116 Healthy Coping Skills
Practice deep breathing - in through your nose, out through your mouth
Listen to uplifting or inspirational music
Squeeze an ice cube tightly
Clean or organize a space
Play a game on the computer
Sit in the sun and close your eyes
Throw rocks into the woods
Sip a cup of hot chocolate or tea
Listen to inspirational tapes
Practice a relaxation exercise
Write yourself a nice note and carry it in your pocket
Go for a brisk 10 minute walk
Write positive affirmations on note cards and decorate
Go outside and listen to nature
Work in the garden or flower bed
Watch a funny or inspirational movie
Make a collage with pictures of your favourite things
Make a collage showing a positive future
Paint your nails (not red or black, as those are typically sad or angry colours)
Smell a flower and touch the petals
Play a musical instrument
Sing your favourite song out loud
Use some nice smelling lotion
Think of 3 foods for every letter of the alphabet without skipping any
Write down how you’re feeling and why, read once and put it away
Visualization - close your eyes and imagine yourself in a beautiful place, how does it smell, what do you see, what do you hear, what do you feel, etc.
Write something positive about yourself for every letter of the alphabet, decorate it and hang it somewhere where you’ll see it every day
Slowly eat one piece of your favourite candy
Write a letter to someone
Offer to walk a neighbour’s dog
Find a safe, quiet place to sit and stay there until you know you can be safe
Look at pictures in a nature magazine
Draw a cheerful picture outside with sidewalk chalk
Recite the serenity prayer
Print your favourite religious verse on a card and memorize it
Decorate your mirror with positive affirmations and your favourite photos
Do a crossword, search and find, Sudoku, etc.
Visit and inspirational website (try www.values.com)
Write a thank you note to your best friend
Put on your favourite outfit
Make friendship bracelets and give one to someone who looks lonely
Slowly sip a glass of cold water
Go on a walk and take photos of flowers (cell phone or camera) - challenge yourself to find 15 different kinds
Bite your pillow as hard as you can
Clean 1 room of your house
Ask a friend to meet you at the park
Go to McDonalds and order an ice cream from the dollar menu
Buy or check out a fun magazine and read it front-to-back
Shred blank sheets of paper
Talk into a tape recorder
Play a board game with a friend or sibling
Throw a foam ball at an empty wall
Stare at a picture - notice all the details and create a story using those elements
Draw random designs and colour them in
Turn your designs into cards
Go to the mall and people watch
Write a list of compliments about a friend or teacher and give it to them
Make and decorate a foam or paper frame for your favourite photo
Write an inspirational quote on your mirror with an eyeliner pencil (or another writing utensil)
Pick out 5 of your favourite jokes and tell them to 3 friends
Play with silly putty or modeling clay
Make an inspirational banner for your room
Submit your best piece of poetry to a website
Think of 10 more coping skills to add to this list
These are from a list my hospital outreach person gave me! I have a few other pages of coping skills and strategies if you’d like me to share those too. I hope you’re all doing okay 💕💕💕
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
titsay
yousharknotpass
prguitarman
tangentwithtanner
turnnoffyourmind
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