Therapy Toolbox: Top 10 Coping Strategies to Reduce Stress  

The past month has been a particularly stressful time for everyone.  We are all managing the stress of the pandemic in its many forms:: grief and loss, uncertainty, fear, financial stress, dread, anxiety, anger, sadness, frustration… While some of us are spared the health or financial impact of this crisis, none of us can escape the stress of living through this time.  As a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety disorders, I’ve seen first-hand the negative impact that anxiety and stress can have – I’ve also seen the power of using our own thoughts, behaviors, and internal resiliency to get through the toughest of times. Having strategies to cope with stress is as important as ever.  Here my top 10 strategies that I give my clients for coping with stress:

1.  Deep Breathing: Always breathe in through your nose, take a deep breath and expand your diaphragm – don’t breathe into your chest, breathe into your belly.

• When you are relaxed, practice 4-7-8 (in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8)
• When you’re more anxious, practice 3-6 breathing / speed up if you need – deep breath in, slow breath out, keep slowing down as you are able
• Hand breathing – anytime – place your hand on your leg, use your other hand’s index finger and trace the outline of each finger ; deep breath in as you trace up, breathe out as you trace down each finger

2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: go from your toes up to your head and out through your arms/fists – clench each muscle group, hold a couple seconds, then let go
3. Peaceful Place Meditation: go through all five senses in vivid detail – practice every day for at least a few minutes.  It can also be useful to have a go-to youtube video of a 5 or 10 minute guided meditation for relaxation.
4. Contain negative thoughts or feelings: Picture a big box, chest, or locker, and imagine putting negative thoughts/feelings/fears there until you’re calm later to go through them.  Do this at night and wait until daytime to open it.
5. Change the Channel: Whatever negative thoughts or fears you are picturing, imagine zooming out and seeing them on a tv screen – you are holding the remote – and then imagine changing the channel to something else that is pleasant to think about (something you like, something you’re looking forward to, a book or show, a favorite place, lines to a play, etc).
6. Grounding: bring yourself back into the present with self-talk, breath, and your senses.  Do a breathing exercise, repeat a Mantra (“I am OK,” “I will be OK,” “I am doing the best I can,” “This will pass” etc), and do 5-4-3-2-1 senses: 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch/feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.

7. Practice Mindfulness: download the Calm or Headspace app, or read one of the following quick and easy mindfulness strategies – or listen to Tara Brach, who is great and there are meditations and talks of different lengths – pick a subject that is helpful for you.
8. Take a Walk: The benefits of getting outside in nature, breathing fresh air, and moving your muscles, are too many to list.  Take a break from thinking, and let yourself focus only on your surroundings and putting one foot in front of the other.
9. Use a Creative Outlet: Let your emotions come out in an alternative way, and use this as a time to distract yourself and find some joy.  Color a mandala (https://www.free-mandalas.net/) , draw or paint, journal or do some free-writing, listen to or create music.
10. For very intense emotions, follow the TIPP Skills:

• T – Change your Temperature by drinking water, walk outside, hold an ice cube
• I – Intensive Interval exercise burst – make use of the adrenaline with jumping jacks, sprints, burpees
• P – Paced breathing (above)
• P – Progressive muscle relaxation (above)