Coping Skills Are THE WORST

Coping skills can be so annoying. Some of them work. And some of them are an absolute waste of time. I know it. You know it. Your nervous system knows it.

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a luteal-phase meltdown and your therapist says “take three deep breaths and count backwards from ten.” GIRL WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Coping skills aren’t about forcing yourself to love every tool in the toolbox. They’re about finding the ones that actually work for you.

Hate journaling? Fine, don’t journal.

Think  affirmations feel like gaslighting yourself? Don’t do them.  

Feel personally offended by mindfulness? Same.

The magic happens when you’re honest with your therapist (hi) about the ones you hate, the ones you tolerate, and the one weird one that actually helps even though you’ll never tell anyone.

Coping skills aren’t supposed to be pretty or inspirational (although I do love a cute drink and a shopping trip.)  They’re supposed to help you survive your life without catching criminal charges. And if we have to try out a few terrible ones to find the good ones, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.