Positive Self-Talk Worksheets for Anger, Depression, Anxiety, and More

Kids use self-talk all the time. It’s how they work through problems, manage emotions, and guide their actions.

You may hear it during play, homework, or stressful moments. This kind of self-talk is a normal and healthy part of development.

The way kids talk to themselves often becomes the way they talk to themselves as teens and adults. Positive self-talk worksheets help children become aware of what they are saying to themselves and practice replacing unhelpful thoughts with more supportive ones.

What is Positive Self-Talk?

Positive self-talk is the inner dialogue that helps children encourage themselves instead of tearing themselves down. It teaches them to notice negative thoughts, question them, and respond with words that feel calmer, kinder, and more balanced.

This kind of self-talk matters because it can affect a child’s confidence, stress levels, emotional reactions, decision-making, and motivation. Repeated negative self-talk can hold kids back, while positive self-talk supports resilience.

Children naturally use self-talk in classrooms to help manage both learning and social situations. Self-talk helps kids stay focused on tasks, overcome challenges, and handle interactions with classmates and teachers [*].

Research indicates that positive self-talk can have a direct impact on how children perform, even when they doubt their abilities.

In one study of elementary school students, children with low confidence performed better on a math test when they used effort-based self-talk, such as telling themselves, “I will do my very best.” This simple shift helped break the link between negative self-beliefs and poor performance [*].

To help children put positive self-talk into practice, our worksheets can help. They help kids notice unhelpful thoughts and practice replacing them with supportive, realistic statements.

Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Anger

Positive self-talk can help kids manage anger by changing how they interpret situations and respond emotionally.

The Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Anger guides children to choose positive, calming self‑talk statements that feel encouraging instead of critical.

For instance, when kids feel anger rising, negative thoughts like “I can’t do this” or “This ruins the whole day!” can fuel stronger emotions. Positive self-talk can replace these thoughts with calmer, more balanced statements like “I can be patient in this moment” or “I’m letting this one go.”

Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Depression

Positive self-talk can help children cope with depression by counteracting negative thinking patterns.

Depression can make kids feel stuck or hopeless and think, “There’s no point in trying,” or “I am worthless, nobody likes me.” Positive self-talk encourages them to notice these thoughts and replace them with kinder, realistic statements like “This is difficult, but I can deal with it” or “I am human. It’s okay to make mistakes.”

Through the Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Depression, children can learn to speak to themselves like a supportive friend and reduce feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness.

Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Anxiety

Anxiety often comes with a racing heart, tense muscles, or shallow breathing. Positive self-talk signals the brain to slow down and help the body feel more relaxed.

Instead of focusing on “what if” scenarios, children learn to think about what they can do now to feel safe and in control. For example, children with anxiety often think “I got a bad grade, I’m a failure!” or “The project is too hard, I’ll never be able to do this.”

By using the Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Anxiety, they can learn to choose calming, realistic statements such as “I don’t need to assume the worst,” and “This may seem hard now, but it will get easier over time.”

Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Trauma

Trauma can leave deep emotional scars that affect how children think about themselves and the world. Positive self-talk can support children who have experienced trauma by helping them feel safe, grounded, and compassionate toward themselves.

Through our Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for Trauma, kids can learn gentle self-talk such as “I can cope with this, I’m stronger than I think,” or “I can do things to help myself feel safe.” These help calm the nervous system and bring the child back to the present moment.

For trauma, positive self-talk should always be gentle, realistic, and paired with professional support when needed.

Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for High Self-Esteem

The messages children repeat internally influence their self-image. Positive self-talk plays a big role in building healthy self-esteem because it directly shapes how kids think about themselves.

Kids with low self-esteem often speak to themselves harshly. Positive Self-Talk Worksheet for High Self-Esteem can help children turn self-talk into a confidence-building habit rather than a source of self-doubt.

When children learn to replace negative inner statements like “I’m not good enough” with supportive ones such as “I have some weaknesses, but I’m working on them” or “I am capable of doing hard things,” they begin to see themselves in a more positive, capable light.

Final Thoughts

Positive self-talk is a simple but powerful skill that helps children manage big emotions, build confidence, and cope with everyday challenges.

Whether a child is dealing with anger, anxiety, low mood, trauma, or low self-esteem, learning to speak to themselves with kindness can help shape a healthier inner voice over time.

For more resources like this, check out the Coping Skills Worksheets collection, which includes activities for emotional awareness, stress management, and strengthening healthy responses to difficult feelings.

References:

• Róisín M. Flanagan, Jennifer E. Symonds, Children's self-talk in naturalistic classroom settings in middle childhood: A systematic literature review, Educational Research Review, Volume 35, 2022, 100432, ISSN 1747-938X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2022.100432.
• Thomaes S, Tjaarda IC, Brummelman E, Sedikides C. Effort Self-Talk Benefits the Mathematics Performance of Children With Negative Competence Beliefs. Child Dev. 2020 Nov;91(6):2211-2220. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13347. Epub 2019 Dec 17. PMID: 31845326; PMCID: PMC7754294.