Coping Skills
This coping skill directly affects your nervous system and can lower heart rate within minutes when done correctly.
What is deep breathing?
“If I mess up once, I’ve failed completely.”
This cognitive distortion involves seeing things in black-and-white with no middle ground.
What is all-or-nothing thinking?
“How you understand and manage your emotions”
What is Emotional Wellness?
These are the most basic human needs required for survival, such as food, water, and sleep.
What are physiological needs?
This stage focuses on maintaining progress and preventing relapse over time.
What is maintenance?
This coping method is especially helpful during anxiety or cravings because it shifts your focus away from thoughts and back to the present moment.
What are grounding techniques?
“If I relapse, my entire life is ruined.”
This distortion makes you believe the worst possible outcome will happen.
What is catastrophizing?
“How you take care of your body”
What is Physical Wellness?
This level includes feeling safe in your environment, including stable housing and personal security.
What are safety needs?
This stage involves making small steps or plans toward change, like setting goals or asking for help.
What is preparation?
This coping skill involves challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more realistic or balanced ones.
What is cognitive reframing?
“They think I’m a failure.”
This happens when you assume others are judging you without actual evidence.
What is mind reading?
“How you interact with and connect to others”
What is Social Wellness?
This level involves confidence, self-respect, and feeling a sense of accomplishment.
What are esteem needs?
This stage involves actively changing behaviors, such as attending meetings or avoiding triggers.
What is action?
This coping strategy helps process emotions by getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper, often clarifying patterns and triggers.
What is journaling?
“I slipped once, so I’ll never get better.”
This distortion takes one negative event and turns it into a never-ending pattern.
What is overgeneralization?
“What gives your life meaning and direction”
What is Spiritual Wellness?
This level focuses on relationships, connection, and feeling accepted by others.
What is love and belonging?
In this stage, a person is aware of an issue but feels stuck between changing and staying the same.
What is contemplation?
This coping skill is often avoided due to pride or fear, but is one of the strongest protective factors against relapse.
What is reaching out for support?
“I feel hopeless, so things must be hopeless.”
This distortion treats feelings as facts.
What is emotional reasoning?
“How your environment supports or harms your well-being”
What is Occupational Wellness?
This highest level involves becoming the best version of yourself and reaching your full potential.
What is self-actualization?
This stage of involves not yet recognizing a need for change.
What is precontemplation?