Even people without mental health issues have emotional stressors in their life. It’s a normal part of life, and it’s important that everyone has healthy coping skills to help them navigate these situations. But for those with a mental illness, coping skills can be especially crucial to their recovery. The goal of learning positive coping skills, in therapy, is to help you solve the problem, build resilience, and improve mental health and overall functioning.
Coping skills are any techniques a person uses to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behavior in response to stressful or traumatic events. There are different kinds of coping skills: they can soothe or distract you from frustrations, they can help you face the situation and take action, or they can make you flexible and more motivated to work through challenges.
The type of coping skill you use depends on the kind of situation you are in and the mood you’re feeling. For example, if you are struggling to cope with a difficult boss or an overwhelming workload, it’s likely that you’ll prefer solution-focused activities. For instance, writing a to-do list, taking breaks from work, or using breathing exercises can help you focus on the tasks at hand and defuse your anxiety.
On the other hand, if you’re dealing with a relationship conflict or the death of a loved one, emotion-focused coping skills might be more helpful for you. For example, practicing mindfulness or expressing your feelings through art can help you calm down and reduce negative emotions.
Unhealthy coping skills, like drug and alcohol abuse or self-harm, are not good for anyone. They may provide short-term relief from stressors, but they can also lead to long-term problems like poor health and depression. Kids who are using drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with stress or negative emotions need to find healthier alternatives right away.
Developing healthy coping skills takes practice and patience. You’ll need to try out many different strategies and measure how they work for you. What works for a friend may not be effective for you, but it’s important to keep trying until you find the right coping skills to manage your stress and anxiety.
While coping skills are helpful, they are not a complete treatment for anxiety or other mental health disorders. Most kids will need therapy beyond coping skills to fully recover from their conditions. For instance, kids who struggle with PTSD will benefit from specialized trauma therapy such as TF-CBT. In addition, kids who have mild anxieties or life stress will probably find comfort in talking with a therapist about their concerns. Learning coping skills is a great first step for these children to develop a more stable and healthy future.
