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<\/p>\nDuring puberty programs, Candor Health Educators commonly break the ice with students by asking \u201cCan anyone identify any puberty survivors in this room today?\u201d After some giggles and a quick scan of the room, most students start to count the adults present and eagerly raise their hands to be the one chosen to give their proud answer.\u00a0 While simple, this approach helps to ease anxiety and nervousness regarding the topic at hand and allows for a perfect transition into relaying the Health Educator\u2019s important message: that not only will students survive puberty, but they also have the power to thrive during this time.<\/p>\n
One way to help students thrive during their puberty years is through the encouraging use of positive self-talk, which, as defined by Kristin Scully of Pathways to Success, \u201cis when we talk to ourselves in a reassuring, kind and more optimistic way\u201d.\u00a0 However, practicing positive self-talk might be easier said than done. According to Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, the founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources in Edmonds, Washington, \u201cthe pattern of self-talk we\u2019ve developed is negative\u201d and we have to \u201cintentionally overwrite [negative self-talk]\u201d if we are to thrive in life, especially during the puberty years.<\/p>\n
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So, how can we help school-aged students \u201coverwrite\u201d their negative self-talk with healthier, positive self-talk?\u00a0 As a first step, we may have to start by sharing the emotional, social, and physical benefits of practicing positive self-talk. The benefits of positive self-talk are numerous and, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, include \u201creduced stress, lower rates of depression, and better cardiovascular health and physical well-being.\u201d\u00a0 Sharing this information with students can help them \u201cbuy-in\u201d to the idea of positive self-talk and reduce the level of skepticism that may arise when introduced to this topic.<\/p>\n
Another strategy an educator can employ to foster positive self-talk among students is to simply model and practice positive self-talk as often as possible.\u00a0 Researchers at the Mayo Clinic suggest putting positive thinking into practice by actively replacing negative thoughts with statements that have a more positive, optimistic twist.\u00a0 For example, instead of saying \u201cI am not going to get any better at this\u201d we can say, \u201cI will give it another try\u201d.\u00a0 Or, instead of using language like \u201cI\u2019ve never done this before\u201d, we can state \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to learn something new\u201d.\u00a0 Modeling positive self-talk can effectively demonstrate for young students that being more optimistic and less self-critical will lead to a more positive approach to life\u2019s difficult situations and enhance one\u2019s sense of self.<\/p>\n
Finally, encouraging students to write down a list of positive personal attributes and self-talk statements is another way for students to engage in positive self-talk.\u00a0 Scully suggests that helping students come up with their own list of positive thoughts, affirmations, and attributes can help them to understand what positive self-talk sounds like.\u00a0 Furthermore, urging students to list their positive attributes will commit these thoughts to memory and allow for a more fluid transition of using positivity in times of need as they maneuver through puberty.<\/p>\n
Using positive self-talk can positively impact the physical, social, and emotional well-being of school aged youth.\u00a0 By communicating the benefits of positive self-talk, modeling positive self-talk, and encouraging students to participate in positive self-talk by writing down positive personal attributes, adults can guide youth toward the lifelong benefits of reduced stress and overall better physical and emotional wellbeing.\u00a0 Positive self-talk can be a valuable tool that helps school age youth not only survive the puberty years but thrive as well.<\/p>\n
Written by:<\/strong> Sandi Metcalfe-Health Educator, Candor Health Education<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During puberty programs, Candor Health Educators commonly break the ice with students by asking \u201cCan anyone identify any puberty survivors in this room today?\u201d After some giggles and a quick scan of the room, most students start to count the adults present and eagerly raise their hands to be the one chosen to give their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/candorhealthed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Sandi-web-150x150.jpg\")
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