Spot the Distortion
Thinking "I failed this math quiz, so I'm going to fail out of high school and never get a job" is this type of extreme thinking.
What is Catastrophizing (or All-or-Nothing thinking)?
When you get super anxious, stressed, or angry, your chest might feel tight and your heart starts beating like this.
hat is Fast / Racing?
This simple trick involves taking a deep breath in through your nose, holding it, and blowing it out slow, like you're cooling down hot soup.
Deep Breathing?
Instead of accusing someone by saying "You always ruin everything," it is better to start your sentence with this word to explain your side.
What is "I" (e.g., "I feel upset when...")?
Your friend leaves you on "Read" for hours. Instead of blowing up their phone with angry texts, name one chill thing you can do to distract yourself.
What is putting the phone down / playing a game / listening to music?
When you assume you know exactly what someone else is thinking about you (e.g., "They all think I'm weird"), you are doing this distortion
What is Mind Reading?
These are specific things, words, or people that instantly switch your mood from calm to totally angry or stressed out.
What are Triggers (or buttons being pushed)?
When your mind is spinning with anxiety, this tool means pausing to name 5 things you can see and 4 things you can physically touch around you
What is Grounding yourself (or using your senses)?
Drawing an imaginary line that tells people what is okay and what is NOT okay to do to you is called setting a ____________.
What is a Boundary (or a Rule/Limit)?
You have a massive school project due tomorrow, you haven't started, and you feel frozen. What is a realistic way to just get started?
What is doing just 5 minutes of work / breaking it into small pieces?
Only focusing on the one negative comment someone made while completely ignoring the five compliments you received is this mental filter.
What is Negative Filtering (or Discounting the Positive)?
Feeling a heavy weight in your chest, a lump in your throat, or wanting to sleep all day are common body clues for this emotion.
What is Sadness?
Squeezing your muscles (like your shoulders or fists) as hard as you can for 5 seconds and then letting them drop completely loose is a great way to release this.
What is Body Tension (or Stress/Anger)?
When you say "No" to a friend because you are completely exhausted or overwhelmed, you are taking care of your own __________.
What is Mental Health (or Energy/Yourself)?
You get into a screaming match with a parent and feel the urge to punch a wall or smash your phone. What can you do in that exact second instead?
What is stepping outside / walking away / ripping up paper?
Believing your emotions are absolute facts (e.g., "I feel hopeless, therefore this situation is completely hopeless") is called this.
What is trusting feelings over facts (or letting feelings trick you)
This part of your body often gets tight, locked up, or clenched into fists when you are secretly holding onto a lot of anger.
What are your Hands / Jaw / Shoulders?
Safely letting your brain take a "time out" by physically leaving a stressful room or pausing a heated argument to calm down is called taking a ___________.
What is a Break (or Cool Down time)?
This style of speaking means standing up for yourself clearly and firmly, but without screaming, insulting, or being mean back.
What is being Firm / Respectful (Assertive)?
Someone posts a rumor or a mean comment about you online. What is a reaction that protects you without making the online drama way worse?
What is closing the app / blocking them / talking to an adult?
Trapping yourself with strict rules by constantly saying "I should have done better" or "They must listen to me" usually just leads to this feeling.
What is Guilt, Pressure, or Frustration?
When you stay stressed out for weeks or months without a break, your body and brain hit a wall of total exhaustion known as ____________.
What is Burnout (or hitting a wall / crashing)?
This mindset means accepting a bad situation exactly as it is right now, rather than making it worse by fighting reality or throwing a tantrum.
What is Accepting it (or dealing with reality)?
Giving someone the "silent treatment" or acting mean without saying why is usually a hidden sign of this unexpressed emotion.
What is Anger (or Hurt / Resentment)?
You mess up and break a promise or a habit you were trying to fix. What is the healthiest way to talk to yourself in your own head?
What is being Kind to yourself (or giving yourself another chance)?