Implementation Guide - Meta Moment

Meta-Moment FAQs

8. Doesn’t taking a Meta-Moment make you a “pushover?”
• Being “nice” is not the goal of the Meta Moment process. The primary goal of the Meta-
Moment is to help you interact or behave in a way that aligns with your “best self.”
Sometimes taking a Meta-Moment means being assertive and not allowing someone to
take advantage of you. Other times, it means setting boundaries and letting someone
know that her behavior is unacceptable. In fact, this process allows you to problem solve
at the highest level so that you make the best decision about how to behave.

9. What if a student’s “best self” is aggressive and/or anti-social?
• It is important to keep in mind, that no matter how terrific the Meta–Moment process is
for most people, there will be some people who will be unwilling to adopt a tool that is
pro-social. People who are committed to being anti-social are not likely to take on Meta
Moments as an effective strategy, at least right away. For some, being aggressive has
been adaptive. People are afraid of aggressive individuals, so they tend to get what they
want. However, it is unlikely that many of these individuals have considered whether
their aggressive personality is truly helping them achieve their longer-term goals. Asking
these students certain questions about their satisfaction with their life can be helpful
to shifting their thinking: Do they have close friends? What do their friends think about
them? Are their relationships successful? Do many people like being around them? It will
be necessary to show the person with this type of personality that there are benefits to
taking Meta-Moments. It is worth mentioning again, however, that not everyone will be
motivated to develop him or herself.

TM

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Student
Wo rks h e e t s

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

Proactive Meta-Moments Worksheet 1.1

1. Something Happens 1. Jot down your trigger here. ____
2. Imagine yourself in the “trigger” situation.
___
What are you thinking? ___
What is happening in your body? ____
How are you expressing yourself? ____
____
2. Sense ____
3. Stop
4. See your best self 3. Visualize yourself doing a breathing exercise to calm down and stop
your typical reaction.

4. Imagine your best possible self and describe...

The person you would like to be: ___
___

How you would like to be viewed: ____
___

What you believe is the best possible outcome: ___
___

5. Keeping your best possible self in mind, what could your positive
self-talk or positive reappraisal be:

5. Strategize

____

6. Describe a more effective response that you can try the next
time you are triggered by this or similar situations:

____

6. Succeed! TM © 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC

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Proactive Meta-Moments Worksheet 1.2

Lower Elementary School Student Proactive Meta-Moment
Worksheet Instructions

Instructions:
Ask students the following questions and allow them to respond to each. Adjust language as
necessary to meet your students’ developmental needs. Then, ask students to complete the
worksheet on the following page.

1. Something happens: Describe something that makes you angry or frustrates you.

2. Sense: Now, close your eyes and imagine how you experience the situation.
• What are you thinking?
• What is your body doing?
• How are you showing your feelings?

3. Stop: Next, imagine yourself in that situation using a breathing exercise. Describe the type
of breathing exercise you use.

4. See your best self: Now that your breathing has helped you slow down, think about the
very best self you can be in that situation. Describe yourself. “I am…

5. Strategize: Imagine your best self in the situation and describe your positive self talk that
will help you handle in this angry or frustrating situation. “I am saying to myself…

6. Succeed: Now that you have taken a Meta-Moment, describe a successful response to
your situation.

© 2013 Emotionally Intelligent Schools, LLC TM

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Proactive Meta-Moments Worksheet 1.3

Take a Meta Moment! I can…
When I feel…

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Proactive Meta-Moments Worksheet 1.4

Something happens. Describe something that makes you angry
or frustrates you.

___

1. Something Happens ___
2. Sense
Sense: Now, close your eyes and imagine how you experience the situation.

What are you thinking? ___

What is your body doing?

How are you showing your feelings? ___

Stop: Next, imagine yourself in that situation using a breathing exercise.
Describe the type of breathing exercise you use.

3. Stop See your best self: Now, that your breathing has helped you slow
down, think about the very best self you can be in that situation.
Describe yourself. “I am…

___
___
___

4. See your best self Strategize: Now that you see your best self, what can you say to yourself
5. Strategize (your positive self talk) to help you regulate your anger or frustration? My
positive self talk is:

___
___
___

Succeed: Now describe an effective response to your difficult situation

___
___
___

© 2013 Em6o.tiSonuacllycIenteedllig!ent Schools, LLC TM

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