When thinking about being healthy, most people instinctively think about physical health, but mental health is equally important. The past few years have been particularly challenging for most Americans, and research indicates that the prevalence of mental health disorders is rising across the nation. Mental health disorders impact all areas of life, and it is critical to have the skills to manage symptoms when they arise.
Coping strategies are techniques people use to tolerate, minimize, and otherwise manage stress, trauma, and painful or difficult emotions. However, not all coping strategies are created equal. Engaging in strategies that offer quick relief can be tempting but can cause more significant long-term problems. Through adult mental health treatment at Rose Hill Center, you can learn strategies to maintain your mental health. Contact us at 866.367.0220 to learn about the benefits of healthy coping strategies.
What Are Healthy Coping Strategies for Mental Health?
Coping strategies are also called coping mechanisms or coping skills. Healthy coping strategies are essential for everyone, regardless of mental health status. Healthy coping strategies help reduce stress, minimize mental health symptoms, and improve overall well-being. Utilizing healthy coping skills typically involves changing your perspective or reframing the situation.
A quick internet search can produce suggestions for healthy coping skills, such as exercising, journaling, reading, listening to music, meditation, yoga, watching a movie, gardening, talking to someone, or doing a favorite hobby. Most of these are quick, simple techniques that can easily be added into daily routines or drawn on quickly in a moment of stress.
Following are healthy coping strategies for mental health that are more in-depth and are well-suited to managing mental health symptoms:
- Deep breathing – Breathing deeply is one of the most effective ways to calm anxiety because it quickly slows your heart rate. Try the “5, 3, 7” method of breathing in for 5 seconds, holding your breath for 3 seconds, and breathing out for 7 seconds.
- “The Five Senses” – Instead of focusing on what triggers your symptoms, focus on your five senses. Identify something you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. This activity grounds you and keeps you present in the moment.
- Radical acceptance – You cannot change the fact that you have a mental health condition, so ignoring or denying it is a waste of your energy. Accept yourself and your situation, then take the necessary steps to care for yourself.
- Opposite-to-emotion thinking – Act the opposite way your thoughts or emotions tell you to. For example, if you are depressed and want to isolate yourself, you would be around people instead. This strategy takes practice but can become instinctive with enough time.
- Emotional awareness – This strategy involves acknowledging your emotion, allowing yourself to feel it, and then coping with it. For example, if you’re angry, accept and feel it for a few minutes, then do something that calms you, like watching your favorite show.
Recovery from mental illness takes strength, determination, and persistence. Learning, practicing, and perfecting healthy coping strategies can help you learn how to manage your symptoms and empower you to be an active participant in your healing and growth.
The Benefits of Positive Coping Strategies for Mental Health
Developing positive coping strategies for mental health is essential to learning how to manage the ups and downs of life and prevent minor setbacks from developing into something more significant. Having positive coping strategies to draw on in times of crisis helps prevent the reliance on unhealthy coping strategies that worsen symptoms and create additional problems.
Positive coping strategies for mental health have numerous benefits, including:
- The capacity to manage strong impulses and emotions
- Improved self-esteem
- Increased confidence in your strengths and abilities
- Greater emotional regulation
- Better resiliency
- Promoting healthy self-care
Positive coping strategies should allow you to calm yourself in stressful times without avoiding the problem. Having an assortment of coping strategies is essential because not every strategy is suitable for every situation.
Contact Rose Hill Center for Adult Mental Health Treatment
Rose Hill Center is one of the nation’s leading long-term mental health care facilities. We provide comprehensive psychiatric treatment and residential rehabilitation services to adults 18 and older. Here, residents acquire the tools to manage their mental health symptoms, including healthy coping strategies. Contact us today at 866.367.0220 to learn more about our adult mental health treatment center.
