Coping Skills

Coping Strategies

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Five Things – This is an excellent activity to help with anxiety. If you feel overwhelmed, or perhaps an anxiety attack is coming on, focus your thoughts on your five senses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Come Back – This is a very simple little mantra to keep with you always. If you catch yourself worrying, either about the past or future, if you’re stuck in a moment of embarrassment, or sadness, or panic, kindly say to yourself ‘Come Back’.

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Squared breathing – This another little strategy that help you focus your breathing. Note the square below and simply follow the instructions. You could hang this square in your locker and keep it tucked in your school books.

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Jar of Humour/Hope/Happiness – Start writing down funny, adorable, hopeful, inspiring or awesome things that happen to you, your friends or random strangers and keep them in a jar. Whenever you are feeling low, or in a bad place, open the jar and revisit some of the brighter things that happen in the world.

 

Other simple coping strategies:

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• Pop, stomp, dance or jump onto bubble wrap

• Scream into a pillow

• Write down good and funny things that happen to you

• Music! Find your jam and blast it loud

• Keep a journal or diary

• Look up funny videos on the internet

 

Coping Strategies to Avoid:

• Self-Harm

• Ignoring or storing hurt feelings

• Substance abuse including excessive alcohol, illegal drugs, sedatives and stimulants

• Over-working

• Avoiding problems altogether

• Denial

 

These actions offer only temporary relief, if any, from stress. Ignoring, avoiding or covering up how you feel does not solve the problem and in fact prolongs the feelings of stress and discomfort. The next time the situation arises, you will still have no way of dealing with it.

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