Healthy Coping Mechanisms

kermeme:

• Stoplight– this one is pretty easy to remember as the colors are the same as a stoplight. Green means go, you’re in a good mood and people are free to talk and whatnot with you. Yellow means slow down, wherein you need to get away from whatever is bugging you and calm down. Red is stop or don’t go further, this is the place you do not want to be at. So several times throughout the day, rate your attitude and try and to keep it around the green level.
• Stretching– easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? This one is exactly what it sounds like, get up and stretch a little. Move around to get rid of that creak in your neck, pop a few bones here and there, get up and walk around. Just stretch a little 
• Breathing in the good and out the bad– again, pretty simple. Think of a color that you associate with being happy or joyful, like for me I chose yellow. Now think about a color you associate with sadness or anger, I chose a really dark gray. Now sit down and fixate on a certain, nonmoving point. Take a deep breath, through your mouth or nose it doesn’t matter, and while thinking about it think of that joyful color. Once you’ve reached your limit, exhale and think of that angry color. Repeat 5-10 times or until you feel better 
• Even though, Although– this one is kind of inbetween easy and medium. Here, you counter any negative thoughts with an even though or although statement. Like even though I lost my $10 in the wind, someone else, who might need it, will get it. Or although my day has been shitty, it will get better once I get home and can calm down. 
• Remote control– this one takes a bit more practice. So you know how you can change channels with a click of a button, right? This is what we are going to train to do. Whenever your thoughts turn negative or something, put your thumb to the center of your opposite palm and press down, as you would a button. Once done with that, try thinking of positive thoughts to overcome the negative. Like if I were doing it when I was irritated with my brother, I would think that’s just what brothers do and I should just let it go and tune him out with music. 
• Self-care box– this one is my go-to. Get a box or a bag, something that’s average sized and big enough to put a handful of items inside. Grab items that you hold dear to your heart, like shirts, stuffed animals, etc. and put them in. Grab random little toys like a rubix’s cube, those things u get from a quarter machine, etc. and put them in. Grab your hobby things like books, coloring books, drawing/writing paper, etc. and put them in. Put music lyrics or songs you enjoy on a piece of paper and put it in. Ask your friends and family to write nice notes and put it in. Put in whatever makes you feel better. Also decorate the outside of the box if you want!