We all have good days and bad days. For some of us, especially if mental health issues are involved, the bad days can be all-consuming, so when they hit we need to have the coping skills to deal with the emotional distress we find ourselves in.
My support worker recently gave me a worksheet – created by Indigo Daya (a Melbourne based mental health trainer, consultant and change agent) – that gives advice on how we can help ourselves cope during such difficult times, across six different aspects of our lives:
On the reverse of the worksheet there is space for you to write about the various coping skills that work best for you. You’re also encouraged to print out a copy so you can refer to it in times of need. Whilst I’ve stuck my hard-copy on the fridge, I’ve also decided to include a version of it here on the off-chance it will inspire someone in ways they may not have thought of.
In working through the worksheet it became apparent to me how reliant I am on the distraction set of coping skills. In fact, aside from the occasional moment of emotional release, virtually all of my coping mechanisms fall into this category.
This realisation has encouraged me to look at some other coping skills (such as grounding and self-love) to see if I can create some new skills to better assist with distressing periods, especially when lack of concentration makes it difficult to focus on any distractions.
If you would like to view Indigo Daya’s Coping Skills worksheet and print a copy to complete yourself, you can do so here.
Whilst I work on the areas I’m lacking skills in, I’m interested in how other people cope with life’s distresses. Do you tend to rely on distraction? Or are you more a self-love or emotional release person?
Feel free to leave any coping skills advice in the comments below, who knows, you may find yourself accessing your higher self and helping someone else. :)
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February 22, 2013 at 10:12 am
Reblogged this on Mm172001's Blog and commented:
Awesome Resource
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February 23, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Thanks for the comment and reblog!
I’m glad you like the worksheet and hope you find it useful. :)
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February 22, 2013 at 3:44 pm
Reblogged this on Looking for Lucy and commented:
This is a brilliant resource. I’m going to try using the sheets myself and thought others who read my blog might find it beneficial to take a look too. Lucy xx
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February 23, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Thanks for the comments and reblog!
It is a quite wonderful resource and one I hope you’ll find useful. I think it will take some time to practice and refine the techniques but I think the end will definitely justify the means. :)
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February 25, 2013 at 7:51 am
No worries :) I completely agree.
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February 23, 2013 at 12:05 am
Very helpful, thanks.
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February 23, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you found the worksheet helpful, hopefully it will prove useful for you! :)
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February 23, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Reblogged this on Bipolar 2 Dad and commented:
This is wonderful. A lot of work I think, but worth it :)
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February 23, 2013 at 6:33 pm
Thanks for the comment and reblog!
It is a lot of work and I’ve only just started working through it…but I definitely think it will be worth the effort in the long while!
Hopefully you’ll find it helpful :)
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February 23, 2013 at 1:24 pm
This is great! Thank you!
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February 23, 2013 at 10:44 pm
I distractingly access my higher self
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December 11, 2014 at 8:25 am
Reblogged this on Being Me… and commented:
Great source of information on coping skills, something I have really needed recently! Go give it a look! :-)
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December 11, 2014 at 8:25 am
Reblogged on journalexperiment.wordpress.com (my blog) and just want to say thank you!
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April 24, 2015 at 12:09 am
I think the self-love aspect is very important. Thanks so much for this post.
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May 10, 2015 at 9:38 am
Thank you so much for this! I am struggling in recovery from depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder, so I can’t wait to try these!
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