Keeping an Open Mind
What is an open mind vs. a closed mind?
An open mind allows you to consider something from a different perspective & a closed mind does not.
What does the phrase "I didn't let it get the best of me" mean?
I didn't let something take over control of my body & emotions
What does the self-controller scanner help us do?
Help us figure out how we are feeling & what we are thinking.
Describe the feelings you have when something is different than what you expected.
Surprised
Confused
Frustrated
Mad
Excited
True or False: When we aren't organized, we can feel stressed & overwhelmed.
True
What kind of self-talk should we use when we are struggling? Give an example.
Positive self-talk
True or False: Only some people have strong feelings.
False
True or False: Different feelings cause us to act in different ways. For example, we may respond differently to feeling excited vs. feeling angry.
True
Why is it important to be calm before you can Switch Tracks and think about something new?
It is hard to consider different perspectives when we are stuck in our own thinking. We can solve problems better when we have a calm mind.
What is time management?
How much time we spend on our responsibilities and how we prioritize them.
Give two strategies we can use to help change from a Closed Mind to an Open Mind.
1. Think positive thoughts
2. Use a calming strategy
How can staying in control help us make more friends?
What are 3 calming strategies you can use when you feel out of control?
Deep breathing
Take a walk
Use weighted items
Talk to a trusted adult
How does it make other people feel if we don't do a good job of switching tracks?
Uncomfortable
Confused
Fill in the blank: To improve focus, it's important to reduce ____________ when starting a task.
distractions
What are some things we can do if we are TRYING to keep an open mind but it is not working? Who can help us?
Take a break
Give another suggestion
Find something different to do
Ask for clarification
When unexpected changes happen, process your feelings. Then, you can make a plan to __________ handle the change.
Calmly
How does our body tell us that we are stressed?
Change in body temperature
Butterflies in your stomach
Fast heart rate
Sweaty palms
Why do you think it's important that we calm down on the outside before we calm down on the inside when we have to switch tracks?
So we act in expected ways and don't make unsafe choices
What is the most important step in task initiation?
Starting the task
Put the following steps in order 1-4 from closed to open mind.
Agree to try it
Pick a calming strategy
Picture doing it in your head
Use self-talk
2. Use self-talk
3. Picture doing it in your head
4. Agree to try it
To choose calm, we need to __________, pick a calming strategy, and choose how to respond wisely.
pause
How would you calmly respond: You made plans with a friend but now your parent is sick and can't drive you to their house.
Feel frustrated but call your friend and let them know you need to reschedule. You should also see if your parent needs anything.
Robert has to leave his football practice early because little sister is sick, and his mom needs to get home to take care of her. How should Robert switch tracks?
Consider that if it were the other way around, he would want his sister to consider how he is feeling instead of thinking about only herself. He should understand that the priority is his sister for now due to her illness.
When we break the task into parts, we can _______________ on one piece at a time.
focus