Interactive worksheet to identify and categorize positive and negative coping skills.

This image is an educational worksheet titled "Positive & Negative Coping Skills" designed to help individuals identify and distinguish between healthy (positive) and unhealthy (negative) ways of managing emotions or stressful situations.

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🔍 Instructions on the Worksheet:

- Use green to color in positive coping skills.
- Use red to color in negative coping skills.
- A positive coping skill helps you feel better without harming yourself or others.
- A negative coping skill involves harmful behaviors toward oneself or others.

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✔ Step-by-Step Analysis of Each Skill:

Let’s go through each oval and determine whether it's a positive or negative coping skill:

#### 🟩 Positive Coping Skills (Green):
These are healthy, constructive ways to manage emotions.

1. Talk to a parent or a sibling about my feelings
→ Healthy communication; seeking support. ✔

2. Write my thoughts and feelings down in a journal
→ Expressive writing helps process emotions. ✔

3. Count to ten slowly
→ Helps calm down and regain control. ✔

4. Remove myself from the situation
→ Taking space to cool down. ✔

5. Find something to distract me
→ Shifts focus away from stressors (e.g., listening to music). ✔

6. Try to have positive thoughts about the situation
→ Cognitive reframing; promotes resilience. ✔

7. Share my feelings with the other person
→ Open, respectful communication. ✔

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#### ✘ Negative Coping Skills (Red):
These involve harm to self or others and are unproductive.

1. Use my words to hurt other people’s feelings
→ Hurtful language damages relationships. ✘

2. Throw objects, punch walls, or slam doors
→ Damages property and can escalate conflict. ✘

3. Name-call and insult other people
→ Verbal aggression harms others. ✘

4. Use my body to hurt others
→ Physical aggression is dangerous. ✘

5. Use bad words/cuss, yell, and scream
→ Aggressive behavior that escalates tension. ✘

6. Make threats to scare others
→ Intimidation creates fear and insecurity. ✘

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💡 Additional Questions at the Bottom:

> "Which of these coping skills do you use? What are some other positive ones that you can name?"

Suggested Answers:
- Skills I might use: Talking to someone, counting to ten, writing in a journal.
- Other positive coping skills:
- Take deep breaths
- Listen to calming music
- Go for a walk
- Practice mindfulness or meditation
- Draw or create art
- Hug a pet or loved one
- Use “I” statements instead of blaming others

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✔ Final Summary:

| Skill | Color | Reason |
|------|-------|--------|
| Talk to a parent/sibling | 🟩 Green | Healthy communication |
| Write in journal | 🟩 Green | Emotional expression |
| Count to ten | 🟩 Green | Calming technique |
| Remove myself | 🟩 Green | Self-regulation |
| Find distraction | 🟩 Green | Redirects focus |
| Positive thoughts | 🟩 Green | Cognitive health |
| Share feelings | 🟩 Green | Open dialogue |
| Use words to hurt | ✘ Red | Harmful to others |
| Throw objects/punch walls | ✘ Red | Destructive behavior |
| Name-call/insult | ✘ Red | Bullying |
| Use body to hurt others | ✘ Red | Violence |
| Cuss/yell/scream | ✘ Red | Aggression |
| Make threats | ✘ Red | Intimidation |

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🎯 Teaching Goal:

This activity helps children and teens develop emotional regulation, self-awareness, and social-emotional learning (SEL) by identifying how their actions affect themselves and others.

By coloring the skills appropriately, they learn to recognize healthy vs. unhealthy responses and begin building better emotional tools.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or a classroom discussion guide!