Mental Health Basics
This common mental health condition involves persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.
Depression
This simple breathing technique often used in yoga helps reduce stress by focusing on slow, deep inhalation and exhalation.
Deep breathing
This nightly activity affects mood, memory, and overall mental function when consistently neglected.
sleep (or getting enough sleep)
What is emotional intelligence?
This is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions as well as those of others.
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?
An Echo
This type of healthcare professional can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication.
psychiatrist
This term refers to expressing one’s feelings and needs honestly and respectfully.
Assertive communication
This term describes the ability to bounce back after facing adversity or stress.
resilience
This emotion, often linked to perceived danger, can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Fear
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footsteps
This term refers to harmful thoughts or beliefs we have about ourselves, often internalized from criticism or past experiences.
negative self-talk or cognitive distortions
Writing a letter to yourself or someone else that you never send is a safe way to express this.
your emotions (or feelings)
Building a strong one of these — with friends, family, or community — helps improve emotional resilience and reduce stress.
a support system
You’re having a rough day, and a classmate accidentally bumps into you. You feel angry and want to yell. What should you do instead?
pause, take a breath, and express your feelings calmly
I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?
A Candle
This positive mental health habit involves doing things you enjoy or that relax you, like hobbies, rest, or setting boundaries.
self-care
What is visualization (or guided imagery)?
This strategy involves imagining a peaceful place in your mind, such as a beach, forest, or cozy room.
This kind of physical activity has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins.
exercise (or physical activity)
This practice helps reduce emotional reactivity by observing feelings as they arise without trying to change them.
Mindfulness
You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How is that possible?
all the people are married
You feel peer pressure to join in making fun of someone online. You don’t want to, but you also don’t want to be left out. What should you do?
stand up for the person, leave the conversation, or talk to a trusted adult about it
This grounding technique involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique
This journaling technique involves identifying your triggers, reactions, and healthy responses over time.
coping journal (or trigger journal)
This DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skill is used to tolerate distress without making the situation worse.
Distress Tolerance
What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
A Teapot