COPING STRATEGIES

[startingnew]

hi everyone

so ive only been on these forums for about 2 months now and have come to realise alot of people are after coping strategies.

i have quite alot of coping strategies- not all of them work on me but i thought id share what i have and what i think of as it goes along and maybe itll help others.

please feel free to add your own coping strategies too 🙂 the more the better 🙂

[startingnew]

thank you Pepper

means alot to me to 'hear' you say that

thanks for the invite too

[Peppermintbach]

Welcome 🙂

Btw that friendship circle has been moved to a new thread called "Join our circle of friendship and support" in the Staying Well forum. Would love to have you on board but of course, it's totally up to you if you join or not 🙂

Kind thoughts,

Pepper

[startingnew]

thanks for letting me know Pepper

[startingnew]

Quick tense and release
Focus first on your hands.
Clench your fists tightly for a few seconds -hold for the count of 3 seconds, counting them out – 1, 2, 3. You may wish to progressively hold for 4 seconds, then 5 or even more. Make sure you are able to do this reasonably comfortably.
Release the tension all in one go – make sure that the tension is released all at once with a feeling of floppiness at the end.
Repeat this with your hands and lower arms.
Repeat this with your hands and your whole arms.
Repeat this exercise with your feet, then feet and lower legs, then feet and whole of legs.
Finally hold the muscles of your entire body tense, hold for the count of 3 and at 3 release all tension from your body.

[startingnew]

Breathing mindfulness

Sit quietly in a chair with both feet on the ground and your hands in your lap. Bring all of your attention to the physical act of breathing – start to notice the breath as it enters your body through your nose and fills your lungs. Also notice the breath as your lungs relax and you inhale through your nose. Don’t try to do anything with your breathing – simply notice it, pay attention to it and be aware of it. You will start to notice that each time you breathe in your diaphragm or stomach will expand and each time you breathe out your diaphragm or stomach will relax. Again, don’t try to do anything – just be aware of the physical sensations of breathing in and breathing out. You might like to mentally spell the word “relax” – R-E-L-A-X – each time you breathe in and breathe out. Alternatively, you might like to imagine that with each inward breath you breathe in a feeling of peace and calm and relaxation and that with each outward breath you breathe out any tension, worry or anxiety that is stored in your body.
Start this exercise initially for 5 minutes building up daily. You can also do this exercise lying down in bed if you have difficulty sleeping. It is simply a way of allowing you to have more mindful and conscious control of your body – its breathing and its capacity to relax. When our breathing relaxes our muscles relax and we relax

[startingnew]

breathe hold and release method

Take a deep breath – breathing in fully and as deeply as you can.
Hold the breath for a count of 5 – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
One the count of 5, release the breath all at once.
As you continue to do this exercise you can slow down the counting a little bit each time so that the holding of the breath becomes progressively a little longer.
In between breaths that you hold you may wish to take a couple of normal breaths.
Remember that no matter how long you hold the in-breath that you let the out-breath escape in a “whoosh”, releasing all the breath at once.
After a while you should notice that your breathing has slowed down. You may also notice that your muscles feel more loose and relaxed, especially after each sudden out-breath when your body may even go floppy for a few seconds

[startingnew]

abdominal breathing

So start by sitting either on the floor on a cushion with your legs crossed or in a symmetrical posture on a chair, and just start to notice the gentle sensations of air flowing in and out of your nostrils. You an have your eyes closed or open…
Just starting to take notice, spending a few moments sensing the breath there at the nostrils – in and out.
And now notice how your attention can move down to the level of your chest and sense the movement in and out of the chest, as the air moves in and out of your lungs. Upper chest, middle chest, ribcage part of the chest, just riding the waves of your breath, focusing on the sensation of your chest rising and falling with each breath.
And now noticing how you can let your attention move down to the level of your abdomen as you sense the inward and outward movement of your belly. You can put your hand over your abdomen if you find it difficult to sense your belly’s movement at first.
As air moves into your lungs, the diaphragm pulls downwards, and pushes your abdomen outward. As air moves out of your lungs, your belly moves inward. Just sense the breath in and out, riding the waves of the breath as you focus on the sensation of your abdomen, moving in and out.
Gentle natural breaths at the abdomen. No need to change your natural breath, no need to force it. You can practice this calming abdominal method of breathing wherever you are during the day; whether you’re standing in a queue waiting for your lunch, whether you are driving the car; just starting to become aware of where your breath is most prominent and moving your attention to where it is in your body.
We take our breath with us wherever we ago so it’s a tool we can use in times of stress, anxiety, frustration, irritation, just noticing… noticing the breath at the abdomen, will often allow you to recapture some groundedness and some calm in order to move on with your day
While you are sitting in this practice right now, focusing on your breath at the abdomen, you will notice that thoughts arise. just notice those thoughts as thoughts and let them go. And bring your attention back to your breath.
Body relaxed, Shoulders relaxed, face relaxed, the only movement is your abdomen rising and falling.
And now this exercise is finishing. Open your eyes if they were closed, looking around you, coming back to the space where you’re sitting, taking a few long deep inhalations and exhalations, stretching the body, and moving on with your day

[startingnew]

slowing down breathing

Work out the pace and speed that works best for you.
Breathe in for the count of three.
Breathe out for the count of three.
Continue to do this and each time slow the count to three very slightly.
Don’t force the slowing down process – just allow your counting to gently keep time with a minor slowing down or the breathing for each time you repeat the exercise.
When you have slowed your breathing down and notice that you have come to a pace that feels comfortable then stay at that pace, continuing to count your breath in to the count of three and out to the count of three.
A variation to this exercise is instead of counting the breaths in and out you may wish to spell them in – you might wish to spell “c-a-l-m” or “r-e-l-a-x”
When you breathe in, spell the letters – “c-a-l-m” (or “r-e-l-a-x”).
When you breathe out, spell the letters – “c-a-l-m” (or “r-e-l-a-x”).
Each time you repeat the exercise slow the spelling down a little.
When you get to a slower pace that feels comfortable then stay at that pace, continuing to spell your breath in and to spell your breath out.

[startingnew]

mindfullnes using external world

lose your eyes and bring into your mind a place that for you has elements of peacefulness, calm and relaxation – this may be a real place that you have been to in your life or it may be a place that you are creating in your imagination from bits and pieces of memories or real places
Once you have started to develop a picture of this place in your mind, start to fill in some of the details in your imagination;
Look around you in that place and notice what objects you can see.
Can you hear anything?
Is it warm, cool, hot, cold in that place?
Is there sunlight, shadow, are you indoors, outdoors?
Is the natural world present in this place? What can you notice?
Is there a breeze or is the air still?
Notice where you are. Try to place yourself in the very middle of this place you have created in your mind – notice what is around you when you are in the middle of it.
Once you have created the place in your mind – this place that is calm, peaceful and relaxation – just allow yourself to stay there for a little while and enjoy it.
When you are ready to leave look around you for one thing in that place that you could take home as a memento or souvenir. This could be something that you could hold in your hand – if it is imagine it is now in your hand – or it could be an image, a sound or a sensation that you can carry in your memory. Once you have chosen your memento or souvenir, then take it with you as you gently open your eyes and take note of your surroundings.
Finally, remembering your souvenir or memento, close your eyes again and use this souvenir as a key to take you back to this place that is peaceful, calm and relaxation. Once you are back there enjoy being there for a few seconds before taking your souvenir/memento and opening your eyes and noticing your surroundings.
You now know that this is a place you can go to any time, anywhere – you have the souvenir/memento which can be the key to take you there.
Use this exercise as a way of capturing this place in your imagination when you need it

[startingnew]

grounding exercises 2

If you are sitting, feel the chair under you and the weight of your body and legs pressing down onto it. Notice the pressure of the chair, or floor, or table against your body and limbs.
If you are lying down, feel the contact between your head, your body and your legs, as they touch the surface you are lying on. Starting from your head, notice how each part of your body feels, all the way down to your feet, on the soft or hard surface.
Stop and listen. Notice and name what sounds you can hear nearby. Gradually move your awareness of sounds outward, so you are focusing on what you can hear in the distance.
Hold a mug of tea in both hands and feel its warmth. Don’t rush drinking it; take small sips, and take your time tasting each mouthful.
Look around you, notice what is front of you and to each side. Name and notice the qualities of large objects and then smaller ones.
Get up and walk around. Take your time to notice each step as you take one, then another.
Stamp your feet, and notice the sensation and sound as you connect with the ground.
Clap and rub your hands together. Hear the noise and feel the sensation in your hands and arms.
Wear an elastic band on your wrist (not tight) and flick it gently, so that you feel it spring back on your wrist.