Lesson Plan
Can You Catch Your Thoughts?
Guide a 9th-grade student to identify and challenge anxiety-triggering automatic thoughts, evaluate evidence around those thoughts, and develop balanced alternatives to manage anxiety.
Targeting anxiety-related thinking helps students recognize triggers, regulate strong emotions, reduce overwhelming feelings, and build healthier coping strategies.
Audience
9th Grade Student
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Guided discussion and journaling focused on anxiety.
Prep
Review Anxiety-Focused Materials and Set Up
10 minutes
- Refresh on session goals: targeting anxiety triggers within automatic thoughts.
- Review each anxiety-centered worksheet: Thought Radar Worksheet, Automatic Thought Detective Worksheet, Thought Tracking Log Template, Reflection Snapshot Prompt.
- Prepare examples of common anxiety triggers (e.g., fear of judgment, worrying about the future, social situations).
- Ensure space is calm and free from distractions to support emotional work.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Thought Radar on Anxiety Triggers
5 minutes
- Introduce the idea that automatic thoughts often drive anxiety.
- Hand out the Thought Radar Worksheet.
- Ask the student to recall a recent time they felt anxious and quickly note the situation, thought, emotion, and intensity.
- Briefly discuss patterns or common anxiety triggers that emerge.
Step 2
Discussion: Automatic Thought Detective for Anxiety
20 minutes
- Present the Automatic Thought Detective Worksheet.
- Guide the student to choose one anxiety-inducing thought from their radar.
- Walk through detective steps, focusing on:
• Evidence that fuels anxiety (supports the thought)
• Evidence that reduces anxiety (refutes the thought)
• Cognitive distortions often linked to anxiety (e.g., fortune-telling, catastrophizing, mind reading)
• Crafting a balanced alternative thought to lessen anxiety - Encourage the student to articulate how each step affects their anxiety level.
Step 3
Journaling: Anxiety-Focused Thought Tracking Log
10 minutes
- Give the Thought Tracking Log Template.
- Instruct the student to journal about a real anxiety-provoking situation:
• Describe the event
• Record emotions and intensity
• Identify the automatic thought driving anxiety
• Develop a balanced alternative thought
• Note any decrease in anxiety intensity after reframing - Offer support as they reflect on emotion shifts.
Step 4
Cool-Down: Reflection on Anxiety Management
10 minutes
- Share the Reflection Snapshot Prompt.
- Ask targeted questions:
• Which step helped reduce your anxiety the most?
• How will you use reframing when you notice anxiety flaring?
• What’s your key takeaway for managing anxiety?
• Set a specific goal: when and how you’ll practice catching or challenging an anxious thought this week.
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Slide Deck
Can You Catch Your Thoughts?
An individualized CBT session for 9th graders – focused on managing anxiety
• Spot anxiety-triggering thoughts
• Challenge unhelpful thinking patterns
• Develop balanced alternatives to reduce anxiety
• Build emotional resilience
Duration: 45 minutes, Tier 3 (Individual)
Welcome! Introduce yourself and explain that today’s goal is to learn how to notice and reframe automatic thoughts that fuel anxiety, using targeted CBT tools.
Session Objectives
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Identify automatic thoughts that spark anxiety
- Evaluate evidence for and against those thoughts
- Formulate balanced alternative thoughts to calm anxiety
- Notice how reframing your thoughts impacts your anxiety level
Review objectives and confirm the student understands that each skill will help them recognize and manage anxiety.
Why Challenge Your Thoughts?
• Automatic thoughts often drive our anxiety without us realizing it
• Strong emotions like anxiety can escalate if thoughts go unchallenged
• CBT helps us catch triggers early and choose calmer, more balanced responses
Explain how unchecked negative thoughts can intensify anxiety and lead to overwhelming feelings.
Warm-Up: Thought Radar on Anxiety Triggers
- Concept: How automatic thoughts fuel anxiety
- Use the Thought Radar Worksheet
- Recall a moment you felt anxious
- Quickly note: situation, thought, emotion, and intensity
- Identify any common anxiety triggers
Distribute and model the worksheet. Prompt the student to recall a recent anxiety episode and capture their first thoughts.
Discussion: Automatic Thought Detective for Anxiety
- Provide the Automatic Thought Detective Worksheet
- Select one anxiety-inducing thought from your radar
- List evidence that fuels your anxiety (supports the thought)
- List evidence that weakens your anxiety (refutes the thought)
- Spot cognitive distortions linked to anxiety (e.g., fortune-telling, catastrophizing, mind reading)
- Craft a balanced alternative thought to lessen your anxiety
Guide the student through each detective step, focusing on how evidence can reduce or fuel anxiety.
Journaling: Anxiety-Focused Thought Tracking Log
- Hand out the Thought Tracking Log Template
- Journal about a real anxiety-provoking situation:
• Describe the event
• Record emotions & intensity
• Identify the automatic thought behind your anxiety
• Create a balanced alternative thought
• Note any drop in anxiety intensity after reframing
Explain that writing down real anxiety-provoking events helps reinforce control over emotions.
Cool-Down: Reflection on Anxiety Management
Use the Reflection Snapshot Prompt to explore:
• Which step reduced your anxiety the most?
• How will you reframe thoughts when anxiety flares?
• What’s your key takeaway for managing anxiety?
• Set a goal: when and how you’ll practice catching an anxious thought this week
Use these prompts to help the student reflect specifically on anxiety management skills.
Next Steps
• Practice catching anxiety-triggering thoughts each day
• Use the worksheets whenever you feel anxiety rising
• Aim to reframe at least one anxious thought daily
• Remember: catching and challenging anxious thoughts helps you stay in control
Encourage daily practice and offer to check in on their anxiety-management goals.
Worksheet
Thought Radar Worksheet: Anxiety Triggers
Instructions: When you notice anxiety building or experience an anxiety trigger (e.g., feeling judged, worrying about the future, social situations), quickly jot down what’s going through your mind. Don’t overthink—capture your first thought, emotion, intensity, and any physical sensations.
1. Situation / Trigger: Describe what happened to make you feel anxious.
Thought: What automatic anxious thought came to mind?
Emotion (Anxiety) / Feeling: What did you feel?
Intensity (0–100): How strong was the anxiety?
Physical Sensations: What did you notice in your body? (e.g., tight chest, racing heart, sweaty palms)
2. Situation / Trigger:
Thought:
Emotion (Anxiety) / Feeling:
Intensity (0–100):
Physical Sensations:
3. Situation / Trigger:
Thought:
Emotion (Anxiety) / Feeling:
Intensity (0–100):
Physical Sensations:
Reflection
What patterns or common themes do you notice across these anxiety-triggered thoughts and sensations?
Worksheet
Automatic Thought Detective Worksheet: Anxiety Focus
Use this worksheet to take one anxiety-triggering thought from your Thought Radar Worksheet and investigate it like a detective. Examine how evidence can fuel or reduce your anxiety, spot thinking errors, and develop a calmer, balanced alternative.
1. Automatic Thought:
Write the exact anxious thought you want to explore.
2. Evidence That Fuels My Anxiety:
List facts or experiences that seem to confirm this thought and intensify your anxiety.
3. Evidence That Reduces My Anxiety:
List facts or experiences that contradict or weaken this thought and help calm you down.
4. Cognitive Distortions Linked to Anxiety:
Identify any patterns (e.g., fortune-telling, catastrophizing, mind reading) that amplify your anxiety.
5. Balanced Alternative Thought:
Based on the evidence, write a more realistic thought aimed at lowering your anxiety.
6. New Anxiety Intensity (0–100):
After adopting your balanced thought, how anxious do you feel now?
Reflection
What did you learn about how your thoughts influence your anxiety? How might this process help you manage anxiety in future situations?
Journal
Thought Tracking Log: Anxiety Focus
Instructions: Use this log to practice identifying anxiety-triggering thoughts in real situations, evaluate them, and develop balanced alternatives to reduce anxiety. After reframing, note any shift in your anxiety level.
Entry 1
Date & Anxiety-Provoking Situation: Describe where you were and what happened to make you anxious.
Anxiety & Intensity (0–100): What did you feel and how strong was your anxiety?
Automatic Anxious Thought: What initial thought popped into your mind that fueled your anxiety?
Balanced Alternative Thought: Based on evidence, what is a more realistic thought that might calm you down?
New Anxiety Intensity (0–100): After adopting your balanced thought, how anxious do you feel now?
Entry 2
Date & Anxiety-Provoking Situation:
Anxiety & Intensity (0–100):
Automatic Anxious Thought:
Balanced Alternative Thought:
New Anxiety Intensity (0–100):
Entry 3
Date & Anxiety-Provoking Situation:
Anxiety & Intensity (0–100):
Automatic Anxious Thought:
Balanced Alternative Thought:
New Anxiety Intensity (0–100):
Reflection
What patterns do you notice in your anxiety-triggering thoughts and how they change after reframing? How will you use this process to manage anxiety in the future?
Cool Down
Reflection Snapshot: Anxiety Management
Instructions: As we wrap up, reflect on how today’s CBT tools helped you understand and manage anxiety. Answer each prompt thoughtfully.
1. Which step in today’s session helped reduce your anxiety the most? Why?
2. How will you use thought-catching or reframing to manage anxiety in a future situation?
3. What is your key takeaway for handling anxiety more effectively?
4. Personal Practice Goal:
Set one specific goal for when and how you will practice catching or challenging an anxious thought this week.
Thank you for your reflections. Practicing these steps consistently will help you stay calm and in control when anxiety arises!