Distress to De-stress
A Girl Scout Gold Award Project by Vidula Kunte
About
My name is Vidula Kunte, and I attend Westborough High School. For my Gold Award Project, I wanted to introduce students to stress management techniques that have helped me throughout my middle school and high school years. To do this, I created a curriculum with worksheets, activities, and a slideshow presentation, and presented it at workshops at my local library, the India Society of Worcester, and a school in India. I also collected testimonials from various people about how they manage stress, which will be available on this website, along with my curriculum.
Interviews
Click on the button above to read an interview with Karen Eisanthal, a self-employed mother of two.
Click the button above to read an interview with Navdeep Dhanjal, a grad student who also works at his parents' restaurant
Click the button above to read an interview with Kathy Lawrence, a professional makeup artist, former Girl Scout Troop Leader, and mother of two.
Curriculum
This is the curriculum I created for my stress management workshops. It contains a slideshow and two worksheets that go along with it. Both the slideshow and worksheet use techniques by Dr. Anand Nadkarni, a renowned psychologist in India and my project advisor. Additionally, there are two handouts designed to give stress management advice to middle school and high school students. Click each button to view the materials.
Tips From Peers
As a part of my project, I asked students in grades 6-12 about how they manage stress. Here are a few of the best responses.
“I would tell them to make sure to take breaks whenever they start feeling overwhelmed, try to balance the difficulty of their classes in future schedules, and when it all goes wrong, accept that you may receive a bad grade. Remember how little one grade will matter in the grand scheme.”
“Find a healthy outlet! It is so important- almost a need to surround yourself with people that have the same drive as you, but also people that you can vent to and say what is on your mind. Without a method to release stress, it can often pile up and combust. Find a hobby that genuinely makes you happy because passions often guide us in the right direction!”
“Don’t push yourself too much, mental health is always more important than what college you will go to. You don’t want to get into your dream college but already have burned out!”
Impact
I worked on this project for all my of junior year and part of my senior year, and I was able to learn and grow from my experiences along the way. Overall, working on this project throughout SATs, AP exams, and college applications helped me to step back and take a look at my own stress levels and mental well-being. The techniques that I presented to others became a valuable resource to me throughout some stressful times. Additionally, by interviewing people who were older and more experienced than me, I was able to look ahead into the future and think about what life would be like when I reached those stages.
I am also proud to say that this project will continue on even after my involvement is over. I have given stress management handouts to the Indian Youth Group, who will use them for their own members. Additionally, a packet of all the materials I have created will remain in the Teen Room of my local library, where students can look through it. Finally, this website will allow for other to use my curriculum as they please.
