Stress & Triggers
If someone says, “I’m not stressed,” but they’ve sighed 47 times in 10 minutes…
What might be happening?
A) Allergies
B) Hidden stress
C) Olympic-level breathing
D) Enlightenment
B) Hidden stress
Define mindfulness in simple terms.
Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment.
What does STOP stand for?
S – Stop
T – Take a breath
O – Observe
P – Proceed mindfully
Name the three states of mind.
Answer: Emotion Mind, Reasonable Mind, Wise Mind.
What are the three parts of the Cognitive Triangle?
Answer: Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors.
Define all-or-nothing thinking.
Answer: Seeing things in black-and-white extremes.
Name one physical sign that your stress level is rising.
Answer examples: Tight chest, clenched jaw, racing thoughts, sweating, shallow breathing, irritability.
What does “observe without judgment” mean?
Notice thoughts and feelings without labeling them as good, bad, weak, stupid, etc.
You are:
Hungry = 3/10
Angry = 7/10
Lonely = 6/10
Tired = 8/10
On a scale of 1–10, how wise is your decision-making likely to be?
Very low
Give an Emotion Mind example.
Answer example: “I’m angry, so I’m quitting.”
If:
Thought = “This is stupid.”
Feeling = Irritation
Behavior = Crossed arms
If you change the thought to “Maybe I’ll get one useful thing out of this,”
What likely changes?
A) Nothing
B) Feeling softens
C) Behavior shifts
D) B and C
Answer: D) B and C
You spill coffee and think,
“This is the worst day of my life.”
Is this:
A) Catastrophizing
B) Accurate
C) Dramatic flair
D) A and C
Answer: D) A and C
Why does calming your body improve decision-making?
Answer: It lowers emotional arousal and brings the prefrontal cortex back online.
You are “mindfully” scrolling your phone while watching TV and thinking about dinner.
How many things are you actually doing mindfully?
Zero.
You’re irritated, skipped lunch, and snapping at everyone.
Which HALT warning sign is most likely active?
Answer: Hungry (and possibly Angry).
Emotion Mind says: “Buy it.”B) Sleep on it
Reasonable Mind says: “You can’t afford it.”
Wise Mind says:
A) “Put it in the cart and think about it.”
B) “Sleep on it.”
C) “YOLO.”
D) “Add to wishlist.”
B) Sleep on it
Thought: “This meeting is long.”
Feeling: Bored.
Behavior:
A) Learn something anyway
B) Check the clock 19 times
C) Suddenly need the restroom
D) B and C
Answer: D) B and C
What thought can change this to A) Learn something anyway
What is mind reading?
Answer: Assuming you know what others think without evidence.
If you drink 3 cups of coffee before group and your stress level was already at a 6/10…
What is your likely new stress level?
A) 6
B) 8
C) 11
D) Enlightened
C) 11
How does mindfulness reduce impulsive reactions?
It creates space between feeling and action.
You’re about to send a long emotional text at 11:58 PM.
Which skill would be most helpful?
A) Send it faster
B) Add more emojis
C) HALT check + STOP
D) Screenshot it for proof
C) HALT check + STOP
Create a Wise Mind statement for:
“I want to quit my job today.”
Answer example: “I’m frustrated. I’ll cool off and make a plan before deciding.”
Give a real-life example of the triangle in action.
Example:
Thought: “Nobody cares about me.”
Feeling: Loneliness
Behavior: Isolate instead of reaching out
You trip on one stair and think:
“This is how it ends.”
What distortion is this?
Answer: Catastrophizing
A guy says, “I’m fine. I just punched a wall.”
What’s actually happening?
Answer: Emotional dysregulation; stress overload; acting from Emotion Mind instead of Wise Mind.
If you’re brushing your teeth and suddenly realize you’ve been planning arguments in your head for 5 minutes…
Were you brushing mindfully?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Only the left side
D) Depends on the toothpaste
B) No
A man says, “I don’t need STOP — I’ve got this.”
He hasn’t slept well, skipped dinner, and hasn’t talked to anyone all day.
What’s the real risk?
HALT factors are active (Hungry, Tired, Lonely).
Emotion Mind is running the show.
High relapse and impulsivity risk.
Emotion Mind says: “Quit everything.”
Reasonable Mind says: “Pay rent.”
Wise Mind says:
A) “Let’s revisit this tomorrow.”
B) “Move to the woods.”
C) “Flip a coin.”
D) “Post about it first.”
Answer: A) “Let’s revisit this tomorrow.”
Thought: “Everyone thinks I’m a mess.”
Feeling: Shame.
Behavior: Skip the meeting.
What part of the triangle started the chain reaction?
Answer: The thought.
“If I slip once, I’ve failed.”
What thinking trap is this?
All-or-nothing thinking.