CBT Triangle & Body Feelings
Relaxation Exercises
Courage or Helpful Thoughts
I Can Do It Ladder
What To Do When My Feelings Thermometer is Rising
100
The 3 points on the CBT Triangle.
What are:
1) Thoughts
2) Feelings
3) Actions
100
Show me your best belly breath...
Great job breathing in through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth!
100
Double bubble.
Your first thought and your helpful thought!
In a stressful situation, you may have two thought bubbles or double bubbles.
One bubble may be your first thought in the situation and the other bubble is a helpful thought that you can use in the same situation to make you feel and do better.
100
The I Can Do It Ladder.
The I Can Do It Ladder is a tool to help us take gradual, small steps to overcome a situation that we may have been trying to avoid.
100
Give a situation where you would use words to say what you are feeling or are upset about ("I need space" or "I feel mad/sad when you ___") when your feelings thermometer is rising.
Examples: Someone bumped into you in the lunch line, someone said something to you that was not kind, etc.
200
On the feelings thermometer, what emotions am I feeling at the following:
2? 6? 10?
2: happy, calm
6: nervous, anxious, tired
10: sad, angry, overwhelmed
200
Please review the Hands and Arms relaxation exercise with the group...
Hands and Arms:
Pretend you have a whole lemon in each of your hands. Now squeeze them hard. Try to squeeze all the juice out. Feel the tightness in your hands and arms as you squeeze. Now drop the lemons and your arms. Notice how your muscles feel when they are relaxed. Take another lemon in each hand and squeeze them. Try to squeeze this one harder than you did the first one. That's right. Real hard. Now drop your lemons and relax. See how much better your hand and arm feel when they are relaxed. Good. Now relax and let the lemon fall from your hand.
200
Two girls in your class are whispering in the corner of the room. What would be a helpful thought in this situation?
"They must like my outfit", "They want to be my friend", "I think they need help with this assignment"...
200
I am currently anxious about having to do a presentation in the front of the class. Looking at the I Can Do It Ladder, what would be an example of the bottom rung in this situation?
Share your presentation out loud to yourself in a private space.
200
Give a situation when you ask an adult for help when your feelings thermometer is rising.
Examples: When you are having a difficult time understanding a new lesson, when you feel that someone is bullying you, etc.
300
When you are worried or anxious, explain some of your body feelings (remember the picture of the gingerbread man...)
Sweating, heart beating fast, shaking, headache, stomach pain, tenseness
300
Please review the Face and Nose relaxation exercise with the group...
Face and Nose:
Here comes a pesky old fly. He has landed on your nose. Try to get him off without using your hands. That's right, wrinkle up your nose. Make as many wrinkles in your nose and face as you can. Scrunch your nose and eyes up real hard. Good. You've chased him away. Now you can relax your nose and face. Oops, here he comes back again. Shoo him off. Wrinkle your face and nose up hard. Hold it just as tight as you can. Okay, he flew away. You can relax your face. So when you relax your nose, your whole face relaxes too, and that feels good. Let your face go smooth, no wrinkles anywhere. Your face feels nice and smooth and relaxed.
300
You have been asked to complete a math assignment on the board at the front of the class. What is a helpful thought that you can tell yourself in this situation?
"I will do my best", "We practiced this yesterday, I got this!", "It will be okay"...
300
I am currently anxious about having to do a presentation in the front of the class. Looking at the I Can Do It Ladder, what would be an example of the middle rung in this situation?
Share your presentation out loud to someone that you trust (parent, sibling, friend, etc.).
300
Give a situation when you would walk away when your feelings thermometer is rising.
Examples: When someone is doing something that is getting you frustrated, etc.
400
A student in your grade is playing her favorite video game. How might she be feeling? What might she be thinking? How is she acting?
Feelings might include: excited, happy, calm...
She might be thinking: "this is fun!", "I'm so glad to be playing my favorite game!"...
She might be acting: bouncy/jittery, loud voices, smiling...
400
Please review the Legs and Feet relaxation exercise to the group...
Legs and Feet:
Now pretend you are standing barefoot in a big, fat mud puddle. Squish your toes down deep into the mud. Try to get your feet down to the bottom of the mud puddle. You'll probably need your legs to help you push. Push down, spread your toes apart, and feel the mud squish up between your toes. Now step out of the mud puddle. Relax your feet. Let your toes go loose and feel how nice that is. It feels good to be relaxed. Back into the mud puddle. Squish your toes down. Let your leg muscles help you push your feet down. Push your feet. Hard. Try to squeeze that mud puddle dry. Okay. Come back out now. Relax your feet, relax your legs, relax your toes. It feels good to be relaxed. No tenseness anywhere. You feel kind of warm and tingly.
400
You received your spelling test back and the grade wasn't as good as you thought it might be. What is a helpful thought that you might have in this situation?
"I will do better next time", "If I study more next time, I will get a better grade", "Maybe I can ask to retake this test"...
400
When we are at the top rung of the I Can Do It Ladder, what rating would we be on the feeling thermometer?
8-10.
400
Give a situation when you would relax your body when your feelings thermometer is rising.
Example: When you are beginning to feel yourself getting angry or frustrated, to calm down, etc.
500
Explain the feeling that matches this facial expression.
Scared, surprised, worried, nervous...
500
Please review the Shoulders and Neck relaxation exercise to the group...
Shoulders and Neck:
Now pretend you are a turtle. You're sitting out on a warm rock by a nice, peaceful pond. Oh-oh! You sense danger. Pull your head into your house. Try to pull your shoulders up to your ears and push your head down into your shoulders. Hold in tight. It isn't easy to be a turtle in a shell. The danger is past now. You can come out into the warm sunshine and, once again, you can relax and feel the warm sunshine. Watch out now! More danger. Hurry, pull your head back into your house and hold it tight. You have to be closed in tight to protect yourself. Okay, you can relax now. Bring your head out and let your shoulders relax. Notice how much better it feels to be relaxed than to be all tight. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to be afraid of. You feel good.
500
The teacher calls on you in class and you weren't expecting it. What is a helpful thought that you use in this situation to help feel better?
"I can do this", "I got this", "Everything will be okay", "I will try my best"...
500
When we are at the bottom rung of the I Can Do It Ladder, what rating would we be on the feeling thermometer?
2-3.
500
Give a situation when you would do something that makes you feel better like play with your friends or read a book when your feelings thermometer is rising.
Examples: After you just finished a lot of homework and feeling overwhelmed, after a long day at school, etc.