1. Check Your Playbook Lesson: Check Your Playbook (CYP)
Method: Informal Lecture
Length: 30 minutes (Lecture); 15 minutes (Activity)
References:
1. Beck, J. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: Guilford Press.
Aids/Handouts:
PowerPoint Presentation, Check Your Playbook
RTA/FTAC Participant Guide
Lesson Strategy:
Begin the lesson by providing an overview of the topics (see next slide). Ensure students understand that this lesson is designed to help them learn what influences their unproductive patterns and reactions to events. You may choose to share a personal example about a time that you had a CYP moment to help facilitate the lesson.
The skill of CYP allows you to identify core beliefs or values and determine their usefulness. If it is determined that your beliefs and values are working for you then there is no need to Check your Playbook. However, there are situations where your play book can work against you. This skill will increase your self-awareness while allowing you to reinforce your beliefs/values or, if need be, change them.

2. Overview Goal/When Core Content ABC Model Playbook influences
“Shoulds” Activity
Benefits of Check Your Playbook
Flag on the play
Critical Question
Student Activity
Skill Review
MRT Instructions:
Provide a brief preview of the main points for this lesson. Try not to read each item as if you’re reading a laundry list.
Ask the participants if they have any question so far, then proceed to the next slide.

3. Goal/When
Goal
To be aware of what influences unproductive patterns or uncharacteristic reactions that interfere with your performance, values, goals, or relationships
When
Your reactions interfere with your performance, values goals or relationships
You have an uncharacteristic reaction
Your have a ‘pet peeve’
You are dwelling on a problem
You are stuck in an unproductive pattern
MRT Instructions:
Begin with explaining the skill of Check Your Playbook
MP 1: Goal/When
Goal: To be aware of what influences unproductive patterns and uncharacteristic reactions that interfere with performance, values, goals, or relationships.
When:
When reactions interfere with performance, values, goals, or relationships
Uncharacteristic reactions
Pet peeves
Dwelling on a problem
Unproductive patterns

4. Core Content ABC Model MRT Instructions:
MP 2: Core Content – ABC Model Connection
ABC: We have already learned that the ABC skill is to help us recognize that our reactions are driven by our beliefs about the event, not the event itself. We must be aware of, and acknowledge, our thoughts, which often happen in a split-second, are what drive our reactions to events (good or bad).
CYP: The skill of CYP allows us to take a deeper dive into our brains and determine what is influencing our thoughts and reactions. This skill helps you understand why you may be reacting in a certain way. CYP can help strengthen relationships by establishing new patterns for interaction that may be more productive. It can also help strengthen you sense of meaning by connecting your reactions to your values. Finally, CYP builds optimism and resilience by helping you identify and change the thoughts and beliefs that may result in unproductive reactions.
Trans: So, what’s in our brains? What do you believe are some influences for our various reactions to events?

5. Core Content Playbook Influences
What’s in your brain?
Past Experiences
Culture
Current Mood
MRT Instructions:
MP 2: Core Content – Playbook Influences
Explain the various influences that drive our reactions to events.
Discuss the 3 influences listed on the slide, but also ask your class to give you additional examples.
Instructor: “So we’ve mentioned 3 examples on the slide, but what could be some other influences?” This will allow you to open the floor and get some input from your students. EX: Air Force Core Values, personal core values, upbringing…etc.

6. Core Content “Shoulds” Activity
How do you think the world should be? Identify your “shoulds” based on your VALUES.
Children should be seen and not heard!
Always respect your elders.
Everyone should have free education.
Do unto others…
MRT Instructions:
Explain to your students that often times we act out of character because things are not going the way we think they “should” be. Our “shoulds” influence how we perceive the world (i.e., our brains interpretation) which in turn produces different outcomes. These are NOT always the same for everyone. If our “shoulds” are contributing to unhelpful consequences, we need to check our playbook. Have the students get into groups and write down their list of “shoulds”.
This activity will be a collective effort of everyone the table; it will be helpful if you give them a personal example and explain why it is a should (tie it to a value), so they understand what they should be writing down and don’t add add things to generate controversy or for shock value.
MP 2: Core Content – Playbook Influences: Activity & Debrief
It will be helpful if you give them a personal example and explain why it is a should (tie it to a value), so they understand what they should be writing down and don’t add off color things to their list for “shock value.”
2. Debrief : Debrief : Everyone’s “shoulds” will not be the same. Be sure to remind your students to listen to other’s responses without debating them.
What did your group come up with? Were there any disagreements w/in the group?
Do you think your “shoulds” will be the same 10 years from now or were they the same 10 years ago?
MRT Note: remember in your own examples not to use something overtly political or just designed to be controversial. The goal of this activity is to help people understand how their values influence what they think—not to generate provocative discussion.
Trans: Earlier we mentioned some times for when you should check your playbook. Who can tell me what one of those times is?

7. Benefits of Check Your Playbook
Helps strengthen positive emotions
Strengthens relationships by establishing new patterns for interaction that may be more productive
Strengthens your sense of meaning by connecting your reactions to your values
Builds optimism and resilience by helping you identify the thoughts and beliefs that may result in unproductive reactions
Check Your Playbook can help you:
Strengthen relationships by establishing new patterns for interaction that may be more productive.
Strengthen your sense of meaning by connecting your reactions to your values.
Build optimism and resilience by helping you identify and change the thoughts and beliefs that may result in unproductive reactions.
Ultimately, more productive reactions will help generate more positive emotions.

8. Core Content Flag on the play
Common Flags
Your reactions interfere with your performance, values goals or relationships
You have an uncharacteristic reactions
Your “pet peeves” are triggered
You are dwelling on a problem
You are stuck in an unproductive pattern
MRT Instructions:
MP 2: Core Content, Flag on the play
You may need to Check Your Playbook when there is a ‘Flag on the play.’ This list includes some of the most common flags.
Your reactions interfere with your performance, values, goals or relationships
You have an uncharacteristic reaction
Pet peeves
You are dwelling on a problem
You are stuck in an unproductive pattern
Here are some examples of a ‘flag on the play’
Ex: Every time you and your spouse discuss money issues, you end up walking away angry.
Ex: You and a friend get into an argument. Your friend apologizes and thinks it’s over, but 2 weeks later, you are still thinking about the argument and loosing sleep over it.

9. Core Content Critical Question
What is most important right now?
Do I need to change my play?
Ask…
MRT Instructions:
MP 2: Core Content, Critical Question
Critical Question: Once you’ve identified what might be influencing your thoughts and beliefs, ask yourself: what is most important to me? Do I need to change my play to get a better result?
Ask yourself what is most important right now
If you have a teenager in your life, you may be in a pattern of always setting limits. Perhaps you want to protect him or her. If that is the case, are you helping or hurting in the situation? You might be reaching your goal of protecting them, but this could be at odds with your other goal to maintain a supportive relationship. Are you overly focused on one belief (grounding him or her until they are 18) at the expense of another belief (maintaining a healthy relationship)?
This is why checking your playbook is challenging—you have to understand what in your brain is influencing your reactions.
After you’ve determined if a reaction, or pattern of reactions, is interfering with your goals, performance or relationships, can you adjust course to arrive at a more productive reaction?
If you find you are in a pattern, what can you do differently the next time to avoid an unproductive reaction?

10. Student Activity
Describe an Activating Event - think about a time when your reaction interfered with your goals, performance, values, or relationships
Record your brains interpretation of the event and the consequences
What might have influenced this reaction?
What is most important to you?
Do you need a new play?
MRT Instructions:
MP 3: Student Activity
Have students think about a time their reaction interfered with their goals, performance, values, or relationships. Use the ABC framework to set up the activity—they should identify one event and be objective in describing it. Then, ask them to record their thoughts or beliefs. For Check Your Playbook, they should then identify what influenced this reaction (their values or “shoulds”, past experiences, were they tired?) Next, identify what was most important in that situation. If their reactions were not productive, do they need a new play or a change of strategy?
Activity Debrief
What key points did you learn?
Was there anything challenging about Check Your Playbook?

11. Skill Review Goal, When, How
Check Your Playbook
Goal:
To be aware of what influences unproductive patters or uncharacteristic reactions that interfere with your performance, values, goals, or relationships.
When:
Your reactions interfere with your performance, values, goals, or relationships.
You have uncharacteristic reactions
Your “pet peeves” are triggered
You are dwelling on a problem
You are stuck in an unproductive patterns
How:
Use ABC
Ask yourself:
1. What might have influenced this reaction?
2. What is most important to you?
3. Do you need a new play?

12. Check Your Playbook