How do you cope when you feel stressed, sad or overwhelmed? Have you ever practiced meditation? Is it important to your daily or weekly mental wellness?

In “Meditations for Uncertain Times” Tara Parker-Pope shares a series of five-minute meditations. She writes:

Meditation won’t solve all your problems, but it can give your mind a rest and help you approach each day with more clarity and purpose.

We asked the teachers of the Unplug app to create a week of five-minute meditations to help you cope with some of life’s challenges. You’ll find meditations that will calm your mind, transport you to a happier place and leave you feeling energized.

So take a moment for yourself, and get comfortable.

Let’s get started.

Now, notice how you’re feeling in this moment. Are you excited? Tired? Bored? Annoyed? Then, choose one of the three meditations below, or one from the article, and listen to it in its entirety.

Students, try one of the meditations in the article, then tell us:

• How do you feel after doing the five-minute meditation? Any different than you did before?

• Is meditation or mindfulness a practice you’d like to include in your daily life? Why or why not?

• In your experience, what are the benefits of meditation or other mindfulness practices? What, if anything, do you find difficult or frustrating about meditation?

• Over the past two years, how have you coped with the pain, sadness and stress of the pandemic? What strategies have helped you to navigate this difficult time?

• Some schools teach mindfulness to help students deal with stress, anxiety and to cope with other difficult emotions. Do you think every school should teach this practice? Why or why not? Would you participate in a mindfulness class if it were offered at your school?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.