Coping Skills

Thats actually a really good idea....i may use it myself! Thank u and it is good to know that it helps u out as well :)

I really like that idea of converting your thoughts and feelings into a poem! I sometimes like to journal afterwards, but it doesn't always feel as satisfying to be just jotting down my feelings (especially after having just been of whelmed by those same thoughts/emotions moments before). Creating a poem or story would really help with being creative and turning a frustrating experience into an art form. Thanks for the great tip!!

something that works for me is to focus on what is happening with my five sense. For some reason focusing on the things I can hear, see, feel and smell brings me back into my body and I don't get as anxious about feeling anxious.

I'm going to try all of your techniques and see if they can help me with my horrible case of speech anxiety. The most simplesituation like talkingin class, singing when someone is near, or even sharing my opinion will triggerit. Whenit hits, my whole body shakes and trembles badly, my knees get weak, my heart races, I feel faint as I take shallow breaths, and the whole room, Except forthe face of the person that is talking to me, blurs and fades to black. I really hope it works because it's my dream to sing, music is my life.

I have a few things that I use to cope, which depend on the situation I am in. If I can, I like to go fora walk, especially in nature. I find feeling connected with the outdoors really helps me see the big picture and relax. I also find that journaling really helps. Getting all of my emotions and thoughts on paper help me feel more objective to my situation and I can gather myself more easily. If it is something that I have to deal with in the moment, I take three deep breaths and I let myself feel and accept my anxiety for those three breaths, and with each breath I try to let a bit more of it go. By the end of the three breaths I feel at least calm enough to deal with the immediate situation. Of course, no one is perfect and I am not able to do these things every time, but I find that generally they really help me!

That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to try and share my results😊😊

That sounds great! Best of luck, I look forward to hearing how it goes.

This is already a great thread - thank you for starting it. I want to share that I recently discovered the Calm app (also known as www.calm.com, I think) and I'm finding the daily guided meditation sessions really helpful. I recommend it esp if you're an overanxious / analytical thinker like me. I'm learning how to be more present and in tune with myself and just BREATHE. Sounds so silly and simple but I get so wrapped up in my cyclical thoughts, I don't even realize it. So that is my coping mechanism of the moment :)

Write. Write. Write. Don't worry about grammatical errors. Make it sloppy. Draw whatever comes to mind. Take time to yourself. Breathe. Look at the sunset. Talk to someone. Breathe.

A lot of times, I feel that helping people, whether it be friends or strangers helps me feel good about myself because I'll feel that I can make other people happy whenever they need someone. I don't know, it brings a spark in me that gives me the incentive to be stronger because other people need me or the helping hand. A lot of my friends have come to me for the sake of asking for advice and I help out to a fault. And although it can sometimes be a bit risky to help someone who's in serious pain...I find comfort in knowing I can be somebody's rock.