Coping Menus for Teens (13–17)
Practical tools for different moments, needs, and energy levels
Living with FND can mean dealing with symptoms, stress, school, relationships, changing plans, and days that do not always go the way you expected.
Coping menus give you different options to try depending on what you need in the moment. Some may help you feel more settled or grounded. Others may give you something to focus on, help you use your energy, offer comfort, or simply help you get through a difficult moment.
You do not have to use every strategy, and not every strategy will work for everyone.
You choose what feels right for you.
There is no right or wrong way to use these menus.
You can:
- Choose one activity that feels manageable
- Try a few different options
- Stop if something does not feel helpful
- Come back to a menu another day
- Use different menus at different times
- Ask someone you trust to look through the options with you
What helps can change from day to day. Something that works well today might not be what you need tomorrow, and that is okay.
The goal is not to complete the menu. It is to have choices available when you need them.
Severe Sensory Reset
Options for times when everything feels like too much and you need to reduce sensory input and settle.
Movement
Gentle ways to use movement, when movement feels safe and manageable for you.
Problem-Solving & Planning
Simple ways to sort through what is happening, organize your thoughts, and decide what to do next.
Quiet Focus
Low-pressure activities that give your mind something steady or calming to focus on.
Heavy Regulation
Activities that use safe pressure, resistance, or body-based input to help you feel more grounded and settled.
Distraction
Things you can do when you need a break from focusing on symptoms, stress, or difficult thoughts and feelings.
Deep Grounding
Ways to reconnect with the present moment and notice what is around you.
Motivation & Strength
Small ways to recognize your strengths, build yourself up, find encouragement, and keep going when things feel difficult.
Comfort & Serenity
Gentle options for creating a little more comfort, calm, or ease around you.
Evening Calm
Low-key activities for slowing things down and creating a calmer transition toward rest.
High Energy Reset
Options for times when you have restless energy and want a safe way to use or redirect it.
Emotional Support
Ways to acknowledge what you are feeling, express what you need, or connect with someone you trust.
These coping menus are designed to give teens choices, not another list of things they are expected to do.
You can support your teen by looking through the menus together if they would like your help, making activities or supplies accessible, and giving them room to decide which strategies feel useful.
A strategy that helps one teen may not help another, and what works for the same teen can change depending on the day, their symptoms, their energy, and what is happening around them.
Listening, offering choices, and respecting when something is not helping can be just as important as finding something that does.
A Note About These Resources
HHFFND Coping Menus are supportive resources designed to offer practical options for coping with difficult moments. They are not medical treatment and are not a replacement for individualized advice or care from a qualified healthcare professional.
If an activity causes pain, makes symptoms significantly worse, feels unsafe, or does not feel right for you, stop the activity.
New, severe, or concerning symptoms should not automatically be assumed to be FND. Tell a trusted adult and seek appropriate medical care when needed.
One thing to remember
You do not have to handle everything perfectly. Sometimes choosing one small thing that feels manageable right now is enough.