The question of whether emotional resilience is innate or a set of behaviors that can be taught has been widely debated in the psychological community.
Fifth-grader Bryce Marcus (pictured) suggests that it can be both. He and his classmates at New York City's KIPP Infinity Charter School squeeze in “Emotional Health 101” after math class.
One of the subjects is resilience training--flexible thinking skills for managing negative self-talk. Bryce’s response to a cartoon showing an angry coach yelling at a player after a loss? “The coach can be mad ... I'll do better next time."
Instead of taking it personally or being angry with himself, Bryce’s “player” demonstrates the effects of resilience training in managing disappointments and replacing negative thoughts with realistic ones focused on the future.
So next time you find yourself doing a Chicken Little…think again. Chances are that falling sky is just an extra low marine layer and the sun will be back tomorrow.
Listen to the complete story on NPR.
photo courtesy of Allison Aubrey/NPR
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