Letter to Yourself
The Goal: The goal of this exercise is to have students become more self-loving and self-empowered by making them take the time to give good advice to themselves.
SEL
RAMP (ASCA) Mindset & Behaviors addressed and developed: Academic: Identifying Goals; Take Responsibility. Career: Perseverance; Communication; Self-Advocacy. Social/Emotional: Self Confidence; Self-Motivation; Coping Skills; Handling Change.
Materials
- Places to write
- Indigo Report
- Pencil and paper
Step 1: Have students write a letter of advice to an imaginary person who is exactly like them facing the exact same problems they are. Write the advice like you would to a friend or family member.
If students are having a hard time thinking of advice, they can look at the Don’ts: …And How Others Should Not Communicate with You section of their Indigo Report to get ideas of things they could tell themselves to stay away from.
Example: A student could write a letter to herself to stay away from things that upset her—social media’s overstated opinions, negative people. Instead, she encourages her to spend more time creating things and less time consuming things.
Step 2: Upon completion, challenge students to take their own advice to see what happens.
Step 3: Invite any students who feel comfortable to share their letters and experiences with the groups.