10 Ways to Cope

 

I have been in therapy for three years. In those three years, and the seventeen without it, I have learned many coping skills, healthy and unhealthy. Here are my top 10 favorite healthy coping skills.

    Not on the list but also important and a great tip: use ice during a panic attack!! - it can calm you down. Whether you are putting it in your mouth, putting it on your wrist, or on your neck. All work well- I like to rub it on my face and my wrists to cool me down. 

        *** I suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, insomnia, and depression. Most of the skills I have learned are to help with the symptoms ( or side effects of medications) from these issues, so just keep that in mind when reading through the list as what works for me may not work for you. I also am not a therapist yet, so I cannot officially diagnose anyone or give any therapeutic advice. 

1.)  Breathing Exercises

• Breathing exercises were the first thing my therapist taught me and were an instant success for me. Though, when you are first learning to do the exercises, you will forget to use them during a panic attack. I recommend, if you can, teaching a friend the exercises, and allowing them to help you do it during some of your panic attacks. Before long you will be doing it on your own, by memory. 
• I suffer from panic attacks and breathing exercises are the easiest way to get me out of panic mode. My boyfriend calls it my cheat code as it is the only thing that works every time, no matter what. Most of these other coping skills do not work as well, in my experience, they help to push it aside for a bit, but it always comes back and worse. But not breathing exercises, they are magic. I will be making a separate post about the actual exercises and how to do them. 

2.) Music

•  Music is an amazing option for really any issue. It is a good way to help you calm down. It is also a great fidget option if you are playing an instrument. Whether it is listening to music, singing, or playing music, all options are a great way to distract yourself when you are stressed, tired, anxious, or depressed. Really any strong emotion can be helped through the use of music. It is also great if you are struggling with noise triggers, it is a great option to block them out.

3.) Reading

• Reading is another coping skill that I have used. It was most useful for me when I was still living at home. It allowed me to go to another world that was better than the one I was living in. Personally, my poison of choice is a good fantasy book series. I am a fan of magic, dragons, castles, and lots of lore. 
•  Though I no longer live at home, I still love reading and getting to leave all of my stress and anxiety behind. It is also a really healthy way to help your mind calm before bed. It is for me, a great way of ensuring that I will have some incredibly imaginative dreams. I recommend reading for anyone with insomnia, especially if they are someone like me who uses YouTube to fall asleep- this is a much better alternative.

4.) Crocheting (or Knitting)

• Crocheting is one of my favorite hobbies, and it also is a great coping skill. When you first start learning it is a great way to divert your focus from whatever is stressing you out. It is also a great way to play with a cat! Once you get better at it and get to a point where you do not actually have to pay attention to what are you doing it becomes a great thing to fidget with. For those with ADHD, it could be a great option for helping you focus!

5.) Journaling

• Journaling is a great option if you need to talk through your thoughts or if you are feeling overwhelmed. I like to make lists, whether it be to-do lists, things I love, things that make me happy, or a grocery list. Lists help me organize my thoughts when I am feeling overwhelmed or help me remember things that make me happy which not only distracts me but releases endorphins, which leads to feeling happier.

6.) Art

• Art is a great way to cope with any strong emotions. Art can also be a great way to express your emotions if you cannot or do not want to verbally explain what is wrong. Art is actually used as a form of therapy, unsurprisingly called: Art Therapy. It can be coloring, painting, or drawing. There are probably many other arts that can be used to help but those are the ones I. have tried and/or used. (I prefer to color or paint as drawing tends to stress me out more, as I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to drawing.) 

7.) Watching videos/television

• I watch a LOT of YouTube, it is something I love to do in my free time. (particularly the Try Guys.) But, I also watch it when I am having a panic attack or after one, as it is a great way to calm down and a great option to help you rejuvenate afterward. It is also something I do before bed to calm my mind, though my therapist would tell me to tell you guys that you do not want to become reliant on watching videos to fall asleep. You should always be aiming to be able to fall asleep naturally on your own. 

                    Though I will also say I am definitely reliant on it, so do what you wish with that information. 

                    My roommate uses TikTok to fall asleep, so there are definitely a variety of ways.

8.) Meditation

• In my opinion, this is the most difficult coping skill, as it entails sitting still and sitting with your emotions, and it is something I know that I struggle with. I like to wiggle, shake my hands, really anything that will make it go away, fidgeting in a sense. Basically, sitting still is not on that list in my mind. But once you try a few times for a minute or two it gets a lot easier. It is also not a coping skill that just immediately fixes everything. In my experience, it takes a while for meditation to become easy and a part of your routine, but it does help with anxiety, in my opinion.

9.) Listening to podcasts

• Listening to podcasts can help in a lot of ways. The ways that it helped me are; as a tool to sleep, background noise, distraction, and a tool for focusing. The reasoning for why this works and some warning about it- in terms of sleep- can be seen in number seven: watching videos/television. It is also great because if you are struggling with noise triggers, it is a great way to block them out.

10.) Exercise 

• I think that exercise is the best way to relieve any emotions that you are struggling with, I love being able to run or go on a walk when I am anxious, it is a great way to be able to think through your thoughts or to be distracted. To me, the worst part about this coping skill is having chronic pain, which makes it really hard to even be able to exercise in a way that helps. It sucks as I will definitely say this is one of the quickest ways to feel better with results that last more than a day.