If you have ever been in a situation where you got so upset you felt steam coming out of your ears or so overwhelmed you wanted to scream; you need this healthy list of coping skills for adults.
There is nothing wrong with feeling upset, and we all get overwhelmed now and then. The problem becomes when you have no way of releasing the energy from those intense and, at times, uncomfortable emotions.
As an adult, you can’t react to everything. You simply can’t afford to do so. Otherwise, you risk putting yourself in unpleasant situations. That’s why coping skills are a necessary life skill. Incorporating coping skills into your daily self-care regimen effectively calms you down when you’re feeling overwhelmed or experiencing big emotions.
Expressing yourself and your feelings; is a necessary part of your mental and emotional health. However, being able to do so in a healthy way is just as important.
You want to reach a level of maturity where you can control your emotions, particularly when they are heightened. When your feelings are heightened, you are susceptible to behaving in ways you could later regret.
Whether it is a snarky comment from a co-worker you’re not fond of or your children being smarty pants, you have to be able to manage your emotions.
You come to face to face with stress regularly, and those stressors can sometimes cause emotions that produce fear, anxiety, and anger. Because stress is a part of life, how you deal and cope with stress is what’s important.
If you don’t have the necessary tools like coping skills readily available to help manage these intense emotions on hand, you risk losing the self-control you thought you had.
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What are coping skills?
A lot of people confuse coping skills with self-care. However, the two are a little bit different.
Self-care is the intentional actions you take and the activities you practice regularly to maintain your overall health and happiness.
On the other hand, coping skills are the actions you take in the here and now when you feel intense emotions are overpowering you. These coping strategies help you manage big and uncomfortable feelings when you feel like you are about to lose control.
Why use coping skills?
Developing and improving your coping skills is essential for adulthood and personal growth. Because you never know when you are going to come across situations that will cause you to experience intense and overwhelming feelings.
When you experience intense feelings like anger that make it feel like you are going to lose your self-control, it is helpful to have a way to buffer your emotions instead of acting in ways that may be irrational, offensive, and damaging to yourself and others.
What are bad coping skills?
There is such a thing as bad coping strategies. These coping skills are unproductive, bring about conflict or confrontation, and cause harm to you and those around you. Bad coping skills can result in emotional, physical, and psychological damage.
Poor coping skills can be drinking and drugging to cope with stress or physically harming someone when you are angry.
Other poor coping strategies that can cause emotional harm include yelling, belittling, and ignoring a person, especially your loved ones.
What are healthy coping skills?
Healthy coping skills calm you down, lessen your overwhelming feelings and bring you to an equilibrium state.
When you use healthy coping strategies, it is normal to feel soothed and more relaxed.
What are some coping skills?
There’s a variety of healthy coping skills you can use to calm down when you experience big and intense emotions; you have to find what works for you.
It might take trying a few different coping skills before finding the one that works for you. It is usually good to have at least 2-3 coping skills you can turn to when you feel like you need to ground yourself.
A List of Coping skills For Adults
If you don’t already have a few coping techniques to help lessen your overwhelming feelings, feel free to choose a few of the ones listed below.
1) Take 5-10 deep breaths
2) Count 1-10
3) Close your eyes and imagine your favorite place
4) Go for a walk
5) Call a friend on the phone
6) Take a break from whatever you’re doing
7) Use positive self-talk
8) Sing your favorite song
9) Use sensory fidget toys (squeeze balls)
10) Listen to calming music
11) Walk away
12) Write down your feelings
13) Draw or doodle
14) Shake a calming jar if you have one
15) Look at photos of people you care about
16) Make a fist then release it
17) Wash your hands and face with cold water
18) Use grounding techniques
19) Let yourself cry in private
20) Say a quick prayer
Using these healthy coping techniques can save you from behaving in ways you might later regret, and could be the difference between losing or keeping your job.
This coping skills list for adults is also helpful if you are recovering from anything (e.g., addiction, an abusive relationship, a toxic friendship, etc.) or are trying to leave behind old behavior patterns. Use these strategies when you feel the urge to go back to the people, places, and things that will trigger you to return to those unhealthy situations or unwanted behaviors.
Self-care activities can become coping skills. If weekly baths are part of your self-care regimen, and you get into a heated argument with your roommate or spouse, it is perfectly acceptable to excuse yourself and take a bath to step away from the situation and clear your head.
Feel free to share these coping skills with family or friends who may be struggling with regulating their emotions.
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