Pretest Posttest
Session 6 – Negative and Wise Thoughts
4. What are wise thoughts?
Wise thoughts are accurate, logical, and true thoughts that are not exaggerated, filled with emotions, untrue or irrational.
If our automatic thoughts can be negative, exaggerated, and untrue, then we want to correct those thoughts to be wise thoughts!
Give your students this example:
Leslie was texting her friend a couple hours after school got out. They were talking about someone Leslie really liked in her class. This conversation was really important to Leslie because she had been waiting to tell her friend about it for a long time.
Mid-way through their conversation, Leslie’s friend stops responding to her text messages. Leslie gets upset and text back “Why are you ignoring me? This is really important! I thought you were my friend!”
Leslie’s negative automatic thoughts tell her, that she is being ignored, and that her friend might say something to someone else about her secret.
What Leslie can do is identify the negative automatic thought and change it to a wise thought. Leslie can consider what could be an alternative reason for WHY her friend hasn’t responded yet.
What Leslie concludes is that her friend was probably called to have dinner and that her friend did not have her phone with her, and that she should just wait patiently for her friend to respond in a little bit.
Ask your students “can any of you relate to this example?” Ask students to share what an example of their automatic negative thought was and how they turned it into a wise thought.
After your students share any similar experiences, tell them you are going to practice as a group.
In-class Activity:
i. Split your class into two sides. Label one group the “Negative Thoughts” and label the other group “Wise Thoughts.”
ii. Tell your students “I am going to read a scenario/event. I am going to
their thoughts can be untrue.
iii. Then I will allow time for students in the Wise Thought group to come up with the BEST alternative Wise thought that could provide a rationale explanation for the event.
iv. Practice two or three times and then switch the groups.
a. You just got a D on an assignment.
i. Negative example: I’m stupid and how can I do well in this class if I can’t do well on this assignment.
ii. Wise example: I didn’t put my best work into the assignment, next time I need to put in more effort.
b. Your teacher just told you to be quiet in front of the whole class.
i. Negative example: The teacher is out to get me; I was only talking a little bit.
ii. Wise example: I should of waited until it is an okay time to talk.
c. Your friend did not show up for lunch when they said they would.
i. Negative example: I bet they forgot about me, I am probably not that good of a friend.
ii. Wise example: I should probably check in with them in case something happened and they need help.
d. Your teacher confronted you and said he thought you cheated on an assignment.
i. Negative example: It sucks that the teacher doesn’t think I can do quality work on my own.
ii. Wise example: I can explain to the teacher in a professional manner that I did not cheat and ask why they believe that so I can explain any misunderstandings.
e. You thought you heard someone call you a name in the hallway.
i. Negative example: People at this school really don’t like me.
ii. Wise example: I don’t really know that person, they
probably were not talking to me, and I probably heard that wrong. I shouldn’t get upset.
f. Your boyfriend or girlfriend wouldn’t let you hold their hand in the hallway.
i. Negative example: I bet he/she is going to break up with
ii. Wise example: It is really crowded in the hallway and it is me.
easier to get through without holding hands.
g. You thought you saw people talking about you when you walked into class.
i. Negative example: I bet people think what I am wearing is ugly.
ii. Wise example: I bet they weren’t talking about me, and it doesn’t matter because I am having a great day.
v. After you have practiced and both groups have had a chance to be a Negative Thought and Wise Thought group. Ask them “What type of thinking makes you feel better and more assured?”
vi. Reinforce that Wise thoughts are accurate, logical, and true, and from there we can feel better about ourselves and our interactions with our environment and the people around us.
5. Mood monitoring and activity chart
(SW pg. 51-55) Remind students that this curriculum is not built on homework but there are a few things that will need to be thought of outside of class. One of these things will be to utilize a mood monitoring and activity chart. This can be found in the student workbook.Tell your students “Our goal using this curriculum is to improve the way we feel.
One way to do this is to begin monitoring how we feel throughout the course by filling out the Mood Monitoring and Activity Chart or the MAC chart. The MAC chart uses a scale from one to seven to measure our feelings and activity levels.”
Have students flip to the MAC chart and fill in their mood and activity levels from the past 24 hours. Stress that it is important for them to fill this in every day if they can.