You and your future self
Did you know that some people write journals every day? Others start or end their days saying what they are grateful for. Some say affirmations to themselves to feel better. Why do people do these things and how could they be useful for you?
Warm up
Before diving into journaling, test your knowledge together with your buddy and take the quiz!
Learn
Let’s start with something more and more people love to do: journaling.
What do you think it is? Is it the same as writing a diary?
Share your ideas with your buddy find out more here!
Dive in 1
Let’s try it out, just to get an idea!
Open the journal you find here and
- print it
- save it
- or write down the questions on a sheet of paper
Each one of you must have one’s own copy. Please insert your answers.
If you want, change its layout! How?
Click one of the two black sides and then the “delete” button The words will remain but the background will disappear.
You can also change the colour and font of the text-boxes!
Or you do it yourself on paper, the way you like it!
Done?
Show it to each other and share how it was for you to answer those questions!
Dive in 2
How easy or challenging life is for each of us depends on various factors. Discrimination is one of them: it makes it harder to just enjoy life and reach the goals one has. Though, also in this case a positive attitude is important never to give up and to boost one’s own self-esteem.
Besides Journaling, there is a further strategy which helps you to feel what a wonderful person you are and foster your self-growth. Look at it here.
These statements are affirmations, short sentences you say to yourself aloud or writing it down, e.g. in your journal.
Which of these sentences is particularly useful for you?
Share with your buddy and see if you come up with further affirmations which both of you like!
Create 1
Affirmations are also useful for making goals more palpable. For example: I will participate in the skateboard national championships. This motivates you to focus on your goal. You can integrate such affirmations with visualisations. Muhammad Ali said once: “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it – then I can achieve it”. Indeed, many athletes train also through imagining themselves playing.
Visualisations are therefore useful for
- motivating yourself to reach a goal
- training some skills
- changing your behaviour
Now reflect on what you want to visualize and share your idea with your buddy.
After visualizing it in your mind, create a graphic representation of it (drawing or using free pictures).
Finally make a collage of your works and give it a title which represents the two visualizations!
Create 2
Let’s focus now on what you do when we you are worried or upset or others are upset and take out their anger on you.
Look at this!
What do you usually do when you are angry or worried
- at school
- at home
- in other places (e.g. youth centre)?
How useful are these strategies? What other strategies do you/could you use to feel better?
Visualize them with your mind and exchange your perspectives with your buddy.
Finally, create a sketch (comic stripe, shadow play, puppet show…) which shows what happens
- if you react in an aggressive way to an annoying situation
- if you use a calming strategy
Have it uploaded it on the work-it area!
Reflect
Share with your buddy!
What was the most important thing you have learnt from this unit?
What can you imagine to try out in your daily life?
Make a postcard together!
Download the free KIDS4ALLL app and your wish comes true!
