Month: May 2020

Distraction Coping Skills: The Coping Box Series Part 3

Welcome to part three of my series on creating a coping box! Today’s installment is about distraction coping skills.

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What are distraction coping skills?

Distraction coping skills are used when it is too difficult to face your emotions in the current moment. They are used to de-escalate your feelings to a level that is safe for you to deal with.

It is not advised to only use distraction coping skills because at some point you do need to process your emotions and allow yourself to feel.

However, it is a good option to have these skills for when expressive coping skills feel too overwhelming to think about.

Distraction coping skills for a coping box

Here are a few examples of distraction coping skills that you can put in a coping box:

  1. Mind puzzles: Think of games like sudoku or crossword puzzles. These require a lot of mental energy to complete and therefore are a great distraction. My favorite are word searches.
  2. Friendship bracelet supplies or other craft supplies: These keep your hands busy which is a great way to distract yourself.
  3. Playlist of songs: It’s important to pick songs for your playlist that won’t keep you stuck in your unhappy state. Think of songs that make you feel like singing and dancing. Add those songs.
  4. Gift cards: If you have a tendency to want to buy things when you’re sad, this can be a really good idea because it keeps you on a budget. You can only spend the amount on the gift card, so you aren’t going to spend money you don’t really have. You can buy a few gift cards here and there for yourself if it’s in your budget, or you could save any you get as gifts from others.
  5. Book or religious text: Reading can be a great distraction from your current situation. Whether you prefer fiction, nonfiction, or religious texts, it’s a great way to keep your mind occupied and allow those difficult feelings to pass.
  6. Playing cards: Teach yourself some new card tricks or learn how to play solitaire if you don’t already know.
  7. Rubik’s cube: You can teach yourself the algorithm to solve it quickly if you want and see how fast you can get, or do it the long way if you’re not interested in learning an algorithm. It keeps your hands and mind occupied.
  8. Write activities down on color coded popsicle sticks: I have activities color coded by what unpleasant emotion I want to go away. For example, calling a friend helps when I am feeling lonely. Make all the popsicle sticks for loneliness the same color so you can draw whatever color/feeling you are hoping to alleviate. This is good for activities that don’t really fit inside your coping box.

Some final thoughts

Thanks for joining me on this journey of creating a coping box. I hope you have found some new ideas that work for you.

Make sure to try and include things from each section (expressive, sensory, and distraction) in your coping box.

Did you miss one of the other posts in this series? You can find expressive coping skills here, and sensory coping skills here.

I hope you enjoyed this final part in my series on creating a coping box. As always, please leave a comment or share a link on social media if you enjoyed this post. You can always contact me here.

Until next time,

Danna

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Sensory Coping Skills: The Coping Box Series Part 2

Sensory coping skills are a great thing to add to your coping box! There are so many options for what you could use, so today I will introduce you to a few.

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What are sensory coping skills?

Sensory coping skills are used to calm and ground oneself. Instead of focusing on expressing yourself, like we did in the last post, these coping skills are focused on the five senses.

These skills are great when you are feeling overwhelmed and need to calm down.

Sensory coping skills for a coping box

Here are some examples of sensory coping skills that you can keep in a coping box:

  1. Lotion: This is great for tactile stimulation. Plus, you can choose lotions that smell good. You can use it to give yourself a gentle hand or foot massage while you rub it in as well.
  2. Bath bomb: For those of you who find baths relaxing and have a bathtub where you live, this could be a great option. I have always wanted to try one!
  3. Hard candies: These are a useful tool to give yourself a strong flavor to focus on. Make sure you keep them in a Ziploc or other closed container in case they melt as well as to avoid bugs.
  4. Essential oils: There are many essential oils designed to be calming, such as lavender. Make sure to buy a quality brand, especially if you intend to apply it to your skin.
  5. Stress ball: A personal favorite of mine! There are different versions. The one I currently use is shown in the picture above. It’s just a small, squishy stuffed buddy that I think was designed to clip on to a backpack or bag. Bonus points for this one because it’s bubble gum scented!
  6. Fuzzy socks: I have so many pairs of fuzzy socks and I love them! They’re also great to seal in lotion if you applied it to your feet.
  7. Play-Doh/Slime: The texture of Play-Doh and slime are very different, but both extremely satisfying. There are recipes online for how to make your own if you don’t have any.
  8. Fidget spinner: A lot of people have had great luck with these for helping them stay calm in the midst of anxiety.
  9. Spin top: There’s something immensely satisfying about spinning these and watching them go!

Some final thoughts

It’s great to have a mix of coping skills in your box, so try to pick a variety of things from different categories, such as expressive, sensory, and distraction. I will be talking about distraction coping skills in my next post.

Let me know if there are any other sensory coping skills you keep around that work well for you! You can find my contact info here.

I hope you enjoyed this second part of my series on putting together a coping box. As always, please leave a comment or share a link on social media if you enjoyed this post.

Until next time,

Danna

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Expressive Coping Skills: The Coping Box Series Part 1

A coping box is a great thing to have when you need it. They’re great for when you find yourself overwhelmed by anxiety or depression. Today, I will be introducing expressive coping skills you can keep in your coping box.

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What is a coping box?

A coping box is what you would expect. It’s a box that has different coping skills ready for you to use.

It doesn’t really need to be a box. I have also used a bag in the past.

The coping skills may be expressive, sensory, or distraction-focused. It would be good to have a mix of all three. This post will be focused on the expressive skills.

Making a coping box

Making a coping box can be part of the fun! It’s nice to go back to something that you made and are proud of when you are struggling.

When I made mine (pictured above), I was given the box as part of a group therapy that I participated in. I then took it home and decorated it to bring back to our next meeting.

You should be able to find a box similar to mine at most craft stores. I painted it a happy color and then collaged it with magazine cut outs when the paint was dry. As a finishing touching, I added glitter Mod Podge.

Of course, you can decorate yours however you like. Just make sure the decorations are positive and conducive to recovery.

Expressive skills for a coping box

There are so many things you can put in your coping box! It’s a great way to have many materials you need for coping in one place.

Here are some examples of expressive coping skills/items you can have in your coping box:

  1. Journal and a pen: This is a great way to be able to express your feelings by writing them down in something that you get to put away at the end.
  2. Sketch pad and pencils: If you’re into art, this may be a great coping skill for you. Even if you aren’t, you’d be surprised at what can come out when you allow yourself to let go and try.
  3. Collaging supplies: If you have some old magazines, you can cut out pictures and words that catch your eye. Then, you can store it in your box to collage with.
  4. Journal prompts in a jar: If you can find a small jar, you can use it to collect journal prompts that you find online and print out or write down. This way, if you feel stuck when you want to try journaling, you have something to go off of. There are lots of great ideas on Pinterest.
  5. Stationery: Stationery is one of my favorite things! I love to write letters to people. If you’re interested in writing letters to someone else or your future self, stationery is a great idea!
  6. Paint: Try to find some small paints that will be easy to store in your box. I prefer acrylics because they dry quickly, but whatever paint you like will be a good choice. You can store small canvases or paper that can be painted on in your box.
  7. Photography scavenger hunt: This one could be a lot of fun! Make a list of open-ended prompts for a photography scavenger hunt and put the list in your box. This could be as simple as taking a photo of something with a certain color or shape. It’s up to you how you get creative with the photos afterwards.

Some final thoughts on expressive coping skills

Most likely, all of these items will not fit in your box, especially once you start adding items from the next two categories.

That’s okay. Pick your favorites. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my series on making a coping box. As always, please leave a comment or share a link on social media if you enjoyed this post. If you want to contact me, you can find my information here.

Until next time,

Danna

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