Mental Health Coping Techniques

Handling Negative Thoughts 

Be conscious of your thoughts: As soon as you find yourself thinking a negative thought, stop yourself from thinking it. Think of something positive. A place you love, a person you love, or even just a colour you love.

Avoid Triggers: Minimising contact with negative people and avoiding negative situations if you can. If you are in one of these situations, remember its just temporary.

Face Reality: don’t fight it and don’t overestimate what is happening.

Set boundaries: Its healthy to set yourself boundaries on what you will and will not allow.

Get Rest: create a solid bedroom routine. Lack of sleep will greatly affect your mood causing irritability, anger, and anxiety.

Listen to music: Listening to your favourite will lift your mood.

Daily Meditation: meditation will help reduce anxiety and give you the ability to ground yourself when you need to. Make it a daily habit.

Remember you cannot control a situation, but you can control your response

​

Ways to practice mindfulness

​

When you are talking to someone, rather than trying to work out what you are saying whilst they are talking, listen to them and be present in the conversation. Really hear what they are saying. Pay attention to how you are feeling and respond in a mindful manner.

There are many activities you can take part in to be mindful. Walking or gardening, even whilst eating food. Pay attention to what you are putting inside your body to fuel it. Whilst performing these tasks you will have a heightened sense of awareness.

​

By focusing on the present, you can tune into physical sensations and let go of thoughts about the future or having anxiety because of the past.

Another way to practice mindfulness is by listening to music. Focus on what you are hearing, the vibrations and sounds of each note, the emotions it causes you to feel.

​

When your mind starts to wander you will start to notice and be able to bring yourself back to the present moment. This gets much easier over time.

​

Try putting some pauses into your day. Just one moment to breathe in and out and bring yourself back to the present. If you make it a habit to be mindful for a couple of minutes every day, like at mealtimes, it will soon become a natural part of your schedule.

​

Practicing meditation or yoga are excellent ways to be mindful. Learning breathing techniques can have an excellent calming effect and will help you stay grounded in the present moment.

​

No one is good at mindfulness to start with, it takes a lot of effort and practicing. When you over think your mind will wander repeatedly but with some patience you will get there and you will feel better mentally, have less stress and overall be much happier.