Coping Skills: An Explorative Activity

We all develop ways of coping with difficult thoughts, emotions, and situations throughout our lives. These learned behaviors are all adaptive, meaning we’ve used what tools we’ve had access to in order to move forward to the best of our ability. Most are typically developed subconsciously, meaning outside of our immediate awareness. All coping behaviors are effective in providing relief; while some are helpful and help us establish long term wellness, others are unhelpful and can lead to perpetuation/worsening of the initial problem or emotional suffering. When addressing mental health, it’s important to bring awareness to which coping behaviors we typically rely on while we also identify which ones might be helping us or hurting us long term. Check off the ones you have used and even add your own.

Helpful Coping Skills (Emotion-Focused):

• Temporary distraction

• Meditation

• Creative expression

• Journaling

• Mindfulness

• Cleaning

• Body movement or exercise

• Breathing exercises

• Massage

• Self-care

• Practicing gratitude

• Enjoyable activities

• Neutral or positive affirmations

• Practicing acceptance

• Time in nature

• Thought reframing

• Talking to someone you care about

• Other:_________________________

Helpful Coping Skills (Problem-Focused):

• Focus on problem solving

• Modify your schedule

• Disengage

• Create healthy boundaries

• Attend therapy

• List your coping skills

• Ask for additional help or support

• Address time management

• Be proactive

• Other:_________________________

Unhelpful Coping Behaviors:

• Using drugs 

• Drinking alcohol 

• Avoidance

• Self-harm

• Oversleeping or undersleeping

• Overeating or restricting eating

• Aggression and violence towards self/others

• Procrastination

• Isolation or social withdrawal

• Overspending

• Blaming others for your problems

• Destruction of property

• Risky or reckless behavior

• Refusing help from others

• Other:_________________________

Some things to consider when thinking about coping skills and behaviors:

• Utilizing helpful coping skills is a choice and a practice over time, not a perfected outcome.

• Helpful coping skills are not meant to “fix” a thought, emotional, or situational problem. They are tools to help us soothe ourselves, tolerate distress, emotionally regulate, create safety, and slow things down.

• Emotional pain is part of the human experience, emotional suffering can be managed.

• We often learn initially, through social interaction, how to cope with our difficult thoughts, feelings, and situations (i.e. family, friends, teachers, cultures, society).

• Practicing helpful coping skills may increase conflict in unhealthy relationships. 

• Trying new coping skills may be uncomfortable at first.

• We may have preference for which helpful coping skills we choose to practice.

• Finding and practicing helpful coping skills before difficult thoughts, emotions, or situations occur in the future is ideal.

• Harm reduction tip: It is important to establish effective helpful coping skills before letting go of any unhelpful coping behaviors. 

• We don’t come into the world with a checklist of helpful coping skills, we come into the wired to survive. Be kind to yourself while you learn more about yourself.

Take good care of yourself and know that help is available to you. Please contact me info@insightfulmindtherapy.com for a free consultation.