Definitions
What is a coping skill ?
Coping skills are things you can do to help yourself feel better when you are upset, stressed, worried, or angry.
Coping skills are used to avoid problems in our lives.
Fiction
Coping skills help us work through our problems in healthy ways.
Name 3 Healthy Coping Skills
Box Breathing
Reading
Journaling
Listening to Music
Exercising
Meditation
*Answers may vary.
TRUE OR FALSE
Ignoring your emotions will make them go away.
FALSE
Ignoring something never fixes an issue.
Define "healthy coping skills"
Coping skills that are not harmful to you or others.
We are born with coping skills.
Fiction
All coping skills are learned throughout our entire lives.
Name 3 Unhealthy Coping Skills
Harming others or yourself
Substance abuse
Avoiding help/denying that you need help
Bottling up feelings
Procrastination
*Answers may vary.
True or False
Things like tests, friend drama, social media, and family expectations do not contribute to stress.
False
Many different things can contribute to stress, especially school and family issues.
Define "unhealthy coping skills"
Coping skills that are harmful to you or others.
Different kinds of coping skills work for different kinds of people.
Fact
We all come from different backgrounds and have different ways of dealing with our emotions.
What is the difference between short-term vs. long-term stress?
Short-term is normal and temporary and helps you stay focused and motivated. Change even change by changing habits, environment, or stimuli.
Long-term is chronic or consistent, does not go away as easily, may require professional help, can be harmful to overall health...
TRUE OR FALSE
Learning healthy coping skills requires practice and takes time and effort.
True
Coping skills take time and hard work to be effective.
Which of the coping skills below are unhealthy?
A)Taking a walk B)Destroying property C)Exercising D)Talking to a trusted friend or adult
B)Destroying property
Unhealthy coping skills are still coping skills.
Fact
Sometimes they are the only things we know at that time. It is important to separate what is healthy from what isn't to make sure we are making the most use of healthy coping skills.
Who can you talk to when you feel upset?
Family, teacher, counselor, friend, pet, coach, doctor...
TRUE OR FALSE
You need a lot of free time before starting healthy coping skills
FALSE !!
The best coping skills are those that can be used daily.
What are coping skills used for?
1. Managing Stress
2. Regulating Emotions
3. Overcoming Challenges
We can get better at coping skills if we practice.
Fact
With time and practice, we will always see improvement, even if it doesn't seem like much. Progress > Perfection.
What technique involves systematically tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups to reduce stress?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
TRUE OR FALSE
Coping skills are not one-size-fits-all solutions.
True
Coping skills are unique to everyone.