Coping Skills
Name one healthy thing you can do when you're feeling stressed, upset, or overwhelmed.
Taking a break, deep breathing, talking to someone, drawing, listening to music, going outside, stretching, grounding, journaling, coloring, etc.
Complete this statement with something encouraging:
“I may not be perfect, but I can ______.”
Try my best, learn, ask for help, keep practicing, make mistakes, etc.
Name two qualities of a healthy friendship or family relationship.
Respect, honesty, kindness, trust, communication, listening, boundaries, support.
Complete the sentence:
“I feel ______ when ______.”
An I statement.
Name two signs your body might give you when you're angry.
Tight muscles, clenched fists, hot face, fast heartbeat, tense jaw, wanting to yell.
You notice that you're feeling overwhelmed, so you look around the room and slowly identify:
5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Decide whether each thought is helpful or unhelpful:
“Everyone else is better than me.”
Answer: Unhelpful.
Bonus: Turn it into a more realistic thought.
Your friend doesn't say hi to you at school.
Instead of immediately thinking, “She doesn't like me,” come up with two other possible explanations.
She didn't see me.
She's having a bad day.
She's distracted.
She's worried about something.
You're extremely angry during an argument.
Before trying to solve the problem, your body needs to ______.
Calm down, take a break, regulate, breathe, etc.
True or false:
Just because you have an anxious thought doesn't mean the thought is automatically true.
True.
Your body feels tense, your shoulders are tight, and you notice you're clenching your fists because you're stressed.
Which skill would be a good match?
A. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
B. Arguing with someone
C. Ignoring the feeling
A — Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Bonus: Explain how PMR could help.
You make a mistake while answering a question in front of your class.
Act out one confident way to respond.
Possible answers: Laugh it off, correct yourself, take a breath, remind yourself mistakes are normal, keep trying, etc.
Someone you care about is upset but doesn't want to talk.
Name one way you could show empathy without forcing them to talk.
Give them space, check in later, sit with them, say you're available, offer support.
Your sibling takes something without asking.
Which response is healthier?
A. “You're so annoying! Give it back!”
B. “I feel frustrated when my things are taken without asking. Please ask me first.”
Answer: B.
Your brain says:
“What if everyone laughs at me?”
Give your brain one more balanced thought.
“Maybe they won't.”
“I can't know what everyone will think.”
“Even if someone laughs, I can handle it.”
“I don't have to be perfect.”
You're angry at an 8/10 and feel like yelling at someone. Your body feels hot and tense.
Which would be the best first step?
A. Send an angry text immediately
B. Use a calming strategy and give yourself time to cool down
C. Keep arguing until the other person agrees with you
Answer: B.
Bonus: Choose a specific calming strategy you could use.
Change this thought into something more balanced:
“I'm going to mess everything up.”
“I might make a mistake, but I can handle it.”
“I don't have to be perfect.”
“I can prepare and do my best.”
True or false:
You can love and care about someone even when you disagree with them.
Answer: True.
Bonus: Give one example.
Name three things that can help solve a disagreement without making it worse.
Listen, stay calm, use an I statement, take turns talking, compromise, apologize, set a boundary, find a solution.
You're at an 8/10 anger level and your muscles are tense.
Choose one skill you've learned and demonstrate it for 20–30 seconds.
PMR, 5-4-3-2-1, breathing, grounding, taking a break, etc.
You have had a really difficult day. You're anxious about something happening tomorrow, irritated with your family, and your body feels tense.
Your mission is to create a short coping plan, but you have to match the skill to the problem:
1. Pick a skill for your anxiety.
2. Pick a skill for your physical tension.
3. Pick a skill for your anger.
4. Explain why at least one of your choices fits that situation.
Multiple healthy answers accepted.
Imagine you're about to try something you've never done before and you're feeling nervous.
Give yourself a 10-second confidence pep talk.
Any realistic, encouraging self-talk earns credit.
A friend says something that hurts your feelings.
Before deciding, “They don't care about me,” give:
Multiple reasonable answers accepted.
You and a friend are arguing because you both want to do something different.
Act out how you would handle the disagreement using healthy communication.
Look for:
You're extremely angry. Your heart is racing, your fists are clenched, and you're thinking:
“They don't care about me!”
Put these skills in a healthy order:
One possible order:
Identify → Calm → Check the thought → Perspective-take → Respond/problem-solve