Just turn on the news and you can find dozens of things to worry about on any given day. It’s no wonder our students are coming to school with anxiety and fears that are keeping them from living up to their potential. It is important to take some time to refocus our students’ energy on the positive aspects of life. One way to do this is to explain that there are certain things in life that they will never be able to control and that it is okay to let those things go. Show them how to be kids again and leave the big problems up to the adults. Use these three tips to boost self-control in kids.
Share these tips with students to cultivate self-control & reduce anxiety.
Focus time and energy on things that you can actually change.
Make a list of easy to achieve things that you can do to improve a situation that you are worried about. By making progress towards a manageable goal, you will ease the tension of other worries. For example: If you worry about your grades because of a new sport activity, you can make a goal to increase your studying by 20 minutes per night. This will give you the feeling of control.
Let go of things you cannot control.
Make a mental note of things you are currently worrying about that you cannot directly control. Make a promise to yourself to limit the time you think about those things. Some people and some things are not going to change easily, regardless of your efforts.
Expect the best outcome by using the power of positive thinking.
Imagine the things that worry you working out for the best. Play it like a movie in your mind. It cannot hurt to imagine the best possible scenario rather than imagining the worst, which we do so often.
Follow up Craft
After going over these important strategies, you might want to try this Self-Control Circle Activity to reinforce this information. Students will choose one of ten designs to color. After coloring, they will cut out the circles and attach string for hanging up as a display.
