Coping Skills 101
What is the purpose of a coping skill?
To help manage emotions, stress, or difficult situations
You're having a stressful morning and notice yourself becoming irritable. Name one way you could cope.
Deep breathing, taking a break, talking to someone, etc.
This skill involves slowly breathing in and out to help regulate your nervous system.
Deep breathing or paced breathing.
Crying is always an unhealthy way to cope.
Myth, Crying can be a healthy emotional release.
Name three coping skills that require no materials.
Breathing, grounding, positive self-talk, etc.
True or False: A coping skill must make you feel better immediately to be effective.
False.
Why?
You have an argument with a friend and feel the urge to send an angry message. What could you do first?
Pause, use grounding, write out your feelings, or wait until you're calmer.
This technique involves naming five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding.
You can experience multiple emotions at the same time.
Fact
Reframe the thought "I'm never going to get better" into a more balanced statement.
"Recovery is difficult, but that doesn't mean I can't make progress."
Answers vary.
What is the difference between healthy distraction and avoidance?
Distraction provides temporary relief while avoidance involves repeatedly putting something off that needs to be addressed.
You notice yourself comparing your progress in treatment to another client's progress. What could you remind yourself?
Recovery looks different for everyone, and progress is not a competition.
This DBT skill encourages you to pause, take a step back, observe, and proceed mindfully.
STOP skill.
Setting boundaries can be a form of coping.
Fact.
Name one coping skill you could use in each of these locations: at home, in treatment, and in public.
Answers vary.
Why might a coping skill that worked yesterday not work today?
Different emotions, situations, and levels of distress may require different skills.
You're feeling overwhelmed during a meal and notice urges to engage in behaviors. Name two coping strategies you could use.
Ask staff for support, use grounding, practice self-compassion, or use an approved distraction.
This skill involves acknowledging a difficult reality without necessarily agreeing with or liking it.
Radical Acceptance
Using distraction to cope is always a form of avoidance.
Myth. Distraction can be helpful for temporarily managing intense emotions, but it shouldn't replace addressing problems entirely.
As a team, come up with three different coping skills someone could use when feeling overwhelmed: one physical, one mental, and one social.
Answers vary.
Physical: Deep breathing or stretching.
Mental: Positive self-talk or grounding.
Social: Talking to a trusted person or asking for support.
How can we learn new coping skills?
Discuss in sessions and groups, talk about them with peers, etc.
You've tried three coping skills, but you're still distressed. What could you do next?
Reach out for support, try a different approach, use distress tolerance skills, and remember that coping doesn't always eliminate distress.
This DBT skill involves intentionally doing something different from what an emotion is urging you to do, when that urge isn't effective.
Opposite Action
You can use coping skills even when you're not experiencing difficult emotions.
Fact! Practicing coping skills when you're feeling calm can make them easier to use during stressful situations.
Each team member must share a different coping skill and explain a situation where it could be helpful.
Answers vary.