Very often, what happens in a consultation with a psychologist, a person can do on his own: master positive thinking, visualization, active listening in a real way and using the advice from the book. Another thing is to make useful psychological exercises a habit. Here, the psychologist most often acts only as a stimulus - like a gym for those who “don’t get around to fitness” at home.
Why do children and adolescents need psychological training?
Training is one of the most popular and effective methods of achieving results, used in practical psychology. It is based on the use of a number of psychocorrective and psychotherapeutic techniques.
Trainings for children and adolescents help develop skills:
- interpersonal and intergroup interaction;
- communication;
- self-regulation.
In addition, special psychological trainings for schoolchildren are often carried out for the purpose of professional self-guidance.
Educational psychologists use various types of training aimed at developing in children certain qualities, abilities, skills, ways of thinking, behavior patterns, and psychological attitudes that correct their psycho-emotional state.
Psychological trainings for teenagers, and especially for children of preschool and primary school age, are, first of all, exciting games and exercises, during which practical training is carried out.
Classes can take place both in a group and individually. The form of training varies depending on the composition and behavior of the training participants, as well as their motivation. This approach allows each child to open up, liberates and teaches collective interaction.
Game trainings bring maximum effectiveness only if the child himself is interested in changing his behavior, worldview and personal growth.
Psychology training for children does not necessarily have to be conducted by qualified psychologists; an educator or teacher can also successfully cope with this task.
Classification
Exercises in psychology can be divided into several groups depending on different criteria:
- style, theme;
- focus of work;
- work style, approach.
By style and theme
The topics of psychological exercises are divided into personal (improving existing skills) and professional (promotion in business). They can be combined or worked on in turn.
Personal
To begin to develop in any direction, learn to communicate with people, make new acquaintances, move up the career ladder, you need to change yourself. Personal trainings have been developed for this purpose.
Business trainings
Such techniques rarely involve personal comparison. They are needed to develop new strategies for business development and improve personnel management skills.
Training to improve skills
The slogan of such exercises is “mastery loves practice.” To develop existing skills, psychologists offer people to study new theoretical data and reinforce their knowledge with practical training.
By area of work
Depending on the focus of the work, several trainings are distinguished:
- Transformational. Needed to influence deep states, values, beliefs, principles. During exercises, internal changes occur.
- Research. They help you deal with internal limitations and gain emotional experience.
- State trainings. Needed to overcome internal barriers and childhood fears.
- Psychotherapeutic. Help you cope with difficulties.
- Personality development. They teach general things. They are obliged to help a person in different life situations.
By approach and style of work
Before performing the exercises, you need to study how the training is conducted and what approaches the psychologist uses. Before signing up for psychological training, you need to read reviews from other people.
Training exercises for preschool children
To prevent children's attention from wandering, games for training preschoolers should be short-lived. It is better to play 3-4 different games in one lesson. Each of them should be aimed at achieving a specific goal.
Training game “Dragon biting its tail”
This game helps children get rid of existing fears, relieve tension and neurotic states.
It is advisable to turn on cheerful music during the game. Children, lined up in a chain behind each other and holding the shoulders of the comrade in front, depict the body of a dragon. The child standing first, who represents the head of the monster, tries to catch the “tail” - the last child in the chain, whose task is to deftly dodge.
Training game “I am your friend”
A very good exercise for training preschool children - it helps develop a sense of empathy - the ability to empathize, make friends, help, and also teaches group work.
During the game, children get acquainted with a certain hero (for example, it could be a toy parrot) who is in trouble and in need of help. Having invited the kids to stand in a circle, the teacher can tell how a parrot flew into their group: “He probably accidentally got out of the cage, doesn’t know how to get back to his owners, he’s scared and lonely.” Children are offered a toy parrot, with whom they must make friends, stroke it, talk affectionately, let it understand: no one will hurt him, they will help him, he is among friends.
Training “What are you, Blob?”
Very often, children's trainings contain elements of artistic creativity. For example, by making blots on paper, you can not only develop children’s imagination, but also relieve aggression and fears.
For this exercise you only need paper and gouache paints. The kid chooses the paint he wants. (By the way, psychologists can often draw conclusions about the child’s psycho-emotional state based on this choice: the choice of dark colors indicates his depression).
And then, having collected it on a brush, you need to spray it on the prepared paper. If you fold a sheet of paper in half so that a spot of ink is imprinted on the other half of the paper, you get a kind of image. You can invite children to fantasize: what or who do they see in the resulting “composition”, is it scary or funny, evil or good?
Psychological exercise for self-control
Psychological training for children is very important, teaching them to restrain negative emotions. Preschoolers need to be reminded more often that when they are angry, and even more so want to hit someone, they need to pause, take a deep breath and exhale several times, and then stand up straight, close their eyes, count to ten and, smiling, open their eyes. Anger and irritation are afraid of calm and a smile.
It is important to emphasize that when children learn to manage their emotions, they can be considered truly adults.
Popular psychological exercises
In different areas of psychology, very effective training exercises are used to help cope with emotional instability and psychological discomfort that arises in difficult situations. We offer several effective techniques for independent study.
Exercise 1. Method of overcoming anxiety (Gestalt therapeutic technique)
To get rid of anxiety that worsens your quality of life, take a piece of paper and a pen. Ask yourself questions and write down the answers:
- Am I worried about my future?
- How does worry about the future affect my life today?
- Am I worried because the problem has no solution or am I just playing for time so as not to solve it?
- If the answer is “I’m stalling for time,” then why, why?
- Can I do what's bothering me right now?
If you answer yes to the last question, then write down what you need to implement your plans (agree on a meeting, make a plan).
Having put all the answers on paper, imagine that your experiences have become a reality right now. Try to describe your state in as much detail as possible when you think that the anxiety has already been realized. How are you feeling? What thoughts are in your head now? What are the sensations in the body?
Next, concentrate on what is happening around you. Try to catch all the sounds and smells that surround you, name the colors of the environment. Write down all your feelings, starting with the phrase: “I realize that...”
Listen to every part of your body. Write down all the sensations that arise in it, starting with the same phrase: “I realize...”
Consider whether you have “examined” all parts of the body. If there are ones that you did not take into account, repeat this part of the work and write down the sensations (usually people ignore sensations in the genital area). Repeat the “body audit” until you feel that your attention is not focused on the disturbing event, but has switched to another activity.
Exercise 2. Method of overcoming fear (according to Ellis)
Does your fear have no rational basis? Then try to laugh at him, “inflate” your fear to the point of absurdity. For example, if you are afraid that the guests will not like the dish you have prepared. They eat it, no one complains or spits it out, some even praise it and smack their lips. Are you still afraid? If not, then think about why it is so important for you to be sure that your dish will be approved?
Try to find the origins of your fear. Replace the irrational belief with one that matches your current reality. Stop the condemning or lecturing inner voice with your sober arguments.
Observe your fears, examine them carefully and understand how big or, conversely, insignificant they are. After that, ask yourself, is your fear still as bad as before, or has it changed?
Exercise 3. Method of increasing creative activity (according to D Scott)
You are faced with a problem for which you do not know the solution. Take a few clean sheets of paper and a pen. Write down all the thoughts that come to mind in connection with the problem. Select from them those that can be converted into solution options.
Select from the selected options the ones that you think are most suitable (at least 3). Rank them from best to worst. Select one or more solutions that may help solve your problem.
Exercise 4. Stress relief technique (according to K. Schreiner)
Clear your brain of thought debris. For this:
- Think about how you feel when you're stressed—are you covered in sweat or tense?
- You will feel the moment when you are at your most tense. Ask yourself: “Why, why am I working so hard? What does this tension give me?”
- Ask yourself: “What should I do to feel better?”
- Plunge into an even more tense state for a few minutes. Feel how much energy it takes.
- Answer: “Is such tension necessary? Does it benefit me? Do I want to get rid of him?”
- Realize that the demands you place on yourself that cause tension are driving you into despair.
- Sit or lie down comfortably. Imagine that your body, every cell of it is absolutely relaxed. They look like soft foam rubber or dough. Try to feel how it resonates in your body.
- Imagine that you are sweeping out of your brain all unnecessary beliefs, attitudes, words dropped by someone that have been stuck in your brain for a long time.
- Fill the free space with those settings that you consider useful and necessary for you.
After that, replace your requirements with preferences.
Exercise 5. Resolving stress using the “Swing” method (according to R. Bandler)
Sit comfortably, close your eyes. Imagine what you have in your hands from a photograph. One depicts an unpleasant situation for you in gray tones with a blurry image, and the other depicts a comfortable, bright, clear one. Looking at the second photo you feel warmth, joy, happiness.
With lightning speed, lower the first photo and place it on your lap, and raise the bright, pleasant photo to eye level. Repeat this mental “waving” with replacement images until you feel that the tension from stress has decreased.
Exercise 6. Correcting negative behavior through self-analysis (according to Raywater)
This technique must be carried out in a calm environment, alone. The purpose of the technique is to “disconnect” from your thoughts, bodily manifestations and look at them from the outside, without changing anything.
- Concentrate on your body - think about what position it is in, relaxed or tense, how your arms and legs are positioned, what position your head and back are in. What do you feel inside - warmth, cold or other sensations. Listen to how your heart beats, how you breathe. Mentally say: “This is my body, it is not me.”
- Focus on your feelings - what you are experiencing now, discover the positive and negative feelings, separate them. Tell yourself, “These are my feelings, not me.”
- List everything you would like, what you are striving for. Don't think about their importance and priority. Say to yourself: “These are my desires. It's not me".
- Concentrate on your thoughts. If it seems to you that at this very moment there are no thoughts in your head, observe this thought. If thoughts quickly replace each other, observe them. Say, “These are my thoughts. It's not me".
This self-correction technique was developed in the modality of psychosynthesis. It gives you the opportunity to deeply understand your own personality, learn to control emotions, thoughts, and reactions.
3 possible ways to influence a person’s condition:
- changes in skeletal muscle tone, breathing;
- active inclusion of ideas and sensory images;
- programming and regulating words.
Exercise 7. Who am I? (according to T. Yeowman)
Another exercise from psychosynthesis. Its goal is to develop self-awareness and identify one’s true self. To perform the exercise efficiently, you need to be in silence and solitude and fully concentrate on the task.
- Ask yourself the question: “Who am I?” Give your answer based only on your own knowledge about yourself, thoughts and feelings. Don't think about what other people think about you. Write down the answer to the question.
- Close your eyes and ask again: “Who am I?” Draw a mental image, open your eyes, describe it as accurately as possible.
- Stand in the center of the room, close your eyes. Ask yourself: “Who am I?” Feel how this question resonates in your body. Don't control your bodily reactions, don't change them, just trust your feelings. Remember what you feel, what movements occur.
Analyze your bodily sensations, your thoughts and the image that you described. Now give again the answer to the question: “So who am I?”
Exercise 8. Dialogue with yourself for the purpose of emergency self-help (According to M. Sandomirsky)
The purpose of this technique is to quickly help yourself at the moment of intense discomfort in the body and emotions. Do the exercise slowly, in a calm environment.
- Close your eyes and imagine that you are standing in front of a mirror. What do you look like in a tense moment? How does discomfort show on your face?
- Concentrate on your bodily sensations. Find areas in the body where discomfort is felt especially acute.
- Say words to yourself that can calm you down, cheer you up, give you a sense of support, raise your self-esteem, and stop anxiety. Put as much strength and emotionality into your words as necessary to restore your mental and physical comfort.
- Again, feel how your body reacts. If what is said has reached its goal, then the physical discomfort will ease. If it does not weaken, then repeat the spoken supporting phrase 3 more times.
If necessary, the self-help technique can be performed several times in a row until the physical and emotional discomfort subsides.
The exercises that you have become familiar with make it possible to independently regulate your emotional state, relieve fear, and reduce anxiety. Practice them to become stronger and more confident.
Irina Sherbul
Psychological trainings for primary schoolchildren
Psychological exercises for training children of primary school age should work through their main internal problems and teach them to cope with them independently in the future.
Psychological training for children 7-9 years old should include:
- acting techniques;
- relaxation exercises;
- various diagnostic techniques;
- art therapy;
- role-playing games.
They will help you simulate different situations and play out possible behavior options.
"Mood Barometer"
To begin with, the game leader must show the children a real barometer and tell them what it is and what it is used for. After this, the guys must use their hands to “measure” their mood. For example, tightly clenched palms indicate a bad mood, and widely spread hands indicate a good mood.
"What I Love to Do"
This game allows children to learn something new about each other. One of the participants should, using gestures and movements, “tell” the children about any activity that he likes: reading, drawing, dancing. The rest look carefully and try to guess what activity is meant. After the showing participant finishes his “story,” everyone begins to guess. It is necessary to say at the end whether any of the guys guessed it. Next comes the next player.
"I like…"
The guys stand in a circle. The person starting the game should turn to the person sitting on the left and start talking with the phrase: “Kolya (Misha, Sonya, etc.), I like...” Then comes any compliment to the participant: “... your eyes / how you draw / how you dance.” And so on in a circle until it reaches the one who started.
"River"
We need to put the children in one column. From this moment on, they become a large river, which can spill into two so-called branches - two small rivers. To show how this river overflows, the presenter places two guys - leaders - at the beginning of the river and takes them in different directions. The guys behind them should stand behind one of the leaders, then behind the other - in turn. It is important to take into account the desire of each leader. This is how children learn to form subgroups.
"Princess Nesmeyana"
One of them sits on a chair placed in front of the children. Now he becomes “Princess Nesmeyana”, who needs to cheer up and make her smile. To do this, the guys take turns telling the “princess” about her merits - the beauty of her eyes, her ability to sing well, and so on.
"Support"
Children stand in the so-called magic circle. One of them ends up in its center. You need to keep your back straight and your legs together. The guys around him raise their hands to about chest level. The distance between them and the one standing in the center should not be large, because he begins to fall in any direction, and the guys must catch him. This game is based on trust - the ability to show it (falling) and justify it (children must have time to catch it and carefully put it in place).
"Good warmth"
Children stand in a circle and take each other's hands. This game exercise is to transfer spiritual “warmth” to each other. This is done with a gentle handshake. The first player passes to the player on the right, who passes to the other, and so on until the chain ends with the one who started. At first the game is played with open eyes, and then, at the beginning of the second round, the guys close their eyes.
Recommendations
Advice from psychologists on conducting psychological exercises:
- You need to come to training in a good mood. If negative thoughts, aggression or resentment predominate, it is recommended to do breathing exercises and master meditation. An experienced psychologist can teach these techniques.
- In unclear situations, it is necessary to clarify the information of interest with the presenter.
- Communication with other training participants outside the training rooms should be maintained.
When performing psychological exercises, it is important to be sincere, so that the answers are reliable, the feelings and emotions are real.
Psychological training will help you achieve personal growth, success in your own business, and relationships with your loved one. Exercises allow you to overcome barriers, fears, and doubts. It is important to choose an experienced presenter.
Children's psychological trainings: some rules
Of course, you can develop your own laws and rules for each specific group of children, but we recommend that you definitely include the following points:
- confidentiality;
- the right to personal opinion;
- sincere communication;
- listening = respect for the speaker.
We hope that these simple and interesting training exercises will help you realize your educational and training goals and achieve high results in the personal development of your students.
Adventure games: 52 steps to the goal
“Adventure games: 52 steps to the goal” - fairytale therapy exercises and games, as part of the work to achieve a given goal.
To work, you can use a map of the fairy-tale world.
- Choosing a way to maintain your motivation
- The Great Power of the Calendar
- Forming one new habit
- Daily Affirmations
- Strengthening our fortitude + results of four weeks.
- Shall we take a risk? Let's take a risk!
- We define ten good changes in life
- Let's touch the cup of blessings awaiting us
- We are building a panorama of our success + the results of four weeks.
- Let's enjoy the process itself
- Let's get inspired
- We prove by deeds that we believe in ourselves
- Let's get inspired by inspiring others + results of four weeks.
- Making a to-do checklist
- Join the group
- Let's just say "No." And period
- We measure our efforts + the results of four weeks.
- Throwing down the gauntlet to ourselves
- Doing the impossible
- Let's create another daily habit
- We complement the new habit with action + results of four weeks.
- Let's call on the power of numbers
- We are looking for a friend
- Learning to appreciate every minute
- Let's chat with the object of admiration + results of four weeks.
- Getting used to the new role
- Let's dive into the true realities of success
- Let's dare to take risks!
- Let's visualize our success + the results of four weeks.
- Let's start a new countdown!
- Turn on the mood barometer
- We read to grow
- We are looking for a pleasant way to achieve a goal + the results of four weeks.
- Determine why we are achieving our goal
- Choose one pebble for each day
- Test drive your dreams
- We will choose our own torment + the results of four weeks.
- Let's share with those who are less fortunate
- Let's get caught in the snare of our obsession
- Connecting to your source of inspiration
- Let's replenish the piggy bank of new habits + the results of four weeks.
- Let's brush aside everything extraneous
- Raise the bets, go for broke
- Filling the gaps of time with positive energy
- Let's use our 12 minutes wisely! + results of four weeks.
- Getting ready to win
- Write down everything we are grateful for
- Let's write about a person to whom you are grateful
- We maintain the momentum of the movement + the results of four weeks.
- Sowing the last seeds of the year
- Planning goals for next year
- Final exercise. Let's celebrate the victory! + results.
Main types of psychological games and their features
Games can be business, positional, innovative, organizational-training, training, organizational-thinking, organizational-activity and others. But still, there are several main types of psychological games:
- Game shells. In this type of game, the game plot itself is the general background against which developmental, correctional and psychological problems are solved. Such activities contribute to the development of basic mental properties and personality processes, as well as the development of reflection and self-reflection.
- Living games. In living games, there is an individual and joint exploration of the gaming space with a group of people, the building of interpersonal relationships within it and the comprehension of personal values. This type of games develops the motivational aspect of a person’s personality, his system of life values, and personal criticality; allows you to independently build your activities and relationships with others; expands ideas about human feelings and experiences.
- Drama games. Drama games contribute to the self-determination of their participants in certain situations and the improvement of value and semantic choice. The motivational sphere, the system of life values, readiness to make choices, the ability to set goals, and planning skills develop. Features of reflection and self-reflection are formed.
- Project games. Project games influence a person’s mastery and comprehension of instrumental tasks that are associated with the construction of activities, the achievement of specific results and the systematization of the system of business relationships with others. The skills of goal setting, planning and the ability to adapt actions to specific conditions are developed. Self-regulation skills are formed, personal criticism and the ability to relate one’s actions to the actions of other people develop.
The types of psychological games presented above can be used both independently and used in conjunction with others. The descriptions we give are the most general and give only a superficial idea of psychological games.
Now we move on to the most interesting block – the games themselves. Next, we will consider some of the most popular and effective games, and their benefits in human development and life.
Karpman triangle
It is also important to say a few words about the Karpman triangle, which was a continuator of the ideas of Eric Berne. He also talks about a game, only a subconscious one, which describes the connection between three main problems in relationships between people.
According to this point of view, all the roles that underlie human games can be reduced to three main ones - Rescuer, Victim of Persecution and Persecutor of the Guilty. These roles are combined into a triangle, which symbolizes their inextricable connection and replacement of each other.
“The three roles in this game - victim, pursuer and rescuer - are actually a simplification of real life. Each person sees himself as a generous rescuer of an ungrateful or grateful victim, a persecutor of infidels and a victim of evil persecutors. Immersion in any of these roles causes a person to begin to ignore reality, like an actor who knows that he is living a fictional life, but continues to “believe” in its authenticity in order to create a good performance.”
What is a game?
A game is a type of activity, the motive of which is not the result, but the process itself, where the recreation and assimilation of some experience occurs. Also, play is the main activity of children, through which mental properties, intellectual operations and attitudes towards the surrounding reality are formed, changed and consolidated. The term “game” is also used to refer to programs or sets of items for performing gaming activities.
The study of human psychology and the psychological realities of his life becomes more interesting and effective when carried out through activities of interest to the researcher himself. And such an activity, of course, is play. Experience has shown more than once that socio-psychological games help people to perceive the reality of the psychological aspect of their lives very seriously and deeply.
The functions of gaming activities are as follows:
- Entertaining - entertains, lifts the mood;
- Communicative – promotes communication;
- Self-realization – allows a person to express himself;
- Game therapy – helps to overcome various difficulties that arise in life;
- Diagnostic – allows you to identify deviations in development and behavior;
- Corrective – allows you to make changes to the personality structure;
- Socialization – makes it possible to include a person in the system of social relations and contributes to his assimilation of social norms.
Adventure games on a fairytale map
You can also try your hand at the “Adventure Games on a Fairytale Map” project.
- To distant lands, to the thirtieth kingdom
- Hut, hut, turn your front to me, turn your back to the forest
- Reality: on this side of the world
- Go there, I don’t know where, bring something, I don’t know what
- There is a green oak near the Lukomorye...
- Kashcheevo kingdom: reach and return
- Orphanage "Geese-Swans"
- Flora and Fauna of the Dark Forest
- In the light of the moon
