The deep breathing, mindfulness, and sensory coping activities introduced in this module are just some examples of coping skills. There is a wide variety of tools and activities out there that may suit your child’s needs and interests.
This week, your child should fill out this Choosing Your Coping Tools worksheet (you can also read this worksheet in the drop-down below). Your child should check off which tools have worked well for them in the past and which ones they would like to try. Then, they will choose two activities that they would like to try using as coping tools this week when they are overwhelmed or anxious.
Please review this coping tools worksheet with your child and help them think through what tools might be helpful for them.
When going over this exercise with your child, remember that some coping skills may not be options they can turn to all the time (for example, reading a book), while others can be used more flexibly and more frequently (like deep breathing).
When deciding whether a coping tool works for your child, think about whether this tool helps your child feel calmer so that they can manage their anxiety enough to accomplish their goals. As your child completes their exposure activities this week, remind them to use the coping skills they picked when they are feeling too anxious. Download this Coping Skills Tracking Form that your child can use over the next week.
Coping Skills Cards
Remembering to use coping skills when you are anxious can be hard, but these Coping Skill Cards can serve as reminders for your child. Each card has a brief reminder about either deep breathing or 5-4-3-2-1 or other common coping skills. Your child can also fill out their own using the blank card.
Here are some ways your child can use these cards:
- Print and carry the cards with you so you can look at them when you are anxious. You could keep them in your pocket, wallet, purse, or phone case.
- Print and store the cards in a safe area (on your desk or on your bookshelf) and come back to them when you are anxious
- Print and place the cards somewhere you often feel anxious, so you can quickly reach them. These places could be next to your bed, in the kitchen, or inside your mom’s car.
- Download the cards onto your phone so that you can have them to look at whenever you need! You could also make one of the cards your phone background if you need a frequent reminder to calm your mind and body.
Remember that coping skills are only effective if they help your child face their fears. If your child is using coping skills a lot, but they are not taking steps on their plan of action, then their anxiety will not get any easier to manage.
Let’s look at how George and Sophia practice coping skills:
Sophia uses coping and relaxation skills when she feels anxious around her classmates at school. Before going to school in the morning, she sets aside a few minutes for deep breathing, so she will feel calmer and more confident going into school. She keeps her cards in the seating area next to the door, so she can practice right before she heads out to school. She also asks her mom to remind her to practice deep breathing on the days where she forgets.
George uses coping and relaxation skills when there is a bad storm outside. During bad storms, George often begins worrying about all the damage the storm could cause, and he gets frightened and overwhelmed by the thunder and rain outside. When this happens, he often uses quick fixes for his anxiety, like checking the weather forecast over and over. By practicing the grounding 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, he’s able to help himself fall asleep during a storm without relying on quick fixes. He keeps his cards on his nightstand so he can easily reach them during a storm.
