Healthy Coping Skills

How to Calm Down

You can calm down in 3 steps!

• Stop! use any word to signal yourself to stop ("stop", "I need to calm down," "hold on" etc.)

• Name your emotion (sad, happy, worried, angry, etc.)

• Calm down use your coping skills (deep breathes, positive self talk, counting, etc.) 

  • we suggest deep breathing, counting, and positive self talk because they are skills you can do anywhere! There are 100s of healthy coping skills! Use what works for you.

If your not sure what healhty coping skills to use, think what zone am I in? By knowing what your feeling you can use the zones of regulations tools to calm down.

How to Stay in Control

5 steps to better emotional regulation!

• Notice: A check in with yourself. ask your self: 

  • What going on in your body?

  • How are you feeling

  • What are thinking? ( More positive or negative thoughts?)

• Pause: USe Self Talk! You can say anything to yourself ("chill," "knock it off," "hang in there," etc).

  • What signal would you give yourself to stop?

  • This is a Jedi mind trick backed by neuroscience. Literally saying words to yourself can help your brain get out of the amygdala (feeling part of your brain) into cortex like the speech then thinking part (prefrontal cortex) of your brain.

• Think Twice: Before you act. Check any assumptions you might be making about the situation:

  • Is it true?

  • Did I consider all the possibilities?

  • Do I need more information?

  • Is the thing I want to say or do Kind?

• Calm down if necessary: Use any healthy coping skill.

• Now that you're calm and you've thought the situations through your read to act. 

• Reflect: How did I do? If it didn't go well learn from it. 

  • Think can I do something different next time?

Ever more Healthy Copings Skills to try:

• Try a grounding exercise: Name 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste

• Practice some breathing exercises

• Splash cold water on your face

• Practice mindfulness: Stop what you’re doing, bring yourself to the present moment, focus on your thoughts and calm them

• Think of a happy place: What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it feel like? What does it smell like?

• Organize your space

• Slowly count down from 10

• Drink some water

• Talk to friends

• Talk to an adult you trust

• Hold something close to you, like a blanket or stuffed animal

• ​Journal (Write down your thoughts to get them out of your head, allowing you to take a step back and see them as less threatening)

• Write a story

• Question your thought pattern: Challenge negative thoughts and see if they’re really true

• Watch something funny

• Hang out with your pet(s)

• Recount everything you had for breakfast, lunch, etc.

• Get some sleep

• Lie down

• Listen to music

• Take a shower or a bath

• Talk yourself through it

• Repeat a phrase, such as "I am brave. I am strong. I am enough."

• Exercise: Even going for a walk or doing yoga can help you focus on your body and take your mind off of whatever might be giving you anxiety

• Try aromatherapy: Using oils, incense, or candles with relaxing scents like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood can activate certain brain receptors to ease anxiety

• Make some art (paint, sketch, draw, sew, knit, take pictures)

• Rub lotion on your hands

• Find and/or write down things that comfort you

• Use a squishy or fidget thing