What exactly is a coping skills toolbox?

It is a collection of your favorite and healthy items that you can use when you are feeling anxious, panicky or distressed.

It has sometimes been recommended that students create a coping skills toolbox for those times when they need something to help them get through an anxiety attack, panic attack, or any kind of distressed situation. Because there are nearly an infinite number of ways to cope, it is not necessarily important whether you cope like everyone else. All that matters is that you find effective coping methods that will help you to build resilience and to thrive.

Benefits of Coping Skills:

Everyone needs to be able to cope with life’s emotions and stresses in healthy ways. Childhood is a wonderful time to learn to cope with and manage life’s ups and downs. If children have good coping skills, they will:

• get along better with others

• more easily make connections to others

• be able to start and maintain friendships

• be able to pay attention in school and learn

• manage better when more challenging experiences occur

• be more resilient