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Effective Coping Skills

10/13/2014

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Positive Coping Skills
Developing and maintaining strong, healthy, positive coping skills takes practice and is a great reason to visit a therapist! Implementing and utilizing these skills becomes easier over time.

Positive coping skills include:

Exercise: Moving around and getting the heart rate up causes the body to release endorphins (the body's feel good hormones). Physical activity provides stress relief.

Reading: Escape from reality by reading an enjoyable, non-stressful book.  Reading can help you to de-stress by taking your mind off everyday life.

Friendship: Having a good support system, friends and family who are willing to listen and be there for you through good and bad times is essential.

Humor: Adding humor to a stressful situation can help to lighten the mood, or help you to escape the situation for a time.

Meditation/Relaxation Techniques: Practicing deep breathing techniques, relaxation response, or progressive muscle relaxation are ways to help reduce stress and induce relaxation.

Alone Time: It is important to set aside time as often as possible to allow yourself to relax and escape the stress of life. Give yourself a break from everything going on around you…even if it just for 15-20 minutes at a time!

Hobbies: Having creative outlets and interests such as listening to music, drawing, scrapbooking or gardening are great ways to relax and relieve everyday stress.

Pets: Taking care of a pet helps distract the mind from stressful thoughts. Studies show that pets are a calming influence in people's lives.

Sleeping: The human body needs a chance to rest and repair itself after a long and stressful day.

Nutrition: Eating healthy food improves your physical health, and plays a major role in your mental health. When your body gets the proper nutrients, it is better able to function in every capacity.


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Simple Changes to Increase Your Happiness

10/2/2014

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Happiness in your life
There are several ways we can make changes in order to be happier people.  Many people benefit from guidance in this area, and attending therapy is the perfect way to work on making positive changes in a non-judgmental, supportive environment!

Build Confidence
Identifying your strengths and deficits, accepting them, building on them and doing the best you can with what you have.  Even small changes to how we interact with others or perceive ourselves can increase our happiness!

Accept Compliments
Many of us have difficulty accepting compliments from others but we all need to remember the positive in our lives when times get tough.  Learn to say nice things about yourself as well, positive affirmations!

Make Time for Family and Friends
These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will fade.  New friends are important as well, but there is history and nostalgia in relationships with old friends and family.  If we can't see our loved ones in person, sending an email or even dropping a card in the mail is great way to keep in touch!

Be Supportive
Just as you seek help when you are having a tough time, a friend or family member might come to you in their time of need.  It feels good to help others!  Learn how to become a good listener.

Create a Budget and stick to it
Financial problems are major causes of stress and can lead to conflict in a relationship. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" can compound money worries. Writing down where you money is going helps you keep a closer eye on your finances.  It is helpful to set short and long term financial goals for ourselves.

Volunteer
Becoming involved in community gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot. Find a local organization where you life skills can be put to good use.  There are plenty of long or short term commitments available for donating our time.

Manage Stress
We all have stressors in our lives, but we also have choices.  We can allow stressors to overwhelm us, or learn how to manage them. Learning to reduce stress, not give negativity our power and putting challenging circumstances into perspective will assist in achieving happiness.

Learn to Love and Accept Yourself
Take the time to get to know yourself and what makes you really happy. Learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.  We are all very busy and sometimes lose sight of what our bodies, minds and souls need to be truly healthy and happy.  Do not neglect yourself!


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