Navigating Change: Reflecting on Change, Stress, and Well-being

Please refer to our Before You Teach guides for resources to support your practice.

Mental Health 101

 Safer Language

 Classroom Discussion Guide

 Trauma Informed Teaching

This lesson explores how change is a natural and ongoing part of life and how it can impact our emotions, identity, routines, and well-being. Through reflection, storytelling, and discussion, students will explore the cycle of change, stress, coping, adaptation, and resilience. They’ll reflect on their own experiences, recognize strengths and sources of support, and consider practical strategies for navigating future transitions.

In this lesson, your students will…

• Understand that change is a normal and shared human experience
• Reflect on past changes and how they navigated them 
• Recognize that people experience change differently
• Identify personal strengths and supports used during transitions

Slide Deck

Navigating Change: Understanding Change

Handouts

Change Key Concepts: Student Handout

Stories of Change: Video Notes

Video

Video: Stories of Change

Additional Resources

• Journals or paper
• AV equipment (teacher computer, projector, speakers)

Key Concepts Handout: Answer Key

• Part 1: Minds On (5-10 minutes)
• Part 2: Action Tasks ( 45-65 minutes)
• Part 3: Consolidation (5-10 minutes)

Grade-Level Differentiation Note: 

This lesson is designed to be flexible across Grades 9–12. While the core lesson structure, reflection activities, and assessment remain consistent, facilitation and discussion depth may be adapted based on student age, developmental readiness, and course context. 

For Grades 9–10, educators may choose to focus more on emotional awareness, identifying coping strategies, and recognizing strengths during change. 

For Grades 11–12, educators may encourage deeper reflection related to identity, resilience, personal growth, and the broader impacts of change. 

Students are encouraged to engage with reflection activities only to the extent that feels comfortable and appropriate for them.

Note: All parts of the lesson procedure can be found in the slide deck provided.

Slide 2: Land Acknowledgement 

In the slide deck, we have included Jack.org’s land acknowledgement. We encourage you to write your own, acknowledging the Nations, communities, territories and treaties upon which you live and work, and your calls to action for reconciliation / Self Pledge.

‍Here are some resources to support you:

Why Acknowledge?

Territory Acknowledgement - Native-Land.ca.  

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Part 1: Minds On (5-10 minutes)

Slide 5: Opening Reflection 

Prompt: Change is a normal part of life. Some changes are small and happen every day, while others are bigger and take more time to adjust to.

1. Direct your students to the reflection prompt on slide 5. 
   • (Take a moment to think about a change you've experienced.)
2. Then, share the three guiding questions. 
   • (What changed? Was the change expected or unexpected? Did you find the change easy, difficult, or somewhere in between?)
3. Invite your students to reflect in whatever way feels most comfortable to them - such as writing, drawing, quiet reflection, or partner discussion - and to share only what they feel comfortable sharing.
4. Transition into a brief whole-class discussion.

Discussion questions:

1. What did you notice about the kinds of changes people experience?

Possible student responses: 

• Everyone experiences different kinds of changes.
• Some changes are really small, while others are much bigger.
• Some changes happen by choice, and others happen unexpectedly.
• People can experience changes at home, at school, online, or with friends.
• Even everyday changes can affect how someone feels.
• A change that seems small to one person might be a big deal to someone else.
• Everyone has experienced change in some way.

Takeaway: Highlight that change is a normal part of life and that all changes, big or small, can have an impact.

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2. Can two people experience the same change differently? Why or why not?

Possible student responses:

• Yes. People have different personalities and experiences.
• One person might be excited about a change, while another feels nervous or sad.
• It depends on what else is happening in someone's life.
• Some people might have more support from family or friends.
• Someone who's gone through something similar before might handle it differently.
• People cope with stress in different ways.

Takeaway: Emphasize that there is no "correct" way to respond to change. Our experiences are shaped by many factors, including our personalities, past experiences, relationships, available supports, culture, and the circumstances surrounding the change. This helps normalize a range of emotional responses without suggesting that one way of experiencing change is better than another.‍

Transition to lesson: Change can look very different from one person to another. Today, we’ll explore some of the ways change can affect our lives and mental well-being, and hear from young people about their own experiences with change.

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Part 2: Action Tasks (50-60 minutes)

Slide 6: Key Concepts (5-10 minutes)

Prompt: Even positive changes can feel stressful because they require adjustment.

1. Provide your students with the Key Concepts handout to record examples that are meaningful to them.
2. Introduce key concepts related to change: stress, adaptation, resilience, coping. 

Stress: Stress is our mind and body's natural response to a challenge, demand, or change. Stress isn't always negative. Some stress can help us stay focused and motivated, but too much stress or stress that lasts a long time can affect our mental and physical well-being.

Coping strategies: Coping refers to the thoughts, actions, and strategies we use to manage stress, difficult emotions, or challenges. Different situations may call for different coping strategies, and some strategies are more helpful than others.

Adaptation: Adaptation is the process of adjusting to a new situation, change, or challenge over time. Adapting doesn't mean everything feels easy right away. It means gradually finding ways to adjust and navigate what comes next.

Resilience: Resilience is the process of adapting well to adversity, trauma, or significant sources of stress. Resilience develops over time with experience, support, and helpful coping strategies.

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Slides 7 & 8: Video & Discussion (50 minutes)

1. Share with your students Stories of Change, a video featuring four young people from Jack.org programs sharing personal experiences of navigating change from a strengths-based perspective.
2. Optional: Provide the Video Notes handout for students who would like to capture key ideas while watching.
   

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Post-viewing discussion prompts:

1. What part of the video stood out to you most, and why? It could be a story, a moment, an idea, or something that surprised you or made you think.
2. What similarities or differences did you notice in the ways the speakers experienced and responded to change? 
3. Where did you see adaptation or resilience in the speakers' stories? Use one example to explain your thinking.
4. What helped the speakers navigate change? Which of those ideas or supports could be helpful to someone facing a change in their own life?
5. What is one message or lesson from the video that you want to remember? Why?

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Slide 9: Revisiting Your Experiences (5 minutes)

Prompt: Earlier in the lesson, you thought about a change you've experienced. Now that we've explored different ways people respond to and navigate change, take a moment to revisit that experience.

Reflect in whatever way feels most comfortable to you (e.g., through writing, drawing, or quiet reflection). Sharing is optional.

Consider:

• What emotions did you experience during the change?
• What strengths or supports helped you cope or adjust?
• Where do you see adaptation or resilience in your experience?
• Is there anything you understand differently about that experience now?

Optional discussion: Invite your students to share one insight with a partner or the class. Remind students to share only what they feel comfortable sharing.

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Part 3: Consolidation (5-10 minutes)

Slide 10: Reflection Activity 

Prompt: As we wrap up today's lesson, take a moment to reflect on what you've learned about navigating change. Consider how today's ideas connect to your own experiences. Choose one or two prompts that feel most meaningful to you.

Reflection prompts may include: 

• One thing I wish I could tell my past self about a change I’ve experienced is… 
• Something I learned about how people respond to change is… 
• One thing I can do to support myself the next time I experience a change is…
• One question I still have about navigating change is...

Check out the other lessons in the Navigating Change series:

Lesson 2: Building Resilience

Lesson 3: Creating Our Resilience Toolkit

Lesson 4: Book a Jack Talk → Jack Talks 

Our Jack Talk on Navigating Change is delivered by a trained youth speaker who shares their own story and experiences with change. Students explore the many transitions we face in life, including academic transitions and identity development, and how these can affect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. They’ll also practice self-awareness, explore uncertainty and thinking traps, and build skills to navigate change with greater intention, grow through change, and build resilience.

Lesson 5: Looking Ahead

Alberta

Physical education and wellness 7-9

Curriculum Overview

• Practise positive social behaviours in a variety of contexts. 
• Discuss strategies to manage risk to personal health and safety. 
• Relate protective strategies to mental well-being 
• Reflect on unsafe situations that adolescents face online, at home, at school and in the community. 
• Examine supports for mental health challenges. 
• Reflect on personal strengths as they relate to leadership and followership. 
• Examine personal and social factors that influence decisions, actions and behaviours. 
• Explore mental health literacy. 

Career education and financial literacy 7-9

Curriculum Overview

• Create open-ended plans to support transitions. 
• Assess personal strengths and opportunities for growth. 
• Develop strategies that can help manage transitions. 

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British Columbia

Physical and Health Education 10

Curricular Competencies

• Evaluate and explain strategies for promoting mental well-being 
• Create and evaluate strategies for managing physical, emotional, and social changes during puberty and adolescence 
• Explore and describe factors that shape personal identities, including social and cultural factors 

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Québec

Éducation physique et à la santé

Progression des apprentissages au secondaire : Compétence 3 – Adopter un mode de vie sain et actif

• Nommer des situations de stress qui ont des impacts dans sa vie de tous les jours (ex. : gagner une compétition, avoir un examen) 
• Nommer des réactions physiologiques associées à une situation de stress (ex. : augmentation de la fréquence cardiaque, sudation) 
• Nommer des répercussions d’une mauvaise gestion du stress sur sa santé et son bien-être (ex. : anxiété, fatigue, perturbation du sommeil, dépression) 
• Indiquer des stratégies pour se relaxer (ex. : prendre un bain chaud, lire, faire de l’activité physique, utiliser une technique de relaxation) 
• Utiliser des techniques pour se relaxer après un effort physique ou pour gérer son stress (ex. : respiration contrôlée, méthode de Jacobson, yoga, imagerie mentale) ‘

EKIP : santé, bien-être et réussite éducative des jeunes

• 1.1 Reconnaître des stratégies d’adaptation à des situations stressantes ou difficiles 
  • Exploration des différentes réactions possibles face à des situations stressantes ou difficiles (ex. : situations liées à de nouvelles exigences socioscolaires, à un nouvel environnement, à l’intimidation ou à la discrimination) 
  • Adoption de stratégies face à des situations sur lesquelles on peut avoir du contrôle ou que l’on peut changer (ex. : méthodes de travail, gestion du temps, démarche de résolution de conflits, demande d’aide) 
  • Adoption de stratégies face à des situations que l’on ne peut changer, comme la perte d’un être cher ou une séparation (ex. : exprimer ses émotions, avoir une attitude positive, demander de l’aide) 
• 1.2 Connaître des stratégies à privilégier lors d’une situation qui nécessite de l’aide pour soi ou les autres 
  • Reconnaissance des signes de détresse, des attitudes et des comportements qui nécessitent de l’aide 
  • Connaissance des services de soutien dans son école et sa communauté
• 2.1 Expliquer l’influence de ses habitudes de vie sur sa santé et son bien-être 
• 2.2 Évaluer et adapter ses stratégies pour améliorer ou maintenir sa santé et son bien-être 
• 3.1 Comprendre différentes composantes de la santé mentale 
  • Interrelations entre santé mentale et a) santé physique; b) relations positives et égalitaires; c) capacité d’adaptation au stress et aux transitions 
  • Facteurs de risque individuels et environnementaux (ex. : situations stressantes et difficiles, exclusion sociale, pensées négatives) 
  • Facteurs de protection (ex. : stratégies d’adaptation, estime de soi, scolarisation, soutien de la famille et des amis, saines habitudes de vie, recours aux services disponibles) 
  • Troubles mentaux (ex. : troubles anxieux, dépression) et répercussions possibles sur les individus, sur les familles et sur la société 
• 3.3 Connaître des stratégies d’adaptation qui permettent d’être plus objectif par rapport à des situations stressantes ou difficiles et à ses émotions 
  • Dédramatisation de la situation 
  • Réévaluation positive de la situation, vision d’un avenir meilleur 
  • Obtention d’un autre point de vue fiable 
• 3.4 Reconnaître les situations qui requièrent de l’aide et les facteurs qui influencent la demande d’aide pour soi ou les autres 
  • Reconnaissance des signes de détresse psychologique (ex. : distinction entre un état passager de tristesse et un mal-être persistant qui nécessite de l’aide, signes de détresse comme le repli et l’isolement, idéations suicidaires) 
  • Connaissance des mythes entourant les troubles mentaux 
  • Développement d’une conception positive de la demande d’aide (ce n’est pas un signe de faiblesse) 
  • Recherche de soutien émotionnel dans l’entourage (accueil, écoute, accompagnement vers des ressources)  
  • Connaissance des types d’aide et des façons d’y accéder 
  • Connaissance des ressources disponibles dans l’école et dans la communauté 

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Nova Scotia 

Healthy Living 9 

Specific Curriculum Outcomes 

• Healthy Self 
  • 9.1 analyze their health needs in times of change and apply strategies that enhance their capacity to manage change in their lives
• Healthy Community 
  • 9.17 examine how people support healthy communities locally and globally, and take age-appropriate action to support a community health issue of interest to them 
  • 9.20 identify school and community-based resources and health services available to assist themselves or a friend if help or information in the area of sexual health, mental health, alcohol and other substance use or gambling is needed, and practise how to make initial contact such a service/resources 

Life 11

Indicators

• Investigate the types of transitions and changes that occur in life and careers (COM, PCD)
• Compare ways to support mental health in times of change (COM, CT, PCD
• Investigate supports and resources available for changing life circumstances (CT, PCD)
• Analyse how protective factors work in response to changing life circumstances (COM, CT, TF)
  

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New Brunswick

‍Personal Wellness 9

Big Idea: Positive Mental Fitness Strategies

Achievement Indicators:

Identify strategies to build own positive mental health.

Big Idea: Helpful and Harmful Choices

Achievement Indicators:

Analyze how food, screen time, and substances may affect an individual’s health (e.g., mental, social, emotional, and physical including brain development)

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Wellness Through Physical Education (110)

General Curriculum Outcome:

1.0 Students demonstrate an understanding of the concept of wellness.

Specific Curriculum Outcome:

1.2 Students evaluate and address personal wellness needs.

1.3 Students analyze how society, media and culture influence wellness

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Ontario

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 10 (PPL 2O)

Specific Expectations

C1 Understanding Health Concepts

1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of factors that enhance mental health and emotional and spiritual well-being

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Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 12 (PPL4O)

Specific Expectations

C2 Making Healthy Choices

2.3 Describe how coping and interpersonal skills and their knowledge of personal protective and risk factors can be used to develop resilience and enhance their ability to make healthy choices, including the avoidance of substance use and addictive behaviours

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Recreation and Healthy Active Living Leadership (PLF4M)

Specific Expectations

C2 Healthy Active Living Plan

2.1 Describe how healthier choices related to physical activity, healthy eating, and other aspects of everyday living (e.g., limiting screen time and increasing participation in a variety of physical activities that provide cardiovascular and muscular endurance, muscular strength, or flexibility benefits; eating balanced meals; choosing nutritious snacks; managing stress; getting enough sleep; making choices with personal safety in mind) contribute to better physical, mental, and social health and greater personal well-being 

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Prince Edward Island

Physical and Health Education 9 (9PHEA)

‍Specific Curriculum Outcomes

Learners are expected to create a personalized mental health plan

‍Achievement Indicators

Develop and implement a personalized mental health plan that incorporates evidence-based strategies, self-awareness, and healthy decision-making skills

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Wellness (PED401A)

Outcomes and Indicators

W1. Evaluate one’s self in each dimension of wellness.

‍l. Examine the relationships among defense mechanisms, feelings, behaviours, and mental health (i.e., ways we protect ourselves from things we do not want to think about or deal with).

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Saskatchewan

Wellness 10

Outcomes and Indicators

W4. l. Examine the relationships among defense mechanisms, feelings, behaviours, and mental health (i.e., ways we protect ourselves from things we do not want to think about or deal with).

W5.g. Examine emotional and behavioural patterns of self and others and determine related impact on optimal wellness.

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Yukon

*Yukon schools follow the British Columbia (B.C.) curriculum, with adaptations to include Yukon content and Yukon First Nations’ ways of knowing and doing. (https://yukon.ca/en/school-curriculum)

Physical and Health Education 10

Curricular Competencies

• Evaluate and explain strategies for promoting mental well-being 
• Create and evaluate strategies for managing physical, emotional, and social changes during puberty and adolescence 
• Explore and describe factors that shape personal identities, including social and cultural factors