Another “Conversations About Important Things” lesson was held in Russian schools, this time focused on anxiety — how to recognize it and how to deal with it.
Across all grades, teachers were instructed to explain that “anxiety is a natural human state before an important life event,” and to emphasize that “it is important to be able to manage one’s emotions.”
“In fact, anxiety is not as страшно as it may seem! It can be tamed, turning it from a wild tiger into a gentle kitten,” — the script for grades 1–2 states.
In high school, the idea of anxiety as a resource was developed more explicitly. Teachers told students that bodily signals can be interpreted in different ways: one can “become afraid, freeze, and give up something important,” or instead “hear it as a challenge and pull oneself together.”
As an example, the lesson cited Russian Paralympians, whose anxiety “due to a great sense of responsibility to themselves, to people, and to the country became fuel and gave them the strength to win.” At the same time, it was not mentioned that their participation under the national flag was the first such case in 12 years following the annexation of Crimea.
Students were also shown an interview with figure skater Anna Shcherbakova, the Beijing 2022 Olympic champion. However, they were not told that after the start of the full-scale war, Russian figure skaters have been barred from full participation in the Olympics under the national flag, nor that those Games were marked by a doping scandal involving Kamila Valieva.
A major focus of the lesson was on “proper habits.” Teachers were encouraged to explain that beneficial habits should be “made part of one’s life and consistently followed.”
Among the harmful habits that, according to the lesson authors, “steal our future” were: “eating sweets/fast food to cope with stress,” “drinking energy drinks,” “lack of sleep,” and “scrolling social media feeds until 3 a.m.”
“I notice which news and posts increase my anxiety, and I filter them,” — one of the recommended “healthy habits” in the script.
At the end of the lesson, teachers encouraged students to participate in the Second All-Russian “Conversations About Important Things” Award. Students were asked to come up with a new video teaser format for the program and record it on one of the lesson topics.
“Winning—or even just participating in such a contest—is an anchor for success,” — the teacher tells students.
