What to Include in a Stress & Emotions Workshop for Girls (That They'll Love)

Create a Supportive Space Where Girls Can Breathe, Reflect, and Build Inner Strength

Tween and teen girls are navigating a lot—academic pressure, friendship drama, family stress, and the emotional rollercoaster of growing up in today’s world. So when we offer them a space to pause, process their emotions, and learn real-life tools to handle stress? That’s where the magic happens.

But here’s the key: a great stress and emotions workshop isn’t just about calming down—it’s about empowering girls to understand what they feel, why they feel it, and how to take care of themselves in the process.

Here’s what to include in your workshop to make it supportive, fun, and truly transformative.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Girls need nonjudgmental spaces to explore their emotions safely

• A great workshop includes education, creativity, movement, and reflection

• You don’t need to “fix” emotions—just help girls build awareness and healthy coping tools

• Empowerment happens when girls realize their feelings are valid and manageable

Start With an Emotion Check-In

Set the tone by letting girls name how they’re feeling in the moment. Try using a feelings wheel, emoji cards, or color-coded options. Ask:
“How does this feeling show up in your body? What do you need right now?”
This invites self-awareness and normalizes emotional honesty from the start.

Teach the Science of Stress (In a Tween-Friendly Way)

Give girls a simple explanation of what happens in the brain and body when they feel stressed or overwhelmed. Keep it relatable:
“Stress is your brain trying to protect you—but sometimes it goes into overdrive.”
Use visuals or roleplay to make it fun and memorable.

Introduce Grounding & Breathing Tools

Guide girls through calming techniques they can use anytime, anywhere. Try:

• 5-finger breathing

• 4-7-8 breath

• Grounding with the 5-4-3-2-1 method
  Pair the practice with calming music or visuals to make it even more engaging.

Create a Calm-Down Toolkit Together

Have each girl build a personalized toolkit with items and strategies that help her feel calm. Include:

• Affirmation cards

• Breathing prompts

• Worry-release journaling pages

• A handmade stress ball or glitter jar
  This gives girls something tangible to turn to when emotions feel big.

Do a Feelings-In-The-Body Activity

Use body outlines or draw a “stress monster” and have girls show where they feel certain emotions. Then explore how to release that energy in a healthy way—like movement, music, talking it out, or creative expression.

Add Journaling & Reflection Prompts

Let girls get quiet and write. Offer simple prompts like:

• What’s been weighing on me lately?

• What helps me feel safe and calm?

• What would I tell a friend who feels like this?
  This creates space for self-compassion and deeper emotional processing.

Close With a Confidence-Boosting Circle

End on an uplifting note. Invite each girl to share one thing she learned, one tool she’s excited to try, or one thing she’s proud of herself for. This builds connection, reinforces emotional safety, and leaves her feeling seen and strong.

Want a ready-to-go resource that walks you through this exact process? The Managing Stress and Emotions Coaching Kit includes everything you need to run a powerful 4-part workshop series—without the stress. You’ll get journaling prompts, calming tools, discussion guides, creative projects, and reflection activities to help girls manage overwhelm, understand their emotions, and build real inner calm.

You don’t have to be a mental health expert to help girls thrive—you just have to hold space with love and intention. Let me know how your workshop goes—I’m always here cheering you on!

- Kate