Some things are worth repeating! Change can be exciting but also overwhelming. As we have entered the school building and prepare to set sail on a new school year we are re-sharing a coping skills crash course. Feel free to read through and take some tips for yourself or share with a peer. Then, check out the video on sleep hygiene !

Coping Skills Crash Course

The goal of these methods isnt necessarily to make you happy, it's to subside the negative thoughts/urges being experienced. Here a few crisis survival/distress tolerance skills you can use.

1. Challenging negative thoughts: Challenge the thought you are feeling with a positive one. List proof for the positive thought and against the negative thought.

2. Remember the acronym ACCEPTS

A: Action
Distract with an action (NOT A SELF SABOTAGING BEHAVIOR) such as playing a
a game, reading a book, talking to a friend, etc. You can also try something more
therapuetic like writing a letter to yourself or journal.

*NOTE: Self sabotaging behavior can include self harm, alchohol/drug use, and
excessive stress eating.

C: Contribute
Do something that benefits others like volunteering, making a gift for someone,
or sending a kind message to a friend.
C: Compare
Compare this experience to a similar one. You have gotten through this before,
you can do it again!

E: Emotions
Create new, positive emotions by doing something like watching a funny video or
listening to uplifting music.

P: Pushing Away
Visualize putting your negative thoughts in a box and stowing it away on a shelf.
Out of sight, out of mind.

T: Thoughts
Replace your negative thoughts. Do a math or word puzzle, count things, list
colors, or list number sequences like powers of three or fibonacci.

S: Sensation
Intensify other sensations by doing something such as taking taking a hot or cold
shower, holding ice, squeezing a stress ball, or playing with putty.

3. Remember the acronym TIPPS.

T: Temperature
Hold some ice, take a hot or cold shower, alternate running water or cold water
on your hands.

I: Intense exercise
Go to the gym, go on a run, do some push ups or situps.

P: Paced breathing
Count out slow, deep breath making sure your exhale is longer than your inhale.

P: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Go head to toe or toe to head and indivudally tense/tighten each muscle part as
much as you can before relaxing it and moving on to the next.

4. The 5 senses + movement

Vision: Look at things to help calm yourself down. Flip through some pictures or
look at the sunset.

Hearing: Listen to calming noise, like rain or ocean sounds, play your favorite music,
or sing or play an instrument.

Smell: Sniff at some soap, coffee, spices or any scent you like.

Touch: Pet an animal, play with putty, splash water on your face or use a cool damp
cloth.

Taste: Eat some of your favorite food or sip on your favorite tea or soda.

Movement: Stretch, do yoga, go for a walk/run, exercise, rock yourself gently or dance.

5. Create a pros and cons list:

Write out the pros and cons of engaging in the negative urge. Indentify each pro and con as either short term (S) or long term (L).