My Coping Toolbox!

Sometimes we feel sad, worried, or even a little angry. It's okay to feel these emotions! What's important is knowing healthy ways to help ourselves feel better.

Think about all the coping skills we talked about today. What helps you feel calm, happy, or simply more in control when you're having tough feelings? Draw or write your favorite coping skills in your toolbox below!

Remember, your toolbox is unique to you! Fill it with what works best for you.

My Coping Toolbox

Draw your toolbox here and fill it with your coping skills! (You can draw pictures or write words.)

Bonus Question: Which coping skill are you most excited to try this week?

Healthy Coping Strategies

When we feel sad, worried, or even angry, it's like our body is telling us something. These feelings are normal, and everyone experiences them. The good news is that there are many healthy ways to help ourselves feel better!

Here are some ideas for your own coping toolbox:

1. Breathe Deeply

One of the fastest ways to calm your body is to take deep breaths. When you breathe deeply, it helps your body relax. Try belly breathing: put one hand on your chest and one hand on your tummy. Breathe in slowly through your nose, feeling your tummy rise. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, feeling your tummy fall. Do this a few times until you feel a little calmer.

2. Talk About It

Sharing your feelings with a trusted adult can make a big difference. This could be a parent, teacher, counselor, or another family member. Sometimes just saying what's on your mind can make you feel lighter. They can also offer advice or just listen.

3. Move Your Body

Physical activity is a great way to release strong emotions. When you're feeling sad or stressed, try:

• Running or playing outside
• Dancing to your favorite music
• Stretching or doing some gentle yoga
• Riding your bike

Movement helps your body use up energy from strong feelings and can boost your mood.

4. Get Creative

Expressing yourself through art can be a wonderful coping skill. You don't have to be an amazing artist! Just try:

• Drawing or coloring
• Painting
• Writing in a journal (like our Journal Prompt: Feeling Better)
• Listening to or playing music

Creativity helps you focus on something else and can let your feelings out in a safe way.

5. Do Something You Enjoy

Sometimes, a simple distraction can help you shift your mood. Think about things that make you happy and try one of them:

• Reading a book
• Playing a favorite game
• Building with LEGOs or blocks
• Spending time with a pet

These activities can give you a break from difficult feelings and remind you of things you love. Remember, it's okay to try different things until you find what works best for you!

Discussion: Understanding Sadness

After reading Sad Isn't Bad by Michaelene Mundy, let's talk about our feelings and what we learned.

Discussion Questions:

1. What did the book teach us about sadness? Is it okay to feel sad?
   
   
   
   

2. Can you remember a time when you felt sad? What was it like?
   
   
   
   

3. What are some of the feelings the characters in the book experienced?
   
   
   
   

4. The book talks about ways to cope. What are some of the ways the characters, or people you know, try to feel better when they are sad? Are these always healthy ways?
   
   
   
   

5. Why is it important to talk about our feelings, even when they are tough ones?
   
   
   
   

Warm Up: How Do You Feel?

Take a moment to check in with yourself. How are you feeling right now? There's no right or wrong answer, and you don't have to share if you don't want to.

Quietly think about:

• What's one feeling you've experienced recently (today, yesterday, this week)?
• How did you handle that feeling?

(Teacher Note: After a moment of reflection, you can invite a few students to share anonymously or generally. Emphasize that all feelings are okay and we're learning healthy ways to manage them.)

Cool Down: My Go-To Coping Skill

Now that we've explored many different coping skills, think about which one you find most helpful or are most likely to use the next time you feel sad or need to cope with a tough feeling.

My Go-To Coping Skill:

Why is this skill helpful for me?

When might I use this skill?

Coping Toolbox Activity

Objective: To identify and illustrate personal coping strategies for managing difficult emotions.

Materials:

• Paper or cardstock
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Coping Skills Worksheet (already provided in the lesson plan)
• Healthy Coping Strategies Reading (for inspiration)

Instructions:

1. Understand Your Toolbox: Just like a builder has a toolbox full of tools for different jobs, you can have a

Journal Prompt: Feeling Better

Sometimes when we feel sad, writing about it can help. This journal is a safe space for your thoughts and feelings.

When I feel sad, I can

Coping Skills Charades

Objective: To reinforce understanding and recognition of healthy coping skills through kinesthetic expression.

Materials:

• Small slips of paper or index cards
• A hat or bowl
• Healthy Coping Strategies Reading (for ideas)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Game Cards: Before class, write down various coping skills on individual slips of paper. You can use ideas from the Healthy Coping Strategies Reading and the discussion. Examples:

   • Take a deep breath
   • Draw a picture
   • Talk to a friend
   • Go for a walk
   • Listen to music
   • Read a book
   • Hug a pet
   • Stretch
   • Write in a journal

2. Explain the Game:

   • Divide the class into two or more teams.
   • Explain that this is a game of