SELF HARM RESOURCES

Coping Box

 

This is a box/container you set aside for the sole purpose of storing things that will help you practice healthy coping skills.  There are many things you could put in here!  

 

Things to consider:

• What emotions do you struggle with?  Anxiety?  Anger?  Depression?  Guilt?  Numbess?.....?

• What skills have you found helpful in the past?  

• What skills do you think might be helpful in the future?

• Consider things/places/moments/people that are special to you.  How might you include them in your box?

• What things could trigger you or make you feel another negative/low emotion?  You'll want to avoid these.

 

Examples of things you might find in a Coping Box:

• Things for self-soothing like: Tea, Candle, Bubble bath, Worry stone, stress ball, CD, pictures of loved ones, gum, lotion.....

• Things for distractons: rubber band, happy/positive/helpful quotes, crayons, goofy pen, crossword puzzle, red marker....

• Opposite-Action: comic strips, funny/happy DVD, affirmations, 

• Worksheets - cognitive distortion thought sheet, list of emotions, 

• Things to help you practice mindfulness - CDs, mindfulness exercise instructions, a grounding object...

• Crisis Plan, Hotline numbers

 

AND: You can certainly decorate the box in cute, calming, beautiful, funky, personalized ways.

 

More examples of what people have put in their Coping Box

http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109987

http://forums.psychcentral.com/self-injury/308557-coping-box.html

http://www.mentalhealthforum.net/forum/thread86075.html

 

 

If you find this is something you use often, consider changing up the contents of your coping box every once in a while to keep the Coping Box a special and interesting place.