Coping Strategies

Make time for self-care.

Make time to unwind and do activities that bring you joy. Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. 

Spend time outside.

Being outside can help improve your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Go to a park, take a walk, plan a beach day, play sports with friends!

Take care of your body.

Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep & water, and avoid alcohol and drugs. 

Reach out to your support networks.

Connect with family members, trusted adults, and don’t be afraid to reach out if you have questions or need support. 

Set a routine to help build consistency. 

Schedules help up feel secure and establish expectations. Create a daily or weekly schedule for yourself that includes essential activities (learning, school work, clubs, family obligations, etc.), and enjoy checking  things off your list! Make sure this routine involves space for fun or relaxing activities too! Take breaks and allow yourself to do things that make you happy.

Limit your bad news or social media consumption.

There's enough upsetting news going around that we could consume it 24/7. In addition, social media can lead us to make unfair comparisons, to feel like we're missing out, and to let online drama become real life drama. Limit the time you  spend scrolling, and give yourself permission to check in online twice a day. Then spend the rest of your time looking at more positive information and connecting with others in person.

Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings.

 It is important to recognize our feelings. For example, notice “I am am getting anxious about the future. Interesting!” After noticing, do some exercises that allow you to move out of your head and back into your body and the present moment (like deep breathing, shrugging your shoulders, pushing your feet into the ground), and remain engaged in the physicality of those exercises. 

Focus on what you can control.

It is natural to worry about the future, especially when it seems so uncertain. The key is to not get swept by our thoughts and feeling of anxiety. We cannot control the future, nor should we let uncertainty drive us to hopelessness. We can fight this by concentrating on what IS within our control. 

Find at least one thing to feel positive or grateful about every day. 

A lot of what we hear and see these days is scary and troubling. It can be helpful to therefore seek out the opposite. Start with finding one thing that makes you smile, laugh, or feel good each day. To double the impact, share your positivity with others — maybe your happy moment can turn into someone else’s happy moment too! 

Be gentle with yourself, and with those around you.

Times of high stress can bring out both the best and the worst in people — it’s wonderful when it brings out the best, but it’s completely natural and understandable when it brings out the worst. Try to be mindful of how you’re feeling and acting on a given day, and forgive yourself for the times when you might not be at your best. Recognize that this is also the case for those around you, and work to forgive them too.