15 coping skills for anxiety
You’ve probably heard tons about coping skills or coping strategies. It is a bit of a hot term when talking about mental health these days. Coping skills, plain and simple, are the actions we take to deal with something that is happening to or around us. Some examples of common, unhealthy coping skills are:
Comforting ourselves with drugs or alcohol
Mindless scrolling on social media
Playing hours or video games to escape reality
Sleeping to avoid our problems
None of these actions are inherently bad or hurtful to us, in moderation, but when we lean on them to help us survive, we find ourselves in an unhealthy relationship with those skills and should look to other, healthier forms of coping. I have compiled a list of skills that can be used as valuable tools if used correctly. It is important to remember, though, that different tools work for different people. Try a few, or all, of these, multiple times to see what works specifically for you and what doesn’t. Here’s skills to try:
Deep breathing: Practice slow, deep breaths into your diaphragm to activate calm and relaxation. Inhale for four, hold for four and exhale for four. This is a popular technique called “box breathing”.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR): This is a technique where we tense and then relax each muscle group in the body from your toes to the head.
Mindful meditation: Focus on the present moment without judging or chastising your thoughts. Mindfulness helps us reduce racing thoughts and promote relaxation of the mind.
Guided imagery: This is usually led by another person, a “guide”, where we use our imagination to visualize a calm and peaceful place as a temporary escape from our anxious thoughts.
Grounding: These can be a variety of techniques to engage our senses, one being 5-4-3-2-1. Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 things you taste.
Journaling: Writing down our thoughts and feelings to recognize patterns or simply to vent can be incredibly therapeutic in helping us battle anxiety.
Exercise: Movement and activity release endorphins. This release can help improve mood and reduce anxiety significantly.
Social support: Having genuine conversations with trusted friends and family can create a sense of emotional support and connection.
Self-compassion: Making a practice of self-kindness and positive self-talk is crucial when dealing with anxious thoughts.
Positive affirmations: To tack on to the above, repeating positive affirmations to ourselves daily has been shown to rewire our brain and assist in challenging negative thoughts.
Aromatherapy: There are scents that are particularly calming, like lavender or chamomile, that we can use to reduce anxious mood.
Limiting caffeine and/or alcohol: These substances are known to increase anxiety, sometimes drastically. Considering our intake and reducing or eliminating them could make a world of difference in our overall mood.
Creative outlets: When we engage in creative activities like painting, writing, music, or dance, we can create a healthy time of escape from our current anxieties.
Sleep hygiene: This is a huge one! If we maintain a consistent sleep schedule and create an environment where we can sleep safely and comfortably, we aid our circadian rhythm, which affects things like feeling well-rested, our emotional balance, our ability to handle stressors, and more.
Connecting to nature: Time outdoors, unplugged from the busyness of life, can be incredibly healing for our worries and anxieties. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a hike through the mountains, spending time breathing outdoor air and feeling the sun on our faces is a great way to escape our worries for a bit.
An important part of our coping journey is to work with a professional who can help us hone our skills or recognize pain points that may be holding us back from coping in a healthy manner. therapyxhalle Psychotherapeutic Services exists to bring this assistance to teen girls and young adult women in the Southlake, Texas area and beyond. There is hope for better handling and approaching anxieties that come up for us.
Halle Crutch is a therapist serving the city of Southlake, TX, and beyond with in-person and telehealth services for the state of Texas. Supervised by Mary Dainty, PhD, LPC-S, Halle is accepting new clients! Are you ready to begin your healing journey? Start by requesting an appointment.
