Being a Good Sport/
Optimistic Thinking
Optimistic Thinking
TRUE OR FALSE: Being a good sport is demonstrated through both words and actions.
True!
TRUE OR FALSE: If the first try to solve a problem with a friend doesn't work, you should take that as a sign that you're side is the right one
False: It may take multiple attempts at compromise to come up with a solution that works for both of you and that's okay! Listen to each other and keep working at it together
True or false: Reading others emotions and trying to understand their intentions can help you to improve social interactions
True: Social interactions benefit when you read emotions using verbal and nonverbal cues
True or False: Everyone experiences some amount of stress (there is always some water in our beakers)
True! Stress is common and is experienced by everyone. It becomes problematic when we become overwhelmed (and our beaker level gets too high)
How does a rubber band resemble being resilient?
Like a rubber band, you can become "stretched out" and overwhelmed by stressful situations. When you are resilient you can be flexible and "bounce back" to your original shape, like a rubber band
Give an example of being a good sport even when you are feeling angry, frustrated, or upset after losing
Examples: Congratulating the other players, encouraging your teammates, not arguing with officials, using positive self-talk and keeping a calm body
What is the first step to practicing empathy?
Tune In. Pay attention to what the person is saying and doing
True or false: nonverbal cues are often harder to pick up on than verbal cues
True: nonverbal cues are more complicated and subtle than verbal cues and can be difficult to pick up on when engaging in conversation
Explain the beaker analogy for stress
When stress levels increase, the water in our beaker rises. We may lose control if our beaker overflows, so we need to use strategies to manage our stress and keep our water from rising too high
True or False: Being passive is the best response to stressful situations because it means you don't let things bother you too much
False: A passive response is not the best response to stress. It doesn't address the cause of the stress (as a more proactive strategy would) and allows for overwhelming situations to continue
Give an example of how to be a good sport to an opposing team member after your team won a game
Don't brag about winning, thank people who say congratulations, smile, say something nice about how they played, shake their hand etc.
You and your friend can't agree on which game to play. What are three solutions you might come up with to help solve the disagreement?
Find something else to do instead of playing the game, take turns and play one game first and the other game after, flip a coin, etc.
Give an example of a nonverbal cue
Body posture/gestures, facial expressions, body language
True or False: Being rigid in your thinking can help you to reduce stress by reducing distracting thoughts
False: Flexible thinking can be a helpful strategy to reduce stress and become more aware of how you respond to difficult situations
What is Self-talk? Can we change it?
Self talk is what we say to ourselves in our mind. Yes, if our automatic self-talk is negative or unhelpful, we can change it into positive self-talk!
"Change the channel" and replace this negative thought with a positive, realistic thought:
"This is the worst day ever!"
Today is just one day
I have a lot of good things to be grateful for
I can turn this day around
What is an example of a time you were able to put yourself in someone else's shoes to try to understand how they feel?
Examples: I looked at a situation from a different perspective, I thought about a time I experienced the same thing, etc.
What is the one-minute rule for joining a conversation with others?
Wait about a minute (until there is a pause in the conversation) to contribute without interrupting the other person speaking
Name 2 examples of how stress can make your body feel/react?
Sweaty hands, upset stomach, headache, tired, tense/tight, out of breath etc.
You just missed a goal in your soccer game. How could you use self-talk to get back in the game with a positive mindset?
"It's okay! I am trying my best and I can't make everything. No one is perfect - the game isn't over yet!"
Your team just lost your final soccer game of the season and you're frustrated that others didn't play better. You begin yelling at teammates and kicking up dirt on the field. What is a proactive plan you can use to respond better to similar situations in the future?
Being proactive means coming up with a plan to control your emotions and use coping/relaxation strategies before acting on your feelings.
Walk us through how you might use each of the six IDEAL steps in this situation:
You want to watch a movie after dinner and your friend wants to play a video game. How do you work past this disagreement and come up with a solution that you are both happy with?
Remember to Identify the problem, take Deep breaths/ use relaxation strategies, Explore (at least) three possible solutions, discuss with the friend and take action on one of the solutions, and look back to see if the solution worked (try again if it did not)
How you can be "in sync" with others when engaging in conversation?
Being "in sync" means paying attention to what other people are doing in a conversation and matching your pace/rhythm of speech and movements to others around you
Explain a time when your stress beaker was overflowing and what you did to help reduce your stress.
Relaxation strategies, deep breathing, take a break, talk to a friend, etc.
Explain the difference between being passive, reactive, and proactive.
Passive means doing nothing, reactive means acting out without thinking, and being proactive means doing something to help the situation or make it better in some way.