head, Bill was thinking that he would tell his cousin Samantha and his buddy Jordy Gibson about remembering to breathe the next time they were confronted by a bully. Perhaps that would help. MR. CAMPBELL: The good thing about taking one to three deep breaths is that you can do this almost everywhere whenever you feel angry or frightened or stressed in any way. Unless you make a big production of it, most people will not even notice you are doing it. Narrator : As expected, Fred demonstrated how NOT to do deep breathing. 6
Mr. Campbell s class discusses ways to manage your feelings of stress Oh, I get it! I shouldn t loudly take in a breath through my nose and then loudly breathe out through my mouth like this: SNIFFLE BLOW. MR. CAMPBELL: Exactly how NOT to do it. Instead, just quietly breathe in through your nose and quietly breathe out through your mouth. Try to take a fourto-six-seconds inhale and also try to take a four-to-six-seconds exhale. Another way you can do it is to inhale to the count of four, hold your breath for two seconds, and then exhale to the count of four. Let s try that together. Narrator : The actors and narrators should try that exercise now. As Mr. Campbell describes other de-stressing suggestions, everybody in the class should try those exercises as well. MR. CAMPBELL: Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 Hold your breath: 1 2 Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 Hold your breath: 1 2 Breathe in: 1 2 3 4 Hold your breath: 1 2 MR. CAMPBELL: Think back to a time when you have felt angry or stressed. How many of you have ever felt your face feel tight or flush, your jaw feel tight, or your teeth clench? Narrator : Nearly every student raised their hand. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: One thing you can do is to wiggle your jaw and chin around a few times. Everybody try that now. Narrator : Nearly every boy was brave enough to try this. Only a few of the girls were willing to do this. So, Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Fred, I think we need your help. Narrator : Fred smiled. He walked to the front of the room and said in a clownish voice: Okay, boys and girls, wiggle your jaw and chin around along with me. You can do it! Okay, good job! 7
Narrator : Now that Fred had turned it into a bit of a game, most of the class felt braver about participating. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Great, Fred! Let s have you stay up front to demonstrate the next exercise I m going to describe as well. Okie, dokie! MR. CAMPBELL: To the count of four, purposely tighten up your face, forehead, and mouth. Also squint your eyes. After four seconds, relax your eyes and facial muscles. Fred, please lead the class. Okay, boys and girls, squint your eyes and tighten up your forehead and mouth. One, two, three, four. Now relax! Narrator : Everybody laughed hard as Fred sounded comical when he tried to count when his mouth was pursed-up and tight. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Perhaps you can simply hold your fingers up to show the four-count. Good idea, Mr. Campbell. MR. CAMPBELL: This time, everybody should inhale through your nose to the count of four as you tighten up your mouth and forehead and squint your eyes. Then exhale to the count of four as you relax your facial muscles. Do this three times. Narrator : Fred led the class in doing that exercise. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Thank you, Fred. Have a seat. Let s give Fred a hand for being a great demonstrator. Narrator : The class clapped wildly and Fred bowed his way back to his seat. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: How many of you have ever felt your neck muscles and shoulders tense when you feel angry or stressed? Narrator : Many of the students raised their hands. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Here is another exercise you can try. Lower your head to your right shoulder and hold it there for a few seconds. Then lower your head to your left shoulder and hold it there for a few seconds. While your head and shoulders are touching, inhale to the count of four. Exhale as you bring your head to an upright position. Let s try that together. Narrator : After the class tried that exercise, Mr. Campbell said: 8
MR. CAMPBELL: Okay, next rotate your neck and head around in a clockwise circle five times. Then, rotate your neck and head around in a counterclockwise circle five times. Do that now. Narrator : The actors and narrators should try that exercise now. MR. CAMPBELL: Okay, hunch and tighten up your shoulders and arms as you breathe in to the count of four. Then relax your shoulders and arms as you breathe out to the count of four. Do this three times. Narrator : The actors and narrators should try that exercise now. MR. CAMPBELL: Those exercises are all things you probably would want to do when you are alone. But let s say that you got bullied in the hallway, or you were late to class and got a demerit slip, or you got a bad grade on an assignment and you were feeling upset. You certainly can t go skateboarding that very moment or start journaling in class or play a game on the computer; however, you need to find a way to let off some steam so you can de-stress. Narrator : Judd actually perked up at this because he remembered all too clearly how stressed he felt after class the previous day. He wondered whether Mr. Campbell could actually suggest something that might help. MR. CAMPBELL: Tighten up your back, your arms, and your legs. Also, make a tight fist. Try to do this in such a way that nobody notices that you are doing this. As you tighten up all those parts of your body, breathe in to the count of four. Then as you exhale to the count of four, relax all those parts of your body. Do this three times. Narrator : As Judd and the rest of the class did this exercise, he noticed that it actually helped to make him feel a bit calmer and more relaxed. MR. CAMPBELL: Something else you can try that people probably won t notice is to press your feet into the floor as hard as you can for a few seconds and then relax. Inhale as you press your feet into the floor to the count of four. Exhale to the count of four as you relax your feet. Try this three times. Narrator : Nick found himself thinking about the breakfast scene with his two big brothers the day before. He thought: NICK: Hey, when they re playing monkey in the middle with the cereal box, I could try quietly sitting in my chair and pressing my feet into the floor instead of jumping around trying to get the box back. They ll probably get bored, and I ll feel more relaxed. 9
10 MR. CAMPBELL: Another thing you can do that people probably won t notice is to tighten your shoulders and arm muscles as you press your hands onto your desk or arm rests as firmly as you can. Inhale to the count of four as you tighten those muscles and press your hands. Then exhale to the count of four as you relax all those muscles. Do this three times. Narrator : Jared Christie thought: JARED: That s a great exercise to do when kids start making fun of my last name by calling me Cristie-Girl. Instead of reacting, I can simply press my hands onto the desk really hard and then relax. I ll feel better, and they won t see me get upset as I ll be too busy remembering to breathe and doing handpresses. Plus, I can press my feet into the floor at the same time. Cool! I like that a lot! Hey, Mr. Campbell. I just thought of something. Let s say you re in the hallway at your locker and someone says something to make you feel stressed. You could press your right foot into the floor really hard as you breathe in. Then relax it as you breathe out. Then you could do the same with your other foot. The bully kid won t get a reaction, plus we can feel more relaxed. MR. CAMPBELL: That s a wonderful suggestion, Bill. I might even try that sometime as I do hall duty and see a student do something he or she shouldn t be doing. That might help me feel calmer before I say or do anything. Narrator : Bill looked pleased that a grown-up would actually receive help from one of his suggestions. MR. CAMPBELL: The final exercise is one that you probably will want to do when you are alone. Tighten up your entire body. Press your arms into your body. Make fists. Press your legs together. Tighten your facial muscles. Squint or close your eyes. Make your body as compact as you can as if you were packed like sardines in a crowded elevator. Inhale to the count of four while you tense up. Exhale to the count of four as you relax. Do this three times. Narrator : The class all tried this together. It probably would have looked rather comical to anybody who might decide to look through the classroom window; however, every member of the class felt too relaxed at that point to care. MR. CAMPBELL: Now that you ve tried all these techniques, take an inventory of your anger cues. If you notice any part of your body still feeling tense, tighten up that part of your body as you inhale to the count of four. Then, relax that
11 MR. CAMPBELL: part of your body as you exhale to the count of four. Additionally, rotate your head, shoulders, and arms a few times. Try to get your body feeling loose and comfortable. Narrator : Many members of the class continued trying the relaxation exercises as Mr. Campbell asked: MR. CAMPBELL: How many of you feel calm and relaxed? Narrator : Everybody raised their hand. Mr. Campbell said: MR. CAMPBELL: Before the bell rings, a final thought, as Jerry Springer would say. Pay attention to each and every part of your body, taking care that you are relaxed as possible while you deal with the situation that triggered your anger in the first place. From this calmer, more peaceful stance, you are much more equipped to deal with the situation in a more intelligent fashion. As a result, perhaps now you can solve the problem in such a way that it makes it less likely that your stressor will happen again. Narrator : Fred started singing like James Brown: I feel good, na-na na-na, na-na na. I knew that I would, na-na na-na, na-na na. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szlptrniavc) Narrator : Mr. Campbell and the class laughed at his antics just as the dismissal bell rang. Even Judd Ford was feeling fine.