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Basic Coping Tips
Nikki and Anne Heart ♥ December 2, 2025
Practice self-care to help you cope
- Take breaks and rest: Schedule downtime or take pauses during the day to reset physically and mentally.
- Eat healthy: A balance diet supports both physical and mental wellness.
- Engage in meaningful activities: Limit social media. Participate in a fun activity, join a group or find a hobby.
- Set boundaries: It’s OK to say no or ask for help.
- Practice mindfulness and relaxation: Deep breathing, yoga, meditation can help improve stress.
- Prioritize sleep: Quality rest helps restore both your body and mind
- Stay connected with people and nature: Can help eliminate loneliness.
- Move your body: Short walks, stretching, yoga can go a long way.
Acknowledging triggers can help you cope
- Overload of responsibilities
- Constant watching, reading, or listening to news stories
- Social media
- Watching too much violence
- Unable to move forward from the past
- Chemical or food sensitivities
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Personal situations or issues
- Hidden illnesses such as thyroid disease
- Health concerns such as an injury or illness can disrupt your lifestyle
- Financial problems such as student loan debt or job loss
- Job situation
- Upcoming test
- Lifestyle
- Medication side effects
- Hormonal changes
- Loneliness or social isolation
- Substance use such as alcohol or drugs
- Sleep problems
- Grief
- Season changes
Techniques to help you cope
- Deep breathing exercises, if you physically can
- Don’t isolate yourself
- Practice mindfulness
- Read for pleasure
- Write in a journal
- Watch a funny sitcom or movie
- Live in the present
- Step away from a situation even for a short time
- Try to relax your mind
- Slow your body and mind down even for a short time
- Limit alcohol consumption and recreational drugs
Unhealthy coping strategies
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Substance abuse
- Self-harm
- Impulsive or risky behaviors
- Isolation
- Emotional eating
- Avoidance
- Negative self-talk
- Excessive screen time
- Catastrophizing
Why these unhealthy strategies can be problematic
- Temporary Relief
- Long-term harm
- Cycle of negativity
- Impaired emotional processing
- Exacerbation of mental and physical health issues
Sources Used:
- National Library of Medicine, Coping Mechanisms, Algorani EB, Gupta V. Coping Mechanisms. [Updated 2023 Apr 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559031/, accessed November 14, 2025.
- MedlinePlus, Learn to Manage Stress, accessed , November 14, 2025.
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