Coping
When feeling stressed, anxious, or upset, it is important to use coping skills. Coping skills are tasks made to help lighten these negative emotions by regulating your nervous system. While this page explores many different coping mechanisms, there are so many more you can learn about!
Physical and Sensory Tools
Movement
Physical release of emotion through movement is a great way of coping. Walking, stretching, dancing, playing sports, or doing jumping jacks are all very effective forms of physical coping.
3-3-3 Rule
The 3-3-3 Rule helps calm your brain and prevent racing thoughts. Simply name 3 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, and move 3 different body parts.
Cognitive Reframing Skills
Positive Self-Talk
When we are feeling down, it is easy to engage in negative self-talk.
This is when you say things to yourself like "I can't do this" or "I'm not good enough".
The first step towards feeling better is swapping these thoughts for positive ones.
Think: "I can do hard things"; "I am strong"; "I am resilient"
Circle of Control
It is also important to consider our circumstances when we are feeling upset.
By looking at what we can or cannot control, we can figure out how to move on from our negative emotions.
On a piece of paper, draw a circle. Inside the circle, put things that you can control. Outside the circle, put things that are out of your control.
Expression
Creative Outlets
Exploring creative outlets is a great way of expressing yourself and/or your feelings.
Some examples of this are drawing, painting, or coloring.
Engaging in these activities can serve as a calm distraction for your mind, while also giving you a place to express your emotions.
Journaling
Journaling is one of the best ways to deal with your thoughts and emotions. Journaling is a form of reflective writing, or writing about yourself and your feelings. Here are some popular forms of journaling:
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Daily Check-In: Set aside time each day to think about your emotions, and why you might feel that way.
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Brain Dump: Take a piece of paper and write any thoughts you might have. It is very freeing to be able to physically write down your thoughts.
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Directed Prompts: Respond to prompts that encourage you to self-reflect.
