20 Coping Skills Finger tracing activity

Write a letter and throw it away Place your finger on the "begin here" sign.
Call, text or hang out with a friend Take a moment to trace around the
Clean or organise shape whilst breathing deeply.
Write in your journal
Practice a breathing technique
Listen to music
Watch your favourite TV show
Read
Draw, color or create
Take a snack break
Laugh until you are really laughing
Go for a walk
Try a brain teaser
Think positive thoughts
Squeeze and release objects
Touch things with different textures
Stack objects
Take a water break
Play a game
Ask for a hug

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Rainbow Grounding Technique Curl your toes tightly for 10 seconds and then release
for 5 seconds.
Start by taking a deep breath in. Look around Curl or flex your feet your feet to stiffen your calves
the room and see how many colors of the for 10 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds.
rainbow you can find.
Squeeze your thighs together for 10 seconds and
then release for 5 seconds. Feel your body relax.

Suck in your abdomen for 10 seconds and then

release the tension and let it fall.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together for 10

seconds and then release and drop your shoulders.

Lift and squeeze your shoulders to your ears for 10

seconds and then release and relax.

Make a fist with your hands and bring your arms close
to your chest for 10 seconds. Release and relax.

Make a fist with your hands by curling your fingers

into your palms for 10 seconds. Release and relax.

Find all the colors? How long did it take? Scrunch up your whole face for 10 seconds. Release
Try again, this time find the colors in order and relax your whole body for 5 seconds.
from front to back then back to front.
End off by squeezing all your muscles in your body
together tightly for 10 seconds. Release and relax.
 Gratitude Reflection Find your Name
Name one thing you're grateful for under the
suggestions below
Start by taking a deep breath in through
1 Something that happened today your nose and breathe out slowly
through your mouth.
2 A possession you own
Now take your time looking around the
3 A relationship you have
room. Try to find objects that begin with
the first letter of your name. Continue this
4 A quality you're proud of
exercise until you have found objects
5 A strength of yours that begin with all the letters in your
name.
6 A place you have visited
Once you have found your name move
7 Something in nature onto your middle name and surname.

8 An experience you've had

9 Food you have eaten

10 A bodily function

Challenging a Negative Thought

Finger tracing activity
Am I making assumptions?
Place your finger on the "begin here" sign.
Take a moment to trace around the
Is there another way to look at this shape whilst breathing deeply
situation?

What other outcomes are also a

possibility?

Is there evidence for this worry?

What advice would you give a friend in

experiencing a similar situation?

Is this worry in or out of your control?

 Categories Draw your Emotions
Pretend you have an imaginary cup in
Can you think of 3 different things or
front of you. Visualize yourself slowly
names for each of the categories blow?
taking the every emotions out of your
body and putting them into this cup.
School Supplies
Every worry, memory, feeling that is on
Sports your mind and in your heart, image it all
Board Games
stored in the cup
TV Shows

Farm Animals Now image your feelings as words,

Ocean Animals Countries colors, shapes and designs. If you had to
tip this cup over onto a blank piece of
Celebrities paper, what would your sheet look like?
Song Titles Draw what you imagine it would look like.
Languages
Things that fly

Thinga that float

Books

Bubble Visualization
Take a deep breath in. As you blow out
through your mouth imagine that you are
blowing bubbles. With each bubble that
passes imagine that you are trapping all
your worries in the bubble. Watch as the
bubbles float away, taking each worry
further and further away, until you can no
longer see it.
 Calming Affirmations Tips for journalling
I can overcome this your emotions
Worries are just visitors Find a quiet and relaxing place to
1 write
This feeling won't last forever
There are no rules for writing down
2 your emotions, find what works for you
I am safe in my body and mind

I love and accept all my feelings You don't need to be a good writer,
3
journal everyday or write for hours
I will be gentle and kind to myself
Welcome all your thoughts with
4 compassion and understanding
With every new breath I feel calm
Be open to rewriting new
I can tackle this one step at a time
5 perspectives or how you
This might be hard but I can handle this understand the past

If it starts to feel like a chore, take a

This feeling is uncomfortable but natural 6 break or remember why you
started
I choose not to believe every negative thought

The way you respond and react

The way you behave How you deal

Your opinions with your emotions

Things I can control

Asking for help Telling others
Your beliefs what you need
How you take care of yourself
How you speak to yourself

Other peoples feelings

The future
How others react
Peoples opinions
How others behave
Things I can't control
The past What happens
The weather around you
What others think about me
Questions to ask myself
What can I control? Grounding Exercise
Close your eyes, take a deep breath
Am I safe right now? in and relax your body. Open your
eyes and try to:
How have I successfully dealt with this
before? Name
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
Who might be able to help me with this?
Name

3 hear
Where in my body do I feel this feeling?
Name things you can

Name 2 smell
What is the best that can happen?
things you can

Will anything change if I worry about this?

Name 1 thing you can taste
What is one small step I can take right
now to make myself feel better?

Hot Chocolate Breathing

Close your eyes and pretend you have a
big cup of hot cocoa in your hands.

Bring the cup close to your nose and

breathe in the delicious smell of the hot
cocoa.

As you breathe out imagine that you are

slowly cooling down your hot cocoa. Be
careful not to blow away the melted
marshmallows.
THANK YOU
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