Central Hawke’s Bay College students explore stress management with ice bath

Central Hawke's Bay College Year 11 health students, Lottie Smith (left), with Ruby Slingsby and Nadia Brown sit in a makeshift ice bath to practise breathing techniques to manage stress. Photo / Central Hawke's Bay College

Central Hawke’s Bay College Year 11 health class students have spent the past week learning how to manage their stress, and even jumped in an ice bath to practise it.

Teacher Caitlin Cahill said that through practical sessions, they had built strategies that could be applied outside the classroom.

Cahill said she was motivated to provide the students with practical tools that can be used in their day-to-day lives.

She said this was something she and her friends had discussed that had been lacking in their own education as teenagers.

“These kids are so lucky that they are getting these strategies now.

“Often, PE or health can be looked at as not as important, but when you think about the chain of life, it is actually the most important - look at the mental health crisis.”

Cahill said a highlight was the school sports gear bins filled with ice for students to sit in to practice breath work.

“That was more of a building resilience one, and the breathing was around how to manage that stress that they can take into other areas of their life.”

She said the term had been spent focused on different models of health, how hauora can be affected, and how to look after it.

“It comes at a good time because they are doing a lot of assessments at the moment.”

The students have now completed five practical sessions testing ways to manage stress and build resilience.

This included music and board games to create connections, arts and crafts to encourage calmness and creativity, yoga, dancing, a group picnic and journaling for gratitude.

Lottie Smith, Ruby Slingsby and Nadia Brown each took part and have since applied the techniques.

Lottie said the activities she most enjoyed were the painting and the ice baths.

“I have definitely used the breathing technique when I have been feeling stressed and anxious.”

Ruby and Nadia said they liked the connection the activities created with her friends.

“I think I will need to use the breathing technique for my upcoming trip to Japan when I say goodbye to my family,” Ruby said.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Central Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.