Coping mechanisms are actions you can take to try to work through or decrease unpleasant emotions. There are a bunch of different types of coping mechanisms that you can personalize to yourself.
Cognitive Coping Mechanisms
- Write 10 things you’re grateful for
- Make a list of positive self-affirmations
- Journal your emotions
- Visualize your “happy place”
- Challenge your negative thoughts
- Create a goals list
- Meditate
- Make an “I love/ my favorite…” list
- Talk through it with a loved one
- Visualize feeling better
Active Coping Mechanisms
- Go for a walk
- Exercise at the gym
- Go for a run
- Go on a bike ride
- Hike a local trail
- Take a boxing class
- Do yoga
- Lift free weights
- Dance to music
- Practice your favorite sport
Creative Coping Mechanisms
- Draw
- Paint
- Journal
- Play an instrument
- Make a DIY project
- Garden
- Start a new hobby
- Write a story
- Coloring book
- Cook/bake
Distraction Coping Mechanisms
- Watch a movie
- Watch your favorite show
- Read a book
- Listen to a podcast
- Watch funny youtube videos
- Play with your pet
- Ask a friend how their day was
- Go shopping
- Clean your space
- Organize an area
Grounding Techniques
Hearing
- Music
- Listen to Birds chirping
- Listen to waves crashing
- Listen to rain sounds
- Focus on background noises (Air conditioning, cars rumbling, etc)
Taste
- Chew gum
- Lemon water
- Sour candy
- Favorite beverage
- Drink Tea
Touch
- Fidgit toy
- Pet your animal/ a soft blanket
- Hold a cold ice cube
- Tap your fingers
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Sight
- List as many objects you can see in your vision
- Look for 5 blue objects (Can pick any color)
- Look at one object and describe it indepthly (size, texture, etc)
- Look at a picture of something you love
- Watch a funny youtube video
Smell
- Spray perfume on your hand and smell it
- Light a candle
- Smell a flower
- Smell your favorite food
- Focus on what the room smells like