Coping Skills
Name three healthy coping skills someone can use when feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
Deep Breathing, listening to music, journaling, exercising, drawing, talking to someone, or taking a break.
What is an emotional trigger
Something that causes a strong emotional reaction, often connected to previous experiences, stress, or personal sensitivities.
Calmly communicate how their comment made you feel, establish a boundary, or take time to calm down before responding.
What is a personal boundary?
A limit someone establishes to protect their emotional, physical, or mental well-being.
What are the three steps of the Stop–Think–Choose method?
1. Stop before reacting.
2. Think about your options and possible consequences.
3. Choose an appropriate response.
What is the difference between a healthy coping skill and an unhealthy coping skill?
Healthy coping skills help manage emotions without causing harm, whereas unhealthy coping skills may provide temporary relief but create additional problems.
Name three PHYSICAL warning signs that someone might experience when becoming angry or anxious.
Increased heart rate, sweating, tense muscles, headaches, stomachaches, shaking, or fast breathing.
You receive a disappointing grade on a quiz and immediately think, "I am stupid". What is a healthier thought you could replace it with?
"I didn't do as well as I hoped, but I can learn from my mistakes and improve."
Name three qualities of a healthy friendship.
Trust, honesty, respect, communication, support, kindness, or understanding.
What is the difference between an impulsive reaction and a thoughtful response?
An impulsive reaction happens without considering consequences, while a thoughtful response involves taking time to consider your options.
You're feeling overwhelmed during class while taking a test. You cannot leave the room. Name two coping skills you could use without disrupting class.
Deep breathing, grounding techniques, positive self-talk, or relaxing tense muscles.
What is the difference between an emotion and behavior?
An emotion is what someone feels internally, while behavior is how they act or respond to that feeling.
Example: feeling angry is an emotion; yelling is a behavior
Someone starts spreading a rumor about you at school. What are two healthy ways you could handle the situation?
AVOID retaliation, speak with a trusted adult, calmly address the situation when safe, or seek support from someone you trust.
Your friend gets upset because you don't want to hang out. How can you communicate your boundary respectfully?
"I enjoy spending time with you, but I need some time to myself today."
You're angry because someone blamed you for something you didn't do. What are two things you could do before responding?
Take deep breaths, pause, count to ten, use positive self-talk, or ask for a moment to calm down.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 ground technique?
Identify:
5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Someone becomes angry after being excluded from a group of friends. What are two emotions they might experience underneath their anger?
Sadness, rejection, loneliness, embarrassment, anxiety, or disappointment.
You're having a difficult day, and someone continues to bother you after you've asked them to stop. What are three appropriate steps you could take?
1. Clearly communicate your boundaries
2. Use coping skills to manage frustration
3. Walk away or seek help from a trusted adult when needed
A friend repeatedly makes jokes about something you've told them you're insecure about. You've asked them to stop, but they continue. What are three healthy ways to handle this?
Reinforce your boundary, communicate how the behavior affects you, seek support, or reconsider the friendship if the behavior continues.
Why is it important to consider the consequences of your actions when experiencing strong emotions?
Strong emotions can influence decision-making. Considering consequences helps someone respond in ways that align with their goals and avoid creating additional problems.
Your usual coping skill isn't helping, and you're becoming increasingly frustrated. What are three things you could do next?
Try a different coping skill, reach out to a trusted adult, change your environment if possible, identify what triggered the emotion, or ask for additional support.
Why is it important to recognize emotional warning signs before emotions become overwhelming?
Recognizing warning signs allows someone to use coping skills, seek support, and make thoughtful decisions before their emotions become more difficult to manage.
You are invited to hang out with a group of friends, but they begin pressuring you to do something you are uncomfortable with. You are worried they will make fun of you or stop including you if you say no. What are three healthy ways you could handle this situation?
Set boundaries: Communicate that you are uncomfortable and do not want to participate.
Practice self-control: Take a moment to think about your choices and their possible consequences instead of giving in to peer pressure.
Make a healthy decision: Stand by your decision, remove yourself from the situation if necessary, and reach out to someone you trust for support
You and a close friend have a disagreement. Instead of talking about the problem, your friend begins ignoring you and making negative comments about you to others. Identify three healthy ways you could handle this situation while maintaining your boundaries and managing your emotions.
Communicate assertively: Calmly explain how their behavior is affecting you and express your feelings using "I" statements.
Establish boundaries: Let your friend know that spreading rumors or making hurtful comments is not acceptable.
Manage your emotions: Use healthy coping skills to avoid reacting impulsively and consider whether the friendship is healthy for you.
You're arguing with a friend over text messages. You're becoming increasingly angry and want to send something hurtful. Use the Stop–Think–Choose method to explain how you would handle the situation.
Stop: Put your phone down and pause.
Think: Consider how sending a hurtful message could affect the friendship.
Choose: Take time to calm down and respond respectfully when ready.