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Hi, several of us have been having a bit of a chat about coping with stressful situations. It started under the topic ‘a bit confused’ but i thought that if we had this question as a heading, other folks who are starting to use WRAP could maybe share their ideas too.
I guess for me, a lot of my life i have felt very easily overwhelmed by situations and people – high anxiety. I drank and was on a lot of medication to try to cope. I had problems with trust and i think probably the single biggest help i’ve had is through journaling – Writing my thoughts and feelings, planning what i’m going to do when etc. It felt/feels like safe place – my one safe place maybe. xxx
Great question, especially for these trying times. I have a variety of coping strategies for stress:
– Meditation – this is new for me. The breathing exercises have never worked for me, but I found a method that does – using a mantra with a phrase that is meaningful for me.
– Gratitude – focusing on the bright side of the stressful situations
– Talking to a friend who I can trust to listen and not judge
– Reading novels, watching shows for entertainment/escape
– Massage – not often enough!
– Reading self-help/personal development for new ideas to add to my repertoireWould love to hear other people’s ideas, too…
This is something I have also struggled with that has impacted my physical health as stress can impact so many areas of our life. A few ideas I apply to situations is referencing a library of quotes I have, positive self talk, applying the Bill of Rights, taking a walk, reaching out for support and to get another person’s perspective, setting limitation on myself, DEFINITELY applying self-advocacy, meditation and setting boundaries. Setting boundaries can be a challenge but this is where the Bill of Rights really helps.
Every morning I get up at 4:30 am do 50 push-ups 50 pull-ups and 50 situps or squatthrusts take a shower, after my shower I look in the mirror and tell myself “you are good enough you are strong enough and people like you” I know, a corney line from SNL but, it helps. Take things one at a time and don’t get overwhelmed,in between things you have to do give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Maybe ever have a little treat ( not too often but occasionally) gotta watch that sugar level! And remember LIFE IS GOOD!
I get up at 4am, though i have a more gentle start to the day. 🙂 I have tried getting up later, but my mental health goes downhill fast. i need that morning time alone to process the night and prepare for the new day.
I think that is the time of day that i take time to reflect on things and i guess that being here is a part of that. Writing here in a non-judgy environment allows me to connect with others and share experiences safely, and that helps so much.
I started working 5-6 months ago, and it has changed my routine, i’ve lost some really good parts of it and want to get them back over the holidays. For example, I used to go for an early morning walk, even if it required a torch and waterproofs. I used to see so much nature in the silence.
Dennis: I love that line from SNL and I think it’s great that you use it for wellness!
Rhiannon: Walks in nature in the dark! Wow! You must live in a lovely, more rural area to be able to do that. I live in the middle of downtown in a big city, so walking in the dark is impossible. But I love to take nature walks in the mountain up the road from me. The stillness and quiet helps me reground and stop worrying so much about every day life.
Hi Sarah. Yes, i live on a slightly rural part of a remote Scottish Island. lol. I’m very much into connecting with the nature that is around me – everyday nature. The birds at the feeder. What the sky and sea are doing – we don’t have many trees or that – lots of wind, rain and sheep. lol.
A friend just sent me this link to drawing a ‘wheel of time and nature’. You pick a place like a park bench, and then at regular intervals go and sit on it and then: OBSERVE; INVESTIGATE; REFLECT & RECORD. It sounds like a really cool idea, and i like trying to draw. 🙂
Hi everyone I am new here. Im from Watertown, NY with no family near by, How I deal with stress is use my coping skills at Mental Health Association in Jefferson County. There we have a group called and teach us that coloring and painting and getting outside and do activity, I feel for me that music like country, jazz, classical too. I know these things help with my stress. I also have a cat his name is BostonMaine after my favorite teams and where I grew up. He is always on my side when I feel stress. He is a big boy and loving cat. Thank you, for listen to what I had to say.
Wow, Rhiannon! That wheel is such a cool idea! Thank you for sharing that. I’m going to print it and use it.
And double wow that you live in such an (in my mind) fantastical place. Living in the heart of a big city in America is worlds away from a rural Scottish island. It must be so beautiful!!! I can imagine it may get lonely, or is difficult to meet lots of like-minded people, but the natural beauty must be unreal. I have dreamed of living by water my entire life. Post a photo or two sometime, if you don’t mind!
Hi Rhiannon! The wheel you post is going to be helpful for my women’s empowerment group that I do every Friday at 11am (Eastern) time here in the states. I have a great bunch of women in my group. I would to hear more about how you got to where your at? Seems like you all live in a beautiful country! thanks for letting me share some of my stories sometime.
Welcome Michelle, Hi Sasha,
I’m pleased that you both like the wheel, i’m not sure what the rules are around sharing non-WRAP related links, but their fb page does, so i thought it might be ok. 🙂
Last year i read a lot about the benefits and value of connecting with nature, and i see that in my own life. It’s not about the big things for me, but the small moments in the day when i stop to watch a bird or look at a cloud.
I don’t drive, and so spend a lot of time waiting for buses. I try to take those moments to look for beauty. I use my mobile phone to take close up pic’s of flowers, grasses, insects, weeds etc, the process of looking and taking calms me down.
At other times i draw a lot, though not well. It’s a safe way to express emotions and words, though it feels very private and i don’t show people my pictures much. I feel ashamed maybe, i think. Just now the weather is wet and windy, and so i’ve started drawing again. Not really pictures, more symbols. When i try to draw real things, the voices in my head get very judgy and vicious. I don’t know if that makes sense?
Sorry, i kind of go on a lot. lol.
I’m not sure whether we can share pictures here or not. I’ll maybe have a play around later on.
Sending everyone big hugs. xxx
You can absolutely share pictures and non-WRAP wellness information on here! I work with WRAP and this website, and we welcome your ideas!!! This is a space for people who use WRAP to help each other (I’m learning from everyone here).
I think drawing emotions is a wonderful way to express yourself. I also tend to draw abstract things, as I come from a family of artists, and I SUCK at drawing. But it doesn’t matter, the drawings are just for me. I like to use colors and shapes to express how I feel, and I like crayons, because I can press hard on them when I’m stressed. lol It gets out some of my frustrations.
Hi Sarah,
I don’t think that we can share pictures here. I would like to be able to, but though we can share links, we can’t share attachments or copy and paste images.
There is a link type thing ‘IMG’, so i think that we can share links to images, but actual images of our own doesn’t seem to be an option. I’m not that hot on computers, so if there is a way, i would love to know. 🙂
All the best,
Rhiannon
Looks like you are right about pictures. I can look into that, but it may be set up that way to ensure nothing inappropriate gets shared.
Hi everyone,
I know I’ve been very busy lately with an uncle passing and just found out tonight my brother might have had an heart attack. I’ve been taking classes to keep me busy so I don’t think of the bad. I pass my 2nd test for my peer advance for mental health. Losing a parent to ALS and the other to dementia. So it’s important to me to keep my mind sharp. It’s another way to working on my Coping Skills just last week we played picturary it was fun drawing pictures that you get to choose the word. We also color pictures of Disney characters. I’ve learn a lot from this Coping Skills group on Tuesday afternoon. Sometimes we watch Disney movies that surround our emotions. I am thankful that I get to share things here with you all. I even watch videos on YouTube of animals being rescue for people that can’t take care of them no more.
Have anyone read any good books lately? I’m not much of a reader because when I do I fall asleep doing so.. LOL! Well where I live here in Watertown New York, United States we got 12 to 18 inches of snow here. It’s gonna snow on Thursday again with a couple more inches of that white stuff call snow.. LOL
Well I guess I could talk more, but my bed is calling my name for sleepy land. So everyone have a great night or day!
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