Why "Just Breathe" Isn't Enough
- Rike Browning
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
Shifting from Stress Avoidance to ACT-Informed Resilience in the Classroom
In the busy world of education, we've all told a student to "just take a deep breath" or "try to calm down." While well-intentioned, we often see that surface-level coping strategies fall short when genuine stress, strong emotions, or uncomfortable thoughts arise. For many young people, they haven't yet developed the ability to recognise the early signs of stress , nor do they have a wide range of helpful strategies they can draw on before their feelings become overwhelming.
The challenge isn't eliminating stress—stress and strong emotions are normal human experiences. The challenge is equipping students with the psychological flexibility to navigate it effectively.
Introducing Journey to Calm: Mindflight7's newest incursion program that shifts the focus from stress avoidance to self-directed, resilience-building action. Founded on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) , this program empowers students to build a personalised Wellbeing Toolkit they can use long after the session ends.
The Challenge: When Fighting Stress Makes It Worse
For young people, stress can manifest in many different ways, often showing up as physical signals like a fast heart rate or tight muscles , or emotional signals like sudden irritability or feeling overwhelmed. If they don't have the skills to notice these early signs, feelings can quickly become overwhelming.
The core issue, as understood by ACT, is that trying to suppress, avoid, or "fight" these uncomfortable experiences can sometimes make them feel bigger or harder to manage. Stress is a signal, and the program does not aim to remove it entirely ; instead, it teaches students how to respond to stress in healthier, more effective, and self-directed ways.
The ACT Solution: Notice, Accept, Choose
Journey to Calm provides students with a foundational, evidence-based roadmap for returning to a settled state. This framework is built on three core, student-friendly ACT ideas:
Notice: Students learn to recognise what is happening in their body and mind sooner.
Accept: They practice accepting that thoughts and feelings can come and go without needing to control or judge them.
Choose: They build confidence to choose actions that support calm, safety, and what matters, rather than simply reacting to the emotion.
By using these skills, students are building long-term wellbeing habits. Wellbeing improves not by avoiding discomfort, but by building flexible, adaptive responses to it.
The Power of Practice: Immersive VR and the Wellbeing Toolkit
The program’s use of immersive VR is the key to activating these skills. While the facilitator guides students through real life grounding techniques , the VR experience allows students to safely explore a menu of emotional regulation strategies.
This practical exploration reinforces flexibility and choice in emotional regulation. After trying multiple strategies, students develop a personalised Wellbeing Toolkit. This toolkit records their personal stress indicators, strategies that worked for them, and how they plan to use these tools in daily life.
Conclusion: Beyond Coping, Towards Confidence
Journey to Calm provides the structure and evidence-based skills that directly align with Australian Curriculum outcomes. It empowers students to take control and care for themselves.
If you are seeking a solution that moves beyond simple calming tactics to foster genuine, self-directed resilience and long-term wellbeing habits in your students, the Journey to Calm program is your next step.
Facilitated by our certified wellbeing experts, this program ensures high-quality, safe delivery.
The Journey to Calm incursion program is available for booking by schools across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore from Term 1 2026. Asking for help is a strength, and teaching students how to help themselves is the ultimate goal.
