Mindfulness Magic
What does it mean to be “mindful”?
👉 Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment.
What are the 5 senses used in self-soothing?
👉 Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
What’s one safe way to distract yourself when angry?
👉 Go for a walk, draw, play a game, clean, listen to music, etc.
What’s the difference between anger and aggression?
👉 Anger is a feeling; aggression is a harmful action caused by not managing the anger.
What is radical acceptance?
👉 Fully accepting reality as it is, even if we don’t like it.
Name one way to bring yourself back to the present moment.
👉 Breathing deeply, counting sounds, grounding with your senses, etc.
Give one example of something you can see that calms you.
👉 A sunset, nature, art, fish tank, etc.
Name 3 activities that help you shift your focus when upset.
👉 Any healthy distractions: exercise, journaling, watching a show, calling a friend, etc
Name 4 “hidden” feelings underneath anger.
👉 Fear, sadness, hurt, embarrassment, frustration, rejection.
True or False: Radical acceptance means you like what happened.
👉 False – it means you accept it’s real so you can move forward
What’s the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
👉 Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
What music do you listen to when you’re stressed? Why?
👉 Open-ended – Accept relaxing, calming, or empowering songs.
True or False: Distraction helps solve the problem.
👉 False – it helps you calm down first, so you can face the problem later.
True or False: All feelings are valid, even if uncomfortable.
👉 True.
Give an example of something in life that’s hard to accept.
👉 Open-ended – e.g., breakup, family conflict, not making a team, losing someone.
True or False: Mindfulness is about getting rid of your thoughts.
👉 False – it’s about noticing your thoughts without reacting to them.
Create a 1-minute self-soothing “survival kit” using all 5 senses.
👉 Open-ended – e.g., lavender lotion (smell), soft blanket (touch), gum (taste), calm playlist (sound), picture of a happy memory (sight)
Act out (charades-style!) a distraction skill without using words.
👉 Answers vary. Accept creative and relevant ideas.
Act out an emotion silently and have your team guess it.
👉 Varies – creative team interaction.
Why is radical acceptance important in relationships?
👉 It helps reduce suffering and allows you to focus on what you can control
Walk us through a 30-second mindfulness practice!
👉 (Open-ended – Accept deep breathing, mindful stretching, sensory focus, etc.)
Share a time a scent, sound, or texture helped you feel better.
👉 Open-ended
500: Your friend is spiraling after a breakup—give them 3 distraction ideas.
👉 E.g., go for a walk, watch a funny movie, journal their feelings, draw, play a game.
What are 2 ways to express anger without hurting others?
👉 Use “I” statements, take a break, journal it, talk calmly, deep breathing, exercise
Describe a time you had to accept something you didn’t want to. How did it help?
👉 Open-ended – helps students relate DBT skills to real life.