Communication & Helping a Friend
What are the 3 steps of ACT when you're concerned about a friend?
Acknowledge, Care, Tell
Which zone represents emotional balance, normal ups and downs, and healthy coping?
🟢 Calm Waters / Wellness
What is the name for helpful stress that can motivate you or improve performance?
Eustress
What breathing technique uses four equal parts: inhale, hold, exhale, hold?
Box Breathing
Your friend says, “I have anxiety because I got nervous before my presentation.” What's wrong with that statement?
Feeling anxiety/nervousness doesn't automatically mean someone has an anxiety disorder.
Which communication style clearly and respectfully expresses what you think, feel, or need without attacking someone else?
Assertive communication
You have a huge test tomorrow and feel stressed and worried tonight, but you're still functioning normally. Which zone would this most likely represent?
🟡 Choppy Seas / Reacting
What is the name for stress that becomes overwhelming or negatively affects you?
Distress
What does PMR stand for?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
You're getting frustrated during homework. Your shoulders are tight and you're getting irritated. Name ONE healthy strategy you could use immediately.
Answers vary: breathing, short break, PMR, grounding, movement, etc.
Your friend has been unusually quiet and stopped hanging out with everyone. Give an example of something you could say for the A — Acknowledge step of ACT.
“I've noticed you haven't seemed like yourself lately. Are you okay?” or similar nonjudgmental response
True or False: Being in Calm Waters means you're happy and relaxed 100% of the time.
FALSE
You're about to serve for match point and suddenly your heart pounds, breathing speeds up, and you feel extremely alert. What hormone helps create this immediate response?
Adrenaline
During PMR, what do you intentionally do to different muscle groups?
Tense them and then release/relax them
You're about to take an important test. Your heart beats slightly faster and you feel more alert and focused. Is this eustress or distress?
Eustress
Your friend tells you something that makes you seriously worried about their safety but says, “Promise you won't tell anyone.” What should you do?
Tell a trusted adult / don't promise to keep a safety concern secret.
A student has been struggling emotionally for weeks, and it is beginning to interfere with sleep, school, and friendships. Which zone best fits?
🟠 Rough Tides / Injured
Which hormone is strongly associated with the body's longer-lasting stress response?
Cortisol
Name THREE healthy coping strategies someone could use when stressed.
Answers vary: exercise, breathing, talking to someone, sleep, music, grounding, journaling, PMR, etc.
Your friend starts panicking before presenting. Give them ONE grounding strategy they could try.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding, slow breathing, identify surroundings, feet on floor, etc.
Your friend says, “Nobody cares about me. Everything has been awful lately.” Give a complete response using all 3 parts of ACT. You have 20 seconds. Give me EXACTLY what you would say to the friend.
Must acknowledge what they noticed/heard, show care/empathy, and connect the friend with a trusted adult.
What is the biggest difference between temporary emotional stress and a more serious mental health concern?
Duration, severity, and/or how much it interferes with everyday functioning
Your brain detects a possible threat and your heart rate increases, breathing speeds up, and muscles prepare for action. What response has activated?
Fight-or-flight / sympathetic nervous system response
A student notices they are overwhelmed BEFORE reaching a crisis and uses coping strategies, sleep, exercise, and social support. What idea does this demonstrate?
Stress resistance / prevention / building resilience
A student says: “I'm going to fail this test → fail the class → never graduate → never get a job → my entire life is ruined.” What is Anxiety doing to their thinking?
Catastrophizing / jumping to extreme future outcomes / “what-if” thinking