Psychoeducation
What is worry?
Worries are when you have thoughts that make you feel uncomfortable inside. They can be specific ("what if mom forgets to pick me up from soccer practice") or general (like getting a fluttery sick feeling in your stomach before school).
What are the three "floors" of your brain and body house?
top, middle, and bottom floor
How many numbers are on the feelings thermometer?
five
How do you belly breathe?
inhale through your nose, inflate your stomach when you breathe in (like a balloon), pause, breathe out through your nose. go slow and calm. use a stuffy on your stomach to make sure your are pushing your stomach out enough.
What is something you can hold to help you increase your love hormone?
What kind of plant is like worries?
Tomato plant
What feelings are connected with the middle floor?
frustration, anger, anxiety, nervousness
What is logic?
Using your brain smarts to figure out what is really true instead of what you are afraid might happen and then making a plan to solve it or let it go.
tighten and release your muscles one at a time (toes and feet, legs, stomach, back, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers, face)
What is something you can eat as a natural pain reliever?
Dark chocolate
How can anxiety show in your body?
sweating, shaking/trembling, headaches, stomachaches, crying, feeling cold or hot, feeling dizzy or faint
What feelings are associated the bottom floor?
feeling down, depressed, withdrawn, sick, tired
What is worry time?
10-15 a day where you talk with your adult about any worries that you have and use logic to try to figure out a solution.
What is guided imagery?
When someone is telling you what to imagine to help you to calm down and relax (like your favorite place).
What is it called when your brain goes from shaky brain to emotional or danger brain?
Flipping Your Lid
What is the stress response?
Fight, Flight, or Freeze
What is one strategy for the middle floor?
-doing anything with rhythm (listening to music, dancing, drumming, clapping a beat, rocking, swinging, swaying)
-moving in a way that uses your “super body fuel” energy (running, walking fast, pushups against a wall, big swinging your arms from side to side, or forwards and backwards
-talking about what’s happened and how you feel
-splashing cold water on your face
-getting a hug
What is the purpose of the worry box?
To hold worries that come up outside of worry time so you can remember them during worry time only.
Give an example for each sense of sensory soothing.
Something for sight, taste, sound, smell, and touch.
What is the part of our brain (the four fingers in the hand model) that helps us to regulate and problem solve?
The prefrontal cortex
What is the part of the brain that acts as the "smoke alarm"?
the amygdala
What is one strategy for the bottom floor?
-gently moving your body (walking, swaying, rocking)
-being with people who feel good to be around
-being with pets
-going for a walk in nature
-letting your “squashed”, stuck or heavy feelings find a way out, even if it’s a little at a time. Writing, drawing, or talking about it are great ways to do this.
What are the steps to get rid of a worry bully?
1. Notice your worry bully
2. Talk back to your worry bully
3. Get busy ignoring your worry bully
4. Turn your worry bully into something funny so it's not so scary.
Name three grounding strategies you learned.
5-4-3-2-1, shape search, rainbow search, opposites, 2-4-6-8-10, reorientation, grounding object, cool sensations, robot ragdoll, palm presses, tapping, be a tree, hand tracing, stomp-stomp-blow
What are the four brain chemicals in D.O.S.E.?
Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins