Coping Skills
What is a coping skill?
An effective way to deal with uncomfortable emotions or situations
Coping Skills are used to avoid problems in our lives
FALSE
Coping skills help us work through problems in a healthy way
What are the outcomes of using healthy coping skills?
We feel better
You might feel this way if are trying something new you have never tried before
Nervous
Who is someone you trust?
Someone I trust is ______
Define "healthy coping skills".
Coping skills that are not harmful to you or others.
Coping skills help you focus on important things in your life
TRUE
When we cope with problems and our emotions, it helps us think more clearly and tackle them better
What happens when you isolate to cope with your feelings?
You could feel alone
You might feel this way if someone takes something that belongs to you without asking
Angry
Someone who can always cheer me up is....
What is a coping skill that doesn't always work for you?
A coping skill that doesn't work for me is..
Every coping skill is healthy
FALSE
Some ways we learn to cope are not healthy (e.g., like fighting or avoidance)
What are some other consequences for using unhealthy coping skills?
You can get in trouble, you can hurt other people's feelings and lose friendships, etc.
You might feel this way if you had to sit alone in an unfamiliar place
Lonely
What are you going to be for Halloween?
I am going to be....
Name 4 healthy coping skills you can use
Deep breathing
Talk to someone
Draw or Journal
Practice Mindfulness
Coping skills are something everyone is born knowing how to do
FALSE
Coping skills are learned throughout our lives
What are the healthy consequences for using healthy coping skills?
You can feel understood and you can understand others better, you don't hold onto grudges
You might feel this way if you see your best friend spending time with someone else
Jealous
Who is someone at school you trust?
Someone I trust is...
Name 1 unhealthy coping skill
-yelling
-becoming aggressive
-isolation
-bottling emotions
Unhealthy coping skills are still coping skills
True
There are both healthy and unhealthy coping skills; the key is to knowing which are which, and utilizing healthy ones.
How do you avoid using unhealthy coping skills
talk to a trusted friend/family member, remove yourself from the situation, or take a break
You might feel this way when you are eating your favorite food for dinner
Happy
Share a time you used a strategy to help you calm down.
A time I used a strategy was....