Name the Emotion
Your mouth curves up into a big smile, your eyes crinkle, and you might laugh out loud because something awesome just happened.
Happy
To do this coping skill, you pretend you are smelling a beautiful flower through your nose, and then blowing out birthday candles through your mouth.
Deep Breathing
You spent an hour building an amazing block tower, but your younger sibling accidentally bumps into it and it crashes down. Your body instantly feels super hot and angry.
You could:
1. Taking a huge deep breath before saying anything, squeezing a pillow, or walking away for a minute so they don't yell or hit.
2. Tell the sibling, "I'm really mad right now because that took a long time to build," and asking them to help rebuild it.
Your eyes widen, your mouth drops open into an "O" shape, and you might take a sharp gasp of air when someone yells "Surprise!"
Surprise
Leo brought a special drawing to school, but during lunch, a juice box spills all over it. He looks down at the soggy paper with drooping shoulders and a trembling lip.
Sadness or disappointment
This feeling makes you want to curl up under a blanket, cry, or just sit quietly when you lose a favorite toy or have to say goodbye to a friend.
Sad
This is a safe, quiet space you can go to in your house or classroom that has pillows, stuffed animals, or books where you can take a break until you feel better.
Calm down corner
You walk up to a group of kids playing a fun game at recess and ask to join, but they say, "No, there's no more room." You feel a heavy lump in your throat and your eyes start to sting.
You could:
1. Take a deep breath to stay calm, telling themselves "It's okay, I can find something else fun to do," and walking over to a different group or a different game.
2. Go to talk to a recess monitor or teacher if they feel lonely and need help finding an activity.
Your shoulders shrug up toward your ears, your eyebrows bunch together, and you might scratch your head because you don't understand the math problem.
Confused
Maya has been practicing her training wheels for weeks. Today, her dad lets go of the seat and she rides all the way down the sidewalk by herself, shouting, "Look at me!" with a huge grin.
Proud of excitement
Your face feels hot, your hands clench into fists, and you feel like yelling or stomping your feet because something feels totally unfair.
Angry
When anger or stress makes your body feel like a shaking volcano, you can do this physical action—like jumping jacks, running in place, or dancing—to burn off the extra energy safely.
Move our body!
Your teacher passes out a worksheet and says it's a pop quiz on a topic you don't fully understand yet. Your heart starts racing, your stomach hurts, and you want to put your head on your desk and hide.
You could:
1. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding trick to quiet the racing thoughts, then raising their hand to say, "I'm feeling a little confused by this, can you help me understand the first question?"
2. Whisper to themselves, "I just have to do my best, and doing my best is enough," to slow down their heartbeat.
Your chest feels tight, your tummy feels like it's full of jittery butterflies, and your hands might start to shake right before you step on stage for the school play.
Nervous or anxious
Sam is sitting alone at the edge of the playground during recess, watching everyone else play tag. He is kicking a woodchip over and over and looking at his shoes.
Loneliness
Your heart beats really fast, your tummy might feel jittery, and you want to hide or run away when you hear a loud noise in the dark.
Scared
This mind trick helps you calm down by forcing you to pause and name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
5-4-3-2-1 Senses check in
Your best friend rides over to your house on a brand-new, shiny bicycle that is exactly the one you've been wishing for. A tight, prickly feeling of jealousy hits your chest, making you want to say something mean about it.
You could:
1. Notice the prickly feeling, taking a quiet breath, and focusing on being a good friend by saying, "Wow, that's awesome, can I watch you ride it?"
2. Remind themselves that their friend having a cool item doesn't mean they will never get fun things too.
Your body feels completely heavy, your eyes feel droopy, and you find yourself yawning and resting your chin in your hand during a long car ride.
Bored or tired
A loud thunderstorm starts outside, and the power suddenly goes out. The family dog, Buster, starts whining and tries to squeeze himself under the couch.
This tricky feeling happens when a friend gets a cool new video game or the bigger slice of cake, and you secretly wish it belonged to you instead.
Jealous
This skill asks you to close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel completely safe and happy—like a beach, a treehouse, or a magical island—so your brain can rest.
Visualization or Guided Imagery
It's bedtime and you realized you left your favorite stuffed animal downstairs in the dark living room. Your brain starts imagining scary shapes in the shadows, and you feel too terrified to step into the hallway.
You could:
1. Use visualization to imagine the hallway filled with bright, happy light, or singing a favorite silly song out loud to fight the scary thoughts while walking down.
2. Pause to honestly say to a parent or sibling, "I'm feeling really scared of the dark right now, can you walk down the hall with me or shine a flashlight?"
Your muscles loosen up completely, your breathing slows down to a soft rhythm, and your heart feels warm and steady while you are cuddling a pet or reading with a parent.
Calm or peaceful
Principal Evans accidentally walks into the classroom with his shirt inside out and backward. When the students point it out, his face turns bright pink and he covers his eyes while laughing.
Embarrassed