Thought Detectives🕵️
A person sees their two friends whispering. They think, "They're talking about me." Is this a thought, feeling, or behavior?
Thought
Name two pleasant emotions.
-Happy
-Proud
-Excited
-Calm
-Grateful
Someone is bored. Name one thing they might do.
-Watch a show or movie
-Draw or do art
-Play a game
-Text a friend
-Go outside
Someone thinks: "This game will be fun."
How might they feel?
-Excited
-Happy
-Curious
You forget your homework at home.
What's the first thought that might pop into your head?
-"I'm in trouble."
-"How could I forget?"
-"Uh oh"
Someone thinks, "I'm going to fail this test." What is one different thought they could have?
"I'll do my best."
"I might know more than I think."
"I studied for this."
"Even if I don't get an A, I'll be okay."
If your hands are sweaty and your stomach feels funny before a test, what feeling might you have?
-Nervous
-Anxious
-Worried
Someone is angry and slams a door.
Is slamming the door a thought, feeling, or behavior?
Behavior
Someone feels excited.
What might they do?
-Smile
-Talk a lot
-Jump around
-Tell a friend
Your friend doesn't text back for hours.
What's one possible explanation?
A kid misses a soccer goal and thinks, "I'm terrible at soccer."
Detective challenge: Helpful thought or unhelpful thought?
Unhelpful thought!
A different, more helpful thought is "I missed one shot, but I've made others" or "Everybody makes mistakes."
What's the difference between nervous and scared?
Nervous = something might happen and often happens before events
Scared = something feels dangerous right now and happens during something frightening
A student is nervous about a project or presentation.
Name one helpful action they could take.
-Take deep breaths
-Practice
-Ask for help
-Break it into smaller steps
Someone thinks, "No one likes me."
How might they feel?
-Sad
-Lonely
-Hurt
You get picked last for a game.
Name one feeling someone might have.
Finish the sentence: A thought is something you _____.
-Think
-Tell yourself
-Say in your mind
Name as many feeling words as possible.
Someone is sad and stays in bed all day. How might that affect their mood later?
-They may feel lonely.
-They might feel worse.
-They might miss out on things they enjoy.
-They could feel stuck.
Someone thinks: "I can handle this."
How might they feel?
-Confident
-Brave
-Motivated
-Calm
You make a mistake in front of the class.
What's one helpful thought you could tell yourself?
"I'll keep trying."
"People probably won't remember."
"This isn't the end of the world."
Name 3 thoughts someone could have before giving a presentation.
-"What if I mess up?"
-"Everyone will stare at me."
-"I hope I do well."
-"This won't last very long."
-"I can do this."
Can someone feel two emotions at the same time?
YES!
EX: Excited and nervous on the first day of school
EX: Happy and sad when moving away
EX: Proud and scared before trying something new
Name two behaviors that might improve a difficult day.
-Going for a walk
-Talking to someone
-Listening to music
-Playing with a pet
-Drawing
-Taking a break
Create your own Think → Feel → Act example.
EXAMPLE
Think: "I studied hard."
Feel: Confident
Act: Take the test calmly.
Think: "I think they're mad or upset at me."
Feel: Hurt or lonely
Act: Avoid
Your best friend sits with someone else at lunch.
Give:
EXAMPLE 1:
Thought: "They don't want to sit with me."
Feeling: Sad
Action: Sit alone
EXAMPLE 2
Thought: "Maybe they just wanted to talk to someone else."
Feeling: Okay
Action: Sit nearby and say hi later