Day 2: Tools that work
Evidence-based ways to calm your body, steady your thoughts and look after your basics.
Today's goal
By the end of today you can use at least six practical tools, and you have a sleep plan and a screen plan that suit you.
Agenda
- Warm-upMood check and safety reminder10 min
- LearnHealthy and unhealthy coping10 min
- ActivityBreathe and move15 min
- ChallengeDesign your sleep plan25 min
- BreakBreak15 min
- ActivityCatch it, check it, change it25 min
- Case studyProblem-solving clinic20 min
- ActivitySelf-compassion break15 min
- ChallengeScreen and social media audit20 min
- LearnThe NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing10 min
- ReflectMy toolkit8 min
- QuizDay 2 quiz7 min
The session
Mood check and safety reminder
Start where you are, then remind yourself where help is.
- Look at your overnight mood notes. Which colours came up?
- Place yourself on the Mood Meter right now with one precise word.
- Re-read the help numbers: 999, 998, 800-SAKINA (800 725462), Itma'en 800506, a trusted adult, your school counsellor.
Solo
Write your colour and word in your journal.
Group
Each person holds up a coloured pen for their quadrant, no explanation needed. Pass is fine.
Related lessons: Naming your emotions
Healthy and unhealthy coping
Some ways of coping help in the moment and over time; others help briefly but make things worse later.
- Helpful coping includes talking to someone, moving your body, breathing exercises, planning ahead, setting small goals and focusing on what you can influence. These are all on the NHS stress page.
- The NHS warns against using alcohol, smoking, gambling or drugs to cope, as these can make mental health worse.
- Endless scrolling, avoiding everyone or skipping sleep can feel like relief but often keep stress going.
- No single tool works for everyone. Today you test several and keep the ones that fit you.
Related lessons: Healthy coping versus unhealthy coping, Building resilience, Calming strong emotions in the moment
Breathe and move
Two tools you can use anywhere: slow belly breathing and a short burst of movement.
- Sit with your back supported and feet flat, about hip-width apart.
- Following the NHS breathing exercise: breathe into your belly only as far as is comfortable, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- Breathe in gently, counting 1 to 5 if it helps, then breathe out gently, counting 1 to 5 again. Keep going for at least 5 minutes. The NHS says practising regularly gives the most benefit.
- Stand up and do 5 minutes of gentle movement: march on the spot, shoulder rolls, arm circles, stretches. Stay within your comfort and space.
- Rate your tension from 0 to 10 before and after.
- Note: the NHS recommends young people aged 5 to 18 average at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week.
Solo
Use a timer. Try it again before bed tonight.
Group
The facilitator counts the breaths aloud. Everyone moves in their own space with no contact; anyone can stay seated and do arm and neck stretches.
Related lessons: Calming strong emotions in the moment, Mindfulness and quiet time, Why Moving Matters When You Leave Home, A Beginner Bodyweight Workout for Your Room, Stretching and Mobility for Desk-Bound Students
Design your sleep plan
Sleep affects mood, focus and coping. Build a realistic plan for the next two weeks.
- Write your current bedtime and wake time on school days and weekends. How big is the gap?
- Read the NHS tips: keep regular sleep and wake times, wind down and avoid screens for an hour before bed, write down worries and tomorrow's to-do list, avoid large meals and caffeine late, keep the room quiet, dark and cool, and if you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, such as reading, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
- The American Psychological Association advises teens to get at least eight hours of sleep and keep consistent sleep and wake times, and links technology use in the hour before bed to disrupted sleep.
- Choose a target bedtime and wake time, within one hour of each other on weekdays and weekends.
- Write your 30 to 60 minute wind-down routine step by step, including where your phone will charge.
- Name one obstacle (late homework, family evenings, Ramadan timings) and your plan for it.
Solo
Write the plan and show it to someone at home who can support it, such as agreeing a charging spot outside your room.
Group
In pairs, swap plans and ask one question each: "What could get in the way?" Revise with your partner's idea if it helps.
Related lessons: Daily habits for wellbeing, Living a balanced life
Break
Water, a snack and a change of scene.
- Stand up and stretch.
- Try three slow breaths before you sit back down.
Catch it, check it, change it
A self-help CBT technique from NHS Every Mind Matters for unhelpful thoughts that spiral.
- Learn the common unhelpful patterns the NHS names: expecting the worst, focusing only on the negatives, all-or-nothing thinking and blaming yourself for everything.
- Catch it: write a recent thought that upset you, such as "I will fail every exam".
- Check it: How likely is it really? What is the evidence for and against? What else could explain the situation? What would you say to a friend who thought this?
- Change it: write a more balanced thought that fits the evidence, such as "I am behind in maths, but I passed the last two tests and can ask for help".
- Remember the NHS point: you will not always change a thought, and that is fine. Practising still helps you think more flexibly and break a spiral.
Solo
Do three thoughts in your journal. Keep them private.
Group
The facilitator gives three made-up thoughts ("No one wants me at the party", "I am useless at everything", "If I do not get an A, my future is ruined"). Small groups practise on these, not on personal thoughts. Personal ones go in private journals.
Related lessons: Self-compassion, criticism and failure, Perfectionism and the emotional side of procrastination, Building resilience
Problem-solving clinic
Some worries can be solved; some cannot. The NHS problem-solving approach helps you tell the difference and act.
- Sort worries into problems you can act on and hypothetical worries you cannot change.
- For a solvable problem, brainstorm openly for a few minutes, then weigh each idea's pros, cons and what it needs.
- Make a plan: choose one solution, list the actions, who can help, how long it takes and when you start.
- For hypothetical worries, try "worry time": a short fixed slot, such as 10 to 15 minutes in the evening, to write them down, and postpone worries to that slot.
- Review afterwards: what worked, and what will you try next?
- Case A (Dubai): Layla, 16, has three deadlines and a family wedding in the same week. She is sleeping five hours a night.
- Case B (London): Omar, 18, has just started university, knows no one and has stopped going to lectures.
- Case C (Riyadh): Sara, 15, keeps worrying that something bad might happen to her family, with no specific reason.
Solo
Apply the steps to one case, then to one real problem of your own in your journal.
Group
Groups of three take one case each, produce a written plan using the steps, and share it in 2 minutes. For Case C, discuss worry time and when to talk to an adult.
Related lessons: Exam and academic stress, Handling big changes: moving away, starting university and homesickness, When and how to ask for help, Anxiety: what is normal and when to get help
Self-compassion break
Being kind to yourself after a setback is not weakness. It helps you recover and try again.
- Kristin Neff describes three elements of self-compassion: self-kindness rather than harsh self-judgement, common humanity rather than feeling alone, and mindfulness rather than over-identifying with painful feelings.
- Think of a small recent setback (not a big or painful event).
- Mindfulness: write one sentence naming the feeling, such as "This is disappointment".
- Common humanity: write "Other people feel this too" in your own words.
- Self-kindness: write what you would say to a close friend in the same situation, then say it to yourself.
Solo
Write privately and read your kind sentence aloud quietly.
Group
Everyone writes privately. The facilitator invites volunteers to share only the kind sentence, never the setback.
Related lessons: Self-compassion, criticism and failure, Building real confidence and self-esteem
Screen and social media audit
Look at your real data, not your guess, then choose changes that serve you.
- Open your phone's screen time settings. Write your daily average and your top three apps.
- For each top app, mark how you usually feel after using it: better, same or worse.
- The APA advises that social media should not cut into sleep or physical activity, and that teens limit using it to compare themselves with others, especially about appearance.
- The APA also notes that using social features for support and connection can help, especially for young people who feel isolated.
- Choose two changes, such as muting accounts that leave you feeling worse, turning off notifications for one app, or no phone in the first 30 minutes after waking.
- Write your changes as "I will ... when ..." sentences.
Solo
Do the audit honestly. Share your two changes with someone at home if you want support.
Group
Students keep their numbers private. In pairs, share only the two changes you chose, if you wish.
Related lessons: Social media, screens and wellbeing, Online and in-person connection: getting the balance right, Phones, chats and social media
The NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing
A simple, sourced framework you can use to check your week.
- 1 Connect with other people, and do not rely on texting or social media alone.
- 2 Be physically active, choosing activities you enjoy.
- 3 Learn new skills, such as cooking a new dish or a new hobby.
- 4 Give to others, such as thanking someone, really listening or volunteering.
- 5 Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness): notice your thoughts, feelings, body and surroundings.
- Score each step for this week from 0 to 2 and pick the weakest for tomorrow.
Related lessons: Looking after your mind for the long term, Living a balanced life, Volunteering and service in the UAE
My toolkit
Decide which tools you will keep.
- List every tool you tried today and rate each from 1 to 5 for how useful it felt.
- Star your top three for your Wellbeing Plan tomorrow.
- Answer the journal prompts.
Solo
Write quietly.
Group
Silent writing. The facilitator reminds everyone of the help numbers and is available for private chats.
Related lessons: Reflection and journaling
Day 2 quiz
Five questions on today's tools.
- Answer alone, then read the explanations.
Block timer
Your journal
Private, saved on this device only. Your answers stay in this browser. They are never sent to us, even when you are signed in.
Day 2 quiz
Score 80% or more to complete Day 2.
1. In the NHS breathing exercise for stress, how long should you keep going?
2. What does the NHS suggest if you are still awake about 20 minutes after going to bed?
3. In 'catch it, check it, change it', what happens at the 'check it' stage?
4. Which is one of Kristin Neff's three elements of self-compassion?
5. Which is one of the NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing?
Overnight challenge
Follow your sleep plan tonight and use one tool from today at least once before Day 3. Note what happened in your journal.
Sources
- NHS: Breathing exercises for stress
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people
- NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
- American Psychological Association: Health advisory on social media use in adolescence
- NHS Every Mind Matters: Reframing unhelpful thoughts
- NHS Every Mind Matters: Problem solving
- Self-Compassion.org (Kristin Neff): What is self-compassion?
- NHS: 5 steps to mental wellbeing