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Emotion Regulation Toolbox

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Lesson Plan

Building My Toolbox

Guide a 7th-grade student through identifying their big feelings, exploring coping strategies, and creating a personalized “toolbox” of self-management techniques to boost resilience.

Helping students learn concrete emotion regulation skills supports self-management and resilience, reducing stress and improving focus in and out of school.

Audience

7th Grade Student

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Structured reflection, strategy exploration, and personalization.

Materials

Coping Strategies Menu Worksheet, Notebook or Journal, and Pen or Pencil

Prep

Gather Materials

5 minutes

  • Print one copy of Coping Strategies Menu Worksheet.
  • Locate any previous emotion or stress reflections from the student.
  • Set up a quiet, comfortable one-on-one meeting space.
  • Have a notebook or journal and a pen or pencil ready.

Step 1

Introduction & Goal Setting

2 minutes

  • Greet the student and explain that today’s session will focus on building a personal toolbox of coping strategies.
  • Briefly review the purpose of self-management in the CASEL framework: recognizing feelings and choosing healthy responses.
  • Set the goal: by the end of 20 minutes, the student will have at least three strategies they can use when they feel overwhelmed.

Step 2

Identify & Label Feelings

5 minutes

  • Ask the student to recall a recent moment when they felt strong emotions (e.g., anxious, angry, overwhelmed).
  • Guide them to describe the situation and name the feeling(s).
  • Use probing questions: “What did you notice in your body?” “What triggered that feeling?”
  • Write the feeling name and brief description in their notebook.

Step 3

Explore Coping Strategies

7 minutes

  • Hand the student the Coping Strategies Menu Worksheet.
  • Review each category of strategies (physical, cognitive, social, creative).
  • Encourage the student to mark any strategies they’ve tried before and circle ones that sound promising.
  • Discuss briefly how each circled strategy might help with their identified feeling.

Step 4

Personalize the Toolbox

5 minutes

  • On a fresh page in their notebook, have the student list 3–5 strategies they feel most comfortable using.
  • For each strategy, ask: “How will you know it’s working?” and “When will you use it?”
  • Prompt them to add a simple reminder cue (e.g., “Take three deep breaths when my chest feels tight”).
  • Title this page: “My Emotion Regulation Toolbox.”

Step 5

Reflect & Next Steps

1 minute

  • Ask the student to reflect: “Which strategy will you try first, and when?”
  • Encourage them to practice using at least one strategy before your next meeting.
  • Congratulate the student on creating their toolbox and reinforce confidence in their self-management skills.
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Worksheet

Coping Strategies Menu

Use this menu to explore different ways to manage big feelings. For each strategy:

  • Mark a ✔ under Tried if you’ve used it before.
  • Circle the ones you’d like to try next.

Physical Strategies (Use your body to calm or energize yourself)

• Deep breathing exercises  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Progressive muscle relaxation  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Stretching or yoga poses  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Taking a short walk or jog  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Counting slowly to 10  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

Cognitive Strategies (Change how you think about the situation)

• Positive self-talk (e.g., “I can handle this.”)  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Visualization (picture a calm place)  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Reframing negative thoughts  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Setting a tiny, doable goal  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Counting strengths or past wins  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

Social Strategies (Reach out and connect)

• Talk with a friend or family member  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Ask a teacher or counselor for support  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Join a club or group activity  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Play or cuddle with a pet (or stuffed animal)  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Share how I feel using “I” statements  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

Creative Strategies (Express yourself through art or play)

• Drawing or doodling what I feel  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Writing in a journal or poem  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Listening to or making music  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Singing or humming a tune  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

• Building or crafting with hands  [Tried ☐] Try ☐

Reflection & Next Steps

  1. Which strategies did you circle as most promising? List three below:






    a. ____________________________________________________________



    b. ____________________________________________________________



    c. ____________________________________________________________


  2. How will you know each strategy is working? (What will you notice?):





  3. When and where will you try your first strategy? (Be specific):





  4. Any other ideas or reminders for yourself:










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