Positive Thinking: Exercises and activities for mental and emotional development

A comprehensive approach to help young people maintain their self-esteem and wellbeing.

Encourage young people to be positive in the light of the many challenges that face them by inviting them to consider themselves as 'mental athletes' who can overcome the obstacles they face while realising the benefits. The programme contains a session overview, learning objectives, resources, activities, a plenary session and ideas for further development.

This comprehensive resource:

• Helps young people to find ways to turn disappointments into opportunities
• Empowers students to face all the challenges that life offers in a positive manner
• Provides a framework to facilitate personal growth and development
• Is a colourful addition to any SEAL and PSHE programme.

The file is divided into 15 pre-planned units that are accompanied by a range of features that include fictional stories to provoke discussion, role models who have triumphed over adversity, circle time discussion prompts, drama exercises, activity pages and games. All resources can be printed from the accompanying CD Rom.

Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use this Book

Unit 1: Becoming a Mental Athlete

Unit 2: Rising to a Challenge

Unit 3: The Benefits of a Challenge

Unit 4: Developing Resilience

Unit 5: Developing Tools for Expressing Feelings and Experiences

Unit 6: Develping Inner Strength and Resourcefulness

Unit 7: The Challenge Posed by Change

Unit 8: Drawing on Goodness to Build Wellbeing

Unit 9: Thinking Independently

Unit 10: Celebrating Success and Achievement

Unit 11: Weakening Mental Muscle

Unit 12: An Exploration of Bullying

Unit 13: Managing Angry Feelings

Unit 14: Taking Responsibility

Unit 15: Being Part of a Team

Inner Strength Game

Useful Resources

Bibliography