POPS 🍿
What does the acronym POPS stand for?
P = problem, O = options, P = pick one, S = see if it works
What is Opposite Action?
When faced with distressing emotions and difficult situations, rather than engaging in actions related to the emotion, you act opposite of them and take more helpful options (ex. Use a calm voice, take deep breaths, get some space, etc.)
What do the letters in BORED stand for? Name at least 3 letters
B – be creative, O – outside, R – read, E – exercise, D – do something helpful
What Mind does the HULK represent?
The amygdala (protects us, reacting without thinking, can't tell the difference between real danger and stress)
This Friday Bagelfest day! Let's celebrate with some trivia about bagels.
TRUE or FALSE: Bagels have been to outer space.
TRUE - In 2008, Astronaut Greg Chamitoff boarded Discovery for a 14-day flight into space. Accompanying him? Eighteen bagels from Fairmount, a shop owned by his aunt.
How do we know if the option we picked worked?
Our problem did not get bigger, our MR lowered, we felt proud of selves, our anxiety/stress decreased
What is an emotional reaction?
How we would act/react if we let our uncomfortable emotions (i.e. anger, anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed, sad, etc.) take control (ex. Yelling, swearing, refusing, unsafe behaviors, etc.)
What is one thing you can do to BE CREATIVE? Please have each member of the team share.
Drawing, origami, cooking, painting, singing, dancing, etc.
What Mind does Bruce Banner represent?
The prefrontal cortex (planning, organizing, thinking before acting, making helpful choices)
Why do bagels have a hole in the middle?
a. It makes them taste better
b. They bake faster
c. They stack on a wooden pole, which makes it easier to sell them
d. Both b and c are correct
D - The holes make bagels bake faster, according to an interview with The New York Times. The holes also made bagels stackable on a dowel, or wooden pole, which made it easier for street vendors to sell them.
What are pros/cons AND what letter of POPS do we use them in?
Pros = “the good,” Cons = “the bad” AND we talk about pros/cons when we are using the P, “pick one” of POPS
Why is it important to use BABY STEPS when using the skill Opposite Action?
It can feel difficult/overwhelming to all of a sudden be acting opposite to your emotional reactions when experiencing an uncomfortable emotion. Baby steps help break down a helpful action to make the task of completing it seem more manageable and help meet us where we are at!
What are three different things you could read to practice the R in BORED?
Novels, comic books, magazines, shampoo bottles, cereal boxes, Kindle, etc.
Why is Mindfulness important?
Therapist Discretion – Examples Include: “It helps us feel calmer, helps us make more helpful choices, helps us lower our mood rating, and be less impulsive.
In 2018, Apple released the bagel emoji on its keyboard. After people complained that the plain bagel had nothing on it, it got redesigned to include ___________ during the iOS 12.1 beta 4 cycle release.
a. Butter
b. Cream Cheese
c. Nutella
d. Chocolate Chips
B - Cream Cheese
What happens if we pick an option, and it DOES NOT work?
We can go back up to our options and try another one!
How can you use OPPOSITE ACTION if you are feeling frustrated and are about to yell at your sibling? Name 5 baby steps you can take.
Therapist Discretion - ex. take a step back, take a deep breath, walk into another room, use a skill, etc.
Your soccer practice was cancelled due to the rain and now you have an extra hour of free time that you were not expecting to have. You are feeling very bored and starting to feel a little frustrated. How would you use the skill BORED in this situation?
Therapist Discretion - examples should be from different letters than O, because outside will not be an option due to the rain
What is Mindfulness?
Focusing on the present (not the past or the future), being non-judgmental of our thoughts, and intentionally shifting our attention and focus.
The biggest bagel on record was ________ pounds.
a. 868
b. 250
c. 25
d. 1002
A - 868 pounds
What would be 1 HELPFUL and 1 UNHELPFUL option if we were using the skill POPS and our problem was that we did not want to go to school?
Therapist Discretion – Ex. Answer: Helpful = we used a skill to help us get ready for school and went, Unhelpful = we refused to go to school and stayed in bed all day
What are 2 negative outcomes in this example: I was arguing with my parents and became angry/defensive, ran to my room, and yelled and slammed my door.
Therapist Discretion – ex. my parents were really upset with me, they grounded me, I lost privileges, this made me even more upset, etc.
The E in BORED stands for EXERCISE. What other skills include the use of exercise?
BONUS: How does it look different when practicing the skill BORED?
TIP, SEEDS, and BA
BONUS: We use the skill BORED when we are feeling bored and it can help us occupy our minds and choose to do something helpful with our bodies. This is different than in other skills like TIP, for example. When we use TIP, this is a quick, short, very intense exercise to lower our MR when we are at an 8, 9, or 10. BORED is a helpful skill to use before we get to a higher MR and does not have to be intense, it can even just be going for a walk to get our body moving.
Name two ways you can practice Mindfulness at home.
Therapist Discretion – Examples Include: 4x4 breathing, ABC Mindfulness, Labeling, 5 Senses, Body Scan, Counting
When bagels were first invented, it took a team of ______ people to make them.
a. 20
b. 10
c. 4
d. 2
C - Before machinery and technology gave bakers the power to produce more bagels, it used to take a team of four. Two people would make the dough and shape the bagels, one boiled the bagels, and the fourth baked them.