WEEK 5
LOWERING STRESS
FACILITATOR PAGE
Use for class preparation only. Use Presentation Pages for class presentations.
-
Welcome to Week 5 of High-Octane Brain Fitness! THANK YOU for your feedback on Weeks 1-4!! Week 5 - which focuses on the fourth step of the EXCELS Method (Lower Stress to Boost Well-Being) - includes a salient memory technique (“Anchor and Activate”) to remember larger volumes of information with visual and movement cues, and includes practical strategies (4-6 Breathing and Mindfulness) that members will experience in class!
As with the previous weeks, try to follow the time durations noted in the left column below. If there are delays and you are running out of time, you can always consolidate the “Recharge/Closing” section at the end of class and encourage members to review the High-Octane Navigator page on their own or in small groups (rather than reviewing it as a class).
PRIOR TO CLASS
PRINT COLOR WORKBOOK PAGES FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (see “Workbook” button on “Facilitator Home” page)
Bring pencils for each participant (in case they do not bring a writing utensil)
Note that members will be recalling a word list this week (this is NOT the official word list post-test, which will be administered next week, but rather is teaching a strategy that may help them be more successful in remembering next week’s list). There are two word list recall forms included in this week’s workbook, and they do NOT have to be turned in.
-
BEFORE CLASS (4 MIN)
Greet Members
Play “High-Octane Calypso” as light background music to familiarize Members with it (they do not need to learn lyrics at this point).
-
WELCOME & CHECK-IN (5 MIN)
(2 min) Ask Members if they have any questions or insights since Week 4. Perhaps they want to share what types of Engage & Learn activities they did in the past week?
(2 min) Ask Members to turn in their “Movement with Joy” Turn-In page from Week 4 (where they again totalled their weekly Movement with Joy minutes). This information will be added to their individual progress sheet that they will receive back during the last week of class!
Remind members that page numbers AND week numbers have been added to the workbook, based on feedback! We hope this makes it faster to navigate
WELCOME BACK TO HIGH-OCTANE BRAIN FITNESS!
ARE YOU EXCITED
TO CONTINUE YOUR
HIGH-OCTANE BRAIN
FITNESS JOURNEY?
-
(~2 min) Play “Recap and Intro” video , which will include a summary of the Q&A highlights from Week 4, and preview the topic of Lower Stress to Boost Well-Being.
(~2 min) Reflection: Discuss learnings and insights from members who attended the Q&A..
IGNITE & LEARN
ADD LATER:
Welcome & Q&A Video
POWER HOUR
THOSE WHO ATTENDED
THE BRAIN
POWER HOUR
LAST WEEK,
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
-
(5 min) Play “Anchor & Activate” video, which demonstrates how to use a “Visual Anchor” and “Movement Stamp” to remember larger quantities of information..
(8 min) Play “Anchor & Activate Word List” video, which demonstrates how to remember a list of words using the “Anchor & Activate” technique.
Members can flip to p. 1 in the workbook (“Word List Using Anchor & Activate”), and write the items down after the first presentation. They should then turn that page over so they cannot see it as the list is presented a second time.
On Trial 2, members can either write the list on the back of the Trial 1 page (as instructed in the video) OR they can use p. 2 of the workbook to write the list (this extra page is included so that sites who do double-sided printing can have more flexibility). Note that they do NOT need to turn these pages in. Essentially, this exercise is helping them prepare for the Word List post-test that they will do next week in class.
(3 min) Have members turn to workbook p. 3 to see the “Blip Fix Toolbox,” which summarizes the Brain Blips and Blip Fixes they’ve learned about so far.
Reflection discussion re: Member experiences with the “Anchor & Activate” technique. Did they find it easier to remember the word list by using a specific strategy (vs. remembering it without a strategy in Week 1)? What type of information is easiest for them to remember - verbal, visual, adding movement cues? Remind members that the power of the technique will increase the more they rehearse what they learned :)!
HIGH-OCTANE BRAIN IN ACTION
ANCHOR & ACTIVATE
NOW, WRITE DOWN
AS MANY WORDS
AS YOU CAN REMEMBER
BY RECALLING YOUR
ANCHOR IMAGE &
MOVEMENT STAMP.
-
(12 min) Play “Lower Stress to Boost Well Being” video, which introduces the link between stress and cognitive functioning and the impact of mindfulness on the hippocampus.
(2 min) Ask members to discuss some of the stressors in their daily lives.
IGNITE & LEARN
LOWERING STRESS
WHAT ARE
SOME COMMON
STRESSORS
THAT OCCUR IN YOUR
DAILY LIVES?
-
(13 min) Have members reference workbook p. 4 for summary of 3-S Model for Stress. Play video “3-S Model for Stress” where members will learn about three steps to manage stress, and practice “Soothe” techniques including 4-6 Breathing and Mindfulness.
(2 min) Reflection discussion re: Member experiences with 4-6 Breathing and Mindfulness.
IGNITE & LEARN
MINDFULNESS
HOW DO YOU
FEEL AFTER
YOU ENGAGE IN
MINDFULNESS
EXERCISE?
-
(1 min) Play “Trajector Tracker” video to learn about EXCELS Trajectory Tracker assignment
Have members turn to pages 5 and 6 and reference the Tracker for this week. Have members also reference page 7, and remind them that they’ll be completing the “Movement with Joy” Weekly Turn-In Sheet to hand in again next week
IGNITE & LEARN
-
(2 min) Play “High-Octane Calypso” and learn the verse for the week. 4 verses total, plus the chorus.
HIGH-OCTANE CALYPSO
-
(2 min) Ask Members what resonated with them this week, and about any insights they experienced
SHIFT INTO INSIGHT
What resonated with you this week?
Were there any insights you experienced?
-
Ask Members to flip to “The Recharge” workbook page (p .8) and briefly review through main points with Members. Show the “Q&A” reminder screen on the site and remind them that there is a special THANKSGIVING WEEK SCHEDULE for the Q&A, which will be held on TUESDAY 11/25 from 12-1 pm CST (1-2 pm EST).. Remind them that access to the webinar is detailed in their workbook.
Show “High-Octane Navigator”site screen and ask Members to flip to the “High-Octane Navigator” workbook page (p. 9) and complete the “Top Takeaway,” “One Strategy I’ll Try This week,” and “One Question for Live Q&A” fields. They should write a question even if they don’t intend to attend the Live Q&A, because it can always be discussed later, and doing so boosts brain health by promoting analytical thinking skills.
Also point out that the “High-Octane Navigator” (p. 9) is where they can review their Mission for the week.
Play “High-Octane Calypso” as soft background music as the class ends.
WEEKLY Q & A SESSION
Note: Day and Time Change for Thanksgiving Week
You are invited to:
THE BRAIN POWER HOUR
with Dr. Michelle Braun
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025
12-1 pm CST / 1-2 EST
Details in your workbook.
HIGH-OCTANE NAVIGATOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Peace is not the absence of chaos, but the presence of calm.”
HIGH-OCTANE REFLECTIONS
Top takeaways
One Strategy I’ll Try This Week
One Question for the Live Friday Q&A “Brain Power Hour with Dr. Braun”:
MISSION FOR THE WEEK
