Healthy coping strategies: video for young people

Learn about different practical coping strategies and how to use them in this video.

Young people will go through a lot of changes during adolescence, and these aren’t always easy to deal with. They may experience intense emotions and find these difficult to manage.

Having tried and tested coping strategies to deal with intense and difficult emotions is an important skill for young people.

In this video, Anna Freud Centre clinician Hannah Woods discusses the importance of healthy coping strategies for mental health.

She then demonstrates three different types of coping strategy:

  • A grounding exercise
  • A breathing exercise
  • A CBT-style reframing thoughts activity

The video also features Sophie, a young person who explains how her chosen coping strategy, visualisation or guided imagery, helps her.

Using this resource

This resource is designed for:

  • use by young people aged 14 and up
  • use by individual young people

Staff could share this video with students to watch in their own time, or could play it to a small group of students during tutor or form time.

Curriculum links

England - RSHE

Mental health and wellbeing

By the end of secondary school pupils should know:

· how to talk about their emotions accurately and sensitively, using appropriate vocabulary

· how to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns.

·  common types of mental ill health (e.g. anxiety and depression)

·  the benefits and importance of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation and voluntary and service-based activities on mental wellbeing and happiness.

Northern Ireland – Learning for Life and Work

Personal Health

KS3 pupils should have opportunity to:

· Investigate the influences on physical and emotional /mental personal health

· Develop understanding about, and strategies to manage, the effects of change on body, mind and behaviour

Key Stage 4 pupils should be enabled to:

· develop an understanding of how to maximise and sustain their own health and well-being

·  reflect on, and respond to, their developing concept of self, including managing emotions and reactions to on-going life experiences

Scotland – Health and Wellbeing

Mental and emotional wellbeing

· I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available.

· I am learning skills and strategies which will support me in challenging times, particularly in relation to change and loss.

Wales - Health and Wellbeing

Progression step 4:

I can identify different strategies to self-regulate my emotions in response to a range of experiences.

Progression step 5:

I can use my self-awareness to appreciate the complexity of my emotions and apply strategies to self-regulate them in a healthy way and to connect with others.

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