Coping Skills Self management Skills

Coping skills – this will help you deal with sad, difficult and stressful situations /experiences in your lives. If you have developed coping skills, you can prevent serious problems resulting from these experiences. There are several coping techniques you can use in ordinary life situations. Some are very useful; some are not. Some can help you for a short time only but some can help you for a long time. Study the following coping

techniques and see how you can practice them:

Support- Seeking Strategies:

1. Talk to a friend who can do something about it.

2. Seek advice from responsible family members/relatives.

3. Talk to someone to find out more about the problem.

4. Look for someone who will sympathize

5. Seek professional help.

Positive Problem- Solving Strategies:

1. Do not act hastily.

2. Make a plan of action.

3. Look at the problem as a challenge.

4. Be creative in solving the problem.

5. Come up with different solutions to the problem.

Avoidance Strategies (These are acceptable for a short-term, so do not exclude

other ways of coping.):

1. Avoid being with people.

2. Prepare for the worse that may happen.

3. Wish the situation to go away or to be over.

4. Try to forget the whole thing.

5. Exercise or eat.

6. Hope a miracle would happen.

Positive- reframing Strategies:

Self- talk is a way to help you change your thoughts. Here are some selftalk statements that you can use as coping skill. These statements are useful when you are under stress or facing a challenge/problem:

A. When you are preparing for a stressful situation, you can use any of these

statements:

· I know I can do it.

· It’s easier once I get started.

· What exactly do I have to do?

· Tomorrow, I will be through it.

· I have succeeded with this before.

· I won’t entertain negative thoughts.

B. When you are facing the challenge/problem:

· I can do this.

· I can only do my best.

· I can ask somebody for help.

· If I get nervous, I’ll take a deep breath.

· If I feel tense, I’ll do my coping exercise.

· It’s OK to make mistakes; no one is perfect.

· I won’t rush. I will take it slowly step by step.

C. When you are coping with fear:

· I’ll survive this.

· Relax! It will end.

· Take a deep breath.

· Lord/Allah, help me!

· I can always call someone.

D. Self- Congratulations:

· I did it!

· I did it well.

· Next time, I won’t have to worry much.

· I’ve got to tell this to_____________

E. Affirmation:

· I enter the day with a peaceful thought.

· Every day in every way I grow stronger and stronger.

Which of these coping skills do you tend to use?

Which do you plan to use more?

Are you someone who seeks the help of others or are you a positive problem solver? Don’t avoid or deny your feelings too much; it’s not healthy.