Healthy or Unhealthy Coping Skills
Using your creativity to draw, paint, or write
Healthy coping strategy
- this is a healthy strategy
- need to put on shoes or flip-flops on
- you cannot do this strategy indoors
Going for a walk, getting a breath of fresh air, play outside
Only some students stress about returning to school.
False
Your older brother has been sleeping in every day in the summer. He has to start waking up at 7am again to go to school! What do you think he can do to get ready for school?
Set an alarm, go to bed earlier, start changing his routines a week before school starts
Most people get nervous before the new school year starts. What are you nervous about? How do you cope with it?
Free response
Skipping meals or eating more than usual
Unhealthy coping strategy
- this is an unhealthy coping strategy
- when you do this you might look scary and use unkind or rude words
- if you do this your voice is very loud
- it might feel good in the moment to do this but it gets you into trouble later.
Yelling or shouting at people because you're angry (letting your anger out by screaming)
Everyone copes with stress differently
True
Some of your friends invite you to come outside to play baseball, but you have to go to your grandparent's house. What do you do?
Ask your mother if you can be excused but if she says no that's okay, tell your friends you will come next time, plan something else with your friends for another day
Describe a bad situation when you've been at school, maybe you got in trouble or your friends got in a fight. How did you cope with it?
Free response
Sleeping all day
Unhealthy coping strategy
- this is a healthy coping strategy
- you cannot do this all by yourself, someone else has to be with you
- you can only do this by being brave enough to reach out for support.
Talking to a trusted adult or friend about what's bothering you
All stress is out of your control
False
You have a new baby sister. She gets a lot of attention and Mom and Dad expect you to do more things on your own now. How do you deal with this?
Tell yourself you are old enough to start doing things on your own. Decide that part of being a good big brother or sister is showing your little sibling how to do things on their own. Asking your Mom and Dad if you can do special activities without your little sister once a week.
What coping skills do you like to use for dealing with change?
try to stay positive, focus on spending time with new friends, talk to your parents about it if you feel upset or worried, take deep breaths, remind yourself that you are strong, write or draw
Closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing
Healthy coping strategy
- this is an unhealthy coping strategy
- kids do this because they feel sad, anxious or angry and want to be alone
- doing this for a short period is okay if you need some space, but doing this for many days is a problem
Spending all your time alone. Avoiding friends and family.
Teachers and parents can't help students deal with stress.
False
A classmate teases you every day. It makes you upset. How do you deal with this?
walk away and ignore it, tell your friends what's happeneing, tell the classmate to stop, tell a teacher
Your friend is moving to a new house and they are very sad about leaving their old house. How can you help them to cope with it?
listen to them, give them a hug, invite them over more, tell them it will be okay
Pretending the problem doesn't exist
Unhealthy coping strategy
- this is a healthy coping strategy
- if you do this you might feel better about a bad situation you're in
- doing this reminds you that nothing is ever 100% bad (there's always something good in your life)
Thinking about what you're thankful for, thinking about the good things in your life
Stress is sometimes a good thing
True!
Your little brother wants to play your video game with you, but he is only 3 and doesn't understand how to play properly. If you give him the controller you worry he will mess up your score. What do you do?
Ask him to wait until you are done, tell him you will play with him at another time, tell him he can sit and watch but not play, give him a controller that's turned off
Free response