Circle of Control for Teens: Focus
This session includes circle of control activities, helping older students manage stress by focusing their energy on what they can actually control. They explore why that shift matters, then discuss a scenario where one student fixates on a stressful problem while another looks for what they can influence. In a short activity, students replay a brief interaction step by step to notice what each person felt and where things went off track. The goal is practical tools for anxious moments, including positive self-talk.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Managing Stress
- Grade level
- Middle & High School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video lessonFocusing On What You Can Control
In this video lesson, students learn how to handle times they feel out of control by focusing on their thoughts, actions, and support system, then practice a grounding exercise to use when they feel overwhelmed.
- Extension activity
Focusing on What You Can Control Journal
In this journal activity, students write about a time something was out of their control and how they responded, reflecting on how to focus on what they can control.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: 4-7-8 Breathing2:13
- Video: Obstacles into Opportunities Visualization1:19
- Video: Yoga Pose Library
Session Opener
Guiding Question: What are ways to cope with anxiety?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that anxiety often eases when they shift attention toward what they can control instead of what they cannot. They explored strategies like replacing negative self-talk with steadier statements and grounding themselves in the present moment. Students also talked about how feeling down is normal and how choosing supportive people around them can help.
Key Terms
- Anxiety
- Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear about something that may happen. It can affect thoughts, emotions, and the body, and there are strategies that can help manage it.
- Positive Self-Talk
- Positive self-talk means intentionally using kind and encouraging thoughts when you’re dealing with a frustrating or stressful situation. It helps you respond more thoughtfully instead of reacting right away.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
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Managing Stress
Learner will recognize signs of stress in their own body or thinking (e.g., tight chest, racing thoughts, feeling overwhelmed) and apply a self-selected strategy (e.g., deep breathing, positive self-talk, taking a break) to manage the feeling in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
When something feels stuck or out of the student's hands at home or at school, try having them name one small part of the situation they can still choose. Focusing on that piece can make the whole thing feel less overwhelming.
Ready to teach Focus?
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More Self-Regulation Activities
Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Focus is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for middle and high school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Focusing On What You Can Control, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Focusing on What You Can Control Journal.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, managing stress.
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