Working to manage stress, anger, burnout, and other mental health issues can be challenging. When life gets hard, it can be easy to give up or revert to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Ogden Psychological Services wants to help individuals have healthy avenues of coping and destressing that improve their mental health. Here is a small list of healthy coping skills to try. 

1- Go On A Walk Or Go To The Gym

Getting physical exercise and moving your body is a great way to cope with stress. Taking a walk or doing a workout to some pump-up music is a good way to clear your head. 

2- Try A New Yoga Routine

Yoga and stretching are other good ways to get your body moving. These can be healthy coping skills because they help refocus your thoughts and help you feel more balanced. 

If you are feeling down or depressed, try including some affirmations during your routine as well. There are also yoga classes that can help you feel connected to peers while also getting some exercise and utilizing one of many healthy coping skills.

3- Call A Friend Or Family Member

This can be a good time to vent, catch up on life events, or just get your mind off of stressful things in your life. Talking to someone helps you feel connected and helps may help them feel better as well. This coping skill is a win-win! 

If calling is not something you feel comfortable doing at the moment, try sending a text or DM, or writing them a letter. 

4- Detox From Social Media

Comparing ourselves to others online can be damaging to our mental health. Scrolling on social media can take time away from other important tasks, leading to us feeling overwhelmed or sluggish. Try detoxing from social media and putting that time into working, developing a hobby, doing housework, or catching up with a friend. 

A detox from social media can also help you feel more present and in the moment. Life is short and should be enjoyed while you can, so unplug and look around you more during your detox. 

5- Sit In The Sunlight

Healthy coping skills don’t always have to be active or last for long periods of time. Going to a park or just sitting in your backyard under the sun can help give you an energy boost. When life gets stressful, we often need more vitamins and endorphins to be released to our brains. Vitamin D from the sun can help lift your mood and set you up for better success during the days ahead. 

6- Take Photos And Edit Them

For those who are looking for a confidence boost, or want something creative to distract them, taking self-portraits or photos of others is a great way to accomplish both! Taking some self-portraits and editing them can boost your self-esteem, or having a fun photo shoot with friends can be a healthy outing. Grab your camera or even just your smartphone and hit the streets. 

Taking it one step further to play around with editing and hype each other up is a great coping skill for when you aren’t feeling confident. 

7- Join A Club Or Rec Sports Team

Human connection helps us to feel better and more well-rounded. Joining a book club or recreational sports team is a good way to fuel a healthy hobby while meeting new people. 

8- Reorganize

When your life feels out of control or overwhelming, organizing a few areas in your home or office can help you have a clearer headspace. Find some clear organizers and put everything it its own place, or go through your closet and get rid of clothes you no longer wear. 

Reorganizing can take some time, which is a great way to put away distractions or your phone and just spend some time with yourself. With so much going on in the world, it is important to have healthy coping skills that allow us to escape for a while. 

9- Practice Gratitude

Make a list of 10 things you are grateful for. If you can do more than 10, try to get to 30 or even 50.

10- Practice Letting Go

Stressful life situations can cause us to lose things we once had. Practice letting go and learning to move forward. This can look like moving on from a breakup, letting go of old clothes, or moving forward after a missed opportunity.

11- Try Something New

The best way to get out of a funk is to try something new! Test out a new coffee shop, learn a new language, take a different route to work, watch a new Netflix show, try a new workout, or buy a new book. 

12- Take A Relaxing Bath

After a long day, taking time to unwind instead of stressing or scrolling through the news can be beneficial to your mental health. Another easy one on this list of healthy coping skills is to take a relaxing bath. Run the hot water, light a candle, and put on some soothing music.

13- Read A Book

Sitting down with a good book not only keeps your brain sharp, but it also is a good way to healthily escape reality for a bit. Pick up a self-help book to improve your well-being or pick up a fantasy to put your mind into another world. 

14- Put Your To-Do List On Pause

As humans, we often feel that we have to be on the go constantly and accomplish everything in one day. If you are feeling in a mental health slump, try taking some things off your to-do list, or throwing the list away entirely. 

When you are in a better headspace or have more time, you can come back to the list. They will still be there (just make sure to do anything timely first). 

15- Schedule A Therapy Appointment

If coping with stress or life changes is becoming more and more difficult, schedule an appointment with your therapist. Therapy can help you see a different perspective and vent to someone who truly listens. Schedule a call with your therapist or book one for the first time to see if it can help your mental health. 

Coping Skills With Ogden Psychological Services

Our therapists focus on meeting your individual goals and helping you develop more healthy coping skills. We want to help you know how to navigate stress, grief, anxiety, anger, and more. Fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment! 

Many people on social media have been sharing their use of affirmations in morning routines, daily life, classrooms, workplaces, and more. Affirmations are short phrases using present tense language that affirm positive outlooks or outcomes. But the question is, do they really help? Can you use them to improve your mental health and become more confident? Do they work hand in hand with therapy? In this blog, we will look at what affirmations are, some examples, and the science behind utilizing affirmations. 

What Are Affirmations?

Often referred to as positive affirmations, the phrases are used to help curb negative patterns, motivate action, limit anxiety or fear, encourage perseverance, or increase confidence. Multiple affirmation apps, card sets, and faith-based affirmations exist on the internet today. Affirmations can also be written or changed by the person utilizing them to make them fit their specific needs.

Utilizing affirmations helps us to have a positive image of ourselves and change the way we view situations. They take negative situations or self-talk and spin it to be more positive. Some examples of affirmations can include:

• “I can learn from my mistakes.”
• “I am confident.”
• “I wake up motivated.”
• “Each and every day, I am getting closer to achieving my goals.”
• “I am excited to enter a new and amazing phase in my life.”
• “I know difficult situations are only temporary.”
• “My past might be ugly, but I am still beautiful.”

Affirmations utilize present tense because you are working with a concept called neuroplasticity. You are working to make your brain believe that the goal is already being achieved as you are working to achieve it. Instead of just hoping for good things to happen, affirmations help you to see that they already are. 

Self-Affirmation Theory

Claude Steele popularized self-affirmation theory in the 1980s. This theory states that we are able to maintain self-integrity and are able to hold strong to our core values and beliefs. Self-affirmation helps to establish your identity and keep it intact when life changes or threats plague your life. 

As we define ourselves, we are able to see different perspectives of success, happiness, and confidence. Each individual will have different goals and aspirations, so self-affirmation theory will help you make choices that align with your values and beliefs. This also helps us to earn praise and acknowledgment, which is often needed for us to feel like our presence matters. 

Avoid Broad Affirmations

Just like setting goals, making too broad of a statement will not be as effective as a more specific statement. Affirmations are similar and should not be looked at as too broad, or too specific (i.e. striving for perfection). Utilizing affirmations such as “I really like myself” can set you up to judge yourself and may not align with what you truly believe about yourself. 

Affirmations are most helpful in specific situations that help you reframe your negative thoughts. The whole goal is to eventually make you believe the affirmations you are saying. Increasing your confidence will help you to push yourself to do bigger tasks, thus helping you grow as a person. If your affirmations are not specific enough and are not utilized consistently enough their effectiveness decreases. 

Increase Self Confidence

For those with anxiety, fear around public speaking, traumatic pasts, or other debilitating mental illness, utilizing affirmations can help you see that these hard situations can be overcome. For example, if you utilize affirmations to overcome fear about presenting to a team, or driving from one city to another, you now have the confidence and skills to overcome a bigger challenge. Affirmations can help you reframe negative thoughts which can eliminate the fear surrounding specific situations. 

Reduce Negative Stress

Affirmations are also commonly used during meditation or mindfulness practices. Utilizing phrases like “I am financially successful,” “I accept and thrive in the season I am in,” “I feel confident in changing careers,” “My anxiety does not control me,” etc. can help you refocus your thoughts and limit stress. The more personal your affirmations are, the better they will work to help you approach situations with a calm demeanor. 

Consistent and focused affirmations can limit worry and stress. While some meditation and affirmations can help, if you are having persistent anxiety, fear, or self-doubt, it is best to seek professional help. Performing better in a stressful world can be accomplished by utilizing multiple mental health resources. 

How To Make Affirmations Work For You

If you want specific affirmations to work in your best interest, follow these guidelines. 

• Decide on a purpose: Ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Do you want reassurance or to gain more confidence? Are you working towards a goal and want to take extra steps to reach it? Do you need reassurance between therapy visits? Doing this step first will make utilizing affirmations more effective. 
• Keep it short: Affirmations are often best when repeated or combined together. Keep the phrases short and quick so that you can say them multiple times or think about them quickly in a stressful situation.
• Be authentic: Choosing something that is true for you. If you don’t even slightly believe what the affirmations say, they won’t work.
• Write them down: Studies have shown that writing goals and thoughts down helps our brain to better navigate them. Writing down your affirmations will help you remember them and repeat them, but also help you see how your values change after your self-confidence has grown.
• Make it a daily habit: Making something a habit makes it much easier to implement in every daily task. Forming good habits help you become more successful in life. 

Utilizing affirmations as part of your mental health practices can give you better skills to handle hard situations. Ogden Psychological Services encourages forming better habits, utilizing positive affirmations, and seeking therapy when needed.

As mental health becomes less stigmatized, more information comes to light about how mental illness affects different people. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a subcategory of depression that occurs most often in the winter months. SAD can also occur in the transition to the winter season as well. 

Ogden Psychological Services wants to help improve the mental health of Utah residents by helping them understand symptoms, learn about different diagnoses, and learn how to cope with mental illness. Seasonal Affective Disorder can be debilitating, but there are some ways to cope with these depressive hormones. 

What Is SAD?

Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD, is caused by changes in hormones during colder, darker, and shorter days. This can affect our mood, activity, energy, and anxiety. Those who experience SAD often feel symptoms the most when the days get shorter and they receive less Vitamin D. 

Women are more likely to experience seasonal depression, especially if they are between the ages of 18 to 30. Those with a family history of depression or seasonal depression are also more prone to experience it themselves. 

Symptoms of SAD

Each person with Seasonal Affective Disorder can experience different symptoms at different lengths. Depression episodes can last for varying amounts of time and can change depending on the year and other factors. 

Some common symptoms of SAD are: 

• Feeling lethargic
• Sleeping more
• Loss of interest in activities
• Feeling guilty
• More prone to colds
• Excessive agitation
• Decreased sex drive
• Trouble thinking clearly
• Weight gain

Ways To Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder

Try Light Therapy 

A major cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is the lack of light and Vitamin D. Light therapy can help get you the vitamins you need without the need for the sun. Phototherapy or light therapy can be done by sitting by a light box for around 30 minutes a day or adding different wavelength light bulbs to your home. Before you start light therapy, talk to your doctor or therapist about what box is right for you. 

Prioritize Physical Activity

One of the best ways to make your physical and mental health better is to get enough exercise. Physical activity can help give you more energy and release endorphins that can help improve your mood. Regular and consistent exercise will help you feel more productive. 

Connect With Family Or Friends

Another great way to improve your mental state is to find support. Going out and being social will feel really difficult for those with depression but it can help boost your mood and limit intrusive thoughts. 

Confiding in someone of talking about your emotions can also help let out damaging emotions. While your friends are not a therapist, they can help you feel more seen and understood. 

Spend Time Outside When Possible

Living in colder climates can make it difficult to get time outside during the winter, but finding sunny days or taking a vacation can help improve your Seasonal Affective Disorder. Outdoor activities can also give you more enjoyment in life and combine physical exercise altogether. Find a sport, activity, or another hobby that can make you feel like life is worth living. This may take some research and problem-solving, but it will help improve your depressive feelings. 

Eat More Vitamins And Minerals

Getting vitamins and minerals is important to keep your body healthy. Eating healthy can give you the nutrients that your body needs to function. Eating a balanced diet may not immediately come to mind when it comes to ways to improve your mental health, but each element of our bodies works together. Cooking healthy food, preparing food for your family, or just eating new foods can improve your mood. Healthy food can help in multiple areas of your Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Seek Therapy With Ogden Psychological Services

Ogden Psychological Services wants to help you safely navigate mental health issues with therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Our counselors and therapists work with a variety of people with a variety of issues and help them to develop better coping skills. 

We strive to put you at ease while in our office and help keep you secure. Working with our team gives you coping skills and the hard choices of therapy, without causing you harm. Contact us to see what therapy could work for you.