🧠 Brain Tricks
A student gets one math problem wrong and immediately thinks,
"I'm terrible at math."
What brain trick is happening?
What might be a more balanced thought?
Someone is smiling, laughing, and talking a lot.
How might they be feeling?
Name one healthy coping skill.
A friend forgets your birthday.
What's one thought you might have?
You accidentally spill your drink in class.
What's one thought you might have?
Your friend walks right past you without saying hi.
Name two reasons that could explain what happened.
Someone has sweaty hands, butterflies in their stomach, and keeps checking the clock.
What feeling might they have?
Imagine your stress is at a 8/10.
What is something that could help bring it down to a 6?
If your thought was, "They don't care about me."
How might you feel?
Your best friend eats lunch with someone else.
Name two possible explanations.
Thoughts are _________.
Sometimes anger is like an iceberg.
What's one feeling that might be hiding underneath?
True or False:
You should only use coping skills when things are REALLY bad.
False!
It's usually easier to calm a 5 than being at a 10.
If you felt hurt, what are two different things you might do?
Someone has the worst day ever.
Name three ways they could be kind to themselves.
A student gets:
✅ A
✅ A
✅ B
❌ C
Which grade might their brain focus on?
The "C"
Our brains sometimes pay extra attention to mistakes because they're trying to protect us even if it doesn't feel helpful.
Your body starts giving clues before a big emotion (for example, anxiety or anger).
Name three body clues.
Imagine your brain has a warning light like a car.
What are some signs the warning light is turning on (signs that tell you that you're becoming upset)?
Can changing your thought change your feeling?
Usually, yes!
Example:
Thought: "They forgot because they're busy."
Feeling: Less hurt
Behavior: Text the person instead of avoiding them.
Imagine your best friend seems different lately.
What clues might tell you they're having a really hard time?
Which of these sounds like your brain being a little dramatic?
A. "I made one mistake."
B. "I ALWAYS mess everything up."
C. "I can try again."
B
Can someone feel more than one feeling at once?
YES!
Example: Excited and nervous before school.
A character notices their Brain Alarm is getting really loud.
Help them survive the next 15 minutes.
Name three things they could do.
Make TWO endings for this story using thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
"My friend didn't answer my text."
Ending A
Thought: "They're mad at me"
Feeling: Anxious
Behavior: Keep checking my phone.
Ending B
Thought: "They're probably busy"
Feeling: Calmer
Behavior: Wait until later.
Every superhero has a support team.
Who could be on someone's team?