Grade 6 · SEL · Lesson 6

Self-talk and confidence

Self-talk is the running commentary in your head — the silent words you say to yourself before, during and after every situation. It feels automatic, like background noise, but it is doing real work. Self-talk shapes how you feel about a moment, and how you feel shapes what you actually do next. The same situation, viewed by an inner critic versus a growth voice, produces two completely different days.

What this lesson teaches

1Explain how self-talk shapes feelings and actions
2Identify unhelpful patterns such as catastrophizing, all-or-nothing and mind-reading
3Reframe an unhelpful thought using evidence and a next step
4Build confidence with affirmations grounded in evidence rather than empty praise

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