Coping Skills Basics
What is a coping skill?
A tool or strategy that helps you handle big feelings.
What is a simple breathing strategy?
Belly breathing, deep breathing.
What emotion might make you feel hot and tight in your muscles?
Anger,frustration
What is one problem-solving choice that keeps everyone safe?
Using calm words, walking away, asking an adult, taking a break.
You’re annoyed because someone is talking while you’re working. Act out how you stay focused without getting in trouble.
Calm body, deep breathing, ignoring, polite reminder, asking teacher for help.
True or False: Taking deep breaths is a coping skill.
True.
What calming activity can you do with paper and markers?
What calming activity can you do with paper and markers?
What feeling might you have if you’re scared something bad will happen?
Worry, fear, anxiety.
What should you do before reacting when you’re upset?
Stop and think.
You lose a game at recess and feel disappointed. Show how you handle the feeling and still play safely.
Naming feeling, positive self-talk, walking away, choosing another game.
Name one coping skill you can do quietly in class.
Deep breathing, counting, stretching, positive self-talk.
What does counting to 10 help your brain do?
Slow down and think before acting. Pause, slow down, think clearly.
Why is it helpful to name your feeling?
Helps you calm down, helps others understand you, helps problem-solve.
When solving a conflict, why is listening to the other person just as important as talking?
It helps you understand their side so you can solve the problem fairly.
A classmate says something that hurts your feelings, but you want to stay calm. Show how you respond.
I-statement, calm voice, walking away, asking for help.
How can coping skills keep a small problem from becoming a big problem?
Staying calm when something small goes wrong
Taking deep breaths instead of getting upset
Solving a problem before it gets bigger
Using words instead of yelling or crying
Asking for help when you need it
Thinking before you act
Calming your body and mind
Why does slowing your breathing help your body feel calmer?
Tells brain you’re safe, lowers heart rate, relaxes muscles.
What clue might your thoughts give you about how you're feeling?
Your thoughts can tell you how you are feeling
Thoughts can be clues about your emotions
Negative thoughts can show you are upset or worried
Happy thoughts can show you feel good
Worried thoughts can mean you feel nervous
What is a question you can ask yourself before reacting to a problem?
“Is this a big problem or a small problem?”
“Do I need help with this?”
“Can I solve this calmly?”
“How am I feeling right now?”
You feel overwhelmed because your work feels too hard and the room is noisy. Act out a full coping plan.
Naming feeling → breathing → asking for break/help → returning to task.
Why might one coping skill work one day but not another day?
Feelings change, situations change, bodies need different tools, energy level changes.
What is a grounding strategy you can use when you feel overwhelmed?
5-4-3-2-1 senses, noticing colors, touching a desk, listening for sounds
When should you tell an adult about your feelings?
If they feel too big, last a long time, feel unsafe, or stop you from learning.
How can thinking about consequences help you choose a better solution?
It helps you decide if a choice is safe or unsafe.
You can avoid getting into trouble.
It helps protect friendships.
You can stop the problem from getting bigger.
You can think about how others will feel.
It helps you choose a kind response.
You can avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
It helps you think before you act.
You can make a choice you won’t regret later.
It helps you follow classroom rules.
You and a friend strongly disagree during a group project and both want different ideas. Act out how you solve the problem so the project still gets done.
Listening, compromise, combining ideas, calm discussion, asking for help, planning next steps.