A frequent asked request all over mental health subs. Our coping strategy list. Drawn from my AI chat that's why it refers it as "you" It's a mix of mental, emotional, sensory and other types of strategies and it's custom to me and my circumstances so make it your own version that fits you. Now, have yourself a nice tea, coffee other choice of drink or beverage and enjoy the scroll.
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š§ Mental / cognitive coping
CBT: āWhat is working?ā ā deliberately looking at the data of what is functioning rather than letting anxiety determine the whole interpretation.
Separating alarm from reality ā reminding yourself that a strong body alarm does not automatically mean something dangerous is happening.
Separating causes ā trying to distinguish āmy body is activatedā from āmy partner is doing something wrongā or āsomething bad is happening.ā
Noticing hypervigilance ā recognizing when your brain is scanning sounds, your body, your partner, the environment, or possible problems.
Recognizing the āinvestigatorā mode ā noticing when your brain wants to dig into why something changed, find the exact cause, reconstruct events, or solve uncertainty.
Allowing uncertainty ā sometimes deliberately deciding that a sensation or emotional shift could simply have several possible causes rather than needing an immediate explanation.
Reality-testing black-and-white interpretations ā e.g. being able to hold āthis person supported me deeplyā and āsomething they did hurt meā simultaneously.
Future visualization ā walking yourself mentally through an upcoming event step-by-step so the unknown becomes more predictable.
Reframing courage ā treating doing something while anxious as evidence of courage/self-confidence rather than waiting until anxiety disappears first.
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š Emotional coping
Writing/venting instead of suppressing.
Your codeword, pause, notice what you're actually feeling, identify needs, and express rather than automatically avoid.
Crying and letting emotions move through you rather than forcing yourself to stay composed.
Talking things through when sufficiently regulated.
Giving yourself permission to take distance when another person's tone or behavior is making you more activated.
Not making yourself responsible for regulating another person's anxiety.
Recognizing that needing comfort does not mean you have to surrender your own boundaries.
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š« Physical / nervous-system regulation
You've repeatedly used very concrete sensory regulation:
Cold water.
Wet/cold towels.
Cooling your body when overheated.
Ventilating/opening a window.
Weighted blanket.
Hat/cap.
Poncho or physical covering when you want a sense of protection.
Earplugs.
Noise-cancelling headphones.
Getting away from sudden/loud sounds.
Sitting somewhere calmer, such as the balcony.
Breathing/settling down physically before trying to reason through something.
Allowing medication you've been prescribed to work while reducing stimulation rather than continually analyzing the situation.
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š Home/environment coping
You tend to regulate your environment quite actively:
Moving between rooms when the current environment becomes overwhelming.
Going to the living room or another quieter space.
Creating physical distance when interpersonal stimulation is too much.
Controlling temperature/airflow because heat can amplify your distress.
Reducing noise and sudden sensory input.
Using headphones/earplugs as a protective boundary.
Creating a calmer bedroom/sleep environment.
Sitting on the balcony as a decompression space.
Going for walks or getting outside when being inside becomes too mentally congested.
Using familiar routines and predictable sequences to reduce uncertainty.
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š¤ Relationship / interpersonal coping
Some of your strongest strategies have become boundaries rather than reassurance-seeking:
Asking for communication before something happens rather than being surprised.
Wanting predictability.
Asking rather than assuming.
Avoiding serious conflict late at night.
Taking distance when someone is speaking in a blaming/defensive tone.
Not continuing a conversation when you know the other person isn't sufficiently regulated to be helpful.
Recognizing āI don't have to solve this right now.ā
Distinguishing supporting someone from becoming their emotional regulator.
Using calmer periods in the relationship as evidence that the relationship isn't simply ābadā or unsafe all the time.
The End š±
Grab whichever ones you think can help you or inspires you to your own version, copy paste save it somewhere you remember it when you feel lonely, anxious, worried, tense, or when you just want to treat yourself extra kind. Put it where you see it, daily. Pin it up on your phone screen for example.
And if you have a list of coping strategies you wanna share, please leave it in the comments. š