Coping Skills are methods a person uses to deal with stressful situations. Learning and maintaining good coping skills takes practice, but it gets easier over time.
Distraction
- Upside: Gives your heart & mind a break, great for short-term relief and for getting through a crisis.
- Downside: Can’t do it for too long, doesn’t resolve underlying issues.
- Examples include: Cleaning, reading, watching TV, arts & crafts, playing games.
Grounding
- Upside: Helps to slow breathing or stop "dissociation" (feeling numb, floaty)
- Downside: Sometimes it’s okay to dissociate (that’s how your mind protects you)
- Examples include: Doing yoga, meditating, walking on grass barefoot, playing with kinetic sand
Emotional Release
- Upside: Great for anger and fear, releases the pressure of overwhelming emotion.
- Downside: Hard to do in every situation, must be selective with how and where you do this.
- Examples include: Letting yourself cry or laugh, boxing, dancing, exercise, popping bubble wrap.
Access your Higher Self
- Upside: Reminds us that everyone has value and that purpose can be found in small and large things.
- Downside: Don’t get stuck trying to help everyone else and forget about yourself!
- Examples include: Smiling at strangers, praying, volunteering, joining a cause.
Self Love
- Upside: Become your own best friend and your own supporter, great for guilt or shame, you deserve it!
- Downside: Sometimes it can feel really hard to do or feel superficial.
- Examples include: Massaging your hands, cooking a special meal, napping, treating yourself.
Thought Challenge
- Upside: Can help to shift long-term negative thinking habits.
- Downside: This is harder to do when you feel more emotional, feelings of shame can make this very difficult.
- Examples include: Writing negative thoughts & listing reasons they may not be true.