Name That Feeling
What emotion do you usually feel when your heart races and your fists clench?
Anger (possible: frustration, rage)
Name one healthy way to calm down when you’re angry.
Deep breathing, taking a walk, talking it out, grounding, etc.
A trigger.
Something that sparks cravings, memories, or urges to use
What happens to your breathing when you’re anxious?
It gets faster, shallow, or uneven
Share a “feel-good” song that lifts your mood.
Any uplifting song choice works
Name one physical sign of sadness.
Crying, heavy chest, low energy, slumped posture, etc.
“HALT”
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
One common emotional trigger for relapse.
Anger, stress, loneliness, boredom, shame
True/False: Exercise can help regulate emotions.
True
What’s one hobby or activity that helps you regulate emotions?
Reading, drawing, sports, music, walking, talking to friends, etc.
The difference between guilt and shame.
Guilt = I did something bad; Shame = I am bad
Demonstrate a grounding technique.
5-4-3-2-1 senses, holding ice, breathing, counting, etc.
Difference between a trigger and a craving.
Trigger = event/emotion/situation; Craving = the urge to use that follows
Show one relaxation technique with your body.
Stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga pose, breathing
Act out a healthy coping skill (charades style).
Correct guess = journaling, meditating, exercising, etc.
True/False: Feeling anxious is always a bad thing.
False – anxiety can sometimes keep us safe or alert
A self-care activity that costs nothing.
Walking, journaling, stretching, praying, sleeping
Share one strategy for handling a craving without using.
Calling a sponsor, distraction, grounding, exercise, urge surfing
Name two ways lack of sleep affects emotions.
Irritability, low focus, mood swings, poor impulse control, sadness
“Name That Strategy” – facilitator demonstrates grounding, team guesses which one.
Grounding technique name
Act out an emotion—your team must guess it!
Any correct guess of the acted-out emotion!
Roleplay how to refuse a drink using an “I statement.”
“I’m not drinking today.” / “I choose not to.”
Your team has 1 minute to brainstorm 5 safe people/places you could call/visit in a crisis.
Sponsor, counselor, friend, meeting, crisis line, family member, treatment staff
Team challenge: everyone do a breathing exercise together.
Demonstrated exercise = correct
Reframe: You had a stressful day at work and want to give up.
Teams, you have 1 minute to come up with a healthy reframe. Group votes on the best one.
Best reframe wins by majority.