Often, we read about coping skills to use based on our struggles, but we’re all so different. One coping skill may work wonders for one person, but may not work at all for another. One way to personalize coping skills just for you is to look at your favorite human senses. Below is a list of coping skills for each sense, to help you find strategies that might particularly resonate with you.
Sight
- Go on a hike
- View beautiful art
- Look in the mirror and half-smile
- Stargaze
- Organize something
- Candle meditation
- Sit in nature with your eyes open and observe silently for 5 minutes
- Draw or paint
- Write a poem
- Journal your thoughts and feelings
- Clean your house
- Watch an inspiring movie
- Guided imagery
- Read that book you’ve been meaning to start
- Write a to-do list
- Write a bucket list
- List 5 things you’re grateful for
Sound
- Pick a personal mantra and use it when stressed
- Name the feeling out loud (“I’m feeling ______ because ______”)
- Mindfulness meditation
- Loving-kindness meditation
- Talk with a loved one
- Listen to music
- Sit in nature with your eyes closed, simply listening for 5 minutes
- Laugh
- Sing
- Listen to the birds
Taste
- Eat one meal a day with no distractions
- Try a new fruit or vegetable
- Cook with plenty of herbs and spices
- Eat mindfully
- Give yourself a real lunch break
- Drink some calming tea
Smell
- Go outside and literally smell the flowers
- Surprise your nose by cooking a new meal
- Think of a favorite memory and what it smelled like
- Go to a candle-making store and let your nose run wild
- Diffuse calming essential oils
Touch
- Draw or paint
- Knit
- Exercise
- Garden
- Get a massage
- Mindfulness meditation
- Buy a houseplant (or 17) and learn to take care of them
- Give someone a hug (if they are in your circle)
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Squeeze a stress ball
- Play an instrument
- Clean your house
- Cook a meal from scratch
- Take a long bath with Epsom salts
- Give your pet some love
- Dance
- Create something with clay
- Make a “calming rock” to carry in your pocket
Seeking to learn more ways to cope? Check out Wellness Coaching. Wellness Coaching offers one-on-one, group, and workshop services for all Ohio State Students. Using a strength-based approach, Wellness Coaching helps you gain awareness regarding your capacity to create the life you want to live, both now and in the future.
– Joe Doherty, Wellness Coordinator, Wellness Coaching