Thinking Traps
You think one bad grade means you'll fail everything
What is catastrophizing?
You feel embarrassed AFTER feeling scared in front of class. What is your embarrassment?
What is a secondary emotion?
When you push an uncomfortable memory or feeling completely out of your awareness without realizing it
What is repression?
When you're anxious, you might feel butterflies here
What is your stomach?
Taking three slow, deep breaths to calm down is an example of this
What is grounding
You assume your friend is mad at you because they didn't text you back
What is mind reading?
This is why secondary emotions are harder to work with
What is covering up something underneath/masking or layering over the primary emotion?
After being yelled at by a teacher, you come home and snap at your little sister.
What is displacement?
Your body is stuck in a stress response even when there is no danger, or the danger is gone
What is being stuck in fight-or-flight OR dysregulation?
This DBT skill helps you change how you feel by changing your facial expression or body posture first.
What is opposite action?
"I always mess everything up"
What is overgeneralizing?
You're actually sad about something that happened at school, but it comes out as anger at your sibling. Name the primary and secondary emotion.
What is sadness (primary) and anger (secondary)
Your friend says, "I don't even care that I wasn't invited," but their face says otherwise. They are convincing themselves that they don't feel what they actually feel.
What is denial or rationalization?
You bomb a presentation and feel like hiding. What's the emotion?
What is embarrassment or shame?
When you journal, vent to a friend, or cry, you are doing this
What is emotional processing?
You get 9 compliments and 1 criticism, but you can only remember the criticism.
What is mental filtering?
What are some examples of emotions that can be primary or secondary?
Your friend who feels powerless at home is very controlling as a friend. They are channeling one feeling into an opposite behavior.
What is reaction formation?
Your BFF gets the lead in the play and you feel happy for them and also a little jealous. What's this feeling?
What is ambivalence or mixed emotions or dialectical thinking?
This describes the zone where you're alert but not overwhelmed -- best for learning and connection
What is the window of tolerance?
Your friend cancels plans and you think "they definitely hate me and don't like me anymore"
What is jumping to conclusions?
What tool can you use to identify what emotion you are feeling?
What is an emotion wheel?
You've been stressed and anxious all week, so you throw yourself into chores and homework. You are trying to channel difficult emotions into socially acceptable productivity
What is sublimation?
You find out your BFF has been venting about your business to other people. You don't say anything, and instead you become distant, give short answers and "forget" to include them in your plans. You never mention why.
What is passive aggression?
BONUS: What primary emotion was underneath the passive aggression?
DOUBLE BONUS: What would assertive communication have looked like instead?
This involves observing your emotion without judging it or trying to change it
What is mindfulness OR what is non-judgmental observation OR what is radical acceptance