Healthy Coping Skills
What is a healthy coping skill that can help you relax?
Singing, dancing, breathing, yoga, meditation, walking, talking with a friend
What are the benefits of unhealthy coping skills?
short term relief from negative feelings.
Coping skills are only used to help you relax. Why or why not?
False:
Managing your stress, anxiety, and/or depression is not always relaxing. Exercise is a great healthy coping skill and is not necessarily relaxing, although it results in the relief of negative symptoms.
You are sitting in class working and notice someone is tapping their pencil really loud.
Yes!
Why are coping skills helpful?
Coping skills help you handle day-to-day stressors.
What can you do when you are overwhelmed with school work?
Ask the teacher for help or ask for a break
What is an unhealthy coping skill you could replace with a healthy coping skill?
Lashing out in anger, replaced with deep breaths and counting before speaking
False
You just finished a test that was draining and more difficult than you expected.
Yes!
Who can benefit from using coping skills? AND When should they be used?
Everyone! All the time!
What is a healthy coping skill you have used this week?
Your answer....
What is an unhealthy coping skill you use or have used in the past?
Your answer...
Coping skills are only needed when you're struggling with negative emotions.
False
Your little brother is running around and unplugs the video game by accident while you are in the middle of a game.
Yes!
What are some coping skills you use or would like to try using?
Your choice....
What is a healthy coping skill to use when you're feeling lonely and isolated?
What is the difference between an unhealthy coping skill and a healthy coping skill? Extra points for examples of each!
They are both coping skills and therefore alleviate your negative feelings, however, the difference is...
Unhealthy Coping Skills only give relief for the short term and may have negative impacts if used too often. (examples- substance use, self-harm, overeating, bullying or harming others, or too much screen time.)
Healthy Coping Skills give long term relief and may have long-term benefits. (examples- exercise, finding hobbies and interests, being outside, walking, communicating your feelings to yourself and others, mindfulness practices.)
It's important to have lots of coping tools in your "toolbox" to pull from.
False
Summer break is coming to an end and you're feeling anxious about school starting back up.
Yes!
What makes something a "coping skill?"
Anything that is used to deal with a stressor, there are healthy and unhealthy coping skills.
What is a mindfulness practice that can help you calm your body and mind?
belly breathing or deep breaths, meditation, body scans, stretching
When does watching TV, scrolling social media, or sleeping a lot become an unhealthy coping tool, AND why?
When you are doing it all the time or more than any other coping skills.
...because it does not help relieve your depression, anxiety, or stress long term; it only helps in the moment.
It is important to use unhealthy coping skills?
False
You have anxiety or depression, even though things are going really well for you right now.
Yes!
What are the 4 categories of coping skills or self-care?
1) Before- coping skills to help you prepare for or prevent negative feelings (ex. grounding tools, breathing, identifying potential triggers)
2) During- coping skills to help you regulate your emotions while you are experiencing something that triggers your negative emotions (ex. breathing, drinking water, taking breaks, walking)
3) Right After- coping skills that help you to calm down or regulate after you have experienced something that triggers you (ex. physical movement, grounding tools, body scans, mindfulness practices, talking to a support person, music)
4) Ongoing/Regular- coping skills or self-care practices that help you to relax and regulate your emotions long-term (ex. meaningful activities that you enjoy, spending time with your support people, having time to yourself, sleeping well, exercise, mindfulness practices)