The Brain
Does the front, middle or back of your brain hold your most logical thoughts?
The front! The prefrontal cortex (the eagle) is the most mature part of your brain.
The other parts hold emotions, reflexes and reactions.
Tell me what you like about your best friend?
If you're feeling sad or annoyed, what could you do to change your mood?
If you said, talk to a friend, go outside, or anything else...you're right!
How many planets are in our solar system?
If you told your friend that you had a secret crush, and they told that person, how would you feel?
Angry, annoyed, betrayed, embarrassed or even relieved...if you said anything of these, you're right!
True or False: Your thoughts are like walking on a path that gets worn down. The more you think a specific thought, the more likely your brain will automatically think it.
True! This is called creating neuropathways.
Tell me about your favorite thing to do?
If said, play sports, hang out with friends, travel, make crafts, or anything else, you're right!
True or False: Coping skills can be healthy or unhealthy.
True! Not all coping skills are helpful. Doing drugs, avoiding your problem or hurting other people are forms of maladaptive coping skills.
365 (or 364.25)
True or false: You can have multiple thoughts and feelings at once.
True! As we get older, we understand things are not usually all good or all bad. Many things can make us feel happy and sad at the same time. Do you have an example.
We have about 6000 thoughts each day!
True or False: Your body releases chemicals that can affect how you think and feel.
True! Our brains tell our bodies to release chemicals that make our heart beat quickly, we can sweat or our stomach can hurt!
Tell me three of your strengths.
If you said that you're creative, considerate, kind, a good friend or good at math...you're right!
Coping skills can be thoughts, which is invisible to other people, or actions, which we can easily observe. Give an example of each.
Actions: Take a walk, hold cold washcloth on the back of your neck, breathe deeply, or eat some sour candy.
What is the largest mammal in the world?
The blue whale. It's bigger than the dinosaurs!
True or False: Our thoughts, emotions and behaviors are all connected. If we change of one these things, the others can change.
True. Sometimes if feels are moods come out of nowhere, but the fact that we don't yell at our teacher, but we will yell at our friend, is proof that our thoughts influence our moods.
True! Many feelings are uncomfortable, but feelings like anger and fear are clues that something is not right. If we notice and name the feeling, we can become curious about it.
Tell me something that someone does that really bothers you. What is a pet peeve?
If you said yelling, calling other people mean names, or bragging about themselves...you're right!
True or False: If you're stressed out in a certain situation, like talking in front of the class, reducing your stress in other areas of your life can help.
True. Reducing stress in all areas of your life can reduce your anxiety in another area.
Name a place (city, state or country) that begins with the letter S.
True or False: Your actions can change your mood.
True! Behavioral activation is when we replace unhelpful activities with helpful activities. Sometimes we can Act the Opposite, and that will help change our moods.
True or False:
Just like the front, middle and back of the brain have different jobs, the left and right sides of the brain have different jobs.
True: Logic functions like language and numbers are on the left side of the brain. Creativity and emotions are on the right side.
Fun fact: Doing things that use both sides of the brain can be helpful!
If I was looking at you, how would I know that you're angry?
If you said, clenched fist, turning red in the face, clenched teeth, yelling, not being able to think (blank mind) or anything else, you're right!
If you said: talking to someone, progressive body relaxation, Acknowledging your thoughts/Come into your body/Engage with your environment, Deep breathing, mindfulness, or anything else, you're right!
What two planets in our solar system have no moons?
Mercury and Venus
Happy, Sad and Mad are three basic feelings. Can you name 7 other feelings?
Joy, anticipation, annoyance, safe, fear, grief, loathing, disappointment, distraction, surprised, powerful, proud, and lonely are all examples of feelings.