Coping Skills

Healthy Coping

100

Name one healthy way to deal with stress

Deep breathing, talking to someone, exercise, journaling

200

This coping skill involves writing your thoughts and feelings down

Journaling

300

What coping skill uses your 5 senses to calm you down?

Grounding

400

Name 2 coping skills you can do anywhere

Breathing, counting, positive self-talk, grounding

500

What’s the difference between avoidance and healthy coping, and how can you tell which one you’re using in a stressful situation?

• Avoidance = ignoring, numbing, or escaping the problem (doesn’t solve it, usually comes back worse)

• Healthy coping = helps you calm down and deal with the situation in a productive way

• You can tell by asking:
  • “Is this helping me deal with the problem or just distract me?”
  • “Will this make things better or worse later?”

Unhealth Coping

100

This coping skill might feel good short-term but causes harm long-term  

Unhealthy coping

200

Name one example of unhealthy coping

Substance use, fighting, self-harm, avoiding problems

300

This behavior involves taking anger out on others physically or verbally

Aggression

400

Why are unhealthy coping skills risky?

They can make problems worse, harm relationships, or cause consequences

500

Why do people continue using unhealthy coping skills even when they know the consequences?

Short-term relief, habit, addiction, lack of other skills, emotional overwhelm.

Anger & Stress

100

What is one sign your body is getting angry?

Fast heartbeat, clenched fists, sweating

200

This technique involves slow breathing in and out

Deep breathing

300

Name one thing you can do before reacting when angry

Walk away, count to 10, pause

400

What is a healthy way to release anger?

Exercise, talking, writing, music

500

Explain the difference between feeling anger and acting on anger.

Anger is a normal emotion; behavior (like aggression) is a choice and can be controlled.

Thoughts & Mindset

100

What is self-talk?

The way you talk to yourself in your mind

200

Give an example of positive self-talk

“I can handle this,” “I’ll get through it”

300

What is a “thought trap”?

Negative or unhelpful thinking pattern

400

How can you challenge a negative thought?

Replace it, question it, look for evidence

500

How can negative thinking patterns (“thought traps”) create a cycle that keeps someone stuck?

Negative thoughts → negative feelings → negative behaviors → reinforces the thought.

Real-Life Scenarios

100

Someone disrespects you: what’s a better option than fighting?

Walk away, talk it out, ignore, get help

200

You’re stressed about the future: what can help?

Break it into steps, breathing, talk to someone

300

Your friend is making bad choices: what’s a healthy response?

Set boundaries, don’t join, encourage better choices

400

You feel like giving up: what’s one coping strategy?

Reach out, positive self-talk, take a break

500

You’re in a situation where reacting emotionally could make things worse, but staying calm feels impossible: what’s a realistic step-by-step way to handle it?

Pause → breathe → create space → think about consequences → choose safer response.