What are Coping Skills?
As explained by Erin Hinek, “Coping skills (also called coping strategies or coping mechanisms) are tools and techniques you can use to help you handle difficult emotions, decrease stress, and establish or maintain a sense of internal order.They can be helpful to use when you’re feeling angry, anxious, sad, stressed, overwhelmed, or even when you're feeling well, to help you stay level." If you're interested in knowing more about coping skills, review this article or try out some of our suggestions (also mentioned in the article) on this page which include:
- Meditation
- Mindfulness exercises
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Working out
- Coloring (Flipster has free coloring books--go nuts!)
Write It Out
The following is an excerpt taken from an article by verywellmind.com:
Journaling Strategies to Try
Journaling is a highly effective tool for stress relief and can take several forms, so there are multiple options that can work for you. If you already have a favorite journaling habit, by all means, keep it up! But you may want to try something new in addition to it. And if you're new to journaling, here are several practices to try. See what works best for you.
- Gratitude Journal: Some people keep a daily gratitude journal where they list three or more aspects of each day for which they are grateful.
- Emotional Release: You may also write about your emotional responses to events that have happened throughout the day as a way of coping with the stress. This can help you to process what you are feeling and perhaps even explore more positive reframing options.
- Bullet Journal or Personal Planning Journal: Some people simply keep journals to track what they need to do each day, goals they have, memories they create, and other things they don't want to forget.
And remember, if you find yourself not keeping a regular schedule with journaling, it's a habit you can resume at any time.
Get Those Endorphins!
There are some workout apps you can download to your phone or websites you can access anywhere you have an internet connection - either free, have a free trial, or have a partial selection available for free:
- Out of all the workout apps, Nike Training Club app is where it's at if you're on a budget. Their YouTube channel isn't far behind either. If you're up for it, give it a try as you ease yourself into a routine. Don't believe me? That's alright, just check out this article from Healthline that rates workout apps on iOS and Android.
- Yoga channels to keep you zen and flexible
- Yoga with Adrienne -this YouTube channel is a go-to for newbies or those that like to do monthly challenges.
- Edynlovesife - YouTube channel another favorite, especially for body postive vibes (a personal go-to).
Need more motivation? NPR's Life Kit Episode, When It Comes To Exercise, "All Movement Counts" encourages us to explore what "counts" as exercise. Check it out below!
