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How stress affects your brain
This SEL video explains how stress affects the brain using a simple hand model. It introduces the thinking part of the brain and the parts that manage strong emotions, showing how they usually work together to support good decision making. When strong emotions take over, these connections can weaken, triggering the fight, flight or freeze response.
Students will explore why this response is helpful in dangerous situations but less useful for everyday challenges. It explores how staying in this state can affect health, behaviour and relationships. Students learn how calming strategies such as deep breathing, journaling, walking and resting can help reconnect the thinking and feeling parts of the brain. This supports emotional regulation, better focus, positive relationships and overall wellbeing.
