Introduction

Anxiety can be a powerful force, causing feelings of worry and fear that can interfere with our ability to think positively and care for ourselves and others. In order to address anxiety, it’s important to develop healthy daily habits and personal skills that can help us reset our minds and maintain a positive outlook. This blog post will explore an activity that educators can use with middle school students to help them manage anxiety, as well as discussion questions and related skills to further support their social-emotional learning.

No-Prep Activity: Positive Thought Replacement

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be easily implemented in a classroom setting. The goal of this activity is to help students recognize negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, which can help to reduce anxiety.

1. Ask students to think of a situation that causes them anxiety or stress.
2. Have them identify the negative thoughts associated with that situation.
3. Encourage students to come up with positive thoughts that they can use to replace the negative ones. This could involve reframing the situation, focusing on the positive aspects, or reminding themselves of their strengths and abilities.
4. Have students practice replacing their negative thoughts with the positive ones whenever they find themselves in a similar situation or feeling anxious.

By regularly practicing this thought replacement technique, students can develop a more positive mindset and better manage their anxiety.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some situations that cause you anxiety? How do your thoughts contribute to your feelings of anxiety?
2. How can replacing negative thoughts with positive ones help you cope with anxiety?
3. What are some other strategies you can use to manage anxiety in your daily life?
4. How can understanding your triggers help you better manage anxiety?
5. Why is it important to communicate your needs to others when you’re feeling anxious?

Related Skills

In addition to thought replacement, there are other skills that can help students cope with anxiety. Some of these include:

• Deep breathing exercises
• Mindfulness and meditation
• Physical activity and exercise
• Time management and organization
• Setting realistic goals and expectations

Developing these skills can help students build a strong foundation for managing anxiety and maintaining a healthy mental and emotional state.

Next Steps

To further support your students in developing strategies to cope with anxiety, we encourage you to sign up for free samples of social-emotional learning materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you incorporate more activities and strategies into your lessons, fostering a supportive and nurturing learning environment for your students.