6 Healthy Coping Strategies to Help Navigate a Weird World

6 Healthy Coping Strategies to Help Navigate a Weird World

canva/envymckee

Earth School is wild.

via GIPHY

Adulting is complicated. Change can be hard. Whether it be a loss of a family member or getting laid off or the pressure of being married and raising kids. There truly is so much going on in the world that can seem ghastly or weird-- if you spend any amount of time (like most of your free time) on social media--it's super easy to feel like "so what's the point of hope?!".

And with hopelessness, sometimes comes finding ways to cope. Coping strategies can be all sorts of things. VeryWellMind.com suggests that "coping" can be considered a learned skill.

Coping skills are the tactics that people use to deal with stressful situations. Managing your stress well can help you feel better physically and psychologically and impact your ability to perform your best. But not all coping skills are created equal. Sometimes, it’s tempting to engage in strategies that will give quick relief but might create bigger problems for you down the road. It’s important to establish healthy coping skills that will help you reduce your emotional distress or rid yourself of the stressful situations you face.

 

So what are healthy coping "tactics"? What things can we do to keep us healthy, whole and on path to our highest and best good? Especially when things in our lives feel sucky?

 

VeryWellMind suggests the following:

  • Care for yourself:

via GIPHY

 

Taking some time for skin/hair/body care like taking a salt bath or treating yourself to a face mask or a manicure.

  • Engage in a hobby:

via GIPHY

 

Knitting, playing an instrument, painting/coloring, reading a book--whatever floats your boat.

  • Exercise:

via GIPHY

 

Going for a walk, take your shoes off and ground in the grass (grounding), put on some music and dance.

3 Walking Trails To Explore In Central New York

If you want to be intentional about the location of your next walk, whether with friends or by yourself, Central New York has some beautiful trails for you to experience the beautiful scenery of our changing seasons. If you are looking for a new trail to explore, or just want to switch up your current paths, here are three spots you should consider for your next great walk:

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler

  • Focus on a task:

via GIPHY

 

Like just one at a time. Be it making your bed or making yourself a bowl of soup.

  • Practice mindfulness:

via GIPHY

 

Yes, meditation. You can learn how to meditate with the below series:

Read More: How to Meditate, Part 1

Read More: How to Meditate, Part 2

Read More: How to Meditate, Part 3

Read More: How to Meditate, Part 4

  • Use relaxation strategies:

via GIPHY

 

Breathing exercises, journaling, prayer, reading--anything that helps you find your center.

17 Towns Across New York State Are The Best Towns To Raise Kids

A list titled "Best small towns to raise a family" was recently compiled by Stacker, who used data from Niche to come up with the Top 50 small towns across the country that would be the ideal place to put down roots and raise some kids. They looked at various factors, including public schools, jobs, and the cost of living in towns across the U.S. with a population under 5,000.

We are proud to report, New York owned this list. We took 17 slots! Here's who made the list:

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler

Check Out New York's Hottest Camping Fashion

Picture this- You're hiking Whiteface Mountain, or you're camping Glimmerglass State Park. What is on your feet? Introducing Camping Crocs that have all the built-in survival tools on them......Yes, Camping Crocs.

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler

 

 

Filed Under: coping strategies, depression, hobbies, meditation, mental health
Categories: Health, New York News, News, This And That

More From Lite 98.7