Introduction

Worries are a natural part of life, and it’s essential for students to learn how to manage them effectively. While some worries can be controlled, others are beyond our control. By teaching students to differentiate between the two types of worries, we can empower them to use flexible strategies to stay calm and make good choices. This blog post will provide educators with a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help elementary students manage their worries.

No-Prep Activity: Worry Control Role-Play

In this activity, students will role-play different scenarios to practice identifying worries they can control and those they can’t. By doing so, they’ll learn to use appropriate strategies to manage their emotions.

1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a list of worry scenarios, some of which are controllable and some that aren’t. For example:
• Worry about an upcoming test.
• Worry about a friend moving away.
• Worry about not finishing homework on time.
• Worry about bad weather on a special event day.
3. Ask the students to discuss each scenario and determine whether it’s a worry they can control or not.
4. Next, have them brainstorm strategies to manage each worry, such as asking for help, deep breathing, or adjusting their expectations.
5. Finally, have each group share their thoughts and strategies with the class.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to stimulate further discussions about managing worries:

1. Why is it important to recognize the difference between worries we can control and those we can’t?
2. What are some strategies you can use to manage worries that are beyond your control? How about those within your control?
3. How can we support our friends when they’re feeling worried about something?
4. How do you know when it’s time to ask for help with a worry?
5. Why is it important to practice staying calm and managing our worries?

Related Skills

Teaching students to manage their worries is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Here are some other essential skills that can help students develop resilience and emotional well-being:

• Emotion regulation: Learning to recognize and manage their emotions appropriately.
• Problem-solving: Developing the ability to find solutions to challenges and conflicts.
• Adaptability: Building the capacity to adjust to new situations and cope with change.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.

Next Steps

Now that you’re equipped with a no-prep activity and discussion questions to help your students manage their worries, it’s time to put these skills into practice. To access more resources and free sample materials related to this skill and others, sign up at Everyday Speech.