Coping Skills | Parts of a Whole

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Ways of Coping

Not every coping skill will speak to every part of you — and that’s okay.

Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.

Different parts need different kinds of care at different times.

This is a collection of skills I’ve gathered from lived experience, with the hope of making things feel a little more manageable.

You’re human, and getting through things can be hard. If you’re here looking for ways to cope, I see how much effort that takes — and that matters.

Draw/paint/colour by number
Take a nap/go to bed
Listen to music
Clean or organise a space
Play a computer/phone game
Read a book
Listen to podcasts
Count backwards from 500
Category game (a word for each letter A-Z)
Watch funny videos on YouTube

Make a list of things that make you happy
Do something nice for someone else
Watch TV
Mindful eating/walking/writing
Pick a subject and research it
Chose an object and write a detailed description of it
Go for a walk
Sing or play an instrument
Paint your nails

Bake/cook something
Dance to music
Scroll Pinterest/Substack
Create a coping skills toolbox
Wash your hair
Blow bubbles
Play solitaire
Tidy a room or sort something
Make a blanket fort
Grab a snack
Check out Recovery Ideas for more distractions

Call a friend/safe person
Call a helpline
Text a friend
Hug a safe person/animal/toy
Watch a show “together” (same time, separate places)
Sit in the same room as someone (no talking needed)
Sit at a café or library together

Play with a pet
Visit a friend
Volunteer
Ask for a distraction rather than support
Say “Can you keep me company for a bit?”
Message someone just to chat about neutral topics
Do a puzzle or craft with someone

Join a sports/hobby group
Attend a peer support group
Reach out to a clinician
Cook or eat alongside someone
Go for a short walk together
Study or work in the same space
Play a game together (online or in person)

Sit in a shopping centre
Go to a cafe
Go to a safe person’s house
Go for a walk
Move to a space with natural light
Visit a quiet museum or gallery
Sit in a place with background noise (food court, lobby)
Go to a public building just to sit (town hall, uni building)

Go to the movies
Go to a local library
Visit an animal shelter
Find a safe space to sit
Go to a local park
Sit in a different room in your home
Sit on a bench and scroll or listen to music
Ride public transport for a few stops
Sit in a car with the radio on
Visit a bookstore

Have a solo picnic
Go window shopping
Go people watching
Find somewhere to be alone (if needed)
Sit by water (river, lake, ocean, fountain)
Walk a different route than usual
Sit under a tree
Browse a supermarket slowly
Sit in a waiting area or lobby
Visit a garden centre or nursery
Browse an op shop

Breathing exercises
- Box breathing
- 4-7-8 breathing
- Belly breathing
- Guided breathing exercises
5-4-3-2-1 Exercise
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Suck or hold an ice cube
Sit in the sun
Eat sour candy
Eat spicy food
Eat a lemon slice
Eat ginger
Drink a really fizzy drink
Hold something with weight (book, mug, stone)
Wrap up tightly in a blanket (deep pressure)
Put your feet on the floor and press them down
Hold a warm wheat pack or cold pack (over clothes)
Play with kinetic sand, slime, or putty
Run hands under warm then cool water

Fidget toys
Stress ball
Drink some cold water
Take a shower/bath
Chew gum
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) exercises
Jump rope or jump up & down
10 minute walk/run
Yoga/stretching/pilates
Have a hot drink
Splash cold water on your face
Hold a warm mug and notice the heat
Step outside briefly and notice the air
Sit near a heater or fan
Take a warm shower and name sensations
Change clothes into something softer or looser
Press palms together for 10 seconds
Wall sit or gentle squat
Stretch arms overhead and notice length
Rock slowly back and forth
Slow neck or shoulder rolls
Brush hair slowly or use a soft brush on arms
Hug a pillow or stuffed toy
Sit against a wall or lie on the floor

Curl up in bed
Light a candle/incense
Listen to 8D music or soothing music
Use hand lotion or body scrub
Meditate
Get a massage
Walk barefoot on grass
Imagine your favourite place
Name 5 things you can see (slowly)
Look for a specific colour in the room
Watch clouds, trees, or rain
Play white noise or rain sounds
Listen to a familiar podcast or audiobook
Put one hand on your chest and listen to your breath
Smell coffee, tea, or spices
Essential oils (lavender, citrus, eucalyptus)
Fresh laundry or fabric softener
Say your name, age, and where you are
Name today’s date and time of day
Describe the room as if to someone else
Touch something near you and name its texture
Place one hand on your body and notice contact

Scream into a pillow
Cry
Shred a piece of paper
Journal
Write poetry
Write a gratitude list
Name the emotion
Brainstorm the problem
Throw ice into the bathtub or against a brick wall hard enough to shatter it.
Sigh exaggeratedly several times
Read something out loud with emotion
Talk to an empty chair like someone is there
Record a voice note saying everything you won’t send
Sing aggressively or dramatically

Write down a list of your values
Hit an empty plastic bottle on cushions
Boxing/hitting a punching bag
Pick up a stick and hit it against a tree
Slam a pillow onto the floor
Rip up an old book
Exercise
Bang pots & pans
Throw darts.
Play handball or tennis.
Draw messy lines or scribbles (no goal)
Paint with hands or sponges
Write a letter you don’t send (then tear it up)
Write exactly what you wish you could say
Create a “vent page” — one page, no rereading

Stomp around
Break old dishes
Smash fruit with a hammer/bat
Punch pillows
Yell or sing at the top of your lungs
Throw/skim rocks
Run/sprint
Wall push-ups or plank against a wall
Shake your whole body for 30–60 seconds
Jump, pace, or march in place
Rip fabric scraps or old clothes
Snap sticks or dry branches
Pop bubble wrap
Smash cardboard boxes
Collage images that match the feeling
Use colours to show intensity (no shapes needed)

Thought challenge - write down thoughts and think about what you would say to someone you care about if they were having those thoughts
Problem solving - identify the problem as clearly as possible, generate possible solutions, evaluate the alternatives, decide on and implement a solution
Seek professional help - reach out to your GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or other trusted clinician
Set aside some time to write down a brain dump
Identify triggers
Check your safety plan or coping skills list
Positive affirmations
Write a letter to your younger or future self
Talk yourself through the moment

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