#coping skill toolkit

[coping-skill-toolkit]

Morning Reminder

It's okay to have different bodies than others. Fat rolls and bony elbows . Short hair and big noses. Buck teeth and crooked feet.

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Morning Reminder

Taking care if yourself physically will make you feel better emotionally. Be sure to stay hydrated, eat regularly ( if you don't have an appetite little snacks throughout the day can help ) and move around a little to stimulate your body.

Flap your arms! Shake your shoulders! Stretch! And even if you don't feel like doing that, take nice , deep breaths.

[coping-skill-toolkit]

Morning Reminder

You dont need to be the best in the world.  But be the best for yourself. <3 

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[coping-skill-toolkit]

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

So! If you tuned in last time, we talked about what got us into this anxiety-ridden hellhole [ The Triforce of Stress ] as well as the actions we make to keep us in that hellhole [ Coping Skills ] . But now the important question: How the hell do we get out of this hellhole?  There are many exit signs if you wish to take the time to look for them, but its most important to find out the right one that works for you. The one that worked best for me was Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT is a psychotherapy that is based on the cognitive model: the way that individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. 

Easy words? It’s teaching people that make mountains out of molehills.. to see them as molehills.   This is not to say that the person with anxiety or depression have invalid feelings. Everyone’s feelings are 100% validated and real. But, its how you take care of those feelings that is the real problem we’re looking at, and with CBT , it helps you challenge the dysfunctional thinking that led you to have those emotions.  Because poor mental health does a really  good job at making us feeling crummy. 

 CBT is great for those who wish to  - Acknowledge maladaptive behavioral actions. 

- Challenge unhelpful thoughts.

- Practice on having an open perception on situations. 

My therapist did sessions with me with CBT. I didn't realize just how distorted my thoughts were until she helped me process them. I always had big fears of people leaving me.. or that I didn't have more options than I did.. and when she helped me identify my distressed thoughts and evaluate just how realistic they were [ psstt... they weren't ] , I was able to change and find ways to replace them. 

If any of these sound like your way of thinking when stressful situations come to you, perhaps CBT will be right up your alley!  I’ll post more about it here at @coping-skill-toolkit ! 

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Thank you to Indigo Daya for this worksheet!  Now that you know what Coping Sills are, Adaptive and Maladaptive, perhaps its time to work some out for you! Here’s a list of some more adaptive coping skills [ with pros and cons ] as well as a worksheet for you to work on your own.  Remember, try and stick away from your current maladaptive ones and  make a fresh start!  if you feel comfortable sharing, please submit your personal coping skills sheet to us! 

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The Triforce of Stress

Stress is the all around spice of life. It can be being late for work, Starbucks running out of your favorite coffee or being yelled at for a mistake. Stress happens. But its how you handle that stress that  can make or break the situation entirely. I believe this is why people can claim to live “stress free” lives... its how they handle that stress that truly makes them free.

Why didn't you make this into a circle? I can hear you ask . Its really down to a matter of aesthetics. Circles represent a smooth, continuous motion of a cycle. Perfect, infinite, never breaking. A triangle, however has sharp edges and straight lines. How we handle stress can be so automatic that its more like going head first for a brick wall without a chance to hit the breaks.  Something happens, Bam! You react!

Much Like The Triforce in the Legend of Zelda , there are three important parts. These immense power, while strong on their own right, cannot actually function or even exist without the other. In fact, they’re almost always inseparable and can be easily mistaken for one another.. or blend into something that is all new. When you realize what it is and can handle them properly [especially, one big part of it ], then the others can be diminished or vanquished altogether.

 Stressor: The thing that ruffles your feathers, putz you in a tizzy and all around doesn't make you happy. It messes with your zen. This outside stimuli affect everyone differently.. but it does cause a reaction.

Feeling: When a stressor comes into your life, your feelings shift. Stress shows in different emotions for everyone, and emotions are automatic. Its no different than when you get your arm pinched or your toes stomped on. An outside stimuli will cause you to react. Coping skill: How you cope and react to the stress will make you or break you, and you feelings are the ringleader of the matter. Whether you chose to curse someone out after getting angry for being cut off in traffic.. or you decide to cry after someone yells at you and you gt your feelings hurt, that is a coping skill. It is something you do to try and make yourself feel better. While w’ere talking about emotional stressors, physical stressors are probably the best way to explain it. 

A good example is on a super hot day you sweat. Heat would be your stressor, and your body Reacts to being overheated by making sweat to Cool you down. Its a regulator. Positive Emotional Coping skills help reduce the emotions you feel from the stress you’re facing. However, if you chose to react in violent , non-productive or other maladaptive ways this will in turn increase your stress and just make you feel worse in the long run . Emotional Coping skills are meant to help, not harm you or other people. so with that said, what are your stressors? What stresses you out? Do you think your coping skills are great or they could do with some work?  

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Advice Friday : Mod Dom

Hello there, everyone!  @coping-skill-toolkit ‘s first week is going smoothly! I’m glad to see some of the posts I make here are filling some gaps that people needed filled. This week was all about coping skills, adaptive and maladaptive, and learning what that looks like for you.  Important Posts:  Triforce of Stress : How Emotions and Coping Skills go hand in hand. 

Coping Skills : What Coping Skills are and how to find what works best for you. 

Worksheets: 10 Forms of Twisted Thinking : How negative thinking affects how we perceive things in life and how we can work on it.  This weekend I’m going to be open for asks and advice.  If you need me, I’m here! 

- Mod Dom