Coping Skills
What is a "coping skill?"
A coping skill is something that helps you deal with a stressful/difficult feeling or situation. There are many types of coping skills, some are healthy, some are unhealthy!
Imagine you are having a tough day. What coping skill would help you feel better?
Listening to music - Exercising - Journaling (writing) - Using the sand box - Deep breathing - Talking to an adult - Yoga - Taking a break
It is better to ignore your feelings and pretend they are not there.
False
An unhelpful thought is a thought that makes you feel bad, and also might not be true. An an unhelpful thought can be caused by anxiety.
What are some ways your body can feel when you are anxious?
Name 2 coping skills that you use when you are feeling stressed
any 2 coping skills can be named here
Imagine your friend told you he/she is stressed out because of something that is happening at home. What are three helpful coping strategies you could suggest to your friend to try?
Deep breathing Yoga Exercise Talking to someone Coloring Word search
When you are feeling stressed out, talking to a trusted adult is a coping strategy.
True
Give an example of a thought that might be "unhelpful" to think about.
"What if something bad happens?", "I always fail at that", "I know they don't like me"...
What are two situations that make you feel anxious?
Any situations that feel anxiety provoking (ex. talking in front of a group of people, talking to strangers, socializing..)
Imagine your were worried or stressed about something. You noticed it was impacting your ability to focus in school and sleep at night. Name three adults you could talk to.
Teachers Mother Father Grandparent...
It is impossible to top feeling anxious
False
What does it mean to "fortune tell" about the future
To fortune tell means that you assume you know what's going to happen in a future situation, even though you have no way of knowing!
what is an example of an "unhealthy" coping skill
Some examples punching a wall, hurting others, being mean to others, yelling at others
Imagine you were asked to teach a class called "Learn to Relax". What strategy would you teach?
Yoga Deep breathing, coloring, taking a walk
Exercising releases "feel good" chemicals in our bodies that can improve our mood.
True
What does it mean to "mind read" other people?
"mind reading" means assuming that you know what someone else is thinking. For example thinking "I know my friend is mad at me" even though you don't know that for sure.
Who can feel anxious?
All people! Everyone feels anxious sometimes, but some people feel it more strongly or frequently than others.
What is an "unhealthy" coping skill that you have used before?
Many answers are acceptable here!
Imagine someone said something mean and unkind to you. You started to feel bad about yourself. What are three positive things you could say to yourself to help you feel better?
Any positive statement about self.
When someone feels anxious, they might also feel angry.
True
What does it mean to "generalize" about yourself?
To "generalize" means to say that things always happen a certain way because they happened that way once. For example "I always fail my math tests" because it has happened a few times.
What are two things you can do when you feel very anxious?
Practice breathing, take a walk, tell someone, draw/color, drink a cold glass of water, wash your face with cold water