Positive Coping Skills

• Write, draw, paint, photography
• Play an instrument, sing, dance
• Take a shower or bath
• Take a walk, or go for a drive
• Watch cat videos on YouTube
• Clean or organize
• Take a break or vacation
• Set boundaries and say "no"
• Write a thank you note to someone
• Be assertive
• Do Service or Volunteer work
• Encourage others
• Lower your expectations
• Write a list of goals
• Write a pros and cons list
• Reward or pamper yourself
• Yelling in the bathroom
• Sleep
• Deep/slow breathing
• Take a walk
• Tear up an old phone book
• Close your eyes and imagine you are on the beach in Hawaii
• Get a massage, pedicure, and your nails done
• Go for a run at the park
• Write a letter to the person telling them everything then shred it
• Hammer nails into a board
• Count to 100
• Pray or meditate
• Garden
• Watch television or a movie
• Play a game
• Read
• Talk to someone you trust
• Eat a little chocolate
• Cry
• Use humor
• Care for or play with a pet
• Make a gratitude list
• Be flexible
• Brainstorm solutions
• Write in your journal
• Exercise or play sports
• Punch a punching bag

Mental

• Reach out for support
• Practice non-judgement (watch thoughts and behaviors objectively)
• Positive daily readings
• Visualize a stop sign
• Get lost in a good book
• Talk to a friend
• Go surfing
• Watch a movie
• Watch TV, shows that elicit laughter
• Google coloring sheets (Disney)
• Journaling
• Do a puzzle or crossword
• Complete a thought record
• Do a craft

Emotional

• Listen to music
• Cry
• Group therapy
• See a counsellor
• Cook (if this is safe)
• Knit
• Get a manicure / pedicure
• Go shopping (if this is safe)
• Meditate
• Sing
• Play with your child or pet
• Have sex (be physically + emotionally safe)
• See a therapist
• Carry affirmation cards

Physical

• Hot bath or shower
• Deep breathing
• Walk in nature
• Abstain from caffeine and alcohol
• Meditative yoga
• Listen to body signals
• Go for a walk
• Go swimming
• Get a massage
• Rest
• Scream
• Breathe
• Garden
• Gentle stretching

Spiritual

• Guided meditation
• Journaling
• Praying
• Practice mindfulness throughout the day
• Be in nature
• Volunteer
• Do yoga
• Hold a baby
• Go to church
• Listen to music
• Finish a task or chore
• Carry a picture of self as a child

99 Coping Skills

1. Exercise (running, walking, etc.)
2. Put on fake tattoos
3. Write (poetry, stories, journal)
4. Scribble/doodle on paper
5. Be with other people
6. Watch a favorite TV show
7. Post on web boards and answer others&spod; posts
8. Go see a movie
9. Do a wordsearch or a crossword
10. Do schoolwork
11. Play a musical instrument
12. Paint your nails, do your make-up or hair
13. Sing
14. Study the sky
15. Punch a punching bag
16. Cover yourself with Band-Aids where you want to cut
17. Let yourself cry
18. Take a nap (only if you are tired)
19. Take a hot shower or relaxing bath
20. Play with a pet
21. Go shopping
22. Clean something
23. Knit or sew
24. Read a good book
25. Listen to music
26. Try some aromatherapy (candle, lotion, room spray)
27. Meditate
28. Go somewhere very public
29. Bake cookies
30. Alphabetize your CDs/DVDs/books
31. Paint or draw
32. Rip paper into itty-bitty pieces
33. Shoot hoops, kick a ball
34. Write a letter or send an email
35. Plan your dream room (colors/furniture)
36. Hug a pillow or stuffed animal
37. Hyperfocus on something like a rock, hand, etc.
38. Dance
39. Make hot chocolate, milkshake, or smoothie
40. Play with modeling clay or Play-Dough
41. Build a pillow fort
42. Go for a nice long drive
43. Complete something you've been putting off
44. Draw on yourself with a marker
45. Take up a new hobby
46. Look up recipes, cook a meal
47. Look at pretty things like flowers or art
48. Create or build something
49. Pray
50. Make a list of blessings in your life
51. Read the Bible
52. Go to a friend's house
53. Jump on a trampoline
54. Watch an old, happy movie
55. Contact a hotline / your therapist
56. Talk to someone close to you
57. Ride a bicycle
58. Feed the ducks, birds, or squirrels
59. Color with Crayons
60. Memorize a poem, play, or song
61. Stretch
62. Search for ridiculous things on the internet
63. "Shop" on-line (without buying anything)
64. Color-coordinate your wardrobe
65. Watch fish
66. Make a CD/playlist of your favorite songs
67. Play the "15 minute game" (avoid something for 15 minutes, when time is up start again)
68. Plan your wedding/prom/other event
69. Plant some seeds
70. Hunt for your perfect home or car on-line
71. Try to make as many words out of your full name as possible
72. Sort through your photographs
73. Play with a balloon
74. Give yourself a facial
75. Find yourself some toys and play
76. Start collecting something
77. Play videos/computer games
78. Clean up trash at your local park
79. Perform a random act of kindness for someone
80. Text or call an old friend
81. Write yourself an "I love you because ..." letter
82. Look up new words and use them
83. Rearrange furniture
84. Write a letter to someone that you may never send
85. Smile to at least five people
86. Play with little kids
87. Go for a walk (with or without a friend)
88. Put a puzzle together
89. Clean your room/closet
90. Try to do handstands, cartwheels, or backbends
91. Yoga
92. Teach your pet a new trick
93. Learn a new language
94. Move EVERYTHING in your room to a new spot
95. Get together with friends and play Frisbee, soccer, or basketball
96. Hug a friend or family member
97. Search on-line for new songs/artists
98. Make a list of goals for the week/month/year/five years
99. Face paint

Boys Town National Hotline
www.yourlifeyourvoice.org

Coping Skills

Distraction

Conversation, listen to talk radio, read, do puzzles, TV, computer games, jigsaw, solve a problem, make a list, learn something new, cleaning & tidying, gardening, arts & crafts

• Pros
  • Gives your heart & mind a break.
  • Great for short term relief.
  • Great to get through a crisis.
• Cons
• Can't do it for too long.
• Does not resolve any underlying issues.
• Meds can make it hard to concentrate.

Grounding

Use body & senses: smell fragrances, slowly taste food. Notice the color around you. Walk on the grass barefoot. Squeeze clay or mud. Do yoga. Meditate. Exercise.

• Pros
  • Helps slow or stop "dissociation" (feeling numb, floaty, or disconnected)
  • Reduces physicality of anxiety.
• Cons
• Sometimes it's better to stay a bit dissociated (that is how your mind protects you).

Emotional Release

Yell, scream, run! Try a cold shower. Let yourself cry ... and sob. Put on a funny DVD and let yourself laugh! Try boxing, popping balloons, or crank up some music & dance crazy!

• Pros
  • Great for anger and fear.
  • Releases the pressure of overwhelming emotion.
• Cons
• Hard to do in every situation.
• Feels odd.
• Some people might think you are acting 'crazier ' (be selective with how & where you do this).

Self Love

Massage hands with nice cream, manicure your nails, cook a special meal, clean your house (or just make your bed), bubble bath or long shower, brush hair, buy a small treat.

• Pros
  • Become your own best friend, your own support worker.
  • Great for guilt or shame.
  • You deserve it!
• Cons
• Sometimes can feel really hard to do, or feel superficial (but it's not).

Thought Challenge

Write down negative thoughts, then list all the reasons they may not be true. Imagine someone you love had these thoughts - what advice would you give them?

• Pros
  • Can help to shift long-term, negative thinking habits.
  • Trying to be more logical can help reduce extreme emotion.
• Cons
• The more emotional you feel, the harder this is to do.
• In particular, feelings of shame can make this very hard.

Access your higher self

Help someone else, smile at strangers (see how many smiles you get back), pray, volunteer, do randomly kind things for others, pat dogs at the local park, join a cause.

• Pros
  • Reminds us that everyone has value and that purpose can be found in small as well as large things.
• Cons
• Don 't get stuck trying to save everyone else and forget about you!

If you need more skills, ask a carpenter to teach you how to use a coping saw.