Social-Emotional Functioning

Identify and manage emotions:

• Try mindfulness exercises to notice emotions as they happen.

• Keep a journal to write down and think about feelings and what triggers them.

• Learn techniques like deep breathing or muscle relaxation to handle strong emotions.

Recognize sources of stress and cope with challenges:

• Learn ways to reduce stress, like exercise or meditation. 

• Keep a journal to track stress and find ways to handle it. 

• Break problems into smaller steps and make plans to solve them. 

Develop relationship and communication skills:

• Practice listening closely and summarizing what others say. 

• Learn to give and receive feedback in a respectful and helpful way. 

• Practice social skills to improve communication. 

• Develop ways to handle conflicts calmly and effectively. 

• Learn about different cultures to better understand and respect diversity. 

• Practice including and respecting everyone, regardless of their background. 

Acknowledge the issue:

• Accept that you’re having trouble and that it’s okay to ask for help.

• Think about what you’re feeling and why it might be happening.

Practice self-care and develop coping strategies:

• Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep to stay healthy.

• Use methods like deep breathing or meditation to help reduce stress.

• Use mindfulness practices to be more present and aware of feelings to help manage them better.

• Find ways to handle stress, like doing relaxing activities.

Develop a positive and patient mindset:

• Focus on the good things in life and use positive self-talk.

• Understand that it takes time to improve and it’s okay to have ups and downs.

Set realistic goals:

• Break big goals into smaller, manageable tasks.

• Recognize and celebrate successes, even the small ones.

Seek support:

• Share feelings with friends, family, or other trusted person.

• Work on talking about feelings clearly and listening to others.

• Join support groups or activities.

• Consider talking to a professional for expert advice.

Reflect and adjust:

• Check how things are going and if strategies are working.

• Be open to changing the approach if something isn’t working.