Coping Skills
Coping Skills are strategies to manage stressful or potentially harmful situations.
They can be healthy and positive, or unhealthy and negative. People learn coping skills from influential people in their lives, such as family.
There are 5 main types of coping skills!
Problem focused strategies
Emotion-focused strategies
Meaning making
Social support
Religious coping
Here are some examples of healthy coping skills:
Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness or meditation
Creative Activities: Writing, drawing, painting, coloring or building.
Social Connections: Talking to friends, or spending time with supportive people.
Problem Solving: Taking a proactive approach to finding solutions.
Self-care: Prioritizing self care, setting boundaries, and developing a routine.
Positive Thinking: Practicing positive thinking and gratitude.
Visualization: Using mental imagery to rehearse a stressful task or to use an oasis view of a sanctuary to escape to a safe place.
Lowering Expectations: Lowering expectations and accepting things that canβt be controlled.
Seeking Help: Asking others to help, or contacting a trained therapist, or hotline.
Practice Slow Deep Breathing: In through your nose, out through your mouth
Environmental experience: clean or organize a space, light your favorite candle, drink your favorite tea, watch a comfort movie.
Listen to uplifting or inspirational music
Squeeze or suck on an ice cube
Do a puzzle
Quality time with a loved one
Go outside and listen to nature as you soak up the sunshine and admire the sights and scents of the world
Plant a flower in a pot or garden
Visit an inspirational website
Do a crossword, seek & find or a sudoku puzzle
Slowly sip a glass of cold water
Make friendship bracelets and give one to someone who looks lonely
Rip blank pieces of paper
Attend a rage room
Plan your dream vacation in your mind
Rest- take a nap or go to bed early
Write an inspirational quote or affirmations on your mirror with a dry erase marker or eyeliner on your mirror
Chew gum: try to blow a bubble
Throw rocks into the woods
Pet a cat or dog
Go to the library
Jump up and down or do jump rope
Read a book
Sip a cup of tea or hot chocolate
Go to the movies
Rearrange your room
Sit in the sun and close your eyes
Go to the gym/ exercise, go for a walk
Start a new hobby
Do yoga/ deep stretches
Schedule time for yourself
Take a small road-trip to realign yourself
Cook/bake a new recipe
Play a musical instrument
Use aromatherapy
Squeeze a stress ball
Dunk your face in cold water/ take a cold shower(this resets your nervous system)
Learn a new language
Use an impulse control control log
Write a forgiveness letter
Write a letter sending love to your inner child
Paint your nails
Do squared breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds , hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4 seconds repeat as needed
Be held or cuddle with a trusted person
Journal your emotions or how your day was
Write poetry
Dance to your favorite song
Not all coping skills work for everyone, it will also depend on severity of your needs!
Coping skills are interchangeable and adaptable. The most important things to remember is youβre only human, be graceful with yourself, healing is linear & thereβs always room for improvement! You are loved, youβre not alone π€
