How to reduce student stress in the classroom

Student stress is becoming a growing concern in classrooms around the world. Research consistently links high stress levels to poor academic performance, increased dropout rates, and declines in both physical and mental health. The consequences are deeply concerning: stress can lead to anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and even suicidal thoughts. Recent statistics reveal that nearly 60% of students experience daily stress, and high schoolers, in particular, report higher stress levels than adults.

It’s critical for today’s educators and school leaders to create a supportive classroom and school environment for students. By implementing some of the following evidence-based strategies, we can better manage classroom stress, improve well-being, and help our students achieve academic success. 

Keep reading to learn how to reduce stress in the classroom.

1. Create a calming, stress-free classroom environment

The physical classroom environment is crucial for students’ sense of safety and helps them focus and feel calm during their school day. Well-designed spaces help reduce student anxiety and can also support learning. 

‍Key elements of a calming classroom include:

• Soft, natural lighting — not harsh fluorescents
• Neutral or cool color schemes — blues and greens that promote relaxation
• Flexible seating options — bean bags or standing desks
• Minimal visual clutter — to reduce overstimulation
• Nature-inspired decorations — plants, animals, or landscape posters
• Soft background music or white noise — to mask distractions

Mental and emotional safety is just as important. Teachers can implement strategies that help students feel secure, an essential foundation for effective learning and stress reduction. This includes setting clear, consistent expectations, using a warm and respectful tone in conversations, reinforcing positive behavior, and offering rewards when students reach their goals.

2. Integrate SEL practices

Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps students build lifelong social skills, regulate emotions, and strengthen peer relationships—all of which contribute to a more supportive and less stressful classroom environment. Research shows that SEL improves academic outcomes, reduces behavioral problems, and supports overall emotional well-being. A meta-analysis of 213 school-based SEL programs even found an 11% increase in academic achievement, along with more positive attitudes and behavior.

Core SEL skills—like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making—can be integrated into daily classroom routines in simple, effective ways, such as:

• Morning check-ins: Ask students, “How are you feeling today?” to promote emotional awareness.
• Conflict resolution circles: Use a talking piece to guide respectful, turn-taking conversations.
• Emotion naming and discussion: Pause during lessons to identify and talk about emotions in context.
• Grade-level activities: For younger students, use motion cards and group sharing; in middle school, try peer mediation and journaling; for high schoolers, include mindfulness, ethical debates, or collaborative projects.

3. Teach and incorporate mindfulness exercises

Mindfulness is the practice of staying in the moment. It’s been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Research indicates that mindfulness practices can lower the stress hormone cortisol, enhance attention, and reduce anxiety in children. Mindfulness is also known for emotional regulation, resilience, and empathy. 

You can introduce mindfulness into classrooms by teaching students:

• Belly breathing exercises — using deep, slow breaths
• Body scans — noticing sensations from head to toe
• Guided visualizations — imagining peaceful scenes
• Mindful moments between activities — offering short pauses to reset

4. Encourage study breaks with movement

Giving students regular movement breaks throughout the day helps reduce mental fatigue and physical tension. It also boosts mood, focus, and academic engagement—especially in younger students or those with ADHD or sensory needs. Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, enhances cognitive performance, and supports memory retention. In fact, some research shows that students who engage in regular physical activity during the school day are three times more likely to perform better academically.

Frequent, low-pressure movement—outside of recess or PE—can help regulate energy levels and reduce student stress in the classroom. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day to support cognitive, motor, and social development.

Incorporate simple movement breaks throughout the school day with activities like:

• Desk stretches
• Brain breaks with GoNoodle
• Classroom yoga
• Movement-based learning games

5. Offer mental health support through check-ins

Teachers should check in to assess student mental health and catch early signs of stress or distress. It’s imperative that educators create a safe, judgment-free space for their students. Any time a student shows signs of distress, they should be referred to a school counselor, therapist, or support staff for additional help. Early intervention is key to preventing more serious mental health issues.

Try incorporating simple strategies like these to help assess and support student well-being:

• Starting the school day with a “mood meter” check-in
• Using emotion charts
• Encouraging students to keep mood or free-write journals for private reflection
• Keeping an anonymous note box in the classroom and encouraging students to share concerns
• Conducting brief one-on-one chats 

6. Use positive reinforcement

Targeted and positive reinforcement will ensure children and teens feel seen, heard, valued, and confident. Promoting resilience and reducing the fear of failure can lower stress and support a growth mindset. Teachers should focus praise on effort and growth, not just outcomes and achievement. 

Consider using phrases like:

• “Wow, I can see how hard you worked on that project,” instead of a simple “Good job.”
• “You showed great perseverance in solving that problem,” instead of “You’re so smart! I knew you’d solve that!”

7. Encourage teamwork with group activities

Group activities help students connect and can reduce stressful feelings of isolation. Research suggests that social connection is important to academic success and overall well-being. Teaching collaboration skills is part of the process, so activities should be inclusive, low-pressure, and peer-focused.

Encourage teamwork through group activities like:

• Inclusive, low-pressure group projects, such as creating a mural that represents class values
• Peer learning activities, like the “teach one thing” approach, where students pair up to teach concepts to one another
• Cooperative games, such as a team puzzle challenge

8. Provide clear instructions

Confusion and uncertainty are major drivers of academic anxiety. Focus on giving clear instructions to reduce questions, boost independence, and improve outcomes. This is essential for students who struggle with executive functioning or when there are language barriers.

Provide clarity in the classroom by:

• Using multiple modes of instruction, including visual, verbal, and written
• Breaking down multi-step tasks into easy-to-digest chunks of material
• Providing checklists or templates for students to reference
• Previewing expectations ahead of time so students are aware of what they need to do

9. Teach time management

Poor organization and underdeveloped time management skills can overwhelm students at any age. Teachers can use classroom tools like visual timers, daily agendas, and built-in planning sessions to help students practice and master time management.

Consider these strategies to help students develop effective time management skills:

• Backward planning — where students learn to start with a deadline and work their way backward
• Task chunking — helping students break assignments into smaller, more manageable parts
• Setting realistic timelines — considering what is feasible for each student to accomplish

10. Extend flexible deadlines and assignments

Flexibility isn’t about lowering standards or expectations. It’s about meeting students where they’re at so they can succeed. Building flexibility into projects and timelines from the beginning can especially help students who are dealing with illness, caregiving, or mental health issues.

Provide flexibility with:

• Grace periods for assignments
• Make-up opportunities
• Alternative assignments 
• Multiple modes of submission — like video, written, oral, or artistic

11. Offer personalized learning

Tailoring instruction to student needs, interests, and strengths helps reduce anxiety and increase motivation. When students have agency in their learning, they’ll naturally feel more in control and experience less stress in the classroom.

Implement personalized learning with:

• Choice boards: Allow students to select from a menu of tasks or assignments.
• Tiered assignments: Create different levels of challenge.
• Student-led projects: Let students take the lead and assume ownership of projects.
• Adaptive learning platforms: Allow students to have personalized learning paths.

12. Be mindful of class workload

Academic overload is a major source of student stress, particularly when multiple teachers assign large projects at the same time. Simple practices can be used in classrooms to ensure students have enough time to engage with, fully process, and master material without becoming overwhelmed.

Avoid overloading and overwhelming students by:

• Assigning meaningful work that all students can engage with 
• Avoiding busywork
• Spreading out deadlines
• Embedding review days, especially before tests
• Coordinating assignment schedules across departments or grade levels

13. Promote healthy sleep and nutrition

Sleep deprivation and poor nutrition contribute to stress, low mood, and attention difficulties. Researchers say students who sleep less than six hours a night see a clear decline in academic performance. In fact, a study by the CDC found that between 71% and 84% of students fail to get enough sleep.

You can promote healthy habits by:

• Educating students on sleep and nutrition
• Modeling good habits (e.g. not glorifying all-nighters)
• Hosting school wellness events and sleep campaigns
• Starting school later in the morning
• Limiting homework overload
• Offering mindfulness activities

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It’s critical to avoid blame. Be sensitive about the fact that, due to home life circumstances, some children may lack access to healthy food or might not be able to maintain consistent sleep routines. To combat this, schools can partner with nurses, nutrition programs, or local health providers to support students’ basic needs.

Integrating mental health support into schools

Implementing dedicated classroom-based interventions is essential for reducing stress in the classroom​, but it’s not always enough. Teachers, administrators, and school staff must learn to recognize signs that a student needs more. Watch for red flags like persistent withdrawal, drastic changes in behavior, or talk of self-harm.

This is where mental health initiatives in schools play a critical role. Programs that offer on-site counseling, train educators in mental health awareness, or partner with online platforms like Talkspace help bridge the gap between classroom support and professional care. Schools can also explore grants for mental health in schools to fund these vital services and expand student access to licensed mental health professionals.

Talkspace is an accessible option for professional mental health care in schools, offering online therapy for students and staff. Making professional mental health services accessible helps schools bridge the gap for students who might not otherwise find the help they need. Talkspace makes confidential support accessible, so managing classroom stress, anxiety, and any other mental health concerns is possible. 

Support students for long-term success

Student stress has far-reaching consequences, both in academic performance and mental health. Schools can do many things to help combat the causes of student stress and their far-reaching impacts, though. From creating calming environments to integrating SEL, teaching mindfulness and encouraging movement, and providing classroom and professional support, educators play a pivotal role in reducing stress and promoting student well-being. 

Request a demo today to learn how partnering with Talkspace can help your school prioritize mental health so students can thrive in all aspects of their lives — academically, emotionally, and socially.

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Sources:

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1. Barbayannis, Georgia, Mahindra Bandari, Xiang Zheng, Humberto Baquerizo, Keith W. Pecor, and Xue Ming. 2022. “Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, affected groups, and COVID-19.” Frontiers in Psychology 13 (May). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886344. Accessed April 21, 2025.
2. Transformingeducation.org. 2025. “Student Stress Statistics [2024 Update] - Transforming Education for people.” Transforming Education for People. February 5, 2025. https://transformingeducation.org/student-stress-statistics/. Accessed April 21, 2025.
3. Durlak, Joseph A., Roger P. Weissberg, Allison B. Dymnicki, Rebecca D. Taylor, and Kriston B. Schellinger. 2011. “The Impact of Enhancing Students’ social and Emotional Learning: A Meta‐Analysis of School‐Based Universal Interventions.” Child Development 82 (1): 405–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x. Accessed April 21, 2025.
4. “Mindfulness meditation.” 2019. American Psychological Association. October 19, 2019. https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation. Accessed April 21, 2025.
5. Córdova, Alfredo, Alberto Caballero-García, Franchek Drobnic, Enrique Roche, and David C. Noriega. 2023. “Influence of stress and emotions in the learning process: The example of COVID-19 on University Students: A Narrative review.” Healthcare 11 (12): 1787. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11121787. Accessed April 21, 2025.
6. Trott, Mike, Nichola Kentzer, Joanna Horne, Ben Langdown, and Lee Smith. 2024. “Associations between total physical activity levels and academic performance in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of Education and Health Promotion 13 (1). https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1618_23. Accessed April 21, 2025.
7. “Fostering social connection in students through collaborative learning.” n.d. Office of Teaching and Learning.s://otl.uoguelph.ca/fostering-social-connection-students-through-collaborative-learning. Accessed April 21, 2025.

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