STOP Technique
What are the steps for the STOP skill?
Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully
True or False: The first step in Coping Ahead is rehearsing in your mind what you can do to cope effectively.
False
The first step in Coping Ahead is to describe the situation that may to lead to unhelpful behavior.
Wise mind helps us consider facts and __________.
Feelings
True or false: Nothing positive comes out of engaging in an unhelpful behavior/crisis urge.
False -- Sometimes unhelpful behaviors may make us feel a little relieved in the short-term, ~BUT~ they also might cause us other problems, especially in the long-term.
Out of all the skills we learned (cope ahead, urge surfing, mindfulness, STOP, behavior chain), what is your favorite?
That's Great!
What is the STOP skill used for?
STOP can be used when you're having a hard moment or crisis urge -- it can help us to slow down, recognize what's going on, and then make a healthier decision.
What are the four stages of urge surfing?
Trigger
Rise
Peak
Fall
When do you use mindfulness?
Great time to be Mindful!
What is Behavior Chain Analysis used for?
Behavior Chain Analysis is used to help us figure out why we behave the way we do. This can help us act differently going forward.
You're anxious about an upcoming test, what skill would you use?
Coping ahead or Mindfulness
Describe some things you might notice when you're in the Observe step of STOP.
Ex. Physical sensations, what's happening around you, what other people are doing, what you're feeling, what you're thinking.
What is urge surfing used for?
Urge surfing can be used to stop or reduce emotional reactions and other unwanted behaviors, such as “blowing up” when angry or self-harm behaviors.
Wise mind helps us balance our _____________ mind with our ______________ mind.
Wise mind helps us balance our reasonable mind with our emotional mind.
Give an example of a prompting event that might lead to a trigger thought or emotion.
Examples: having to see someone you don't get along with, doing poorly on a test, having an argument, etc.
What information can emotions give us?
Emotions can signal that something is happening, like a boundary being crossed.
Emotions give us a gut feeling.
Emotions are good clues to listen to.
You noticed that you have the urge to hit someone. You stopped. What can you do next?
Take a step back and go for a walk
Notice your angry feelings and the way your body is shaking. Notice the body language of the other person.
Remember my goals and proceed mindfully.
Pretend you are performing in the talent show tomorrow. How can you use the Cope Ahead skill to help you reduce your stress?
1. Describe the situation that is likely to likely to prompt engaging in unhelpful behavior
2. Decide what coping or problem-solving skills you want to use in the situation.
3. Imagine the situation in your mind as vividly as possible
4. Rehearse in your mind coping effectively
5. Practice relaxation
Jules keeps thinking about how embarrassing their class presentation was. How can they use mindfulness to help themselves?
That was very Grounding!
The prompting event was that he heard Andy could only choose one toy to take with him. He was vulnerable because he was concerned because Buzz was a new toy and worried that he wouldn't be Andy's favorite anymore.
You are worried about the upcoming regents. Why wouldn't you use the STOP technique in this case? What technique would you use instead?
What does it mean to proceed mindfully? Give us an example.
You are at the peak of the wave. How can you manage your urge?
Breathing, distraction techniques, coping skills, asking for help
Notice your thoughts and feelings without trying to suppress them.
What is the point of being mindful of our emotions? Give an example of an emotion and what the emotion does for us.
What Mindful Examples!
Give us an example of an unhelpful behavior, then tell us 1) what preventative strategies you can use next time and 2) how you could repair the situation if you did use the unhelpful behavior.
Example: You blew up at a friend/family member -- 1) walk away, take a break, listen to music. 2) Apologize, then next time you're feeling angry, don't blow up -- show them that you've learned from your behavior.
Explain a situation where you have the option of using two of the techniques we learned (STOP, urge surfing, cope ahead, behavior chain, mindfulness). Explain how you could use each technique in the situation.
STOP! What a Mindful way to Cope ahead and Surf that Urge! Let's analyze that behavior!