HM Compact: Having distraction techniques to calm down unhelpful emotions
Students revisit bodily techniques with a new breathing practice (Pursed Lip Breathing) before being introduced to distraction techniques. They explore how deliberately shifting attention away from strong emotions — through engaging activities — can restore calm and focus, and practise a distraction technique together.
Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Understand that we can control emotion
Outcome 2:
Explore distraction techniques to be calm and focused
What's included
A quick look at the classroom-ready resources that come with this lesson.
Contributing Experts
People who helped produce this lesson.
Lucy Bailey
Lucy Bailey is Founder of Bounce Forward and Healthy Minds for Parents. With two decades of experience in mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, and training 1000s of teachers, parents and other adults around children and young people. Lucy is proud of her early career in youth work and children services. Lucy had a poor experience of school and that has driven her passion to influence UK policy to form a positive system of change with psychological fitness at the core. Lucy has directed national research projects (including the Healthy Minds five year study), is certified by University of Pennsylvania, has an MSc in Practice Based Research, a BSc in Social Policy and Criminology, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Her published book Raise Resilience: Teach your teenager well has led to the creation of the Psychological Fitness Nana bridging old school wisdom with modern psychology for parents of the 21st century.
Amy Bradshaw
Amy Bradshaw is an strategic school leader with 20+ years experience. Multi Academy Trust Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead and teaching experience at every stage. Qualified Mindfulness practitioner for adults and children and Bounce Forward Associate Trainer. Amy is passionate about making mental health the golden thread that runs through the heart of school and communities.
About the Organisation
Bounce Forward is a registered charity on a mission to transform how we think about mental health, shifting the narrative from deficit and crisis to strength, prevention, and psychological fitness. They create evidence-based programmes, curricula, and training that give young people, school staff, and the adults around children the knowledge, language, and daily habits to build genuine mental resilience. From whole-staff training to five-year school curricula, everything they do is practical, grounded in science, and designed to make a lasting difference not just in the moment, but across a lifetime.