Enrichment · Wellbeing

A deck of ways to
feel steady again.

Choose an age, the kinds of strategies and where they will be used, and get a deck of coping cards with plain steps and what each is good for. Practice them on a calm day so they are ready on a hard one.

Make a coping deckWhat you get

Make a deck of coping cards

The worked example is made up: a grade 4 calm corner deck and a high school pocket deck. Star what works, mark what you have tried.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A printed or on-screen deck of 8, 12 or 20 coping strategies for one person or one room, each with steps and what it is good for, with the ones that work starred and a short note on when to use them.
Who it is for
Students from kindergarten to grade 12, families, teachers setting up a calm corner, school counselors, and adults who want a personal list.
Format
Browser card generator with saved decks and a practice timer. Prints the cards to cut out or as a list; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Choose the age, the kinds of strategies and where they will be used.
  2. Swap any card that will not work in your setting.
  3. Practice one card a day while calm, with the timer.
  4. Star the ones that help and mark the ones you tried.
  5. Print the starred cards for a calm corner, a desk or a wallet.

Make a coping deck

What coping skills can and cannot do

Six kinds of coping, one card eachKindA card from the pageTakesCalm my bodySlow breathing, longer out1 minuteMoveWall push-ups1 minuteUse my senses5, 4, 3, 2, 12 minutesThink it throughHow big is it?2 minutesReach outTell a trusted adultAs long as it takesMake somethingDraw it out5 minutesSix kinds of coping, one card eachCalm my bodyA card from the page: Slow breathing, longer outTakes: 1 minuteMoveA card from the page: Wall push-upsTakes: 1 minuteUse my sensesA card from the page: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1Takes: 2 minutesThink it throughA card from the page: How big is it?Takes: 2 minutesReach outA card from the page: Tell a trusted adultTakes: As long as it takesMake somethingA card from the page: Draw it outTakes: 5 minutes
Drawn for this page. A deck with several kinds gives you something for any place and any feeling.

Many ways, not one

Research on children and teens links active ways of coping (problem solving, reframing a thought, calming the body, asking for support) with fewer emotional and behavior problems, and links avoiding or bottling up feelings with more. Having several strategies lets you pick one that fits the moment.

Practice before you need it

A strategy is hardest to use in the middle of a big feeling. Teachers and families who practice cards on calm days, a minute at a time, make them easier to reach for later.

When it is more than stress

If hard feelings last for weeks, get in the way of school or sleep, or include thoughts of self-harm, a coping card is not enough. Tell a parent, teacher, school counselor or doctor. In a crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.

Sources

  1. Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., et al. (2017). [Meta-analysis of 212 studies of coping, emotion regulation and symptoms in children and adolescents.] Psychological Bulletin, 143(9), 939 to 991. doi:10.1037/bul0000110
  2. Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). [Meta-analysis of six emotion-regulation strategies across 114 studies.] Clin. Psychol. Rev., 30(2), 217 to 237. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004
  3. Lieberman, M. D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421 to 428. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
  4. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Strategies were written for this page; the example decks are made up. Coping cards support everyday stress; they are not a diagnosis, treatment or a safety plan. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.