Understanding Thoughts for Middle School Students | Child Mind Institute

Our thoughts can be overwhelming at times and cause us to feel stressed and anxious.
As the middle schoolers in the video explain, it can be easy to get stuck overthinking and making things bigger in our minds than they actually are. That’s why it is important to take the time to pause and remember that thoughts are not facts and that we can change them. Changing our thoughts can help us decrease our uncomfortable emotions and manage difficult situations better.

Below is a summary of the KEY SKILLS from the video.
• Thoughts are not always facts and are temporary.
• Thoughts can be either helpful or unhelpful.
• You can practice changing unhelpful thoughts to thoughts that are more realistic or helpful.

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The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project is series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills. The project was born of an innovative partnership between the state of California and the Child Mind Institute.