Brain & Body
Your heart is beating fast, your face feels hot, and your fists are tight. What might your body be telling you regarding how you feel?
Anxious, mad, upset, angry
Fill in the three parts: Thoughts, ________, and Behaviors.
Feelings
“If I don't get an A, I'm a complete failure.” What thinking trap is this?
Mr. Black-and-white
Dynomitee
True or False: Just because you have a thought doesn't automatically mean it's true.
True.
What is a coping skill?
Something we do to help ourselves handle difficult feelings or situations.
Name two body signals someone might notice when they're angry.
tight muscles, hot face, fast heartbeat, clenched fists, faster breathing.
True or False: Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can influence each other.
True
"I KNOW she thinks I am weird." What thinking trap is this?
Ms. Mind Reader
What can we look for to figure out whether an automatic thought is accurate?
Evidence/facts.
Name one healthy coping skill you already know.
Taking a deep breath, playing basketball, drawing, movement
True or False: Our bodies can give us clues about our emotions before we even say how we're feeling.
True
You think, “Everyone is going to laugh at me.” What is one feeling that thought could create?
Nervous, embarrassed, worried, scared, etc.
“I have a test tomorrow. I'm going to fail, fail the class, and probably never graduate!”
Your ANT says: “Nobody likes me.” What's ONE question you could ask yourself to check that thought?
“What's my evidence?” “Does anyone talk to me?” “Can I think of someone who likes me?” etc.
Which is a coping strategy you could realistically use during class?
A. Scream into a pillow
B. Take 3 slow breaths
C. Go to sleep
D. Leave school
B — Take 3 slow breaths.
You're about to give a presentation. Your stomach feels funny and your hands are sweaty. Name an emotion you might be experiencing.
Anxious, worried, excited, nervous
You think, “I can't do this!” You feel frustrated. Name one behavior that might happen next.
Give up, refuse, shut down, yell, avoid the work, etc.
“I'm not even going to try this because I already know I can't do it.”
Mr. Nocando
Your thought is “I'm going to fail this test.” Give me a more balanced replacement thought.
Examples: “I might not know everything, but I can try.” / “I studied, so I'll do my best.”
You're frustrated because your computer freezes during an assignment. Your shoulders tighten and you're thinking, “THIS IS SO STUPID!” Name one coping strategy you could try before deciding what to do about the problem.
Take a breath, pause, ask for help, take a short break, relax muscles, etc.
Why is it helpful to notice your body's signals?
They can help us recognize our emotions and know when we may need to do something to regulate ourselves.
Change ONE part of this cycle to make the outcome better:
“I'm terrible at math.” → Feeling: frustrated → Behavior: rips up worksheet.
Examples: “Math is hard, but I can ask for help”; take a break; ask the teacher for help; use a coping strategy.
“Yeah, I yelled at him, but it's HIS fault because he annoyed me.”
The Blamester
“I got one question wrong, so I'm stupid.”
Identify the ANT AND give a replacement thought.
Label Goblin; e.g. "Getting something wrong does not mean I am stupid. Everybody makes mistakes."
Do coping skills always make the problem go away? If not, what do you think they actually change?
No. They help change/regulate our reaction, brain, body, emotions, or behavior so we're better able to handle the problem.