D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Thoughts, Emotions, Actions and Where to Find Help

D1.5 D1.4 A1.1 A1.2 A1.5About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can explain how thoughts, emotions and actions are connected.
I can describe how positive and negative thinking can affect mental health, and reframe an unhelpful thought.
I can name people, resources and services in my school and community that support mental health and substance use problems, and explain how to reach them.

Words to know

mental health
How we think, feel and act, and how we cope with life's ups and downs. Everyone has mental health.

thinking trap
An unhelpful pattern of thinking that makes things seem worse than they are.

reframe
To look at a situation in a new, more balanced and helpful way.

resource
A person, place, service or tool that can help.

social worker
A professional who helps people and families solve problems and connect to services.

psychologist
A professional trained to help people with thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

The voice in your head

Imagine you wave to a friend in the hall and she doesn't wave back. One thought might be, "She's mad at me." Another might be, "She didn't see me." Same moment, two thoughts, and two very different feelings. Today you'll learn how thoughts, emotions and actions are connected, how to catch unhelpful thoughts, and who can help when things get hard.

Remember from Grade 5

You learned that puberty can bring stress, and you built a resilience toolkit. You learned to recognize when a friend needs help and how to fight mental health stigma. This year you'll add two tools: changing unhelpful thoughts and knowing how to reach professional help.

Thoughts, emotions and actions are connected. A change in one can change the others.

How the triangle works

Thoughts affect emotions: "I'm going to fail" can make you feel worried.
Emotions affect actions: feeling worried, you might avoid studying or not sleep well.
Actions affect thoughts: not studying makes you think, "See, I'm going to fail." The circle keeps going.

The good news: you can break the circle at any corner. Changing a thought ("I've studied before and done okay"), or taking a helpful action (studying for 20 minutes, going for a walk) can change how you feel.

Thinking trap	Example	More balanced thought
All-or-nothing	"I missed one goal, so I'm terrible at soccer."	"I missed one, but I made some good passes. I can practise shooting."
Mind reading	"Everyone thinks my presentation was boring."	"I don't actually know what they think. A few people asked questions, so some were interested."
Catastrophizing (expecting the worst)	"If I don't make the team, my life is ruined."	"I'd be disappointed, but I could try again next year or join another activity."
Labelling	"I'm so stupid."	"I made a mistake. Everyone does. I can learn from it."

Common thinking traps and how to reframe them.

Catch it, check it, change it

Catch it: notice the thought. ("I'm going to fail.")
Check it: Is it true? What's the evidence? What would I tell a friend?
Change it: replace it with a more balanced thought. ("This is hard, but I've studied and I can ask for help.")

This isn't about pretending everything is great. It's about being fair and realistic with yourself.

Where to find help

Everyone has hard times. Sometimes your own strategies are enough. Sometimes you need more help, for example when sad, worried or angry feelings last for weeks, get in the way of school, sleep or friends, or when someone is using alcohol or drugs in a harmful way.

People in your school: teachers, the principal, guidance counsellors, child and youth workers, social workers, psychologists, the public health nurse.

People and places in your community: family members, your family doctor or nurse practitioner, mental health and addiction workers, community agencies, public health units, recreation centres and youth programs, places of worship (such as churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and gurdwaras), and Elders and knowledge keepers in First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

Help lines (free, confidential):

Kids Help Phone: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868, any time.
9-8-8: call or text if you or someone you know is thinking about suicide.
911: if someone is in danger right now.

How to reach out

Tell a trusted adult: "Can I talk to you about something?"
Ask a teacher how to see the school counsellor or social worker.
Ask your parent to book a visit with your doctor.
Call or text a help line. You can stay anonymous.
Write it down if it's hard to say out loud, and hand it to someone you trust.
If the first person doesn't help, tell someone else.

Worked example

Let's reframe a thought

Nadia got a C on her math test. She thinks, "I'm just bad at math. I'll never get it." She feels hopeless and doesn't want to do her homework.

Catch it: "I'm bad at math. I'll never get it."
Check it: This is all-or-nothing and labelling. Evidence? She got an A on fractions earlier this year. She didn't study much for this test.
Change it: "This test was hard and I didn't study much. I've learned hard math before. I can ask my teacher about what I got wrong."
New emotion: less hopeless, a bit more motivated.
New action: she asks her teacher for help and practises 15 minutes a day.

Changing the thought changed the feeling and the action.

Catch it, check it, change it, using Nadia's example. The new thought is fair and realistic, and it leads to a new feeling and a new action.

Worked example

Let's choose the right support

Mateo's older brother has been drinking a lot, and Mateo feels worried all the time and can't sleep. Who could help, and how could he reach them?

This is more than a small worry: it's lasting and affecting his sleep, and it involves substance use.
At school: he could ask his teacher, "Can I see the social worker or guidance counsellor?"
At home or in the community: a parent or another trusted adult; his family doctor; a community mental health and addiction agency.
Any time: he could call or text Kids Help Phone to talk it through.
If his brother is ever in danger (passed out, can't wake up): call 911.

Mateo doesn't have to handle this alone. There are many doors to help, and he can choose one.

Hands-on activity

Thought journal and help map

You need: a notebook and a pencil.

Part 1 (all week): Each evening, write one situation, your thought, your emotion and your action. If the thought was a thinking trap, write a balanced thought.

Part 2: Draw a help map: put yourself in the centre, then draw lines to people and services at home, at school, in your community and by phone or text. Write how to reach each one (who to ask, phone numbers).

What to look for: a correct thought, emotion, action chain; a realistic balanced thought (not just "everything is great"); and at least two supports in each part of the help map.

Your turn

Name the three corners of the triangle.

Give an example of how a thought can affect an emotion.

What are the three steps to deal with an unhelpful thought?

Reframe: "I'm so stupid."

Name three people at school who can help with mental health.

How can you reach Kids Help Phone?

When might someone need more help than their own strategies?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: everyone has mental health.

Name the thinking trap: "If I fail this test, my life is over."

True or false: if the first person you tell doesn't help, you should give up.

What number do you call if someone is in danger right now?

Name one community place that offers support.

More practice: on your own

Name the thinking trap and reframe it: "Everyone at the party will think I'm weird."

How can actions change emotions? Give an example.

Why is positive, balanced thinking not the same as pretending everything is fine?

Give two ways to reach out if it's hard to talk about your feelings out loud.

Who could help a family dealing with addiction?

Challenge

Draw (or describe) a negative circle: one situation, a thought, an emotion, an action. Then break the circle with a balanced thought and a helpful action.

A friend tells you they've been feeling really sad for weeks and don't enjoy anything anymore. What should you do?

Why might someone not reach out for help, and how could you encourage them?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is the best description of the thought, emotion, action triangle?

"I missed one shot, so I'm terrible at basketball" is an example of...

The steps for handling an unhelpful thought are...

Which is a free, confidential service for young people, any time?

Which person at school can help with mental health?

A friend asks you to keep it secret that they want to hurt themselves. You should...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers two Grade 6 Mental Health Literacy expectations: demonstrate an understanding of the interconnections between a person's thoughts, emotions and actions, and the potential impact of positive and negative thinking on mental health (D1.5), and identify people, resources and services in the school and the community (e.g., mental health and addiction workers, family members, social workers, psychologists, community agencies, places of worship, public health units, telephone help lines, recreation facilities) that can provide support when a person is dealing with mental health issues or situations involving substance use and addictive behaviours, and describe how to access these supports (D1.4). It builds emotion skills (A1.1), coping and help-seeking (A1.2) and self-awareness (A1.5).

Numbers used (checked October 2026): Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868; 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text); 911. ConnexOntario offers information about mental health and addiction services in Ontario.

How to help at home:

Name your own thinking traps out loud and reframe them: "I was catastrophizing!"
Learn who the support staff are at your child's school.
Make it clear your child can come to you with anything.

When to get help: If sadness, worry or anger lasts more than two weeks or gets in the way of daily life, or if your child talks about self-harm, contact your doctor or a mental health professional. In an emergency, call 911 or 9-8-8.