Learn how stress and anxiety affect the mind and body, and practice choosing healthy coping strategies for common teen situations.
Read each problem carefully. Write complete answers and use examples when asked.
Understanding stress responses and healthy coping skills
Psychology - Grade 6-8
- 1
Define stress in your own words. Then give one example of a situation that might cause stress for a middle school student.
- 2
List three physical signs that someone might be feeling stressed or anxious.
- 3
Explain the difference between helpful stress and harmful stress.
- 4
A student has a presentation tomorrow and thinks, "Everyone will laugh at me if I make one mistake." Identify this as a worried thought, balanced thought, or coping action. Then rewrite it as a more balanced thought.
- 5
Choose two healthy coping strategies from this list and explain how each could help with stress: deep breathing, talking to a trusted adult, exercising, avoiding the problem, getting enough sleep.
- 6
Describe how deep breathing can help the nervous system during a stressful moment.
- 7
Read the situation: Jordan has soccer practice, homework, and a family chore all in one evening. Jordan feels overwhelmed. Write a simple coping plan with two steps Jordan could try.
- 8
What is one way social media can increase stress for teens, and what is one healthy boundary that could reduce that stress?
- 9
Use the thought, feeling, action triangle. A teen thinks, "I am going to fail this quiz." Name one possible feeling and one possible action that could follow from that thought.
- 10
Explain why talking to a trusted person can be a healthy coping strategy. Name two trusted people a teen might talk to.
- 11
Create a personal coping toolbox by listing four healthy coping strategies a teen could use during a stressful week.
- 12
A friend says they feel anxious almost every day and it is hard for them to sleep or focus in class. Write a supportive response that encourages them to get help from a trusted adult.