Coping Skills Toolkit

[psych2go]

Read Full Article Here: 12 Low-Effort Self Care Tips for Tough Days

Follow @psych2go for more!

[apersnicketylemon]

Just a reminder, but you do not need to “earn” being tired.

You’re allowed to be tired, even if you haven’t “done” anything and you’re allowed to be tired even if you did less than someone else.

Being tired is a normal thing your body does for a whole plethora of reasons, and is a basic bodily function. You don’t need to “earn” basic bodily functions, no matter what anyone else tells you.

[potamideriver]

hey hey hey this is really important, especially as a reminder to people with disorders that cause chronic exhaustion.

[coping-skill-toolkit]

I love your blog and how you aim to provide some peace of mind for others. You're my definition of a hero and I hope you are having a great day

Th-Thank you. 

[coping-skill-toolkit]

Recently I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with all the things I want to do. There is way too much. I think it’s because I’ve finally gotten out of a depressed slump, that I’m a bit afraid of losing this “energy” I have again. But now I’m overthinking on the things I want to do and learn, i don’t know where to start. What should I do?

Hey, Anon.  I know that feeling. I think thats one of the feelings that made me stop posting here.  It can be a lot, huh? sometimes it feels like its overwhelming. Sometimes, It feels like you, a tiny light, can only do so much in such a see of “TO-DO”. I know that feeling a lot. I’m feeling it right now.  So. I start with a d e e p  b r e a t h .  Take another deep breath if you have to. Take it slow. Be kind to yourself. Keep breathing. If you need a moment to take a break like going for a walk, thats okay. If you need some water, get some. Wait until the fuzzy chatter stop.  Then, when you feel your shoulders slump and relax and your mind feel less fuzzy, write.  Take a few moments of the things you’d like to do. All of them. Even the small things like brush your teeth or take a shower. Then, from that, pick 3-5  you know you can do at the moment. Then do it. Cross it off.  Take another slow breath. Get some more water. Get some more fresh air.  Pick 3-5 more. Do them. Cross them off.  Keep up with that pattern, checking in with yourself every 3-5 tasks. After you finish about 10 --stop. Look at how you feel, look at your list. be honest with yourself “Can i do more safely?”  It doesnt mean about you physically hurting yourself  -- more of being mindful of the amount of energy you have and the time you can have in a day. I dont want you to keep doing tasks until you’re digging into your sleep time or your meals. You’re not a machine. You definitely deserve rest and care.  What if you didnt get to everything on the list? thats okay! Even one thing is a victory! It means you tried. And! The list is written down. That means you can go back to it the next day you have available and continue. <3  ... and...if f you need help, this is a perfect time to ask for it . You can ask for friends to stay on the phone with you while you work on laundry or see if you can have physical help [safely, of course! I’m answering during a pandemic ] . Its okay to need help like you did when you asked me! I cant apologize enough that I couldnt be there for you when you needed me. But, I hope this still helps. 

[coping-skill-toolkit]

The worksheets that I show here on this blog are from The Feeling Good Series. There’s the 1st book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and its companion, The Feeling Good Handbook. Both are written by David D. Burns. I recieved the page copies from my therapist in my first few sessions of therapy for anxiety and depression and it helped a lot. If you have the funds I would suggest grabbing these books. They’re also available in the marketplace for amazon. Nothing wrong with buying them used!

[infjadvice]

Credit: Ashley McMinn

[broadist]

Sometimes, loving your body is not an option. Sometimes, the best we can do is accept our bodies as the changeable, beautiful, frustrating vessels they are. That’s OK. Expecting yourself to have a full-on love affair with your body at all times is asking too much. Bodies are occasionally annoying. What we can do is know them, and decide for ourselves when they feel good, and when they feel less good, and what we might do to make them feel better again. Even if we can’t love our bodies, we can make sure we don’t hate them.

(via breathyfreshmint)

[breathyfreshmint]

Take it from you mother, please… Don’t waste your time trying to save other people who cant see they’re in trouble in the first place.

V. Fambro [Minty’s Momma] (via breathyfreshmint)

[this--too--shall--pass]

[ithelpstodream]

[michellepsychologist]

Criticism: Caring About What Others Think

“Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” ~Aristotle

Continue Reading

[livefreediepleased-blog]

“people are allowed to leave you. people are allowed to break up with you. people are allowed to love you but not want to be with you. people are allowed to not want to talk to you. people are allowed to put their happiness before yours and do what makes them happy even if it does not include you. people are allowed to move on from you. people are allowed to fall in love with someone else. people are allowed to not want you in their life. people are allowed to do whatever they want to better themselves and become the version of themselves they are trying so hard to love. don’t be bitter towards someone who is only trying to be happy.” —Unknown

artwork by Nono Astro Irareza

[control-alter-did]

Tips for a healthier system

(We are not professionals, these are just things that we have found help with our specific system. Everyone is different and these may not work for every system.)

-Communication: This might be said a lot, but it’s really important to be able to talk with one other. Have an inner world? Visit one another. Hear each other in the headspace? Talk things over and get to know one another. Can’t communicate at all? Write in notes or journals; anywhere another alter could see. Write letters to one another to work towards communication. You are all living together, you don’t want to not get along. Don’t want to talk to a specific alter? See if someone else will speak to them for you. -Set schedules: This goes with communication, as you have to talk to set schedules. Even if you can’t follow them exactly, it helps if everyone is trying to work together towards when it is safe to switch and when it isn’t. Make sure everyone that wants to front gets some time to come out and be themselves. Schedules are good, however:

-Don’t Force Them: It’s not good to force an alter to not front, as that might cause in-system fighting or mess with any and all communication. Don’t make an alter do something they don’t want to do. Don’t force yourself to be happy. You are an alter too and you all deserve happiness and health. Just do what comes naturally to your system. -Personal Objects: It may help with scared or angry alters if they have something that belongs only to them when they front. If possible: give your littles some toys, get your male alters (if in a female body) some binders, get your female alters (if in a male body) some feminine clothing, get some sketchbooks/notebooks for you all to share things with each other. Just try to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy when fronting to help with everyone’s overall mood.

-Don’t Compare to Other Systems: Every system, every alter, every body; we are all different and unique. Some systems have 2 alters, some have 20, and some have 200. Don’t compare yourselves to others and don’t stress that you can’t communicate as well as other systems. You are allowed to ask for advice, to make your own rules, to do what you think is best for your system and not even follow these tips.

In the end just do what you guys feel is best for you and try to be happy together. Whether your goal is integration, communication, or even just to get by one day at a time. Be who you want to be, do what your system thinks is best for all of you. Take your meds if you need them. Cry if you feel like crying. See a therapist and get professional advice. It’s going to be okay, you’re not alone.

[coping-skill-toolkit]

These tips are for people with Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID.  It is  is associated with overwhelming experiences, traumatic events and/or abuse that occurred in childhood. Dissociative identity disorder was previously referred to as multiple personality disorder. Its hard to find information on DID because it is experienced so differently between person to person. some might have 2 alters, some might have 22. some might have none but have dissociative states or amnesia. But, thanks to the internet, people are starting to connect, share experiences and ways to help each other and the alters they share their lives with.  The Coping Skill Toolkit sees you! While I do not have it myself I love someone with DID very much. Ill share whatever I can that would be beneficial for others.  - Mod Dom 

[callistomist-deactivated2020091]

I decided to create a masterpost that would help you with what you are struggling with. Hopefully any of the links below will help you! Reminder; You’re going to be okay. What you are going through will pass, just remember to breathe. 

————————————————————————————-

Distractions;

Here are some distractions to help keep your mind occupied so you aren’t too focused on your thoughts. 

-Draw something

-This website translates the time into colours.

-Create your own galaxy.

-Play flowing.

-Make a 3D line travel where ever you like. 

-Listen to music.

-Calm.

-Ocean mood, do nothing for two minutes.

Sleep issues; 

- 8 hour sleep music.

-Rainy mood. 

-Meditation.

-Coping with nightmares.

-How to cope with nightmares, 11 steps.

-Calm

-Foods that can affect your sleeping, both positive and negatively. 

 Uncomfortable with silence; 

-Rainy mood.

-10 hours of rain and thunder.

-3 hours of rain and thunder.

-Human heartbeat.

-Rainforest.

-Sound of rain on a tin roof.

-Autumn wind.

-Rain on a tent

-Traffic in the rain.

-Soft traffic. 

-Fan.

-Train.

-Simply noise.

-My noise.

-Rainy cafe.

Anxiety; 

-How to stop worrying. 

-Tips to manage anxiety and stress.

-The 10 best ever anxiety management techniques. 

-Self-help strategies for anxiety. 

-Helping a friend with anxiety. 

-All about worrying.

-8 myths about anxiety. 

Sad, angry and depressed/depression; 

-“I’m always sad”

-Feeling sad.

-Going through trauma.

-“I’m always angry”.

-Anger management. 

-All about anger.

-National helplines and websites.

-Self-help strategies for depression.

-Dealing with depression at work.

-Dealing with depression at school.

Isolation and loneliness; 

-Pets and mental health.

-All about loneliness. 

-“I feel so alone”

-10 more ideas to help with loneliness. 

-How to deal with loneliness.

 Self-harm;

-Alternatives to self-harm and distraction techniques.

-146 things to do besides self-harm.

-More alternatives to self-harm.

-Self-harm alternatives.

-How to take care of self-harm wounds/injuries.

-Getting rid of scars.  

Addiction; 

-How to help a friend with a drug addiction.

-What is addiction?

-All about alcohol and addiction.

-The facts about drug addiction.

 Eating disorders; 

-Helping a friend with an eating disorder.

-Eating disorder treatments. 

-Support services for eating disorders. 

-Self-help tips with eating disorders.

-Eating disorder recovery. 

-Recovering from an eating disorder. 

-100+ reasons to recover. 

-Understanding and managing eating disorders. 

 Dealing with self-hatred;  

-3 ways to ease self-loathing. 

-How to turn self-hatred into self-compassion.

-Self-hatred resources.

-10 step plan to deal with self-hate. 

 Suicidal; 

-International suicide hotlines (1)  (2)

-Preventing suicide. 

-Reasons to stay alive.

-Dealing with suicidal thoughts and feelings.

-Coping with suicidal ideation.  

 Schizophrenia;

-All about schizophrenia.  

-Helping a person with schizophrenia.  

-Understanding and dealing with schizophrenia.  

-Delusions and hallucinations.  

OCD;

-Managing your OCD at home. 

-Overcoming OCD.

-How to cope with OCD. 

-Strategies for dealing with the anxious moments. 

Borderline personality disorder; 

-Helping someone with BPD. 

-All about personality disorders.

-Treatment for BPD.

Abuse; 

-Healthy relationships VS abusive relationships. 

-Emotional abuse

-Overcoming sexual abuse. 

-Hotlines services. 

-5 ways to escape an abusive relationship. 

-Domestic violence support. 

-Signs of an abusive relationship. 

-What do to if you’re in an abusive relationship. 

-Surviving abuse. 

-What you can do if you’re sexual harassed. 

-Sexual assault support.

-What to do if you’ve been sexually assaulted or abused. 

 Bullying;

-How to stand up against bullying.

-How to protect yourself when it comes to cyber bullying.

-How to help stop people bullying you. 

 Loss and grief; 

-How to cope with a suicide of a loved one.

-Grieving for a stranger. 

-Common reactions to death. 

-Working through grief.

(Other loss and grief)

-Moving away from friends and family. 

-Coping with a breakup.

 Getting help; 

-Seeking help early. 

-All about psychological treatments. 

-Types of help.

-All about age and confidentiality. 

Things you need to remember; 

- Don’t stress about being fixed because you’re not broken.

-Remember to remind yourself of your accomplishments. Tell yourself that you’re proud of yourself, even if you’re not. 

- This is temporary. You won’t always feel like this. 

-You are not alone. 

-You are enough. 

-You are important. 

-You are worth it. 

-You are strong. 

-You are not a failure, 

-Good people exist. 

-Reaching out shows strength. 

-Breathe. 

-Don’t listen to the thoughts that are not helping you. 

-Give yourself credit. 

-Don’t be ashamed of your emotions, for the good or bad ones. 

-Treat yourself the same way as you would treat a good friend. 

-Focus on the things you can change. 

-Let go of toxic people. 

-You don’t need to hide, you’re allowed to feel the way you do. 

-Try not to beat yourself up. 

-Something is always happening, you don’t want to miss out on what’s going to happen next. 

-You are not a bother.

-Your existence is more than your appearance. 

-You are smart. 

-You are loved. 

-You are wanted. 

-You are needed. 

-Better days are coming. 

-Just because your past is dark, doesn’t mean your future isn’t bright. 

-You have more potential than you think. 

- Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.

Please remember to look after yourself and know that you are more than worth it and you deserve to be happy. Keep smiling butterflies x

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

Because I know the vast majority of my followers need to be reminded of how amazing they are and also are struggling with their own issues and I think this might help x

[dan-mcneely-deactivated20210328]

going thru phone pics and found this thing that was tacked up next to the toaster at my old job, if anyone needs some light toast eating reading material

[selfcarepropaganda]

Would anyone be kind enough to transcribe this or link to a text version?

[anxiety-depression-recovery]

Everything Is AWFUL and I’m Not Okay: Questions to Ask Before Giving Up on Yourself

Are you hydrated? 

If not, have a glass of water. Dehydration can mimic or increase feelings associated with anxiety and a well hydrated brain functions optimally. Avoid excess caffeine. 

Have you eaten in the past three hours? 

Don’t be a victim of hanger! Get some food–something with protein, not just simple carbs or high-fat. Nuts, hummus, and veggies are great options to feed your studying brain. Keep healthy snacks within reach to avoid mindlessly chowing down on sweets. 

Have you stretched your legs in the past day? 

If not, do so right now. If you don’t have the energy or time for a run or a trip to the gym, just walk around the block or building. Even minimal exercise preps the mind for learning so that you can focus better and recall things easier, plus it’s good to get a change of scenery. 

Have you said something nice to someone in the past day? 

Do so, whether online or in person. Make it genuine! We bet your study partner would appreciate a compliment. 

Have you moved your body to music in the past day?

If not, jog for the length of a song at your favorite tempo, or just dance around your bedroom for the length of an upbeat song (singing along is a bonus) 

Have you cuddled a living being in the past two days?

If not, do so. Don’t be afraid to ask for hugs from friends of friends’ pets. Most of them will enjoy the cuddles too; you’re not imposing. 

Have you started or changed any medications in the past couple of weeks, including skipped doses or a change in generic prescription brand? 

That may be screwing with your head. Give things a few days, then talk to your doctor if it doesn’t settle down. 

If daytime: are you dressed? 

If no, put on clean clothes that aren’t PJs. Give yourself permission to wear something special, whether it’s a funny t-shirt or a pretty dress. 

If nighttime: are you sleepy and fatigued but resisting going to sleep? 

Put on PJs, make yourself cozy in bed with a teddy bear and the sound of falling rain, and close your eyes for fifteen minutes while focusing on breathing deeper with every breath- no electronic screens allowed! Adequate sleep is a necessity for stress management. 

Do you feel ineffective? 

Pause right now and get something small completed, whether it’s responding to an email, loading the dishwasher, or tidying up your room. Good job!

Do you feel unattractive? 

Take a darn selfie. Your friends will remind you how great you look. You are always insta-worthy. 

Do you feel paralyzed by indecision?

Give yourself ten minutes to sit back and figure out a game plan for the day. If a particular decision or problem is still being a roadblock, simply set it aside for now, and pick something else that seems doable. Right now, the important part is to break through that stasis, even if it means doing something trivial. 

Have you over-exerted yourself lately–physically, emotionally, socially, or intellectually? 

That can take a toll that lingers for days. Give yourself a break in that area, whether it’s physical rest, taking some time alone, or relaxing with some silly entertainment for a little. Time spent refreshing yourself is never time “wasted!” 

Have you waited a week? 

Sometimes or perception of life is skewed, and we can’t even tell that we’re not thinking clearly, and there’s no obvious external cause. It happens. Keep yourself going for a full week, whatever it takes, and see if you still feel the same way then. 

You’ve made it this far; and you will make it through. You are stronger than you think.

[charliemalarkey]

@everyone

[unaverage-confessions]

Why bother living and trying to recover from my eating disorder? Why can't I just let it kill me?

Because:1. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies2. Puppies (and having the energy to rollick with them)3. Blanket forts4. Late night Netflix marathons 5. Dancing in the rain6. Playing in the snow7. Staying inside with a good book and hot chocolate (instead of going out in the snow or rain)8. Seeing really incredible movies in the theater (and eating movie snacks while you’re at it!)9. Kittens10. Baby animals in general11, Human babies too!12. Laughing so hard it hurts13. Healing14. Being able to have strong, authentic relationships 15. Making wonderful memories with people from said relationships16. Stargazing on perfect summer nights17. Curling up with a cozy blanket on cold winter nights18. The holiday season19. Scented candles20. Big comfy sweaters & sweatshirts21. Ice cream22. PIZZA23. Starbucks omg24. Traveling and seeing amazing new places25. Feeling confident in yourself26. Loving your body27. Being able to wear what you want28. Being able to eat what you want, too!29. The feeling of pure happiness30. Those hugs that make everything better31. Writing with fancy pens32. Good music 33. Cold drinks34. The good things in fall - pumpkin spice, crunchy leaves, halloween, crisp air, and so on35. The good things in winter - snow, mittens and warm coats, hot chocolate, etc36. The good things in spring - perfect temperatures and breezes, new flowers, and brighter days37. The good things in summer - ice cream, lemonade, beach days, long nights, and endless days38. Tumblr!39. Cuddles 40. Falling in love41. Impromptu dance parties42. Learning new things, like a different language or how to play that one instrument you’ve always loved43. Finding your passion and going after it44. Building a life worth living45. Chocolate46. Trying delicious foods again and rediscovering how good food can be47. Pretty sunrises 48. Beautiful sunsets49. Looking for shapes in the clouds50. Beautiful things in nature51. Coloring pages (they’re fun no matter how old you are)52. Soft blankets53. Cuddly animal plushies54. Thai iced tea (it’s really fucking good)55. Being able to say “I made it”56. Finally feeling proud of yourself57. Finally LOVING yourself58. Firework shows59. Dramatic thunder/lightning storms60. Going to the theater (not the movie theater, the THEATER theater)61. Eating cereal while watching cartoons in the morning62. Bubble baths63. Shopping therapy64. Sex (I’ve heard it’s pretty great)65. Really good books66. Really good movies and TV shows67. Sleepovers68. Helping other people69. Pop Tarts70. Waffles71. Going to a diner at 1 AM in the morning with friends just because72. Driving on the highway with the windows down, and the perfect music playing73. Conversations that keep you up talking for hours74. Incredible museums75. Exploring farmer’s markets76. Getting lost in the city77. The exhilarating feeling that comes with the good kind of change78. Having a career/job you love 79. Inside jokes with friends80. Singing karaoke and not caring how bad it sounds81. The sound of the ocean and the feeling of splashing through the waves82. Looking down at the world from up in an airplane83. Riding the city bus or a train late at night84. Oreos85. That feeling you get from putting on lipstick or heels, or whatever it is that makes you feel unconquerable 86. Jumping in mud puddles87. Going fruit or berry picking with your friends88. Anything Disney89. Giving someone a meaningful gift, and seeing their reaction90. Receiving a meaningful gift91. Random acts of kindness from strangers92. Being the stranger committing the random act of kindness93. Nice smelling perfumes94. Tree houses95. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate or whatever warm drink you may enjoy96. Popping bubble wrap (it’s actually ridiculously fun)97. Going to festivals/fairs with friends98. Having the energy to dance and sing and run and laugh99. Because you are worth more than the disorder100. Because you DESERVE to eat and you DESERVE to live101. Because you can. I believe in you, 100%. <3 <3 <3

[allcutified]

180312 // Mental hygiene. Here are some tips to keep your mind cleand and positive that helped me a lot.

Here are my other advice-posts for self improvement and self help :)