Mental Health Coping Mechanisms

When living with any mental illness it is important to have various coping strategies in place to ensure that you are keeping yourself as safe and as healthy as possible. Below is a list of the strategies that I have adopted over the years – some of which I hope may be of use to you:

Reading (I am an avid fan). Listed below are just a few of my turn- to self- help books

The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers

End the Struggle and Dance With Life – Susan Jeffers

Peace From Nervous Suffering – Claire Weakes

Dancing and listening to music

I think we are all aware of the positive effects that music can have on our mood. When my mood is exceptionally low I will crank up the cheesy pop and get on with the housework. While I cannot sing to save my life, I see nothing wrong in throwing out a few Beyonce dance moves and attempting to hit those infamous Whitney vocal notes on my favourite track, Step by Step, in the comfort of my own home. Give it a try. Go on, I dare you. Sometimes, though, a good old power ballad is all that is needed. Have you ever been mindlessly listening to the radio or a music channel to come across a slow Adele or Mariah number that fits your situation perfectly? Quite often we will convince ourselves that, somehow, the song in question was written especially for us.

Colouring

Oh how I love to colour. I am like a kid in a sweet shop when surrounded by pens, crayons and colouring books. Can you recall the sheer excitement you felt when your school teacher pulled out the colouring box? Or when you were allowed to play around with the crepe and coloured paper on the last school day before Christmas break to make cards for your family? Surely I cannot be the only one.

Whether I am panicking or feeling deeply depressed, colouring, to me, is one of the more therapeutic coping techniques (that is unless I have coloured outside of the lines). Blame it on the OCD in me but there is something relaxing about sharpening those pencils and arranging your pencil case to suit whatever art project you may be undertaking. So, take my advice and give it a try. Try having a note book to hand that you can doodle in, or if you’re more technologically minded then download a drawing app on to your phone or tablet. Maybe you could look in to attending nearby arts and crafts groups, or dedicating one afternoon a week making your own projects with any young family members. The list really is endless.

Self- harm distraction techniques

I know myself that when the emotional torture becomes too painful to bear, we feel a need to see the pain, to physically inflict it. I myself will grind or dig my nails deeply into my skin, pull my hair or bite and slap myself during times of sheer distress. However, over the years, I have acquired a number of coping mechanisms to try as opposed to physically harming myself. This includes squeezing ice cubes in the palm of your hand, drawing something pretty on the area you are wanting to harm, such as a flower or a butterfly, and pinging your wrist with a loose elastic band. I can say from experience that these methods are effective, but then I also know that, sadly, they will not work for everyone. Find the one that works for you and maybe even get creative with it.

Exercise

I know. I know. The word fills me with dread, too. I would much rather be tucked up under my quilt with a hot drink and a good book, but sadly that will not get those endorphins going. I think we are all aware that, medically speaking, exercise is seen to be the ‘miracle cure’. It gives us a confidence boost, improves our mood and will provide us with a much better nights sleep. Regular exercise will also reduce our risk of developing depression and becoming stressed, which obviously then feeds into anxiety.

Now, while most people will go for long strolls in the park or go for a ride around the block, those of us with anxiety will often struggle to do so. Thus, I myself developed my own home work out routine and consequently lost 4 1/2 stone along the way – bonus! So, while making that cup of tea or waiting for your jacket potatoes to cook in the oven, do 30 squats, star jumps or lunges. You could (carefully) run up and down the stairs 10 times, or stack up a few old telephone books (who actually uses them in this day and age anyway?) and use them to step on and off. Or you could do what I do and put a bit of Cher or Tina on and dance around the kitchen while doing the housework. You will be surprised at just how many calories it burns, and you are having fun while doing it. Exercise does not have to be boring, as long as we do at least 30 minutes daily then we can adapt it to fit in with our own routines and personal preferences. Maybe keep a thought record, detailing how you felt before and after exercising to see just how much your panic and mood have improved.

Keeping a feelings journal

The sheer heading makes me cringe. When my therapist told me to keep a diary I instantly recalled the one that I kept as a pre teen – telling Isaac from Hanson how cute he was with his new hair cut (awkward). However, what I have learned along the way is that you can actually get creative with it. Maybe purchase a scrap book and give the front cover a makeover – stickers, coloured paper  – the works. I promise you that, before long, this book will become your life line. I am not good at verbally expressing my feelings, convincing myself that the person listening to me must be bored of my problems by now. However, my diary has become my form of expression. I can be open and honest and either choose to burn the entry or turn the page and start afresh the following day.